MARTA’S New #1 Cost? Life Insurance!
Apparently, the Georgia Legislature thinks that the best thing you can do for Georgia’s citizens is not to fund better transport, but let people add an arsenal to the transit system.
Both houses have passed legislation that legalizes the carrying of concealed weapons on trains. The only caveat is that you cannot have been drinking and posses the weapon.
How should MARTA fight this silly legislation? The MARTA police should plan sobriety check points for firearms. After a Braves game, they could scan anyone for a weapon and check them with a breath test. Same thing after a big concert or New Years at Underground. MARTA will get the money from the fines, lower the number of weapons on the system, and dissuade people generally from bringing firearms onto the system.
Until next year, when upon seeing this, the National Rifle Association will bribe Republicans into legalizing the discharge of Firearms on trains even if you have been drinking… Then be careful about wearing a Mets jersey on the train.
April 4th, 2008 at 8:25 am
Not just anyone can carry a concealed weapon. You need a permit to own the weapon, and you need an additional permit to carry a concealed weapon.
April 6th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Do you really want to wait in line while MARTA breathalyzes people and pats them down? Properly permitted people can already carry concealed weapons everywhere else. This just allows them to do so on MARTA. I would guess that most people with concealed carry permits do not ride MARTA, so I wouldn’t get too worked up over it.
April 8th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Both houses didn’t pass legislation that legalizes the carrying of concealed weapons on trains. It passed legislation that legalizes the carrying of weapons on mass transit. Concealment is not required.
Since we’re reading every week about crime happening on either a train, a bus, or in the parking lot, why shouldn’t those that have a passed all applicable tests and requirements be allowed to defend themselves from crime, up to and including the use of deadly force?
Since it has been illegal to have a firearm ever since the inception of MARTA, and since criminals have been bringing guns to do their crimes to MARTA locations, it would appear that the current law has the effect of only disarming those that already obey the law.
Maybe we should make armed robbery, kidnapping, and murder illegal and the problem would be solved?
April 8th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
HB89 is not a silly piece of legislation. It’s a much needed reform of Georgia’s draconian, discriminatory gun laws.
April 8th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Shamalama - Hyperbole a little, or are you just paranoid?
Name for me at least one crime “we’ve read about” involving a gun on MARTA for each of the past six weeks.
April 8th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Recall the story of Jim Mead, who was shot outside his bank in Midtown . Suppose that Mr. Mead had wished to obtain Georgia Firearms License to be lawfully authorized to carry a firearm for defense either concealed or openly. Even though that would be generally lawful throughout Georgia, Mr. Mead would have still not be able to carry that lawfully owned weapon because his bank was too close to a MARTA bus stop. You see, under current law, it is a Felony to introduce a weapon into the vicinity of a “transportation terminal.” Unfortunately, Mr. Mead’s attacker did not head this law. The new law will fix that problem so that honest people are no longer put in legal jeopardy because of such a vague law.
April 8th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Joeventures,
Here are a few Marta crime stats from 7/1/07 to 12/31/07
Aggravated Assault: 55
Robbery: 40
Robbery
The taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear.
Aggravated Assault
An unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury. This type of assault usually is accompanied by the use of a weapon or by means likely to produce death or great bodily harm.
That takes care of a few incidents per week.
http://www.itsmarta.com/police/crime_stats/index.htm
April 8th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Patrick - The perception of this need for concealed weapons on MARTA is clearly connected with the perception that there is a lot of crime on MARTA.
You didn’t answer the question. Can you name at least one crime involving a gun on MARTA for each of the past six weeks?
April 8th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
I do not see a reason to answer your question about MARTA crime statistics. Anyone can find those out at http://www.itsmarta.com/police/crime_stats/.
The primary problem that the new law addresses is that current law outright prohibits the possession of a firearm near a transportation terminal. This causes significant legal danger zones for anyone who attempts to obey the law and transport a lawfully owned gun. It is a felony to even have a gun in a car that is parked in a MARTA parking lot or in the airport parking lot. It is illegal to possess a firearm, no matter how it is encased, on a train or bus in the State. Even though it is generally lawful to transport a firearm by air in checked baggage, following specific TSA regulations, Georgia law technically doesn’t provide any lawful method to get that gun to the airport for transportation.
April 8th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Patrick - So you would agree, then, that what Shamalama wrote was hyperbolic and hysterical?
April 8th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Jay - How many of those incidents involved guns?
Also, take note: that’s 95 incidents in a year, compared to a half-million trips per day.
April 8th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Oh, yeah… forgot to mention the “we’ve read about” clause. How many of those incidents were so heinous that they received attention in the media?
April 8th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Those figures are for the last six months of 2007. Still, I’ll admit that it’s an inconsequential number. Unless, of course, you are one of those numbers.
April 9th, 2008 at 2:09 am
Even after HB89 gets signed into law, OCGA 16-11-127 will still prohibit carrying a weapon at a Braves game.
Just FYI.
We should all thank GeorgiaCarry.Org and other pro-rights groups for getting this much needed reform to GA’s gun laws passed in this year!
April 9th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Have you ever taken Marta at night…Have you looked around the Five Points station at night? The place is overrun with criminals. Do you think they’re not ALREADY carrying guns. Criminals already have the guns, they don’t follow the laws This law gives the law abiding individual a chance to SURVIVE. the Marta cops are rarely around and probably won’t get their in time to you. But I guess you’d rather only let the criminals have guns and not the screened and fingerprinted Georgia Firearms License holders.
April 9th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Scott - Yes, I have taken MARTA at night. Lots of times.
I think the earliest I’ve been on the system was somewhere between 5 and 6 in the morning. For that trip, I was heading from my home in Midtown (right around the corner from the Krispy Kreme) to the CNN Center area for a day-long meeting I helped organize.
On one occasion, I took the last train south from Buckhead station to catch the last train West to H. E. Holmes. (Back then, I lived in Smyrna and was among the many unfortunate people who depend on a car for transportation). That trip left me at Five Points for about 15-20 minutes.
Of all the thousands of times I’ve ridden MARTA — morning, day and night — I have never been threatened, and I have never seen any station “overrun with criminals.”
Frankly, after riding MARTA as much as I have I can say with all sincerity that you’re showing a lot of paranoia. You should probably seek psychiatric help.
April 14th, 2008 at 10:12 am
I ride MARTA every day, at least twice a day. I used to ride it three or four nights a week, well after dark. I have only had two problems on MARTA in the ten years I’ve ridden the trains - both were instances where I merely felt uncomfortable with someone’s behavior and the issue was quickly taken care of because a MARTA police officer was present. At this point, I’m much more afraid of being shot by some gun nut who rides to a Braves game for the first time and feels threatened by the supposed criminals all around him/her than I am of my fellow commuters, most of whom are just decent people on their way to and from work (yes, even late at night when I’m on my way home from the airport). Start up a conversation with a fellow rider some time - I’ve met some really nice people this way!
April 14th, 2008 at 10:15 am
And yes, I realize that I just stereotyped gun owners as racist “gun nuts.” I apologize for that, but my friends who are level-headed and intelligent about their gun ownership sometimes seem to be in the minority.
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:32 am
I will never understand why law abiding citizens would be afraid of other law abiding citizens carrying a firearm. HB89 pertains to 3% of the population of Georgia…..The 3% who have gone through the FBI Background Check,Finger Printing process and been permitted to carry a concealed firearm. This legislation does not open the door for everyone to go buy a gun (which by the way you also have a background check to accomplish legally) and start carrying it on MARTA.
Consider this…….The last multiple shooting that made the news(New Life Churchl) was ended by a CCW Permit Holder prior to Law Enforcement arriving………How many more people would have been killed or injured had those CCW holders not been there?
June 19th, 2008 at 1:42 am
HB89 only makes it illegal for licensed people do drink while carrying in a restaurant that serves alcohol. It will not be illegal to carry with a BAC on MARTA or anywhere else.
Unfortunately, braves games, big concernts, or new years at underground are “public gatherings” and thus off-limits to carry. This law is a Jim Crow law designed and intended to prevent African-Americans from being armed. Anyway, we’ve got next year to repea
June 19th, 2008 at 1:44 am
l this horrible and evil law.
What makes you think that such pat-downs would be constitutional? There is no firearms exception to the 4th amendment.
http://www.georgiacarry.org
July 1st, 2008 at 11:59 pm
People are missing the point here. Sure MARTA itself is safe however can you honestly say the walk to and from the MARTA is? I enjoy taking public transportation for various reasons but getting to/from the stop after sun down is another story.
I live a few blocks from the North station and at times I feel a little uneasy because of the large number of homeless, drug dealers, etc in the area. I would encourage anyone of you that feels this bill is silly to come to the North Ave area sometime between 11PM and midnight. And while you’re in the area walk down to the corner of Cortland and Linden.
Additionally, if the economy worsens how much more aggressive will the homeless and drug addicts become?
July 8th, 2008 at 10:07 am
politics and concealed weapon permits…
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