Sunday, January 4, 2015

2014 Top Stories- LARRY BOLTJES retires from Trimet

Without doubt one of the most colorful characters ever at Trimet. (at least while I was working there).
Lots of us thought Larry was over the top when it came to his zeal in enforcing the fare policies.
He was involved in several high profile incidents, including:

Chasing a fare evader off Trimet property, tackling him, and holding him for police. (that got him demoted temporarily back to bus driver)

Having his shoulder broken in a confrontation with another fare evader.

The focus of Bricker Vs Trimet in which freedom of speech and its limitations on transit systems was tested. (it was moot by the time it got to court)

Many fare inspectors didn't want to pair up with him due to his zeal. I always liked Larry, I thought he was over the top but he was a decent guy as a co-employee

Larry was truly one of the most entertaining characters in Trimet history




TriMet Big Bird Strikes at Beaverton from al m on Vimeo.

Big bird is no stranger to controversy, he has been involved in several high profile disputes and was the inspector that ended up in the hospital after being attacked by a rider.
HOLD ON HERE, I'VE READ THE COURT DOCUMENTS AND BRICKER LOST THIS CASE ON A TECHNICALITY! 

Big Bird  in his natural habitat
TriMet free speech case involving argument with fare inspector tossed by federal judge | OregonLive.com

The court finds Bricker’s failure to serve TriMet timely with
the Writ, and then to obtain a valid stay of the exclusion order,
was fatal to her petition for review. Because the exclusion order
has expired, there is nothing left for review. In addition, the
court finds Bricker cannot make, nor has she made, any “reasonable
showing” that she will be subjected to the same alleged illegality
again. Another exclusion on the same grounds is only likely to
occur if Bricker again makes what a TriMet inspector deems
“excessive or unnecessary noise . . . within any District Vehicle

Bricker appealed the suspension to Multnomah County Circuit Court, where the case bounced around before a judge recently determined its free-speech questions should be answered in federal court. The gray areas of TriMet's noise code is only part of why the public should be alarmed by confrontation, Paternoster said. TriMet, he said, needs to do a better job of training workers interacting with the public to have a thicker skin. "Jennie Bricker was just a bystander -- a passerby -- voicing her opinion," Paternoster said. "Ironically, she's punished for defending someone else's free-speech rights."
 Portland attorney says TriMet's questionable enforcement of noise rules violated free-speech right
BIG BIRD BLOWS HIS COOL!

3110436 Jennie L. Bricker.PDF - brickerhearing.pdf

3100196 Benjamin J. Neer.PDF

3110542 Christopher L. Bowers.PDF

Bragonia Anderson (36) punched a Ticket Inspector in the face

BEAVERTON, Ore. -- The man sought in the attack of a MAX ticket inspector has turned himself in, according to Beaverton police.

MAX ticket inspector 57-year-old Larry Boltjes was recovering after the attack at TriMet’s Beaverton Central Transit on Sunday evening.
Assault suspect sought

Bragonia Anderson, 35, allegedly punched the ticket inspector in the face after the agent began writing up a citation, according to police and another inspector who witnessed the attack.

Anderson, who also had an open alcohol container at the time of the incident, told the ticket inspector he “might as well go to jail” if he was going to get a citation, Beaverton police said.

Both men were boarding the train when the attack occurred. They both got off and Boltjes continued writing up the ticket after checking Anderson’s identification.

The inspector suffered a broken collar bone after falling to the ground.

Anderson took off after the attack. According to police, he turned himself in Tuesday and was arrested for assault.




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