Bus freeloaders targeted in crackdown

[DannyBx]

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What should happen, is what doesn't. A driver refusing to leave a stop until they get off. I wait for that day, and I'm ready to literally applaud when it happens.

 

well as an operator who has worked in a total of 5 depots, and has worked plenty of those heavy lines, I would never just stop a bus and wait till that passenger pays, its just not worth it to me. we have plenty of other things to worry about, i let everyone in my bus, i just turn my head, because i just wanna keep it moving, especially if its my swing trip. i know that "we get payed to be late" crap, but when your the 1 thats out there, your not trying to be late. when you have a 35 min swing, thats not enough, let alone 20 mins if you blow your swing, so if i have 35 mins, i want my 35 mins. but thats not the only reason why i do that, i just wanna avoid confrontation, transit tells you, if they dont pay, tell them the fare is $2 and let them ride, so whats the point?? when your driving through some of these "ghetto" neighborhoods, you know that your gonna have a lot of fare beaters, so just put your mind set that their not gonna pay, and keep it moving, imho. i also have covered up the farebox on occasions, when im running late, just to keep it moving. sorry if that dissapoints some of you guys, but thats the way im gonna continue to do things, like i said, we have other things to worry about, like, people cutting us off all the time, not running hot, dispatchers on our asses, because we dont have our ties clipped on right, or you dont have your retarder on, (which is another topic that i think i should start a thread on, some of these buses have some strong retarders, esp when your not going fast) etc, etc.

[Forest Glen]

I've had drivers stop the bus when someone refused to pay. Once, I made the mistake of trying to use a student metrocard on a non-school day. The man covered up the box and said it was no good. I was pissed off. However, I didn't assault the driver. I muttered a profanity but paid the full fare.

[Orion]

well as an operator who has worked in a total of 5 depots, and has worked plenty of those heavy lines, I would never just stop a bus and wait till that passenger pays, its just not worth it to me. we have plenty of other things to worry about, i let everyone in my bus, i just turn my head, because i just wanna keep it moving, especially if its my swing trip. i know that "we get payed to be late" crap, but when your the 1 thats out there, your not trying to be late. when you have a 35 min swing, thats not enough, let alone 20 mins if you blow your swing, so if i have 35 mins, i want my 35 mins. but thats not the only reason why i do that, i just wanna avoid confrontation, transit tells you, if they dont pay, tell them the fare is $2 and let them ride, so whats the point?? when your driving through some of these "ghetto" neighborhoods, you know that your gonna have a lot of fare beaters, so just put your mind set that their not gonna pay, and keep it moving, imho. i also have covered up the farebox on occasions, when im running late, just to keep it moving. sorry if that dissapoints some of you guys, but thats the way im gonna continue to do things, like i said, we have other things to worry about, like, people cutting us off all the time, not running hot, dispatchers on our asses, because we dont have our ties clipped on right, or you dont have your retarder on, (which is another topic that i think i should start a thread on, some of these buses have some strong retarders, esp when your not going fast) etc, etc.

Seriously I always wanted to know this...Don't laugh..

 

What is a retarder?

[DannyBx]

Seriously I always wanted to know this...Don't laugh..

 

What is a retarder?

 

ROTFLMAO, sorry, i dont mean to laugh, its just the way you asked. the retarder slows down the bus as soon as you let go of the accelerator (gas). on some buses their so strong that depending on your speed, you dont have to hit the brakes that hard until the last minute.

[SIR North Shore]

Fare-beating is rampant on Staten Island as we all know, especially on the S40, S46, S74 and S76. It's been like this for awhile and I don't think it'll change until they start a crackdown over here in SI too.

 

@DannyBX, does the Staten Island division use retarders too? I already know they're set for a speed higher than any other division but it never seems like they have retarders on either.

[BklynBusMan08]

I've seem some people (business people) get on through the backdoor on the B82 during the morning rush hour.... but in this case, its more about getting people on the bus where there's still room.

 

Everyone winds up at the Kings Highway station, where you'll have to pay the fare anyway. So whats the difference, pay on the bus & push & fight your way to the back (cause ppl won't move back), or just pay at the train station.

[Orion]

I've seem some people (business people) get on through the backdoor on the B82 during the morning rush hour.... but in this case, its more about getting people on the bus where there's still room.

 

Everyone winds up at the Kings Highway station, where you'll have to pay the fare anyway. So whats the difference, pay on the bus & push & fight your way to the back (cause ppl won't move back), or just pay at the train station.

Yup this driver I take to work every morning will do the same thing, either make you pay the fare at the front then enter the back doors or just go straight to the back doors. He's a very fast driver for the Bx31 I'll tell you that, he made 7808 do 55MPH before a red light slowed him down. He just wants people to keep it moving.

[MTR Admiralty]

I boarded a M14D to Chelsea Piers at Union Sq like in June, I think. There was so much people that, the driver let us go fare-free.

[exseed]

There was another time when I was also on the Bx41 and at Bedford Pk when this driver let us get off before the actual stop, just before the intersection of Bedford Pk and Webster. That's also clever but is that even allowed?

[mark1447]

What B/Os should do is to have passengers get off at the front at stops that are more at risk of fare beaters.

 

Over at West Farms SQ and Boston Rd, on the W/B Bronx 40/42 i find a LOT of people entering at the box, especially since articulated buses are hard to view from the front to the back when crowed..

 

When buses are crowed now thats when they enter the back....

[nycbusfan]

I've seem some people (business people) get on through the backdoor on the B82 during the morning rush hour.... but in this case, its more about getting people on the bus where there's still room.

 

Everyone winds up at the Kings Highway station, where you'll have to pay the fare anyway. So whats the difference, pay on the bus & push & fight your way to the back (cause ppl won't move back), or just pay at the train station.

The police were stopping fare beaters at Kings Hwy. and East 16th two weeks ago.

[Maserati7200]

I say, they put a laser/sensor on the back door to see where you are going. If you walk in the bus at the back door, it shoots you! lol!

[Orion]

I say, they put a laser/sensor on the back door to see where you are going. If you walk in the bus at the back door, it shoots you! lol!

Ohh I feel bad for people who try to get back in because they left a bag or something.. ZAP!! Fry they ass real quick..

[DOB2RTO]

I say, they put a laser/sensor on the back door to see where you are going. If you walk in the bus at the back door, it shoots you! lol!

 

Ohh I feel bad for people who try to get back in because they left a bag or something.. ZAP!! Fry they ass real quick..

 

If I was the driver I would tell you two to go through the back door. The laser would be weakened so that when it zaps one of your butt cheeks, it will just leave a painful burn. It would make me laugh, as you two yell, as you try to sit.....:D:D..........

[armax1980]

Shouldn't they stop ahead of the bus stop open only the backdoor to discharge passengers, then proceed up to the stop and take on passenger with only the front door opened? Or like how they do it with the Q44 at flushing, one stop for letting people off and another to get on.

[Rob0922]

 

(MTA)I had been an operator at the flatbush depot until the system pick took effect on sunday 01/04/09. I had a person board a B44 last week at Empire Blvd. Luckily enough, this person came on, stopped at the fare box and said "i got no money" and started for a seat but what he did not know was that there was an off duty police officer from the 71st precinct sitting in the front right seat who saw & heard this whole thing. When the fare beater sat down, the off duty police officer got up and ID'd himself to the guy. He then escorted him to the door, took him off the bus and asked for some ID. The officer then told me that it was ok to continue on and he would hold the fare beater for a patrol car and then catch another bus to go about his business. The other customers started talking about this and thankfully most of the chat was positive toward eliminating fare beaters. These people are hard working people and most feel that if they can pay their fares, so should everyone else. I did hear a few negative comments like why pick on a poor black man? or, the off duty officer should have minded his business and done nothing. Bus operators need more protection from being exposed to possible assaults from fare beaters when the TA policy says to tell people, "the fare is $2.00" I had been told by someone from the Union not to say anything because stating the fare is a confrontational statement which could escalate to violence. The TA needs to find a way to collect the fares and protect their operators. Particians are not bulletproof. There was talk of installing a type of turnstile in front of the farebox which would also make passengers use the back door to exit from. ( I don't think that this is something that will ever happen though.) Anytime the back door is opened, it invites fare beating. Even cameras are not taken seriously. The TA upper management must come up with something to insure our safety. Being an operator is a great job but, it is what you make of it. I love talking to people and being an operator affords an opportunity to interact with different people all day every day. Being secure in the knowledge that we can go home in the same condition that we came to work in is icing on the cake. We should not be subjected to being spit on or assaulted. This is the best job that I have ever had and now I look forward to going to work every day. Getting a hello, have a nice day or a thank you from a customer is very gratifying. It says that someone appreciates what you have done and your efforts to assist them with their getting from point A to point B.

[DOB2RTO]

Bus operators need more protection from being exposed to possible assaults from fare beaters when the TA policy says to tell people, "the fare is $2.00" I had been told by someone from the Union not to say anything because stating the fare is a confrontational statement which could escalate to violence.

 

I posted awhile back that I had said that to some young buck. He yelled but I don't have $2, and I told him to calm down, I'm doing my job, I didn't tell you to get off, have a seat. I usually say nothing (which is best), but I just wanted to see if that policy works. It doesn't, and sadly saying nothing, has got me called rude by a female who didn't have the fare. She asked for a free ride, I shrugged my shoulders, and she starts not saying some thing is rude. So I said something. What do you want me to say? If I say yes, then I'm giving out free rides. She understood and shut up then. She even said thank you........

 

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. That's the package that goes with being a B/O.......