STA Plaza where it should be

I don’t ride the bus. I live in the Valley. But I do spend time at the Spokane Transit Authority Plaza doing volunteer work. As such, I talk to everybody as they wait for their buses.

Some people there are rough-looking in a way that at first was worrisome to a retired grandmother with a clipboard. But I talk to them all, refusing to let my filters do the sorting. I’ve been surprised again and again by how deceiving appearances are.

The people at the plaza are the people of Spokane. Most are no more dangerous than shoppers in the mall. Many look to be on hard times; some are facing major health problems and/or struggling financially in a culture that doesn’t want to see them. Because they ride the bus, they should be given extra consideration for their convenience. The plaza is right where it needs to be to serve its riders.

Those who want the depot out of sight are clearly uninformed. They see poverty and misfortune and it scares them. They think those people aren’t like them. They should take a closer look.

Roseanne Lasater

Spokane Valley