Riders react to SEPTA Transit Police strike

PHILADELPHIA (FOX 29) - It's day four of the Septa Transit Police Officers strike and there is still no agreement.

Nearly 200 officers went on strike Wednesday after several days of contract negotiations failed.

The news came during a busy travel time for Septa, with many people using the rails to head to the Philadelphia Flower Show and Philadelphia Travel Show at the convention center.

"Today it feels different," says Debora Latham, who visits annually from North Carolina.

Both sides met on Friday and painted two very different pictures of the talks. Septa said union leaders are coming to the bargaining table with no intention of reaching an agreement. Meanwhile, union leaders said they don't want to get into a public war of words, but they are trying to resolve the strike and get a fair contract.

They met again on Saturday morning.

Some others passengers seemed un-phased, saying the trip seemed "business as usual." Others were most concerned about safety.

"Personally I would not let my son come down here by himself because of that," says Amanda Nolan.

"You're taking a part of the security of Philadelphia away, they're a necessity," says Roberta Kine.

SEPTA does not expect the strike to result in any service disruptions for customers. They have implemented a strike contingency plan. There are 49 SEPTA police supervisors who remain on duty and they will work 12-hour shifts on patrols throughout the system.

In addition, the Philadelphia Police Department will provide assistance, including an increased presence at major transportation centers at school dismissal time, and checks of stations, cashier booths and vehicles throughout the service day.

Police in suburban communities will also help with patrols and responses in outlying parts of the SEPTA system.