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May 21, 2008 6:46 pm US/Eastern
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MTA Asks Teens To Sign Civility Pledge
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
Plagued with headline-grabbing incidents of violence, the MTA launches a new campaign to get teenagers to ride the system with more respect.
Derek Valcourt explains teens are asked to put the promise to behave in writing.
Caught on camera, one girl apparently stabbed another near a busy MTA area downtown. It's the latest in a series of headline-grabbing cases involving violence on or near the MTA system. One woman was beaten severely by a group of teens riding a bus.
Even kids who ride the system say they see other kids causing problems every day.
"I see fighting," one child said.
That's why the MTA has now launched a new campaign called "Ride, Respect, Relax." It asks teens to sign a pledge promising they'll be on good behavior and respectful of other passengers while using the MTA system. In return, kids are given a discount card good for several retail shops.
"I think it will help. It's a step in a direction that we've never done before," said MTA Police Chief David Franklin.
MTA police have already increased patrols and presence on the system and now they're asking for the public's help to make riding the MTA even safer.
"Clearly if there's an issue with the crime, that's totally different. That's law enforcement. There's a different course for that. What we are trying to do is basically to get people to be more civil as they use the system," said MTA Administrator Paul Wiedefeld.
Officials launched the campaign Wednesday afternoon. They say you'll be hearing a lot more about it in the weeks and moths ahead as they begin promoting it heavily this summer and fall.
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