<html><head><style type='text/css'>p { margin: 0; }</style></head><body><div style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000'><DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #000000">Speaking of budget cuts: last week I read a newspaper story about how the state of Indiana is losing revenue from speeding tickets issued on the Indiana Toll Road since the speed limit was raised from 65 to 70 MPH. I don't remember the amount of the shortfall, but the number of tickets is now half the number it was in a comparable period when the speed limi was 65 MPH. Apparently many drivers feel comfortable going just 5 MPH faster, and no more.</DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #000000">Bob <BR><BR></DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; COLOR: #000000"><B>From: </B>"Fred Schneider" <fwschneider@comcast.net><BR><B>To: </B>"Western PA Trolley discussion" <pittsburgh-railways@mailman.dementix.org>, "Herb Brannon" <hrbran@cavtel.net><BR><B>Sent: </B>Thursday, July 11, 2013 10:29:49 AM<BR><B>Subject: </B>Re: [PRCo] PRCo 55A Rankin Side<BR><BR>It isn't just Pittsburgh or St. Louis or Baltimore these days. The small cities are just as bad. <BR><BR>I did find a number on line for Pittsburgh …. violent crime rate is 802 incidents per 100,000 population. Violent crime is defined as murder, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault. It is much lower than Cleveland, Buffalo, Chicago, Atlanta, St. Louis, Detroit. Really bad is 2 1/2 times Pittsburgh's rate … and that happens in places like Detroit and Chicago. <BR><BR> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_cities_by_crime_rate<BR><BR>But guys. It isn't just the big cities that have problems. We are drawn to them by news stories about places like Detroit but some of the worst are places like East St. Louis and Camden, NJ.<BR><BR>East St. Louis actually has a published number of 6007 violent crimes per 100,000 population. And the second worst city in 2010 was supposed to be Camden NJ and they fired half their police in a budget crisis in January 2011 and that caused a 50% spike in murders…the actually numbers appear to be suppressed but it may be the worst city in the nation now … perhaps even worse than East St. Louis.<BR><BR>A lot of the small cities are no better than Pittsburgh. Harrisburg, PA had 16 murders in 2013 by the end of the month of April. This week's news was some teenagers in Harrisburg who went on a arson rampage … burnt out eight homes and left eight families homeless. Here in Lancaster … small city … about 55,000 … you had better know where to go if you don't want a gun in your back.<BR>There was a news story yesterday about a neighbor of mine … suburban high class … lady was let out on bail … she was stealing from other peoples homes and selling the goods on e-Bay. This was her third case. So she is out to resume her way of making a living. I guess the jail is full. I have a buddy from 50 some years ago who lives in a downtown Reading, Pa., apartment … claims he never goes out at night … just sits inside and listens to the gunfire. <BR><BR>Come on Herb. We all have to learn to use those eyes in the back of our heads.<BR><BR>And the truly sad thing is, these people who do this become unemployable. In the 1960s and early 1970s, there were firms in many cities which would hire the ex-convict. Here in Lancaster, I could think of Ted Schwalm Watch Dial Company or some of the chicken processors or beef slaughter houses. Back then unemployment was under 2 percent and some of the companies at the bottom end of the ladder would give anyone a second chance. But now with unemployment at 6 percent, no one gets a second chance. You come out of prison and your profession is robbery … you go right back to it because that is how you support yourself. <BR><BR>Anyone care to give me a great story of someone who beat the odds?<BR><BR><BR>On Jul 10, 2013, at 11:48 PM, Herb Brannon wrote:<BR><BR>> I always (like every day) hear the news stories on Ch 11 evening news about<BR>> everything going on in So. Side Flats. I do go there frequently. I prefer<BR>> what I call the "exciting Giant Eagle" on South Side to what I call the<BR>> "Republican Giant Eagle" at Brentwood Center. So if I have the time I go to<BR>> the South Side GE. I also frequent "Double Wide" on E. Carson. Derrick, you<BR>> introduced me to that place many years ago and it's always been one of my<BR>> favorites. My State Farm Insurance agent is located on E. Carson a block<BR>> and a half east of Double Wide. I sometimes go to the Duquesne Light Co<BR>> office in the building at 26th and E. Carson plus a few other places on E.<BR>> Carson. Everyplace I go, except for Giant Eagle, is east of Birmingham<BR>> Bridge. From 10th Street east to Birmingham Bridge is definitely the<BR>> "Combat Zone" in my opinion. If you look at the wrong person the wrong way,<BR>> especially on nights the bars in that area are busy, you may have to "punch<BR>> it out" to keep from getting your @$$ kicked. I find it much better to stay<BR>> east of Birmingham Bridge. Even that end of E. Carson has its share of<BR>> problems and you have to stay alert and aware of who is around you. Then, I<BR>> do have a permit to carry but would rather just leave home without the fire<BR>> power. Too bad things are such these days that one has to carry a firearm<BR>> to insure one's safety and life. It's worth the extra effort, however, to<BR>> be right in the middle of the urban action in a great city like Pittsburgh.<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> On Wed, Jul 10, 2013 at 10:38 PM, Derrick Brashear <shadow@dementix.org>wrote:<BR>> <BR>>> The brick has gone to a few events with me; It is not engraved, it is a<BR>>> normal, broken-in-half brick. I used it on March to try to raise more money<BR>>> for the Brashear Association. Not much, sadly.<BR>>> <BR>>> <BR>>> On Wed, Jul 10, 2013 at 10:11 PM, Herb Brannon <hrbran@cavtel.net> wrote:<BR>>> <BR>>>> Derrick,<BR>>>> What's happening down there in "yuppie land" ? I'm up here in "common<BR>>>> folks" territory and everything is quiet all the time. I have actually<BR>>>> started calling East Carson Street, "the Combat Zone". What's getting<BR>>> into<BR>>>> people down there? What this has to do with PRCo Route 55A is beyond me<BR>>> but<BR>>>> I will answer anyway.<BR>>>> <BR>>>> Will you display the brick? I can see this playing out this way: Derrick<BR>>>> wins brick; Derrick has brick engraved and mounted in nice case; The<BR>>> crime<BR>>>> wave continues in the South Side Flats and Derricks house is broken into;<BR>>>> The Brick is stolen; The next day another new business in South Side<BR>>> Flats<BR>>>> has a brick tossed through a window; turns out to be The Brick which<BR>>>> Derrick had engraved; Business owner auctions off The Brick; Derrick has<BR>>> to<BR>>>> bid again on The Brick; Derrick wins The Brick back again and displays<BR>>> it.<BR>>>> <BR>>>> <BR>>>> On Wed, Jul 10, 2013 at 9:16 PM, Derrick Brashear <shadow@gmail.com><BR>>>> wrote:<BR>>>> <BR>>>>> If I knew the alarm code...<BR>>>>> <BR>>>>> (I know people who could silkscreen it for me:<BR>>>>> <BR>>>>> <BR>>>> <BR>>> http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/a-brick-an-auction-twitter-and-pittsburghs-south-side-678126/<BR>>>>> )<BR>>>>> <BR>>>>> Derrick<BR>>>>> <BR>>>>> On Jul 10, 2013, at 5:47 PM, Fred Schneider <fwschneider@comcast.net><BR>>>>> wrote:<BR>>>>> <BR>>>>>> Someone needs to sneak into PTM under cover of darkness and stitch<BR>>> that<BR>>>>> sign onto 1711's sign.<BR>>>>>> <BR>>>>>> <BR>>>>>> <BR>>>>>> On Jul 10, 2013, at 5:02 PM, Derrick Brashear wrote:<BR>>>>>> <BR>>>>>>> Gotham via Batcave.<BR>>>>>>> <BR>>>>>>> <BR>>>>>>> On Wed, Jul 10, 2013 at 4:32 PM, Herb Brannon <hrbran@cavtel.net><BR>>>>> wrote:<BR>>>>>>> <BR>>>>>>>> What then would be the correct destination sign for such a charter?<BR>>>>>>>> <BR>>>>>>>> <BR>>>>>>>> On Wed, Jul 10, 2013 at 4:29 PM, Dwight Long <<BR>>> dwightlong@verizon.net<BR>>>>> <BR>>>>>>>> wrote:<BR>>>>>>>> <BR>>>>>>>>> <BR>>>>>>>>> Herb<BR>>>>>>>>> <BR>>>>>>>>> Another possibility: It was an enthusiast charter with an<BR>>> incorrect<BR>>>>> head<BR>>>>>>>>> sign.<BR>>>>>>>>> <BR>>>>>>>>> Dwight<BR>>>>>> <BR>>>>>> <BR>>>>>> <BR>>>>>> <BR>>>>>> <BR>>>>>> _______________________________________________<BR>>>>>> Pittsburgh-railways mailing list<BR>>>>>> Pittsburgh-railways@mailman.dementix.org<BR>>>>>> https://mailman.dementix.org/mailman/listinfo/pittsburgh-railways<BR>>>>> <BR>>>>> <BR>>>>> <BR>>>>> -------------- next part --------------<BR>>>>> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...<BR>>>>> URL:<BR>>>>> <BR>>>> <BR>>> http://mailman.dementix.org/pipermail/pittsburgh-railways/attachments/20130710/8fcfb700/attachment.html<BR>>>>> _______________________________________________<BR>>>>> Pittsburgh-railways mailing list<BR>>>>> Pittsburgh-railways@mailman.dementix.org<BR>>>>> https://mailman.dementix.org/mailman/listinfo/pittsburgh-railways<BR>>>>> <BR>>>> <BR>>>> <BR>>>> <BR>>>> --<BR>>>> Herb Brannon<BR>>>> Back In The Burgh !<BR>>>> Let's Go Bucs<BR>>>> <BR>>>> <BR>>>> <BR>>>> -------------- next part --------------<BR>>>> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...<BR>>>> URL:<BR>>>> <BR>>> http://mailman.dementix.org/pipermail/pittsburgh-railways/attachments/20130710/75499302/attachment.html<BR>>>> _______________________________________________<BR>>>> Pittsburgh-railways mailing list<BR>>>> Pittsburgh-railways@mailman.dementix.org<BR>>>> https://mailman.dementix.org/mailman/listinfo/pittsburgh-railways<BR>>>> <BR>>> <BR>>> <BR>>> <BR>>> -------------- next part --------------<BR>>> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...<BR>>> URL:<BR>>> http://mailman.dementix.org/pipermail/pittsburgh-railways/attachments/20130710/7d1c7ac7/attachment.html<BR>>> _______________________________________________<BR>>> Pittsburgh-railways mailing list<BR>>> Pittsburgh-railways@mailman.dementix.org<BR>>> https://mailman.dementix.org/mailman/listinfo/pittsburgh-railways<BR>>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> -- <BR>> Herb Brannon<BR>> Back In The Burgh !<BR>> Let's Go Bucs<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> -------------- next part --------------<BR>> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...<BR>> URL: http://mailman.dementix.org/pipermail/pittsburgh-railways/attachments/20130710/90e10fe4/attachment.html <BR>> _______________________________________________<BR>> Pittsburgh-railways mailing list<BR>> Pittsburgh-railways@mailman.dementix.org<BR>> https://mailman.dementix.org/mailman/listinfo/pittsburgh-railways<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>Pittsburgh-railways mailing list<BR>Pittsburgh-railways@mailman.dementix.org<BR>https://mailman.dementix.org/mailman/listinfo/pittsburgh-railways<BR></DIV></div>
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