by glennk419
SemperFidelis wrote:This is slightly dated, but when I lived in Bethlehem and the old Reading line was being coverted into a rail trail (just before the casino was built), the Mayor recieved all sorts of complaints at town meetings and at the local Democratic club for building what would certainly become "The Drug Dealer Expressway" due to the localities it passed through.Well, occasionally those concerns do have some foundation. http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2016 ... n_che.html
I have heard similar complaints from small minded, predjudiced people when it comes to trail construction and the opening of new transit lines. "Those people" from "those bad areas" apparently are waiting for healthly lifestyle supporting bike trails and cost effective, environmentally friendly light rail lines to commit thier crimes. Of course, these things are never about predjudice, but "facts" and "demographics". Those of us calling out bigotry where we see it in these arguments are just "being PC"...since calling someone "PC" is an easy way to deflect attention away from predjudice.
Yes, it happens against trails, too. Probably not as often as against new transit projects but ask your average homeowner if they want a few hundred strangers wandering down a trail that is adjacent to thier backyard and I would imagine a good number of them would have reservations.
Edit- the old Reading line was also derisively referred to as "The Grey Way".
Not the type of stellar citizens I would want in my backyard.
Glenn