Wmata to target fare evaders on metro busses

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They could try to put fare boxes on the outside. Maybe like scan your card or insert money, and then the doors open. It would slow things down and suck for customers that were already paying.

Imagine if drivers had to get out of their cars and scan a payment card every time they wanted to get on a road. How much would they complain? Why do we make it seamless for them to drive long distances, cross jurisdictions and "transfer" between roads but make it a real expense and chore to bus riders to do the same?

If drivers evade a toll, then they get a bill automatically sent to their house. If you don't pay to get on the bus, then you can't get on (the doors don't open0.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They could try to put fare boxes on the outside. Maybe like scan your card or insert money, and then the doors open. It would slow things down and suck for customers that were already paying.

Imagine if drivers had to get out of their cars and scan a payment card every time they wanted to get on a road. How much would they complain? Why do we make it seamless for them to drive long distances, cross jurisdictions and "transfer" between roads but make it a real expense and chore to bus riders to do the same?

Sure, turnstiles on buses would be awful, but when the fare readers work it is very easy to pay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They could try to put fare boxes on the outside. Maybe like scan your card or insert money, and then the doors open. It would slow things down and suck for customers that were already paying.

Imagine if drivers had to get out of their cars and scan a payment card every time they wanted to get on a road. How much would they complain? Why do we make it seamless for them to drive long distances, cross jurisdictions and "transfer" between roads but make it a real expense and chore to bus riders to do the same?

If drivers evade a toll, then they get a bill automatically sent to their house. If you don't pay to get on the bus, then you can't get on (the doors don't open0.

I can drive all over DC and never use a toll road. Why shouldn't I have the same no-pay option when I take a bus?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They could try to put fare boxes on the outside. Maybe like scan your card or insert money, and then the doors open. It would slow things down and suck for customers that were already paying.

Imagine if drivers had to get out of their cars and scan a payment card every time they wanted to get on a road. How much would they complain? Why do we make it seamless for them to drive long distances, cross jurisdictions and "transfer" between roads but make it a real expense and chore to bus riders to do the same?

If drivers evade a toll, then they get a bill automatically sent to their house. If you don't pay to get on the bus, then you can't get on (the doors don't open0.

I can drive all over DC and never use a toll road. Why shouldn't I have the same no-pay option when I take a bus?

You're still paying gas taxes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They could try to put fare boxes on the outside. Maybe like scan your card or insert money, and then the doors open. It would slow things down and suck for customers that were already paying.

Imagine if drivers had to get out of their cars and scan a payment card every time they wanted to get on a road. How much would they complain? Why do we make it seamless for them to drive long distances, cross jurisdictions and "transfer" between roads but make it a real expense and chore to bus riders to do the same?

If drivers evade a toll, then they get a bill automatically sent to their house. If you don't pay to get on the bus, then you can't get on (the doors don't open0.

I can drive all over DC and never use a toll road. Why shouldn't I have the same no-pay option when I take a bus?

You can use the roads for free. You cannot use transportation services for free. When you are driving you need to have your own vehicle or rent one. Same goes for bicycles. And same goes for taxis, shared rides or transit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They could try to put fare boxes on the outside. Maybe like scan your card or insert money, and then the doors open. It would slow things down and suck for customers that were already paying.

Imagine if drivers had to get out of their cars and scan a payment card every time they wanted to get on a road. How much would they complain? Why do we make it seamless for them to drive long distances, cross jurisdictions and "transfer" between roads but make it a real expense and chore to bus riders to do the same?

If drivers evade a toll, then they get a bill automatically sent to their house. If you don't pay to get on the bus, then you can't get on (the doors don't open0.

I can drive all over DC and never use a toll road. Why shouldn't I have the same no-pay option when I take a bus?

The government doesn’t give you a gassed up car for free to drive around. It is actually quite expensive to own, insure, and maintain a car. The bus allows you to avoid many of these costs and just pay a fraction of them by paying per trip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They could try to put fare boxes on the outside. Maybe like scan your card or insert money, and then the doors open. It would slow things down and suck for customers that were already paying.

Imagine if drivers had to get out of their cars and scan a payment card every time they wanted to get on a road. How much would they complain? Why do we make it seamless for them to drive long distances, cross jurisdictions and "transfer" between roads but make it a real expense and chore to bus riders to do the same?

Sure, turnstiles on buses would be awful, but when the fare readers work it is very easy to pay.

Ah, but the counterargument is that if there is even a single broken fare reader, the riders on that bus are getting something that everyone else can't. That's inequity and wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They could try to put fare boxes on the outside. Maybe like scan your card or insert money, and then the doors open. It would slow things down and suck for customers that were already paying.

Imagine if drivers had to get out of their cars and scan a payment card every time they wanted to get on a road. How much would they complain? Why do we make it seamless for them to drive long distances, cross jurisdictions and "transfer" between roads but make it a real expense and chore to bus riders to do the same?

If drivers evade a toll, then they get a bill automatically sent to their house. If you don't pay to get on the bus, then you can't get on (the doors don't open0.

I can drive all over DC and never use a toll road. Why shouldn't I have the same no-pay option when I take a bus?

You can use the roads for free. You cannot use transportation services for free. When you are driving you need to have your own vehicle or rent one. Same goes for bicycles. And same goes for taxis, shared rides or transit.

Roads aren't transportation services? Who pays for the roads, and how do they pay for them?

Don't say gas taxes, because gas taxes don't come anywhere near covering the cost of the roads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They could try to put fare boxes on the outside. Maybe like scan your card or insert money, and then the doors open. It would slow things down and suck for customers that were already paying.

Imagine if drivers had to get out of their cars and scan a payment card every time they wanted to get on a road. How much would they complain? Why do we make it seamless for them to drive long distances, cross jurisdictions and "transfer" between roads but make it a real expense and chore to bus riders to do the same?

If drivers evade a toll, then they get a bill automatically sent to their house. If you don't pay to get on the bus, then you can't get on (the doors don't open0.

I can drive all over DC and never use a toll road. Why shouldn't I have the same no-pay option when I take a bus?

The government doesn’t give you a gassed up car for free to drive around. It is actually quite expensive to own, insure, and maintain a car. The bus allows you to avoid many of these costs and just pay a fraction of them by paying per trip.

Sounds like we should be encouraging people to ride the bus, then - instead of cracking down on them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They say 80% don’t pay fares. Progressives are claiming enforcement would be racist

What happened to "not paying is criminal!"?

[Anonymous]

I ride the bus and have added money using the fare box, but it’s tricky. You have to use cash, and it won’t give you change. If you do the steps in the wrong order, it won’t return your cash and you’re just SOL.

I wish there were add fare boxes at bus stops. That would be easier than trying to surf and pay.

I also wish they had made buses free, as they were going to do at one point. It would make me less likely to drive.

Also safety on the bus is a real issue. I’ve been on with very threatening people, clearly out of their minds. Two of them were threatening to kill people. Ugh. One of those times I got off with my kids.. the other time I moved to the front of the bus, and you could still hear the deranged person talking to their partner. It was about how mad she was that her teenaged son used her money to buy a bottle of water? She wanted to KILL him for it, and referred several times to her gun! I was most impressed she had a partner who took this all in and seemed empathetic!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They could try to put fare boxes on the outside. Maybe like scan your card or insert money, and then the doors open. It would slow things down and suck for customers that were already paying.

Imagine if drivers had to get out of their cars and scan a payment card every time they wanted to get on a road. How much would they complain? Why do we make it seamless for them to drive long distances, cross jurisdictions and "transfer" between roads but make it a real expense and chore to bus riders to do the same?

If drivers evade a toll, then they get a bill automatically sent to their house. If you don't pay to get on the bus, then you can't get on (the doors don't open0.

I can drive all over DC and never use a toll road. Why shouldn't I have the same no-pay option when I take a bus?

You're still paying gas taxes.

And bus riders pay the sales and income taxes that fund public transit. We realize that user fees are terrible for drivers, but for some reason insist on them for transit. We should either have no user fees for transportation, or all transportation users should have to pay a user fee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They could try to put fare boxes on the outside. Maybe like scan your card or insert money, and then the doors open. It would slow things down and suck for customers that were already paying.

Imagine if drivers had to get out of their cars and scan a payment card every time they wanted to get on a road. How much would they complain? Why do we make it seamless for them to drive long distances, cross jurisdictions and "transfer" between roads but make it a real expense and chore to bus riders to do the same?

If drivers evade a toll, then they get a bill automatically sent to their house. If you don't pay to get on the bus, then you can't get on (the doors don't open0.

I can drive all over DC and never use a toll road. Why shouldn't I have the same no-pay option when I take a bus?

You're still paying gas taxes.

And bus riders pay the sales and income taxes that fund public transit. We realize that user fees are terrible for drivers, but for some reason insist on them for transit. We should either have no user fees for transportation, or all transportation users should have to pay a user fee.

User fees are terrible for drivers? You might want to tell that to New York democrats.

I think we should be encouraging people to ride public transit. Perhaps even making it free. But until and unless we do that, people should pay the fare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They could try to put fare boxes on the outside. Maybe like scan your card or insert money, and then the doors open. It would slow things down and suck for customers that were already paying.

Imagine if drivers had to get out of their cars and scan a payment card every time they wanted to get on a road. How much would they complain? Why do we make it seamless for them to drive long distances, cross jurisdictions and "transfer" between roads but make it a real expense and chore to bus riders to do the same?

If drivers evade a toll, then they get a bill automatically sent to their house. If you don't pay to get on the bus, then you can't get on (the doors don't open0.

I can drive all over DC and never use a toll road. Why shouldn't I have the same no-pay option when I take a bus?

You're still paying gas taxes.

And bus riders pay the sales and income taxes that fund public transit. We realize that user fees are terrible for drivers, but for some reason insist on them for transit. We should either have no user fees for transportation, or all transportation users should have to pay a user fee.

User fees are terrible for drivers? You might want to tell that to New York democrats.

I think we should be encouraging people to ride public transit. Perhaps even making it free. But until and unless we do that, people should pay the fare.

"People should pay the fare" and "WMATA should target people who don't pay the fare" are two different things.

User fees are good insofar as they encourage actions we want to encourage and/or discourage actions we want to discourage. The idea of congestion pricing in NYC is to discourage people going to lower Manhattan during peak hours by car; going into lower Manhattan by car during peak hours is an action we (should) want to discourage.

[Anonymous]

^^^Plus the revenue from the congestion pricing was supposed to go towards improving transit, especially Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility. I.e., encouraging actions we want to encourage, namely people taking transit and being able to take transit.