Passenger Trains > Anything goes in Portland, OR

Man accused of chewing MAX passenger’s face banned from TriMet for life

Jan. 25, 2023

GRESHAM OR. (KPTV) - TriMet has issued a lifetime ban to Koryn Kraemer, a man accused of chewing off another man’s ear and part of his face on a MAX platform earlier this month. It's the second lifetime ban in the agency's history.

Kraemer, age 25, has been charged in the brutal attack on the Cleveland Avenue MAX Station platform. TriMet clarified that the attack happened in the early morning hours of Jan. 3, when MAX service was not running.

Kraemer is in jail, being held without bail, as he awaits prosecution on a charge of assault in the second degree.

https://www.kptv.com/2023/01/25/man-accused-chewing-max-passengers-face-banned-trimet-life/

Why pick on Portland?  Last I checked, mental illness exists everywhere.

radar Wrote:
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> Why pick on Portland?  Last I checked, mental
> illness exists everywhere.

Because there is a political agenda to do so.

When my wife and I attended the AFT crew reunion there in 2016 we were schocked at the numbers of homeless types that we encountered everywhere we went. We learned very early on NOT to walk anywhere we were going regardless of how close it might be to our hotel to avoid the agressive panhandlers who we were approached by constantly.  

   I'm told it has gotten ever worse since then. A shame as otherwise Portland is a lovely city. 

    Ross Rowland 

aehouse Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> radar Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Why pick on Portland?  Last I checked, mental
> > illness exists everywhere.
>
> Because there is a political agenda to do so.

the agenda is to keep passengers safe.............

66

radar Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why pick on Portland?  Last I checked, mental
> illness exists everywhere.

Because that is where the headline was from.

If "Anything Goes in Portland, OR" was true then this person would not have a lifetime ban from Tri-Met and not be in custody awaiting trial for assault.

My wife and I spent the day in downtown Portland today.  We saw a movie, walked up and down SW 10th Ave., went to the Portland Art Museum, and did some shopping.  There were many people out and about.  It was a pleasant day in Portland.  There is a homeless problem here, like in most major cities, and there is also issues with people needing mental health services finding treatment, just like in the rest of the country.  My philosophy has always been that if people of good will decide to be in an area and do business there, other negative elements will diminish.  If people choose to live in fear of going someplace, then the negative elements end up taking over that place.

To get back on the topic of trains, Portland has historic Union Station served by two long distance Amtrak routes plus the Cascades.  Portland has the Oregon Rail Heritage Center with SP&S 700, SP 4449, OR&N 197, and a new turntable being built.  There are lots of great places to railfan in the area.  The Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad is a two-hour drive west in Garibaldi.  The Mt. Hood Railroad is an hour and a half drive east.  The Santiam Excursion Train on the Albany and Eastern is about an hour and half drive south.  There is a lot of great railroad activity in and around the Portland area and I encourage all railfans to come for a visit and see for themselves.

I don't work for the City of Portland, or live in Portland, but we do live nearby and we go into Portland all the time.

Joe

 

https://www.wweek.com/news/2023/01/10/three-appalling-incidents-start-the-year-on-a-bleak-note/

66

All three incidents in the Willamette Week story show it is not "Anything goes" in Portland.  In all three cases the perpetrators were arrested and charged.

Fear is a commodity the media loves to deal in.

Portland has problems like every other metropolitan area in the country.  I have worked in law enforcement for over 34 years.  23 as a patrol deputy and detective with a sheriff's office in the Portland metro area.  I have been all over the country for investigations and training.  For whatever reason, the media wants to portray Portland as worse than other cities. There are challenges, but it is not "Anything goes".

Joe

Willsburg765 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
  For whatever reason, the media wants
> to portray Portland as worse than other cities.
> There are challenges, but it is not "Anything
> goes".
>
> Joe

I agree with your point about the media.  However, the original poster, not the media, came up with "Anything goes."  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/23 04:51 by RuleG.

goneon66 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> aehouse Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > radar Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Why pick on Portland?  Last I checked,
> mental
> > > illness exists everywhere.
> >
> > Because there is a political agenda to do so.
>
> the agenda is to keep passengers
> safe.............
>
> 66

Bashing cities, their elected officials, and the people who live in those cities on Trainorders DOES NOT increase my feeling of safety on public transit where I live and in the cities to which I travel.   

Aehouse is correct. The misleading subject line, at odds with the article's content, connotes a political agenda.

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/23 04:55 by RuleG.

We really, really need to fund, then open and expand mental health hospitals.  Releasing these people who are obviously mentally whacko is just wrong for them, and for law abiding citizens to endure.  They're finally starting to do this in California, it's gotten so bad.  We need more "tough love solutions", vs. "compassion."

Mike Tyson?

Nothing to see here, please move along.  Nothing to see here....


Willsburg765 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If "Anything Goes in Portland, OR" was true then
> this person would not have a lifetime ban from
> Tri-Met and not be in custody awaiting trial for
> assault.
>
> My wife and I spent the day in downtown Portland
> today.  We saw a movie, walked up and down SW
> 10th Ave., went to the Portland Art Museum, and
> did some shopping.  There were many people out
> and about.  It was a pleasant day in Portland. 
> There is a homeless problem here, like in most
> major cities, and there is also issues with people
> needing mental health services finding treatment,
> just like in the rest of the country.  My
> philosophy has always been that if people of good
> will decide to be in an area and do business
> there, other negative elements will diminish.  If
> people choose to live in fear of going someplace,
> then the negative elements end up taking over that
> place.
>
> To get back on the topic of trains, Portland has
> historic Union Station served by two long distance
> Amtrak routes plus the Cascades.  Portland has
> the Oregon Rail Heritage Center with SP&S 700, SP
> 4449, OR&N 197, and a new turntable being built. 
> There are lots of great places to railfan in the
> area.  The Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad is a
> two-hour drive west in Garibaldi.  The Mt. Hood
> Railroad is an hour and a half drive east.  The
> Santiam Excursion Train on the Albany and Eastern
> is about an hour and half drive south.  There is
> a lot of great railroad activity in and around the
> Portland area and I encourage all railfans to come
> for a visit and see for themselves.
>
> I don't work for the City of Portland, or live in
> Portland, but we do live nearby and we go into
> Portland all the time.
>
> Joe
>
>  

Bob Wilcox
Charlottesville, VA
My Flickr Shots

coach Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We really, really need to fund, then open and
> expand mental health hospitals.  Releasing these
> people who are obviously mentally whacko is just
> wrong for them, and for law abiding citizens to
> endure.  They're finally starting to do this in
> California, it's gotten so bad.  We need more
> "tough love solutions", vs. "compassion."

Mental health treatment is an important part of any solution.

Here in south Florida, the Veterans Health Centers are doing a lot of good work helping homeless vets who need assistance.

Posted from Android

goneon66 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> https://www.wweek.com/news/2023/01/10/three-appall
> ing-incidents-start-the-year-on-a-bleak-note/
>
> 66

Thanks for the link. Ages of the perpetrators: 32, 25, 27.

In a normal society, people of this age should be on their way to decades of productive lives. 

aehouse Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> radar Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Why pick on Portland?  Last I checked, mental
> > illness exists everywhere.
>
> Because there is a political agenda to do so.

Political agenda???   How so???
Having experienced a stalker with bad intentions first-hand in a major city, our comments are needed to counter the nonsense from our public officials.  
I do not care about someone's political affiliation.  I do care about my personal safety, regardless of who is in charge.
Visiting any major city???   Not on my wish-list.
 

I visited Portland nearly quarterly from 2004 till 2015. Portland was business; Canon Beach, OR was a week (or at least four night) vacation afterwards. Used to stay downtown at the Heathman Hotel or Hyatt. After a 7 year hiatus, I re-visited downtown Portland in May 2022 to get a rental car and head out to Canon Beach for vacation. No business this time. Just wanted to re-visit old stomping grounds etc. Shame what has happened to this once beautiful city, and by far, I am not the only one who visited or lives there and says the same - so I came to find out.

A true humanitarian crisis like I've not seen in other cities, but many West Coast cities have an equally bad humanitarian crisis. Portland just stuck out to me the most - but granted, I have not been back to Seattle and don't plan to for reasons known best. The downtown Portland rental car agent told me - "get in the rental car and try to hit every green light to get out of town and onto Route 26 at first chance." The SUV I was supposed to have for my rental - the windshield was bashed out the night before. So I got stuck with a Chrysler minivan..... It turned out to be not that bad of a rental, but not what I usually had to "cruise along the beautiful Oregon Coast Line." I don't even want to describe the sights and folks I saw in Portland as I picked up and dropped off my rental downtown, and then to/from Amtrak. Not even naming the rental car agency.

Very sad state of affairs in that city, as far as I observed....Once beautiful buildings with nice architecture etc. - just either filled with graffiti on the outside, boarded up, or windows freshly bashed in on the first level. Graffiti on the buildings, sidewalks, and even on the streets......whatever had a surface. As I passed by the famous book store there in Portland that I can't think of - there was a person outside just yelling at the entrance doors for some odd reason, Clearly not in right frame of mind, sad. I was hoping what I had read and seen on various media outlets was not going to be true - but it seemed worse. Long time Portland residents that I did talk with briefly, they were just distraught with what had besieged the city - their words not mine. I have no desire to ever go back to Portland, and that was probably my last visit and vacation to Canon Beach, OR. Still beautiful scenery though along that coast!

Powell's books?

Posted from Android

Powell's books and McMenamins were well known institutions a few years ago. Many folks would travel to downtown Portland just for those two places plus the Zoo and whatever else was going on. Not so much anymore.

https://www.mcmenamins.com/