Travelling alone at night on Melbourne’s public transport, I’ve often felt a nagging suspicion that I wasn’t entirely safe. Teenagers sat at the other end of carriages, talking loudly amongst themselves (undoubtedly about the violent crimes they were about to commit) and laughing (undoubtedly at the innocent other travellers who were soon to be their victims). Young men would stand near the doors as the trains rocketed between stations, lurching wildly (clearly drunk out of their brains) whenever the train swung around a bend. Other passengers would sit suspiciously by themselves the whole way (clearly planning to follow me home and rape and murder me).
I used to think – my god, I wish there were some barely-trained failed security guards toting semi-automatic weapons on this train to keep me safe. Only the threat of bullets spraying around the carriage in a shoot-out between trigger-happy gang members and heavily-armed not-police could reassure me now.
Well, never let it be said Ted Baillieu is a useless do-nothing premier whose only plans for Victoria are actually worse than what came before. He’s finally giving me, and all other paranoid and confused rail passengers, exactly what we presumed when not thinking rationally that we wanted. He’s found a way to put more guns on our trains, without all the inconvenient professionalism of actual police.
That’s the kind of can-do (stupid things) spirit that Victoria has been looking for. I hope the Herald Sun wrote an approving editorial about it.
Moved On 
Police officers receive 33 weeks training, PSO’s receive 8.
I do not like the precedent of PSO’s replacing Police Officers.
Not sure I want really well trained people with guns on a train either.
Edinburgh airport, after the unfortunate incident in Glasgow, has what appears to be Special Ops people with automatic weapons patrolling. They look really bored.
How long can well trained police officers wander around a peacefull environemnt without either being so fed up they leave or maybe invent a little excitement to liven things up or maybe just overreact to relieve that boredom?
I really do not want anyone on our public transport with weapons.
If we have money to throw about, how about finding why we have the violence and throw some money at the solution.
Amazing we’d even consider armed PSOs rather than actual police given VAGOs report on excessive use of force by Ticket inspectors. Ticket inspectors FFS. For a $3 ticket in Melbourne you can expect to have a limb broken. It is obviously a great idea to give the same sort of failed security guards better weapons and higher powers.
Or just have the occasional pair of cops wander the length of the train…
…you know, like we used to do.
It reminds me though, of the times I took a train to and from my karate classes.
We’d never wrap up before 10pm, so I would often sit suspiciously by myself the whole way.
Planning, no doubt, to follow you home and rape and murder you.
Clearly, something must be done. The eminently punchable Mr Ryan cannot afford to go wobbly on us.
“The eminently punchable Mr Ryan”
WIIWTLAV?