Commisioner
Dick Schouten.
Photo: Wash. Co.
Last November, Washington County Commissioner Dick Schouten boarded the Blue Line MAX train at the Hatfield Government Center in Hillsboro. He hung his bike on a hook, sat down, and dozed off for just a few stops.
By the time he opened his eyes, his bike was gone.
Schouten filed a police report and has obtained photos of the thief in action from TriMet security cameras. He can identify the perpetrator (he remembers seeing him on the train) but so far there are no leads in the case.
At this point, Schouten hopes to have TriMet consider changing the design of bike facilities on their trains. He’d like to see “at least some seats that face the hooks.”
too easy to steal?
File photo: 1/27/06
He has contacted TriMet spokesperson Mary Fetsch and she put him in touch with their security staff. According to Schouten, “they didn’t seem too surprised” when he told them about the incident.
Close readers of this site might not be surprised either. Just over one year ago, I posted an email from someone who wondered just how secure the MAX bike hooks were.
The response seemed to be that you should never leave your bike unattended on the MAX. Locking bikes was suggested, but not recommended because it’s too much of a hassle.
Whatever the solution, or the seriousness of this issue, there might be hope for folks that want a fresh look at bicycles on MAX trains. With new lines in the works, the time is now to get involved and offer suggestions to TriMet (stay tuned for more on this).