metro fare evasion is absolutely ridiculous

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Today I took the metro from Union and got off at TP. At the TP station, I literally saw at least 3 people give zero craps and step over the gates like it was nothing. They didn't even try to hide it, didn't even, run away, and just casually strolled along with their day like it was nothing.

So sick of the normalization of this law breaking behavior and stealing. American society has degraded into anarchy and people do whatever they want with animalistic instincts. If we cannot live up to a very simple social contract of something like not stealing and paying for your rides, then what has this society and region become? I'll tell you what it is - gutter trash culture with no respect for any kind of civilization. The fact that we are forced to swallow this lawlessness with a smile is patently absurd.

Why does anyone pay for the metro if tons of lawbreakers are allowed to get away with stealing? At a minimum, why doesn't the metro install gates like NYC that require turnstiles to go through that are much harder to evade fate?

DMV needs to get a damn culture and should stop condoning crime.

Wealth elites brag about tax avoidance. High level politicians bash government, regulations, and laws.

The rot starts at the top and filters down. Why pay into any public good? We already know the wealthiest Americans are not.

[Anonymous]

So many excuses for breaking the law in obvious, blatant ways.

It’s one reason why Bowser is barking up a tree when she asks the Feds to mandate a return to work in DC offices. The reputation of the downtown area when it comes to safety and basic amenities has plummeted. No one wants to be there until there’s some indication the services function and local government (and WMATA) has some interest in enforcing the law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Metro is funded by our tax dollars and should be free.

It isn't sufficiently funded by our tax dollars to be free, though I'd be perfectly happy to raise taxes to a level where that was feasible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Today I took the metro from Union and got off at TP. At the TP station, I literally saw at least 3 people give zero craps and step over the gates like it was nothing. They didn't even try to hide it, didn't even, run away, and just casually strolled along with their day like it was nothing.

So sick of the normalization of this law breaking behavior and stealing. American society has degraded into anarchy and people do whatever they want with animalistic instincts. If we cannot live up to a very simple social contract of something like not stealing and paying for your rides, then what has this society and region become? I'll tell you what it is - gutter trash culture with no respect for any kind of civilization. The fact that we are forced to swallow this lawlessness with a smile is patently absurd.

Why does anyone pay for the metro if tons of lawbreakers are allowed to get away with stealing? At a minimum, why doesn't the metro install gates like NYC that require turnstiles to go through that are much harder to evade fate?

DMV needs to get a damn culture and should stop condoning crime.

Wealth elites brag about tax avoidance. High level politicians bash government, regulations, and laws.

The rot starts at the top and filters down. Why pay into any public good? We already know the wealthiest Americans are not.

Why have any laws.

Usewhataboutism like tax breaks to justify stealing. I love where this logical slippery slope is headed!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Metro is funded by our tax dollars and should be free.

Your company prob gets tax breaks. Maybe you should work for free too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Today I took the metro from Union and got off at TP. At the TP station, I literally saw at least 3 people give zero craps and step over the gates like it was nothing. They didn't even try to hide it, didn't even, run away, and just casually strolled along with their day like it was nothing.

So sick of the normalization of this law breaking behavior and stealing. American society has degraded into anarchy and people do whatever they want with animalistic instincts. If we cannot live up to a very simple social contract of something like not stealing and paying for your rides, then what has this society and region become? I'll tell you what it is - gutter trash culture with no respect for any kind of civilization. The fact that we are forced to swallow this lawlessness with a smile is patently absurd.

Why does anyone pay for the metro if tons of lawbreakers are allowed to get away with stealing? At a minimum, why doesn't the metro install gates like NYC that require turnstiles to go through that are much harder to evade fate?

DMV needs to get a damn culture and should stop condoning crime.

Wealth elites brag about tax avoidance. High level politicians bash government, regulations, and laws.

The rot starts at the top and filters down. Why pay into any public good? We already know the wealthiest Americans are not.

With respect to funding of metro by local governments, local governments typical get most of their revenues from property taxes. So, indeed, the wealthiest people in the DC metro area fund metro. Whether they use it or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They should arrest these people as this is the gateway into serious crime

True. Before you know it, they’ll be working for Wells Fargo, or insider trading, or making up resumes as they embark upon political careers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Today I took the metro from Union and got off at TP. At the TP station, I literally saw at least 3 people give zero craps and step over the gates like it was nothing. They didn't even try to hide it, didn't even, run away, and just casually strolled along with their day like it was nothing.

So sick of the normalization of this law breaking behavior and stealing. American society has degraded into anarchy and people do whatever they want with animalistic instincts. If we cannot live up to a very simple social contract of something like not stealing and paying for your rides, then what has this society and region become? I'll tell you what it is - gutter trash culture with no respect for any kind of civilization. The fact that we are forced to swallow this lawlessness with a smile is patently absurd.

Why does anyone pay for the metro if tons of lawbreakers are allowed to get away with stealing? At a minimum, why doesn't the metro install gates like NYC that require turnstiles to go through that are much harder to evade fate?

DMV needs to get a damn culture and should stop condoning crime.

Wealth elites brag about tax avoidance. High level politicians bash government, regulations, and laws.

The rot starts at the top and filters down. Why pay into any public good? We already know the wealthiest Americans are not.

Why have any laws.

Usewhataboutism like tax breaks to justify stealing. I love where this logical slippery slope is headed!

I suspect everyone posting on this thread pays their Metro fare, if they ride it, so they're not justifying their own stealing. We're mostly arguing about how upset to be about other people breaking the law.

I personally agree that it would be better if everyone just paid. But I also don't think turnstile-jumping is, like, the first sign of the Apocalypse, as the OP's post seemed to indicate.

(And I do have to say that in the grand scheme of what law-breaking makes me feel most like a sucker, it's not the people who hop the fare gates to save the $3 that I pay.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Today I took the metro from Union and got off at TP. At the TP station, I literally saw at least 3 people give zero craps and step over the gates like it was nothing. They didn't even try to hide it, didn't even, run away, and just casually strolled along with their day like it was nothing.

So sick of the normalization of this law breaking behavior and stealing. American society has degraded into anarchy and people do whatever they want with animalistic instincts. If we cannot live up to a very simple social contract of something like not stealing and paying for your rides, then what has this society and region become? I'll tell you what it is - gutter trash culture with no respect for any kind of civilization. The fact that we are forced to swallow this lawlessness with a smile is patently absurd.

Why does anyone pay for the metro if tons of lawbreakers are allowed to get away with stealing? At a minimum, why doesn't the metro install gates like NYC that require turnstiles to go through that are much harder to evade fate?

DMV needs to get a damn culture and should stop condoning crime.

Wealth elites brag about tax avoidance. High level politicians bash government, regulations, and laws.

The rot starts at the top and filters down. Why pay into any public good? We already know the wealthiest Americans are not.

Because the uber wealthy don't need the public good, but those poor working stiffs like us do.

[Anonymous]

Turnstile jumping is out of control at Petworth metro and pretty much anywhere on greenline. every single day I see dozens of kids and teens fare jumping. It makes no sense because they all can get free metro cards! And this happens even when metro police AND DC cops are in the station (MPD is doing some special presence at Petworth it seems). No one cares. No one enforces. And even if you issue a fine, how can you enforce payment of it by a minor or their parent.

[Anonymous]

It is out of control and it does grate. It would be one thing if people did it abashedly or covertly, but they do it in a way that makes it clear they’re thumbing their noses at the social compact. No way this leads to anything good. It’ll be like gateway drugs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess I just don't find this as upsetting as most of the people on this thread. The system needs the revenue, but other than that, I'm not appalled to be witnessing lawbreaking, and if you think a free subway ride is "animalistic instincts," to quote OP, I hope you never see any real serious crimes being committed. (I hope that anyway, obviously, but you know what I mean.)

I pay my fare and go on with my day, because whatever other people are doing on Metro isn't really my responsibility.

I love your “head in the sand” approach

[Anonymous]

jfc grandpa, ever tried minding your own business?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess I just don't find this as upsetting as most of the people on this thread. The system needs the revenue, but other than that, I'm not appalled to be witnessing lawbreaking, and if you think a free subway ride is "animalistic instincts," to quote OP, I hope you never see any real serious crimes being committed. (I hope that anyway, obviously, but you know what I mean.)

I pay my fare and go on with my day, because whatever other people are doing on Metro isn't really my responsibility.

I love your “head in the sand” approach

Yes, well, I prefer to worry about violent crimes or even non-violent crimes with higher stakes. Especially as many of the people I see jumping the turnstiles look like they're high-school-aged, which means they probably qualify for free farecards anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess I just don't find this as upsetting as most of the people on this thread. The system needs the revenue, but other than that, I'm not appalled to be witnessing lawbreaking, and if you think a free subway ride is "animalistic instincts," to quote OP, I hope you never see any real serious crimes being committed. (I hope that anyway, obviously, but you know what I mean.)

I pay my fare and go on with my day, because whatever other people are doing on Metro isn't really my responsibility.

Maybe they are teens, but likely dropped out of school in 6th grade.

Columbia Heights has just as many low life middle aged jumpers. They are carrying huge Best Buy, Marshall's and Target bags. Pretty much nobody ever pays at that station.

I love your “head in the sand” approach

Yes, well, I prefer to worry about violent crimes or even non-violent crimes with higher stakes. Especially as many of the people I see jumping the turnstiles look like they're high-school-aged, which means they probably qualify for free farecards anyway.