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[quote=Anonymous][quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous][quote=jsteele][quote=Anonymous]Whatincentive does anyone have to actually pay for a metro card?  That’s an odd way to govern a city.  Broken windows theory ....[/quote]

There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding on the topic of fare evasion. Previously, this was a criminal activity, which meant that you could go to jail and earn criminal record for doing it. The DC Council decriminalized it. That does not mean that fare evasion is legal, but rather that it is now a civil violation punishable by a $50 fine. So, to answer your question, the incentive to pay for a metro card is to avoid a $50 fine. It is now similar to a parking violation. If you park in a metered space but don't pay for parking, you do not face the possibility of going to jail. Rather, you will likely be ticketed and  fined.  Notice that nobody posts questions in this forum asking about the incentive for paying for parking. 
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But is this $50 fine ever enforced?  Because it seems like Metro workers just look the other way.  [/quote]

If it is not being enforced, that is a problem with the police and Metro workers, not the Council or the mayor who seem to get the blame. 
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Agree that the fine seems to rarely be enforced.  Maybe it's up to the Police, but they Council and Mayor do set the tone.

I'm fine with them using fare evasion as an 'add-on' to other charges.  If a teen is arrested for illegally shooting off fireworks, and looting a 7-11, and it turns out there is video footage of that teen hopping a turnstyle, then it would seem that the teen has a pattern of disregarding the law.

Plus, like anything else, if there is no negative consequence for an action, you're likely to see more of it.  That's just human nature.

If I don't pay to park at RTC and get a ticket every time, I'm not going to do that anymore.  Next time, I'll just pay for parking.  Whereas, when I park in certain garages, I know that I'll rarely (if ever) get a parking ticket there.  So, I have little incentive to pay for those meters.

Same thing applies for fare evasion.  If there is no negative consequence, there's no reason not to do it.[/quote]

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