Fare Evasion on NYC Subway

[Aussieinuk]

What are the consequences if you are caught without a ticket in NY?

It is a big problem here in London, where 60,000 people a day travel without having a valid ticket. There are revenue inspectors on trains and at stations, but they are few and far between. You rarely see them. If you don't have a ticket the " on the spot " fine is £25.00 ( USD$40.00 ). I don't think it is a strong enough deterrent. The penalty in my view should be much higher.

[itmaybeokay]

What are the consequences if you are caught without a ticket in NY?

It is a big problem here in London, where 60,000 people a day travel without having a valid ticket. There are revenue inspectors on trains and at stations, but they are few and far between. You rarely see them. If you don't have a ticket the " on the spot " fine is £25.00 ( USD$40.00 ). I don't think it is a strong enough deterrent. The penalty in my view should be much higher.

 

 

It's a little different here, as there are turnstyles that prevent you from entering the system without paying the fare, by swiping a metrocard. There are two types of entry turnstyles, one of which can be easily hopped over. Where the floor-to-ceiling HEET turnstyles are in place the only way to evade the fare is to either double-up through the turnstyle with a buddy, or wait until someone opens the exit gate.

 

Right now the fine for "Fare Evasion" is $100, though the state senate passed legislation that would allow the MTA to raise this fine.

 

Here's an itemized list of how much getting busted in the subway for various things will cost you. (Note that the photography/filming fine is only applicable to shoots using 'ancillary equipment' (and is so low it doesn't matter anyway))

 

http://www.mta.info/nyct/rules/TransitAdjudicationBureau/rules.htm

[Tim92]

My brother in law jumped the turnstils at Beach 60 St at night and he got away with it.

[QM1to6Ave]

I took a look at those fines--some of them are ridiculous. "activity in a prohibited area" is the same fine as "media device"?? What the hell does "media device" even mean?

[Aussieinuk]

" Sleeping where hazardous ", ( on the tracks ) $50

[peacemak3r]

one of which can be easily hopped over. Where the floor-to-ceiling HEET turnstyles are in place the only way to evade the fare is to either double-up through the turnstyle with a buddy, or wait until someone opens the exit gate.

 

 

Definitely not the only ways, I've seen some spectacular maneuvers to evade fares.

[8thAveExpress]

I guess I should be fined for carrying a long object *heyoooo*

 

On a more serious note, I always see an MTA employee smoking in the corner of the 6th ave 47th street station in the corner, and once in a while I see T/Os smoking in the cabin. Esp. on the line

[Minato ku]

Anyway 60,000 people out the 4 million passengers of London Underground is not a huge fare evasion rate (about 1.5%).

 

I am actually in Lyon (second city of France), before the metro had an honor system but also a high evasion rate.

The network decided to install fare gates and now there are inspectors everywhere.

I have been controled everyday, I don't remember when was the last time I was in Paris.

[Snowblock]

I once saw a guy climb the gate at Freeman St and go over the top in order to beat the fare.

[8thAveExpress]

Anyway 60,000 people out the 4 million passengers of London Underground is not a huge fare evasion rate (about 1.5%).

 

I am actually in Lyon (second city of France), before the metro had an honor system but also a high evasion rate.

The network decided to install fare gates and now there are inspectors everywhere.

I have been controled everyday, I don't remember when was the last time I was in Paris.

 

 

I go to Paris three to four times a year, they have turnstiles there, but you also have to keep the ticket you used to get in, for the random inspections. They don't play games in Paris (off topic, some of the lines in Paris have glass walls with doors between the trains and the platform, so nobody falls in, but they only have them on the lines where the trains drive themselves)

[Amtrak7]

LU fares are also ridiculously high. Their downtown (Zone 1) fare is $7.50 single ride ticket or $3.38 Oyster. From the furthest out station (~75min) to downtown is $12.56 cash/$10.79 Oyster peak.

 

Monthlies are just as expensive: $188 core, $488 from the outside (which is more than Montauk-NYP, Poughkeepsie-GCT, or NYP-Bay Head)

[N6 Limited]

I saw a reality show about the Underground where they they showed Fare Inspectors doing their job and going after repeat offenders

[Fresh Pond]

My brother in law jumped the turnstils at Beach 60 St at night and he got away with it.

 

 

Maybe cuz there's literally nothing over there at night...

[Aussieinuk]

I saw a reality show about the Underground where they they showed Fare Inspectors doing their job and going after repeat offenders

 

There are inspectors around, you just don't see them very often. They are in plainclothes mostly,and can be hard to spot. In my opinion there is no excuse for fare evasion.

[Aussieinuk]

LU fares are also ridiculously high. Their downtown (Zone 1) fare is $7.50 single ride ticket or $3.38 Oyster. From the furthest out station (~75min) to downtown is $12.56 cash/$10.79 Oyster peak.

 

Monthlies are just as expensive: $188 core, $488 from the outside (which is more than Montauk-NYP, Poughkeepsie-GCT, or NYP-Bay Head)

 

It is true the fares on TFL services are very expensive. The Travelcard is good value if you intend to ride around a lot. We live outside London, near Stansted Airport. My wife commutes into London Victoria everyday using a fast express train and the tube. A monthly ticket costs her USD$690, and the fares are set to increase next month. There is no competition in London. TFL has the monopoly.

 

I work for a bus company outside the London area. On our longest route which takes 1hour 30 minutes, a weekly ticket costs only $16. that is because there are other bus companies competing along the same route.

 

[BrooklynBus]

I once saw a guy climb the gate at Freeman St and go over the top in order to beat the fare.

 

 

He saw the sign Free Man and thought he didn't have to pay.