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Comment by tomrod

15 days ago

It's not always. I think there are cases where it should be. A transit center probably should have some wait areas, but generally should not be for loitering. Similar to airport pickup/dropoff.

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tomrod

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ninjagoo  15 days ago

> generally should not be for loitering.

What does loitering mean? Why is it a problem?

  • tomrod  14 days ago

    Loitering is well defined topic, I think if we bog ourselves into a semantic wrestling match we'll lose valuable time from our lives for little value trying to convince the unpersuadable.

    So I'll only go as deep as a quick search for "loitering definition" -- the first hit aligns to what I hold as my personal understanding:

        Loitering is the act of standing, lingering, or waiting around idly in a public or private place for an extended period without a clear, lawful, or obvious purpose.

    • ninjagoo  14 days ago

      Looks like there isn't anything critically important in the definition.

      Why is loitering a problem?

      Maybe someone at the transit center is there to enjoy the architecture without needing to go somewhere. We ask artists to design a beautiful space transit space, and then want to exclude someone that wants to just imbibe the vibe. Others may have some other purpose for that space. The spectrum of experience for 7 billion humans is unlikely to be fathomable to allow for enumeration as 'allowed activities'. "Loitering" is a silly, unserious, approach to managing criminality, as is a $2.50 fee. A $2.50 fee isn't going to stop anyone with criminal intent.

      Either it is a public space or it isn't. If no harm is being caused, no reason to exclude anyone from public spaces.

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