So, this morning, I read in the Metro that the T police and T employees have been given authorization to issue tickets to fare jumpers. If they catch you “jumping the gate” they can issue you a ticket with a $15 fine. Whats worse, though, is that at any time during your trip a T official could ask you for proof of fare purchase! WTF?!?!?!
In my case, I buy a montly Link pass. When I do this I do get a receipt, but do they expect me to carry that receipt around with me and my charlie card for the whole month?!? What if someone purchased a one way ticket and chose not to get a receipt. When most people use up their Charlie Tickets they throw them away (or throw them on the floor). How do these T officials expect us law-abiding, fare paying riders to distinguish ourselves from the 5% of riders that skip paying for their rides?
I understand the T is strapped for cash and their scraping the bottom of the barrel in an attempt to start balancing their budget, but is this tactic really cost effective? The metro article also mentioned that T officials were concerned that their employees would now face dangerous and confrontational situations on a daily basis; so, they will all need a little training on what to do = $$$. Also, theoretically, this is going to take time from whatever it is these employees are already doing. I assume they are working hard crunching numbers and balancing budgets when they are sitting in their little booths. And when their getting in peoples way at the fare machines? Why, that’s top notch customer service in action! Why would we want to distract them from such important responsibilities?
But, maybe I’m wrong about these hard working T employees, I can’t really ignore all of the countless blog posts and newspaper articles about how T employees aren’t the ultra-motivated, ambitious, go-getter types. So, where is the motivation for a bunch of T employees to start accosting strangers and asking to see receipts?
Maybe even more importantly, where’s the motivation for riders to pay the fines? The system will be like parking tickets; when you rack up a nice little tab at the RMV, they revoke your license until you pay. First of all, why should the tax dollars earmarked for the RMV now also go toward processing paperwork for the MBTA?
Also, Umm… I’m riding the T; why do I need my license? I don’t even have a MA license and, chances are, most people my age in Boston don’t. I don’t know the official stats on the number of daily T riders that are also car owners/drivers, but tying punishment to one’s license doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense to me. Except for the fact that there’s really no other way to keep track of the delinquents and their fines and tickets. Really, if they wanted to motivate me to pay they should threaten to put a hold on my zipcar membership! That would kill me in one cruel, swift motion.
And What are you going to do do the under 16 crowd? Ask to see their hall pass? Issue a detention? Confiscate their school ID? Call their mommies?
The idea doesn’t see to be very well thought out if you ask me, but then again neither does the entire T system or the new Charlie system.
