Avoid being outside at night.

From Oregonlive.com, "Early sunsets bring safety tips for transit riders"

With the change out of daylight saving time, transit riders should be even more conscientious of safety on their way home, officials are saying.

That's part of the reason why TriMet is offering its Night Stop program. Since 1992, TriMet bus drivers will stop anywhere along a regular route after 8 p.m. or before 5 a.m., allowing riders to arrive closer to their destinations and keep out of the cold, wet night.

Riders should notify their bus driver a few blocks ahead of their stop specifically where they would like to be dropped off. Drivers will then pull over at a safe point near the requested stop.

Passengers who pick up the bus at night must still use regularly scheduled stops - and should take extra steps to be visible, said TriMet spokeswoman Mary Fetsch.

"It's important to wave at the operator. Wave a cell phone with a light, or a small flashlight, anything to make sure you're visible and they can see you," she said. "The worst thing we have is pass-ups."

Light rail riders using TriMet's park-and-ride lots should also use caution. Hillsboro Police Department Lt. Mike Rouches said crime against transit users is rare, but there are some steps to take to stay safe near transit centers.

"People could get into trouble if they happen to show up at the wrong time, and somebody's out burglarizing a car," he said. "Because it's dark out, there's more opportunity to break into cars. So I'm getting off the train, I'm not paying attention and I walk into a guy breaking into a car. That could create a problem."

Rouches encouraged people in that situation to "back off, be a good witness and call 911."

Both Rouches and Fetsch said people should be careful about what they leave in their cars at park-and-ride lots.

"They left their laptop on the front seat, golf clubs in the back seat - it's amazing what people just leave in plain sight," Fetsch said. "Don't make yourself a victim."

Other types of crime victims on MAX statistically are likely to know their attacker, Rouches said.

"It's rare to have somebody just assault somebody coming home from work. It doesn't work like that. It's almost always a bigger deal," he said.

Still, he encouraged transit riders to get to know people familiar to them on their transit routes. "That way when you're walking from the train, at least you have a connection, and now you're infinitely safer because you've now got a group walking to a car," he said.

Fetsch said bus riders who feel uncomfortable should tell the driver.

"A supervisor can come out. Let the operator know you're uncomfortable, and if you can, stay on the vehicle until we can get some assistance there," she said.