W. K. Lis
Superstar
No proof of payment, get off.
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Fare evasion on the TTC...
- Thread starter Long Island Mike
- Start date
No proof of payment, get off.
MetroMan
Senior Member
This flap about my encounter with a fare enforcer who didn't know the rules and subsequent flurry of contradictory tweets by TTChelps has really gotten legs. Listen to this podcast: https://thebigstorypodcast.ca/2020/03/06/how-torontos-transit-system-made-its-riders-the-enemy/
As I've said in the past, the problem is really the TTC's approach to fare verification. They've gone with an intimidation strategy. The TTC themselves have acknowledged that the purpose of the very expensive fine is to get evaders to fear getting caught and that their hope is that a high visibility of fare enforcers fining fare evaders will convince others to pay their fare. They literally want to scare people into compliance. They have these police like figures walking around intimidating riders, pre-emptively assuming that you've committed a crime. Papers please! Riders with good intentions far too often fall through the cracks of PRESTO's flaws and inadvertently end up becoming victims of that system of intimidation.
The concept of fare enforcement is the entire problem. This should be about fare verification. In the past, if you boarded a streetcar without a fare, the driver would ask you to provide your proof of payment. If you declined, the streetcar didn't go anywhere and social pressure from other passengers would resolve the dispute pretty quickly. I'd like to see fare checks instead becoming a customer service role. Have a few fare checkers on each line, boarding streetcars and staying on for a few stops, then getting off and boarding the next one and doing this back and forth throughout their shift. You'd almost always encounter a fare checker if you stay on for more than a few stops. If they encounter a fare evader, they're asked to pay. If they don't, then the streetcar is stopped and the doors are open for them to get off. If they refuse to get off, the streetcar is taken out of service and TTC special constables are called. Riding the line daily, fare checkers would inevitably get to know repeat offenders. Fare checkers wouldn't attempt to deal with them and would let them go. But every streetcar has cameras. A repeat fare evader would become wanted by police. When inevitably caught, they'd be prosecuted like any other thief. There's no reason to treat every passenger like would be criminals.
There's a big difference between this?? and that. ??
As I've said in the past, the problem is really the TTC's approach to fare verification. They've gone with an intimidation strategy. The TTC themselves have acknowledged that the purpose of the very expensive fine is to get evaders to fear getting caught and that their hope is that a high visibility of fare enforcers fining fare evaders will convince others to pay their fare. They literally want to scare people into compliance. They have these police like figures walking around intimidating riders, pre-emptively assuming that you've committed a crime. Papers please! Riders with good intentions far too often fall through the cracks of PRESTO's flaws and inadvertently end up becoming victims of that system of intimidation.
The concept of fare enforcement is the entire problem. This should be about fare verification. In the past, if you boarded a streetcar without a fare, the driver would ask you to provide your proof of payment. If you declined, the streetcar didn't go anywhere and social pressure from other passengers would resolve the dispute pretty quickly. I'd like to see fare checks instead becoming a customer service role. Have a few fare checkers on each line, boarding streetcars and staying on for a few stops, then getting off and boarding the next one and doing this back and forth throughout their shift. You'd almost always encounter a fare checker if you stay on for more than a few stops. If they encounter a fare evader, they're asked to pay. If they don't, then the streetcar is stopped and the doors are open for them to get off. If they refuse to get off, the streetcar is taken out of service and TTC special constables are called. Riding the line daily, fare checkers would inevitably get to know repeat offenders. Fare checkers wouldn't attempt to deal with them and would let them go. But every streetcar has cameras. A repeat fare evader would become wanted by police. When inevitably caught, they'd be prosecuted like any other thief. There's no reason to treat every passenger like would be criminals.
There's a big difference between this?? and that. ??
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Johnny Au
Senior Member
Apparently, the TTC never read the Aesop fable of the North Wind and the Sun.
www.nfb.ca
The North Wind and the Sun: A Fable by Aesop
This short animated film illustrates the fable in which the warm sun proves to the cold wind that persuasion is better than force when it comes to making …
www.nfb.ca
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W. K. Lis
Superstar
Wm Perkins Bull
Active Member
Note the substantial number of caveats, it was already basically free, the TTC would give up $1.3 billion in revenue. There are a lot better ways to spend $1.3 billion than free transit for the TTC, like stop it from literally falling apart.