70% of WMATA bus riders don't pay

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It should be free. The bus drivers don't need to risk their lives to make a living.

This is an insane comment. People who refuse to pay and would become violent if confronted deserve to be in cages.

Those people can't help themselves. They have an emotional regulation disorder. The best we can do is to accommodate their behavior. We can't just lock up people who get upset when confronted with the rules.

+1 Give them free food, housing, medical care, and transportation. These are unintelligent and often mentally ill people who are incapable of taking care of themselves or their children if they have any.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It should be free. The bus drivers don't need to risk their lives to make a living.

This is an insane comment. People who refuse to pay and would become violent if confronted deserve to be in cages.

Those people can't help themselves. They have an emotional regulation disorder. The best we can do is to accommodate their behavior. We can't just lock up people who get upset when confronted with the rules.

+1 Give them free food, housing, medical care, and transportation. These are unintelligent and often mentally ill people who are incapable of taking care of themselves or their children if they have any.

You obviously have never ridden the bus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a single person responding to this thread has given me a legitimate reason the DC government can’t just make WMATA buses free. If they made them free, it would instantly solve the so-called issue of “fare evasion.”

Problem solved!

Because people who get the benefit of taking the bus should have to foot a fraction of the cost? Because DC has a million better things to spend scarce dollars on?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a single person responding to this thread has given me a legitimate reason the DC government can’t just make WMATA buses free. If they made them free, it would instantly solve the so-called issue of “fare evasion.”

Problem solved!

In order for public transit to operate effectively it has to be a good, safe option for the general public to ride in enough number that it legitimately eases traffic congestion and arguably helps the economy too with people going to work, schools, etc. When too many people aren’t paying it begins to feel less safe and riders of means stay away, causing more road congestion, worse service, etc. We finally see Metro trains safety stats much improved with fare enforcement, the return of federal workers and more critical mass of commuter traffic. These systems cost money to run. Allowing it to be taken over by those who can’t or won’t pay will further drive away potential riders and make the system less economically viable to the region. There are already subsidized fare cards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It should be free. The bus drivers don't need to risk their lives to make a living.

This is an insane comment. People who refuse to pay and would become violent if confronted deserve to be in cages.

Those people can't help themselves. They have an emotional regulation disorder. The best we can do is to accommodate their behavior. We can't just lock up people who get upset when confronted with the rules.

Actually we should for their safety and the safety of the general public.