Insane is the best word for it as MTA Chairman Janno Lieber loses all perspective, incensed by New Yorkers riding mass transit for free. Here’s how nutty it’s gotten.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
The Toll on Fare Beaters
According to Lieber, as reported in The Gothamist, the MTA will lose “as much as $800 million” this year to fare beaters. That number screams, “Prove it!”
And Lieber and his team have concocted a variety of potential schemes that can stem the tide. The most striking of which is “…requiring commuters to show proof they paid the fare before leaving a station, as is done in subway systems around the world.”
Think of this as 1) making the subway even more annoying than it already is with all the filth and chaos, and 2) a lie. Having ridden multiple subway systems in Europe, I can assure you and Mr. Lieber, that I’ve yet to see one that demands proof before you exit.
This innovation ignores the fact that, by far, the worst incidents are on buses, not subways.
Our friend Sylvan Klein picked this one off X.
Lieber might want to familiarize himself with the athleticism of many young New Yorkers.
Seriously, though…
Fare beaters are a problem, and I feel annoyed every time I see them. But there’s a bigger picture.
The MTA is not totally clueless, although it’s close. Over the weekend, the Times reported that the MTA is hiring a consultant who will probe this arcane question: “Why don’t people pay the fares?”
I can answer this gratis: It’s because they don’t want to.
Some may not have the money. The most extensive fare beating is on buses in the Bronx, where New York’s poverty rate is highest. Even when their pockets are empty, people still need to go to work.
Others may just resent the filth, unreliability and dangers posed underground. Couple that with the MTA brain trust’s unwillingness to admit or fix any of it.
And maybe a significant number of New Yorkers see a city run by corrupt politicians and real estate developers who never give them a fair deal. So, why shouldn’t they return the favor?
What’s your take on this issue? Join the discussion below.
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