bruhyouokay t1_jacrj3v wrote on February 28, 2023 at 2:38 PM

Reply to comment by Jerund in Feds not coming to MTA’s rescue under GOP House, Schumer says by newzee1

how do you propose we do that? cuomo already hired a bunch of police officers in 2020 for this exact reason and clearly that hasn’t helped. go into the average station and the officers are standing around on their phones or harassing unhoused people. the goal should be moving away from reliance of ticket revenue to keep the mta afloat. public transportation is a public service and should ultimately be free. there are much more effective ways for the mta to address its budgeting problems.

hortence1234 t1_jadgoaq wrote on February 28, 2023 at 5:24 PM

Sharks with laser beams is the solution

bruhyouokay t1_jaehhz1 wrote on February 28, 2023 at 9:17 PM

that would probably be more effective than the nypd. low bar to clear though

Jerund t1_jaczsqp wrote on February 28, 2023 at 3:35 PM

Well, it’s either gonna be a tax on everyone and make it free or NYPD will actually enforce it. I don’t see how it’s a problem with the NYPD actually enforcing the rules by ticketing and the courts actually collecting the fine. No dropping of the fine provided there is enough evidence.

How come fare evasion wasn’t that big of a problem when it was during Bloomberg’s administration?

bruhyouokay t1_jaehfm0 wrote on February 28, 2023 at 9:17 PM

there’s a pretty easy answer as to why fare evasion has increased since bloomberg, no? the wealth disparity between the rich and poor has vastly increased in the last few years. fewer people can afford the cost of a metrocard swipe so fare evasion increases. public transit is a public service and should be free.

Jerund t1_jaei872 wrote on February 28, 2023 at 9:22 PM

Fare went up .50 cents (22%) since Bloomberg was in office. Median individual income went up by 26% since then. The rate of change is fairly proportional, so why can’t people afford to pay the fare? I mean it’s either those who use it pay for it partially or a tax on everyone to pay for it. You can say it should be free all you want, the money to fund it should come from somewhere.

bruhyouokay t1_jaeivrn wrote on February 28, 2023 at 9:26 PM

and rent has gone up at a wildly disproportionate rate, as well as food and utility costs. have you seen what coned is charging lately? have you tried to buy eggs? it’s more expensive to live even if we’re making more money. of course the money has to come from somewhere but this is true of any public service that is provided “for free” (through taxes) to the public. ticketing people who can’t afford $2.75 is not an effective method of revenue and it fundamentally misconstrues the purpose of a public service.

edit because i hit send too fast lol: my overall point is that putting the mta’s budget crisis on its constituents won’t solve the problem and it isn’t really the issue in the first place.

Jerund t1_jaekycl wrote on February 28, 2023 at 9:40 PM

So because they can’t afford other necessities means they get a pass on fare evading? I see plenty of people wearing nice clothings and are still farebeating. Let’s be realistic here, most people who are fare beating are not poor. You see them just walking through the emergency gates at time square with AirPods in their ears. Those who are struggling have either half off or free metro ride from the MTA fair fare program. But keep trying to label everyone is poor in nyc.

bruhyouokay t1_jaemh3s wrote on February 28, 2023 at 9:49 PM

lol not only are you willfully misconstruing everything i’m saying you’re also putting words in my mouth. obviously the logical result of someone not being able to afford necessities is not being able to afford other things (like subway fares). of course not everyone who is evading fares is poor, nor is everyone in nyc poor. i never said that. but to ignore the economic elements that impact fare evasion is not only ignorant but stupid. here’s a report on fare evasion statistics:

“Among the five boroughs, residents in the Bronx— the borough with the city’s highest poverty rate— reported the highest levels of transit hardship in 2021: 21 percent said that they often struggled to pay subway and bus fares.”

again, my main point is that the mta’s financial hardships do not derive themselves from its constituents and attacking fare evasion is not the most effective approach for solving these issues.