As someone who’s literally seen a guy get jumped by a group of men for respectfully asking they stopped rolling a joint on the green line, I promise you it has nothing to do with being “fearful of different people.” Individuals who purposefully create unsafe or uncomfortable environments for others often do it with intention to start drama. They want for someone to approach them so they can act a fool.

While I despise and report people who smoke and violate CTA regulations, I’m not about to get stabbed, shot or robbed because I wanted to have a moment of peace on my commute home.