Re: the light rail stabbing: The randomness of that act is what makes it so incredibly horrifying, as does that image posted.
The likelihood of being a crime victim while riding the light rail in Charlotte is very slim, and the presence of cameras adds a crime deterrent (though something like that is not a deterrent for someone who is severally mentally ill and capable of committing a random act of violence without much, if any, thought or fear of consequence).
The one thing that the city can do to further address safety concerns with regard to the light rail, however, is having security personnel check fares at every stop. The way it works now (or at least before this incident) is that fares are checked randomly. And based on my experience, they are very rarely checked. People constantly board the train without paying the fare.
As I understand it, the killer here did not pay the fare (not surprising). Had fares been checked, this particular killing never would have happened. Granted, there very well may have been another victim; perhaps somebody sitting at whatever light rail stop he entered the train from. But I do think it’s most likely that virtually any crime committed on the light rail is committed by someone who boarded the train without paying the fare.
