Dear Mr. Sinclair,
Thank you for your email about the signs on the buses stating that no firearms or weapons are allowed.
As I am sure you noticed, the "Rules of the Road" signs on the buses do not list all of the behaviors prohibited by the Spokane Transit Authority (STA) Rules of Conduct. Furthermore, the behaviors highlighted on this sign are in a truncated format when compared to the Rules of Conduct. It is the complete, STA Board-adopted Rules of Conduct that govern STA's reaction to fact-based situations.
I understand your concern that the signage on the bus may confuse people as to their rights under Washington State law. I can tell you that no one has expressed such confusion to me, which usually is indicative of a lack of confusion about STA's rules, policies, and procedures. But, you'll be glad to know, that I had already requested that this statement either be removed or better explained on the next edition of the "Rules of the Road" signage. You will notice a change in the signs next year.
In the meantime, Spokane Transit's operators, supervisors, and security officers are all trained on the official Rules of Conduct, thus there is no risk of confusion on their part. If a passenger questioned the summary statement on the Rules of the Road, I believe a bus operator would refer that person to the actual Rules of Conduct.
I cannot promise you (or anyone) that bringing a weapon on a bus is per se permissible in every situation. I can promise you that Spokane Transit deals with all situations within the limits of the law, including a fact specific analysis of the circumstances, manner, time, place and intent factors established in RCW 9.41.270.
Thank you again for writing. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.
Susan Millbank
Community Ombudsman
Accessibility Officer
Spokane Transit