NationStates Jolt Archive

The other day, I was catching the train home from my school (I'm a teacher), when the transit officers got on to inspect tickets. There was a boy from a prestigious private school on the train who didn't have a ticket. His friends started talking to the cops and the girls were flirting with them, grabbing their arms and telling them "Be cool, just give him a warning, don't be mean." The cop turned and walked away without issuing a ticket. I was watching to ensure our students behaved appropriately. One of our boys (we are a public school) was sitting on the train, holding his bike. He informed the transit officer that he was without a ticket. Our boy was hauled off the train at the next station and written a ticket.

What's the difference between private and public?

I think they both should have gotten a ticket, or neither.

Yes, absolutely they should have both gotten a ticket. On the other hand, without the ability to oppress and discriminate against the poor, how would we be able to feel better about ourselves? We need people lower to put our bootheel on or we would have to examine how crappy our own lives are.

I think you have failed to understand that us men (especially security guards and such) are rendered useless by the man kryptonite that is a woman asking nicely you just can’t say no :(

The other day, I was catching the train home from my school (I'm a teacher), when the transit officers got on to inspect tickets. There was a boy from a prestigious private school on the train who didn't have a ticket. His friends started talking to the cops and the girls were flirting with them, grabbing their arms and telling them "Be cool, just give him a warning, don't be mean." The cop turned and walked away without issuing a ticket. I was watching to ensure our students behaved appropriately. One of our boys (we are a public school) was sitting on the train, holding his bike. He informed the transit officer that he was without a ticket. Our boy was hauled off the train at the next station and written a ticket.

What's the difference between private and public?

I think they both should have gotten a ticket, or neither.

How do you know that the train cops weren't dirty old bastards. I think the title of this thread could have been, "sexism alive and well", since the girls seemed to "flirt" so the male wouldn't get in trouble.

The other day, I was catching the train home from my school (I'm a teacher), when the transit officers got on to inspect tickets. There was a boy from a prestigious private school on the train who didn't have a ticket. His friends started talking to the cops and the girls were flirting with them, grabbing their arms and telling them "Be cool, just give him a warning, don't be mean." The cop turned and walked away without issuing a ticket. I was watching to ensure our students behaved appropriately. One of our boys (we are a public school) was sitting on the train, holding his bike. He informed the transit officer that he was without a ticket. Our boy was hauled off the train at the next station and written a ticket.

What's the difference between private and public?

I think they both should have gotten a ticket, or neither.

I guess its a matter of who gives that officer more money in taxes: the boy with the bike or the stupid rich kid. Theres also the female variable to the equation.:D

I think you have failed to understand that us men (especially security guards and such) are rendered useless by the man kryptonite that is a woman asking nicely you just can’t say no :(

Yeah, this sounds nothing like a class issue, it was a cop persuaded by multiple feminine influences. Also, the boy was apparently with a group, which makes throwing him out more difficult. I dont suppose you tried to stand up for the boy, or did you just watch?

I dont suppose you tried to stand up for the boy, or did you just watch?

don't be insane have you seen what security guards are willing to do to students :eek:

don't be insane have you seen what security guards are willing to do to students :eek:

More is the reason to resist! Today it's them , Tomorrow it's
You!

I guess its a matter of who gives that officer more money in taxes: the boy with the bike or the stupid rich kid. Theres also the female variable to the equation.:DI have to assume that transit officers are paid from transit fees and not taxes at all.

More is the reason to resist! Today it's them , Tomorrow it's
You!

:eek: *remembers to keep ticket safe and if possible have enough money to get another should I lose it*

And if I’m on a bike I’d like to see some overweight aged security guards catch me as a go back and forth in the train :D

mind you I can't ride a bike :/

Its not necessarily about Class, its just about how well an individual can play the system.

I do however share your frustration over the existance of preps.

You want an example of classism at work? Check this out (http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061117/nyf130.html?.v=5)
HOUSTON, Nov. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- In an unprecedented transparent attempt to severely limit the right to peaceful protest and freedom of speech of low-wage Houston janitors and their supporters, a Harris County District Attorney has set an extraordinarily high bond of $888,888 cash for each of the 44 peaceful protestors arrested last night. Houston janitors and their supporters, many of them janitors from other cities, were participating in an act of non-violent civil disobedience, protesting in the intersection of Travis at Capitol when they were arrested in downtown Houston Thursday night. They were challenging Houston's real estate industry to settle the janitors' strike and agree on a contract that provides the 5,300 janitors in Houston with higher wages and affordable health insurance.

The combined $39.1 million bond for the workers and their supporters is far and above the normal amount of bail set for people accused of even violent crimes in Harris County. While each of the non-violent protestors is being held on $888,888 bail ...

* For a woman charged with beating her granddaughter to death with a
sledgehammer, bail was set at $100,000;

* For a woman accused of disconnecting her quadriplegic mother's breathing
machine, bail was set at $30,000;

* For a man charged with murder for stabbing another man to death in a bar
brawl, bail was set at $30,000;

* For janitors and protesters charged with Class B misdemeanors for past
non-violent protests, standard bail has been set at $500 each.

More than 5,300 Houston janitors are paid $20 a day with no health insurance, among the lowest wages and benefits of any workers in America.

Community activists and leaders expressed concern and dismay today at the police's use of horses to intimidate and corral janitors participating in the non-violent civil disobedience Thursday night in downtown Houston. The police's choice to use horses to stop the protest resulted in four people being injured, including an 83-year old female janitor from New York.

The other day, I was catching the train home from my school (I'm a teacher), when the transit officers got on to inspect tickets. There was a boy from a prestigious private school on the train who didn't have a ticket. His friends started talking to the cops and the girls were flirting with them, grabbing their arms and telling them "Be cool, just give him a warning, don't be mean." The cop turned and walked away without issuing a ticket. I was watching to ensure our students behaved appropriately. One of our boys (we are a public school) was sitting on the train, holding his bike. He informed the transit officer that he was without a ticket. Our boy was hauled off the train at the next station and written a ticket.

What's the difference between private and public?

I think they both should have gotten a ticket, or neither.


I agree.. But then the private school boy had friends (and girlfriends) to plead his case.. In my humble opinion, as a teacher at his school, you actually had a responsibility to plead his case with the ticket inspector to give him a warning (according to the precedent that was just set). One, the resulting action from the ticket officer would have given you your answer as to whether the difference really was private v. public, or whether it was that no one was there for him to plead his case. Two, it would have given you additional respect (and leverage) with that student and his peers.

Just my 2 cents. I would have gone to the officer and asked him also to warn the student and promised as a teacher at his school to pursue the matter there.

You want an example of classism at work? Check this out (http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061117/nyf130.html?.v=5)
HOUSTON, Nov. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- In an unprecedented transparent attempt to severely limit the right to peaceful protest and freedom of speech of low-wage Houston janitors and their supporters, a Harris County District Attorney has set an extraordinarily high bond of $888,888 cash for each of the 44 peaceful protestors arrested last night. Houston janitors and their supporters, many of them janitors from other cities, were participating in an act of non-violent civil disobedience, protesting in the intersection of Travis at Capitol when they were arrested in downtown Houston Thursday night. They were challenging Houston's real estate industry to settle the janitors' strike and agree on a contract that provides the 5,300 janitors in Houston with higher wages and affordable health insurance.

The combined $39.1 million bond for the workers and their supporters is far and above the normal amount of bail set for people accused of even violent crimes in Harris County. While each of the non-violent protestors is being held on $888,888 bail ...

* For a woman charged with beating her granddaughter to death with a
sledgehammer, bail was set at $100,000;

* For a woman accused of disconnecting her quadriplegic mother's breathing
machine, bail was set at $30,000;

* For a man charged with murder for stabbing another man to death in a bar
brawl, bail was set at $30,000;

* For janitors and protesters charged with Class B misdemeanors for past
non-violent protests, standard bail has been set at $500 each.

More than 5,300 Houston janitors are paid $20 a day with no health insurance, among the lowest wages and benefits of any workers in America.

Community activists and leaders expressed concern and dismay today at the police's use of horses to intimidate and corral janitors participating in the non-violent civil disobedience Thursday night in downtown Houston. The police's choice to use horses to stop the protest resulted in four people being injured, including an 83-year old female janitor from New York.


The judge should be thrown off the bench for this blatant act of discrimination.
The cops should also be investigated if they injured non-violent protesters.

The judge should be thrown off the bench for this blatant act of discrimination.
The cops should also be investigated if they injured non-violent protesters.According to the article I read, the judge was the one who eventually reduced their bail. Apparently, the DA gets to set bail initially, which is a fucked up idea if I've ever heard of one, and it was the DA who set this ridiculous bail. A local magistrate reduced it to a grand apiece, cash or bond, I believe.

I have a feeling that it was the women who made him throw out the ticket, not the social status. *nod*

What's the difference between private and public?


Besides from methods of funding, and how they function, anthropologically-wise they're pretty much the same.

Classism sucks indeed.

Besides from methods of funding, and how they function, anthropologically-wise they're pretty much the same.

Classisism sucks indeed.

Classism goes both ways. Plenty of people here are showing prejudices towards those with more money.

Classism goes both ways. Plenty of people here are showing prejudices towards those with more money.

Yeah, but if they get thrown off a train, they can just call their chauffeur to pick them up.

Good riddance. Poor people smell funny. j/k, j/k

Yeah, but if they get thrown off a train, they can just call their chauffeur to pick them up.

You assume that anyone who goes to a private school must have a private chauffeur.:rolleyes: You know, just like how anyone who goes to a public school probably has a dysfunctional family of drug addicts.:rolleyes:

You assume that anyone who goes to a private school must have a private chauffeur.:rolleyes: You know, just like how anyone who goes to a public school probably has a dysfunctional family of drug addicts.:rolleyes:

It was a joke. Sorry for confusing you.:)

However, the point I was trying to make, albeit masked by humour, was that rich people are better off, they're more comfortable and they have less to worry about. Being told that they're toffs once every so often isn't going to hurt them.

It was a joke. Sorry for confusing you.:)

However, the point I was trying to make, albeit masked by humour, was that rich people are better off, they're more comfortable and they have less to worry about. Being told that they're toffs once every so often isn't going to hurt them.

Agreeable, then.

Meh.

The transit cops here like to write tickets. Color or money don't make a difference to them.