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]

The surface-level stops of the trolley/light rail (green line) here in Boston don't have turnstiles, and many of those stops don't have fare machines, either: you pay when you get on the trolley, with a stored-value "Charlie Card," electronically (including credit cards and ApplePay), or cash at the front door where the driver sits.

The drivers occasionally get on the PA to tell people "pay your fare" if they notice that someone didn't, and at least one stop has neatly printed signs reminding people that they're supposed to pay when they get on the trolley. I don't know why there's a sign there and not at other busy stops.

On the other hand, sometimes the drivers tell people to just board, because that's faster than waiting for everyone to pay, and they prioritize keeping the trains moving, especially after an earlier delay. A lot of people have monthly passes, so not having them tap their cards doesn't cost the MBTA money.