Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:You still get a ticket for fare evasion, it's just not a misdemeanor or felony.
Why can't officers be allowed to search a fare evader just as they currently would (because they'd be cuffing them)? Then the guns would still be found.
I'm for decriminalizing. It was done in SF and did not create an increase in fare evasion. That's the only data point I know of.
When something is decriminalized, it's basically sending a message to law enforcement that the misconduct is not important. Fare evasion is important, for two reasons. As we see, enforcement is a net that seems to ensnare bad guys. Second, Metro is turning over the sofa cushions looking for spare change. Why send a signal that fare evasion is a sound economic proposition, because the "penalty" is one is caught is likely to be no more than the cost of a cost of a couple of $20 smart cards?
Speaking of turning over the couch cushions...
Metro will no longer allow riders to exit the rail system or board a bus if it would lead to their SmarTrip card having a negative value, Metro announced Friday. The change, to begin Jan. 8, means riders boarding a bus with $1.75 or less on their card will have to add value, or riders with less money on the card than the full cost of their rail fare will have to add cash at an Exitfare machine just before most fare gates. The Exitfare machines and bus fareboxes only accept cash and coins.
Metro said outstanding negative balances on SmarTrip cards from the last 17 years total about $25 million. This is just the latest effort from Metro to show that it is scrounging for every possible cent as the agency’s supporters push for new dedicated tax funding.
The rule will also block even riders with valid daily, weekly, monthly or school passes from riding the train or bus if they separately have a negative balance on the card.