Fare enforcement has never been high on the list of priorities for Trimet, now in business for 42 years.
For 40 years they have had this laissez-faire attitude about fares and fare enforcement.
Then all of a sudden the power elite of TRIMET decide that fares are important and must be collected and enforced.
They sprung this change on an unwitting and uneducated population and now brag at the "great job" they are doing.
The power elite have done nothing to simplify the fare system, or secure the MAX stations, or even make sure the ticket machines are 100% reliable.
Nope, they are just proud that they have been able to sik the cops and fare inspectors on a mostly poor and unsuspecting population.
Personally, I think its pathetic that citizens are not even given a first time warning, its just another example of government preying on the citizens to sustain itself.
3 comments:
Well, you can't have it both ways. On one hand you say you don't want fares to go up (who does?) ,but now you complain that after 40 years of giving nothing but warnings ,that Trimet is now being unfair by finally doing a little fare enforcement. Even in socialist countries like Canada (joking) ,people pay for transit. In fact a day pass in Vancouver is $9 ($4 more than here in pdx). When large numbers of people are allowed to ride free, then it follows that fares will rise for the people that actually pay. Not to mention that fare enforcers theoretically increase security which I believe you've also bemoaned the lack of ,recently. Again,,another contradiction in your arguments.
Management has done nothing to mitigate the publics folly which was created by managements creation of a system that spawned the current nightmare.
Anon:
The equivalent "all-zone" fare for Translink Vancouver is $5; so a Vancouver day pass is basically a little less than (2) all-zone fares; whereas for TriMet it's slightly more (2 * $2.40 = $4.80 for 2 tickets, vs. $5 for an all-zone).
Essentially there is little difference between TransLink & TriMet on this issue; or one could even argue that TriMet's day pass fare is less affordable than TransLink's when compared to individual tickets.
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