East, I understand people who like to argue, I'm one myself.

However, I have driven through West Philly plenty and never had a problem...I lock my doors but its relatively safe if not a tad rundown. I often recommend people drive that way, just lock their doors to be safe.

Interesting that you would bring up West Philly as I was talking about the subway tunnels in Center City and who might follow you from that area all the way out on the 100. There are definitely seedy elements in Norristown so it stands to reason some folks use the 100 to get back and forth, no?

There is a HUGE difference btw driving through a rougher neighborhood in a locked car vs walking all alone late at night in a subway tunnel or parking lot...I wouldn't recommend doing it for males but for a female I would say you're just plain crazy.

Which is why I always ask, East, are you male or female? If you're a male, you really have no place telling a female how safe she will be alone late at night. It's just irresponsible.

Eldondre: That is my point exactly...a group of people is way different from traveling solo, and quiet doesn't necessarily equal safe...

I'm male. We don't know the OP's gender, BTW.

I drive (or used to) the same route through West Philly as you still do.

It is NOT a wise idea to stop and get gas in West Philly--ask the taxi drivers who are still nervous about the shootings and murder at the filling station up on Chestnut Street.

KByrd is on here, a female who lives in Spring Garden, and she uses SEPTA to get just about everywhere-even at crazy hours at night... with no trouble.

But by your account... you are arguing that no female should ever go to the Tower Theater to go see a concert. That's rather silly---the only decent way to get to the Tower is via the subway--as there isn't enough parking around Upper Darby to accommodate all those cars, and not only that--the blocks away from the Tower would intimidate most of the people who go to the Tower in the first place.

The OP did say he, or she... can start his/her journey in Radnor (assuming it's Radnor station since that's close to KOP). Then you wouldn't really need to worry must Norristown.


Anyway, it's inconsequential. You have never ridden the R5 train late at night on a Friday or Saturday night have you? That's about the time when a lot of Villanova children dump into Market East Station and head down to the bars.


Alas, that is either here nor there... personal decisions about safety are up to you.

Some people think it's dangerous to walk around the north part of Fairmount neighborhood at night [and you know what... in the summer, you'd be right about that].

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In September, PETA made headlines in Vermont and across the nation for asking Ben & Jerry's ice cream to use human breast milk in their ice cream, instead of cow milk

Hmm I grew up in Upper Darby and always drove to the Tower...seemed like a perfectly reasonable way to get there to me...its not the Spectrum or Wachovia Center after all..

The OP is male but I was covering the bases and said "If female, do this." To which you replied "Its not that bad, use Norristown TC, or not blah blah blah."

And why not recommend the R5 if you know its packed late at night...or do those kids take the last train home lest they be stuck taking their chances on the 100?

Which is my point...I'm not a fearmonger, just a realist, what is safe for a solo male to do in and around the city just isn't always safe for females and I make sure to point that out bc you never know who is reading this stuff and deciding "Well they said its safe at 2 AM so it must be..."

And just bc Kbyrd hasn't had anything bad happen to her is no reason not to tell others to be more careful...I've wandered the streets of Watts in LA at 2 AM alone, back alleys, etc...did I survive? Obviously. Would I do it again or recommend anyone else do it? No way in hell...

You definitely have options. The one thing I wouldn't recommend is the Norristown stop though. You might get student traffic with you at the Villanova one. And of course you have the Radnor and KofP area stops.

is norristown staffed? does it have cabs? (probably not, montco seems to have the worst policies known to man regarding cabs). Norristown is well lit, unlike Gulph Mills (which has a creepy underpass..sp careful which side you park on).

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I've taken the 100 late at night and found it extremely convenient and surprisingly fast. I got from Norristown to 69th Street in less than twenty minutes.

I also think the safety concerns are a little overblown; I'm a guy but I really don't think that any SEPTA rail line is unsafe. Of course, people operate at their own levels of comfort, but it should be based on real concerns rather than subjective impressions. (ie: Yes, our subway stations bear an unfortunate resemblance to utility basements, but they generally don't play host to violent crimes.)

On a side note, does anyone know what, if anything, is happening to the 100 extension to the King of Prussia Mall? I think that little spur will have a huge effect on riding patterns, especially if SEPTA coordinates services.

I've always wondered why SEPTA didn't run a single outbound train on each regional line on Friday and Saturday nights around, say, 2am or so. Surely they say they can't afford to do so and maybe that's true. Seems like it would be a boon to nightlife business if surbanites knew they could easily get home after the bars close. Has SEPTA ever tried such a thing?

THey should


Just Friday and Saturday Night.

a train at 2:30 AM

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The women who was heading Septa and just left, I forget her name, was on a call-in radio show when she just took over years ago. I called in and asked her about a late night train around one thirty or two am for the outbound rails. I said think of the money businesses are losing.
She stated that it would be fiscally impossible as it would extend shifts and then went off saying there are too many rails. Which ones would get it.
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That is absolutely ridiculous. She just doesn't "fiscally" want to do it. She always had an excuse for EVERYTHING. I'm so glad this new guy, Joseph Casey, is on the scene. He really seems to care about what riders want. Maybe getting a petition to him would spark some action.

I live in fishtown, so this wouldn't affect me, but I have friends that come here to hang out from the 'burbs that this would greatly benefit. I'm all for it.