To All GO transit riders...this one is for you?

Question

What do you think of passengers who get on the GO train without a ticket?

Scenario:

- I was on the train yesterday and the conductor (whomever) was checking tickets. (upper level of train) lady passes by conductor. conductor says "excuse me ma'am can i see your ticket" she replies with "i don't have one"

The whole ordeal escalates from there. yeah as she passes by the conductor saying she didn't have one she kept going and he follows her she ends up going down the stairs and around and up and passes by me again wilist singing "la la la la la" she ended up getting caught by two conductor guys and they had a nice long "chat"

Answer 1

GO Transit has what's called the POP system (Proof Of Payment).  Basically, ticket purchases are on the honour system.  It's your responsibility to purchase them and keep them with you, and you may be asked to present them during the course of your ride.

Conductors don't actually check the tickets anymore, and haven't for a number of years.  The people you see doing that are GO Special Constables.  They have the ability to impose fines and penalties for those caught not obeying the rules.

Last I knew, the fine for not having a ticket was around $110.  Sometimes you can get off with a warning, but if you get the fine, well, you probably deserved it.

In what I've seen when I worked them, usually someone without a ticket gets tossed off the train at the next stop.  Occasionally, the constable that tossed them will contact others on the system, to make sure if the person gets on the next train, they purchased a ticket before doing so.

I've seen some real creative ways to dodge paying the fare in the short time I worked there, and it makes me wonder if some of it is actually worth the effort.

Answer 2

You gotta follow the rules of your particular railroad when it comes to fare collection.  

For instance on the Long Island Rail Road, if you don't have a ticket, you're supposed to board the train and buy one from the conductor.  But if you do that on a system that's switched over to "Proof of Payment", you'll pay a stiff penalty - you're meant to buy a ticket from a machine before you get on the train!

That's one terrible flaw in "Proof of Payment".  It's absolutely impossible to distinguish someone intentionally dodging fare, from an innocent, new passenger who simply doesn't understand.  So, while it works for commuters, it tends to result in very nasty, unfortunate encounters between fare enforcers and newcomers: "Here's your $200 penalty citation as our way of saying thanks for trying public transportation!"

As for fare evaders, the scenario would have been exactly the same had fare collection been done the "old fashioned way".  Ultimately some people just can't afford to pay.  Clearly this person had so little to lose that prosecution would hurt her less than the train fare!