How to beat the system
I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s witnessed people attempt to get onto the bus without paying. Just the other day there was a guy who walked past the driver as someone else was paying. Then someone who had already paid handed him a transfer and he turned around and walked off the bus. It happened pretty quickly and I doubt the driver even noticed. If he did, it’s not like he could do anything. What’s interesting is when people get caught.
Over the summer there were two guys that would always get on the bus together and pay cash. At $2 a trip it’s quite a bit cheaper to get a bus pass, but every day they would keep paying in dollars and loose change. Anyway, one day I saw both of them standing as we pulled up to the stop, but only one got in line. After he had paid and got his transfer, he walked quickly to the back of the bus, opened the window and slipped his transfer to his buddy. When the buddy put the transfer in, the driver shook his head and told him to get off. Not only was it a risky move going through the window, but transfers have a time stamp on them and I’m pretty sure they don’t let you get on with a transfer stamped within the last minute or so. I would have felt pretty sheepish getting on the next day.
Jan 31st, 2007 at 9:20 pm
yep, you got it, this was apparently getting to be such a big problem that MT even has a name for this offense: passbacks. The transfers can’t be used within three minutes of being printed or being used: I’m sure you all know that quick, stacatto series of beeps that occurs when a bad transfer/pass gets used. Catching people doing that is fun.
Feb 24th, 2007 at 9:10 am
I bet this would happen a lot less if these folks got ticketed $180 for thier highjinks. I realize it may not be practical to enforce the law with these people but if I was a driver I would be mighty pissed at this kind of disrespect.
Mar 20th, 2007 at 9:06 am
One problema driver can come across when dealing with this situation is that if the driver gets assaulted because he/she tried to enforce the fare MT tries to say it’s their fault enforcing the fare isn’t part of their job, and in doing so they provoked the person. Which can raise even more problemsif they are seriously injured and need time off work to recover. At the same time they’ll still question it if the driver has too many unpaid fares.
Mar 17th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
We notice it, its a common problem, but we cant do anything about it. company will not let us. this is one of the reasons the company is broke. Ive even had our cops on the bus letting them pull the same BS. its just the way it is.