How dose metra collect the money from conductors form fairs paid on train?

Question

How dose Metra count the mony/recetes from conducters? How dose metra cont the mony form on board fairs and make sure the comductors are no pocketing it?

Answer 1

they have to put down what they sold on a sheet.  also when they turn it in they have to turn in money.  also remember there is a secaund ticket to show what they punched.

Answer 2

more details on the above answers.  

yes, each conductor has to sign out the ticket receipt book.  each receipt is numbered, and is multi-part. the conductor is responsible for this just like cash.  at the end of trips, when the conductor goes to the ticket receiver to do their daily accounting, they have to turn in the ticket book, and each receipt number has to be accounted for, either as a sale (in which case the corresponding cash has to be turned in with it) or as not sold, in which case the multi-parts are still intact.  

the conductor would have it recorded by the ticket receiver as to what their starting and ending ticket numbers were for each shift.  in this way, the conductor would keep the book until it was just the receipts, and then turn in the book for good when it was done.

if a ticket book was lost or stolen, the conductor (or ticket agent) has to pay for it out of their own pocket.  

a conductor COULD perhaps not issue and punch a ticket for a customer and pocket the cash, BUT....

1- most customers know that they are to get a receipt.  if someone doesnt get a receipt, they usually report it to metra later, and then the conductor can be investigated and fired.

2 - metra employes "secret customers", so that sometimes a person is testing the system.  a conductor that doesnt issue a receipt can be investigated and fired.

3 - sometimes, a supv or mgr, other conductors, deadhead employees such as other conductors and ticket clerks (like me), are also riding the train.  if any of us see a conductor not issuing tickets, we know he could be pocketing money, and we report it.  it was not worth losing my job if i was accomplicing by not reporting and it got found out that by "secret customer" or manager that i was there with the conductor doing it.

4 - sometimes there can be recording equipment, moreso now as transit security is more important.  any video can be taken from camera later and reviewed for conductor behaviour observation.

thus, most conductors, and all i have known, were always honest about it.  and since even metra employees do not get free rides on their own rail system, everyone, even me, had to have tickets to submit, and the conductors always took them.  so they never let us ticket clerks get away with riding free, we always had to pay, so i always figure that the conductors are doing it pretty honest for everyone else too.

Answer 3

Conductors always start with a certain amount of on board tickets which they sign for and for which they are responsible for returning either the cash, the ticket receipt showing where it was sold or the unsold ticket. They do the summary prior to the end of the trip and balance their account with the finance dept.