MARTA Riders Conflicted About New Code of Conduct, Threat of Suspension

Heading west on a MARTA train towards the CNN Center, rider Sharon Langford was surprised to hear about the new policy.

“If I want to talk loud, I can’t talk loud? Really? Are you serious? As long as I’m not touching anybody, hitting anybody, I’m okay.”

Her friend Shetora Church disagreed, saying the threat of suspension would teach riders to be more respectful.

“It’s all right, I guess. People don’t want to hear all that loud stuff on the bus… That’s what it’s come to.”

Similarly, daily rider Saeed Jaiteh said he could do without the loud music on trains.

“People come and like especially when you get around certain train stations they’ll come on and have their phones blasting and it’s just like, ‘what are you doing? You can’t get $10 headphones or just wait?’”

Riding north towards Five Points Station, Marleesha Flagg, an admitted loud talker, said if she was warned by an officer to quiet down, much would depend on tone.

“If he had an attitude with it, I would have got an attitude because I think he been picking on me but in actuality if he would have came to me polite, ‘ma’am, excuse me…you might be bothering other people on here…you’re a little bit loud. Could you tone it down a little bit?’ I would have respected that. ‘Alright, let me get off the phone and call my people back when I get where I’m going.’”

She said the new code sounds like it goes too far.

“I’m not going to talk on my phone, I’m not going to bring food inside…I’m going to eat before I come inside the station. I swear…MARTA is coming up with new rules every day.”

Ron from Southwest Atlanta has had minor issues with panhandling and welcomes the new rules.

“It’s been sporadic. It doesn’t happen all the time but I think it would help and I’m glad to know it’s something they’re going to do. Let’s see what happens.”

The new rules, along with the possibility of being suspended, go into effect Nov. 9.