Free Rides

If you're especially skint, or you just like sticking it to the man, head on over to Oak Grove in the next few weeks for a free ride on the T.
They are in the midst of replacing the old turnstiles with the new Charlie Card fare gates, and barely have staff watching commuters going into the station.
I have a monthly pass, and you can only see if it is current by looking at the back.
Have I once been asked to show the pass back?
Nope.
Yesterday afternoon the "watcher" was getting a coffee at D&D's while groups of people just waltzed in.
And what's with the coin box they've got going? Do you think they'll check to see if you chucked in $1.25, a token, or a washer?
Nope.
And even if they did open the thing up, how could they prove you scammed them?
Here's an idea to generate more revenue, Mr. Grabauskas:
MONITOR THE FARE GATES.

Same situation over at Kendal. I've not taken my pass out to show it to anyone all week.

One day the watcher was doing his taxes while everyone walked by.

bierhere wrote:Same situation over at Kendal. I've not taken my pass out to show it to anyone all week.

One day the watcher was doing his taxes while everyone walked by.

Well is he getting a good return?!? LOL.

ahaha. that's not just at oak grove, it's where ever they replace stations with charie-ness.

why stop there? what ever happening to just walking right through the gate anyway?

savebowdoin wrote:Lechmere is the same

So when service resumed to/from Lechmere the practice of paying on-board was not re-instated ?

I see no reason to close the thread.

The thread stays.

It's quite frustrating right now. A friend and I were returning from Lechmere the other day and she only had a five. Neither of us knew that the fare booth was closed and the employees refused to make change--we missed that train. So we scraped up 1.25 for her and she didn't even end up paying because the driver on the next train opened all doors.

It doesn't really affect me too much as I buy monthly passes, but I can see why it's bothersome to everyone else and how it makes no difference as a lot of drivers let people on for free.

Ok, I guess this can stay after all as CS just said. But for some reason I cannot delete my posts here, could you do that for me, please? Thanks.

mattster wrote:It's quite frustrating right now. A friend and I were returning from Lechmere the other day and she only had a five. Neither of us knew that the fare booth was closed and the employees refused to make change--we missed that train. So we scraped up 1.25 for her and she didn't even end up paying because the driver on the next train opened all doors.

It doesn't really affect me too much as I buy monthly passes, but I can see why it's bothersome to everyone else and how it makes no difference as a lot of drivers let people on for free.

Should have done like many others do...go through with your pass and then pass it to her, LOL. I am only kidding Reddy, I do not like fare evaders anymore than you.

What aggrevates me the most, is when i end up paying $1.25 only to see like 4 other people get on for free on the B line! I cannot stand fair evaders! I don't understand why i bother with my pass, because everytime i ride either B,C OR D, there is always so low life fair evaders and the conductors don't give a shit! Gahhh is pisses me off so much!!!

Multiple times at kendall square i have stood there and watched people push through the revolving [exit only] bar gateways backwards. I had a really hard time holding my toungue. However, a bus driver or green line operator puts their hand over the fare box and waves, or a collector just opens the gate and allows people to pass. Fare evasion is hardly illegal. And the honest people take the load. Just try to remember what goes around comes around!

Yeah, you are right how many dont really care about the fare evaders (ie there still getting paid) but some go above and beyond the call (now i know its a bus, but just talking about the point, dont yell )

There is the old guy (least there was) that did the 28 (maybe the 19, dont remember), showed up each day in FULL uniform (buttoned all the way up etc), hat and all (with many bus rodeo pins as well) He only opened the forward door, and could spot a fake pass a mile away, he was a real (for lack of a better term) hard-ass, and would turn in fair evaders as well. BUT everyone on his bus payed

And that was the point im trying to get to. Im well aware with construction it may be harder to enforce the fares, BUT that is no excuse for the normal lax operators on the Green Line as well as the 'Customer Service Agents" at stations being modified. Hold the train, call the T police, enforce it!

I think a lot of it comes from not wanting to deal with people who will argue about having just cheated the system. Yesterday I saw a fare collector come out of her booth as I was leaving and basically grab three teens who went through the gate without flashing passes.

It holds up progress (especially on buses) when the driver has to argue with someone who refuses to get off.

I know at my job I hang up on people who give me a hard time.

mattster wrote:I think a lot of it comes from not wanting to deal with people who will argue about having just cheated the system. Yesterday I saw a fare collector come out of her booth as I was leaving and basically grab three teens who went through the gate without flashing passes.

It holds up progress (especially on buses) when the driver has to argue with someone who refuses to get off.

I know at my job I hang up on people who give me a hard time.

It's true it holds up the works. However if it was fairly enforced way less people would try to avoid paying. Now a senior in college in Boston, I remember they even told us on tours not to bother paying on the green line because you could almost always get on free. When you set that example from day one (at least for college students, keeping in mind there are quite a lot of us) it's a learned behavior.

JS