Westbrook LRT station

[speedog]

For all you transit riders out there - is the Westbrook LRT station as bad as reported with respect to being heavily populated by homeless/panhandlers/drug dealers/drunks? Westbrook Mall is reported to be having the same problems - true or not? I've not been on a Calgary Transit vehicle in over 9 years and as such, have not first hand experienced any of the west LRT stations. I've also not been in Westbrook Mall in over 30 years and as such, have no recent experiences there either. Anyone on here have some recent personal experiences at either of these two locales?

[danno]

I have a lrt room that I routinely go into and have never seen homeless down there. In the lower section it is cold so they won't go there. The main floor is heated and patrolled by peace officers he upper levels have city services in them.

[TYMSMNY]

Westbrook mall is fine and no different than any other mall in terms of shoppers. The customers at Westbrook may not be dressed as fine and dandy as The Core but in no way "homeless" either.

[01RedDX]

.

[firebane]

Early mornings and late afternoons it gets bad with vagrants around there. The station has become more popular with transit cops as its a major point for fare skippers.

Also that station has brought a lot more vagrants to the area.

[Shlade]

If you see a problem there or something you feel should be addressed phone 403-262-1000. The building usually always has a Transit officer in there and can address it pretty quick.

[R154]

Originally posted by danno
I have a lrt room that I routinely go into and have never seen homeless down there. In the lower section it is cold so they won't go there. The main floor is heated and patrolled by peace officers he upper levels have city services in them.

Did they put in the second generator yet? Or is it still only the 500kw on the top floor?

[rx7_turbo2]

Originally posted by TYMSMNY
Westbrook mall is fine and no different than any other mall in terms of shoppers. The customers at Westbrook may not be dressed as fine and dandy as The Core but in no way "homeless" either.
This has NOT been my experience. I avoid that whole area like the plague, even friends I know who live in relatively close proximity will venture out to Westhills to avoid the place.

[danno]

Originally posted by R154


Did they put in the second generator yet? Or is it still only the 500kw on the top floor?
Can't answer that, I don't do the maintaining on the building I do the lrt signals and we have a room in there.

[TYMSMNY]

Originally posted by rx7_turbo2

This has NOT been my experience. I avoid that whole area like the plague, even friends I know who live in relatively close proximity will venture out to Westhills to avoid the place.

Well, only good places in there are Walmart, Safeway, Starbucks, and the odd time Sport Chek. Westhills/Aspen definitely have more but Westbrook is on the way home from Downtown.

[bjstare]

Whenever I venture down to Westbrook mall for the Sport Chek, I haven't noticed any vagrants.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by rx7_turbo2

This has NOT been my experience. I avoid that whole area like the plague, even friends I know who live in relatively close proximity will venture out to Westhills to avoid the place.

+1

That mall/area is swarming with vagrants of various types, including homeless. The immediate area is a shithole. I frequent the area due to relatives living there and it's horrible. It's OK by the time you're around the Westgate area but I wouldn't want to live in Rosscarrock or closer to the mall. It's like a mini Forest Lawn in the West. YMMV.

[max_boost]

Originally posted by TYMSMNY
Westbrook mall is fine and no different than any other mall in terms of shoppers. The customers at Westbrook may not be dressed as fine and dandy as The Core but in no way "homeless" either.

Amen.

Speedog are you fearful for your life or something lol

[speedog]

Originally posted by max_boost


Amen.

Speedog are you fearful for your life or something lol

Nope, just posed the question because of what one can read in the news and such. Even the responses in this thread are interesting, some confirming and some negating.

[J-hop]

Originally posted by Mitsu3000gt


+1

That mall/area is swarming with vagrants of various types, including homeless. The immediate area is a shithole. I frequent the area due to relatives living there and it's horrible. It's OK by the time you're around the Westgate area but I wouldn't want to live in Rosscarrock or closer to the mall. It's like a mini Forest Lawn in the West. YMMV.

What kind of vagrants though. The type that hang out or the type constantly harassing people passing by?

I don't know I definitely think there are a lot of prissy people in the west. Err meh gerrd it's a homless person, ain't nobody got time for dat.

i don't think there is an inordinate amount of vagrants there you just hear about it more.

[ShermanEF9]

I've worked there a couple of times at 2am. There are people around but they generally keep to themselves.

[Feruk]

There are homeless at (or just outside) the station regularly but they seem harmless. Sunalta's way worse for drunk Indians. As for the mall, I find Wal-Mart has some sketchy people in it, but it's mostly fine too. I'm not surprised as there's a bunch of low-income subsidized living close to the two tall towers just north of the station.

[bjstare]

Originally posted by J-hop


What kind of vagrants though. The type that hang out or the type constantly harassing people passing by?

I don't know I definitely think there are a lot of prissy people in the west. Err meh gerrd it's a homless person, ain't nobody got time for dat.

i don't think there is an inordinate amount of vagrants there you just hear about it more.

We used to live inner city, and chose to move to the SW for this reason exactly. There were plenty of homeless people and drunk natives by where we used to live, and my wife didn't feel safe taking the dog out at night - if that makes us prissy, then so be it. :rofl:


And even though I haven't seen those types at Westbrook, it wouldn't surprise me at all. Basically anywhere there's a money mart is a place I wouldn't want to live.

[firebane]

Originally posted by cjblair


We used to live inner city, and chose to move to the SW for this reason exactly. There were plenty of homeless people and drunk natives by where we used to live, and my wife didn't feel safe taking the dog out at night - if that makes us prissy, then so be it. :rofl:


And even though I haven't seen those types at Westbrook, it wouldn't surprise me at all. Basically anywhere there's a money mart is a place I wouldn't want to live.

I've seen those exact types of people sitting on the stairs at Westbrook sharing a bottle of vodka.

[J-hop]

As long as they don't bother anyone who cares?

[Mitsu3000gt]

Originally posted by J-hop


What kind of vagrants though. The type that hang out or the type constantly harassing people passing by?

I don't know I definitely think there are a lot of prissy people in the west. Err meh gerrd it's a homless person, ain't nobody got time for dat.

i don't think there is an inordinate amount of vagrants there you just hear about it more.

The same kind as downtown. They just hop the train and don't stray too far from the stations. It isn't hard to tell IMHO. Cops always there talking to groups of sketchy looking people, homless people harassing everyone for money to buy 'food', drunk/high people making a scene, people openly drinking, the odd fight or screaming match, drug deals going down behind the stores, etc. Generally the types of people that make others uncomfortable, for a variety of reasons. I'm not talking about a homeless guy sleeping on a bench minding his own business. Anyways YMMV, but that has always been my experience with the area. You could not pay me to live anywhere near that mall. Also keep in mind I used to live downtown in the Beltline for 7 years so I am no stranger to all types of folk and recognize that many just mind their own business, but there is also a proportion of them that make me genuinely nervous. It's not like every time you go around there you will see a long list of things, but I've seen enough over the years that I want nothing to do with that place. They don't harm anyone...until they do - and I wouldn't want it to be me or anyone close to me.

Using the Calgary Police crime map, over the last 6 months:

Rosscarrock (area the mall is considered part of): 84 incidents, highly concentrated right beside the mall.
Westgate (one neighborhood over to the west): 6
Glendale: 12
Shaganappi (East of mall): 12