beware the orange vests

Hello my name is Aimee and this is a real life adventure....


Today as I was jamming along to Dierks Bentley (check him out- if you click in the top right hand corner you can hear his latest album Feel That Fire) at the light rail stop in Tempe when I was approached by a man in a brown camouflage bucket hat sporting an extremely bright orange vest, like the ones construction crews wear so they don't get anything dropped on them. He asked to see my light rail pass and then quizzed me on my recent light rail activity. He then spoke about the importance of tapping my platinum pass at every station, every time. At first glance I thought he was going to ask for my spare change, however I soon realized there were others in the same obnoxious vests talking to light rail users all along the platform.

After scouring over the Valley Metro website, I found no information on these informative, yet slightly bossy persons. The gentlemen appears to be part of a light rail task force, a group of individuals looking extremely unprofessional- all in fluorescent orange vests. This group has been stationed at the Rural and University light rail stop in Tempe accosting students and other light rail users. For instance, after being lectured on the specific uses of my light rail pass I was told that I needed to wait at the other end of the platform as the train would not be stopping in front of the bench I was sitting on. Let me say this light rail police, I will sit where ever I please to wait for the train and if I have to run to catch it, or miss it all together that is my prerogative. (Kirsten helped me out with this declarative statement, thanks buddy!)

So it is with great annoyance that I urge the ASU population to pretty please start tapping your light rail pass at the pay station. Also, please do not walk across the tracks to get from one platform to the other (I have found they do not find this action favorable). The sooner we figure this out, the sooner the orange vest brigade will disappear from my stop and I will be able to sit on whatever surface I please while awaiting the train.