The sign at the bus stop reminds me that farejumping comes with a fine up to $150

[conuly]

The fare is $3. If you commute, you take the bus or train twice a day, five days a week. Every week you spend $30*. You'd have to be caught and ticketed more often than once every five weeks in order to make this math not work out in your favor. And that is never going to happen, because there aren't nearly enough enforcement agents. As it is, the ones we have cost more than they make back. It's all a racket, but you'll notice the buses still aren't free because Albany is still in control of the MTA.

* I'm making a few assumptions here, first, that you're not sharing the same card among several family members with staggered schedules; once you spend $35 in a week on the same card, subsequent trips are free. Also, this is the full fare for most buses and trains, but not for the express bus.

Comments

[redbird]

It makes me wonder who they're hiring as enforcement agents, and whether giving those people jobs is the main goal here (though they won't say that anywhere official, if so).

I remember, when the weekly and monthly Metrocards were introduced, the MTA explicitly said that you could share the card with relatives or friends, or pay the fare for other people, as long as no money changed hands. I sometimes swiped strangers into the subway station as I was leaving, and once or twice had to tell them no, I didn't want their money.

[conuly]

Some of them are cops, some are not, and I don't know what the percentages are.