Public Transport in the US

I live in a major US city, and I’m sick and tired of feeling unsafe while on the train. Nearly every-time I ride, no matter the time of day, there’s someone who is yelling and acting erratically or someone is openly smoking. Smoking is less offensive honestly, but the fear of not being able to say anything lest they have a violent reaction is there. There’s been an increase in deadly attacks on trains so this isn’t just me being anxious.

I understand there is a mental health, drug, and homeless crisis in this country, and I have empathy for those people. However, the expectation should not be on the everyday citizen to know how to handle and deescalate these situations and that’s why I’m annoyed. Train riders shouldn’t have to keep their faces blank as someone runs screaming and yelling aggressive profanities in their faces to try and avoid being their next target.

Something needs to be done at a systemic level to help those who are in a crisis, and to help protect those of us who rely on the public transport to get around.