Riders Still Fare-Beating on Bx12

Bx12 (Flickr user soopahgrover

Even though the MTA is losing around $8 million a year from bus fare evaders and is thus implementing drastic service cuts, people still aren't paying! Though most bus drivers are guilty of being too lenient on riders who conveniently "forgot" their MetroCards, riders on the Bx12 are guilty of abusing the experimental "honor code" ticket system. The Daily News reports, "Over the course of an hour at each stop, 40 fare-beaters boarded the bus at Fordham Plaza sans tickets; 22 did so near the Pelham Bay IRT subway stop, and 27 at the stop on Pelham Parkway at Williamsbridge Road."

The Bx12's "honor system" is unlike other buses in the city. Rather than a MetroCard, riders buy a ticket at a kiosk near the bus stop and are allowed to board the bus through any door. Failure to produce proof of ticket purchase to an enforcement official can result in a $100 fine, but the rules rarely seem enforced. Of the approximately 30,500 weekly riders, only 6,532 have been issued summonses since the system was implemented in 2008. On just one ride, the Daily News spotted at least eight fare beaters.

When asked why he didn't have a ticket, one rider said, "I don't have enough money to feed my kids, and I'm going to pay for a ticket on a bus when no one checks whether I've bought one or not? Why should I?" Another evader said, "They don't have enough cops to put out on the beat, and they're going to put them on the bus? Come on." He does make a valid point.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jaya Saxena in News on April 6, 2010 11:33 AM

Comments [rss]

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

Another of many failed ideas of bloombetg who wanted to mimic London 's honor system. Queen bloombetg fails again but it is the taxpayers that paid. Google and read for yourself that bloomberg pushed for this system.

LB

Just a thought . Can we all agree on a universal name for the mayor ? I've heard "Bloomberg, Bloom Dough-bags, Bloom-douche bag, Bloomberg ""The Penguins adopted brother from the Batman Movies"

Wza

lol@believing the honor system would work in ny.

peoplewatching

The Bx12 is the most useless piece of crap anyway. With the hordes of people getting on at every stop, I don't think it's ever faster than walking up Fordham Road.

cxb

No. You have yet to make ANY claims rebutting my turnstile post.

Is there some criticism you'd like to make?

Perhaps that the MTA didn't have to recklessly BORROW the money to collect a fare they were already collecting (without having to spend billions of YOUR dollars)?

Disprove a point of mine if you can.

That's all I ask.

Pretty reasonable, I'd say, unless you're a govt troll.

smulligan

I had never used the Bx12 before and hopped on at Fordham Plaza around a year ago after photographing a graduation at Fordham. The MetroCard slot was taped over and the driver waved me on, so I assumed the card slot was broken. When I exited the bus on Broadway & 207th, I was issued a $100 ticket for not having the receipt of purchasing a ticket beforehand. I had zero clue this was a special type of bus. I'm the unlucky clueless rider who was caught. Booooo.

JenChungsBaby

I'm guessing birds shit on you a lot.

whitecastlerock

Eventually the MTA will eliminate this route-eliminating fare beaters forevers...

kazubes

The MTA has a police department, I don't see why they cant post some officers on key routes where the offenses are at their worst once or twice a week to crack down on this.

Gotham Extremist

This will lead to confrontations with the riff raff, words being exchanged, knives or worse, guns getting pulled out, other passengerss safety in japardy, bullets flying, blood splashing, lawsuits abound........... yep, great idea.

kazubes

Maybe in your sissy fantasy land where any kind of confrontation with "riff raff" leads to a shootout bloodbath...but in reality a cop standing at the back door of a bus often is a deterrent enough

Gotham Extremist

Cops on bus....... hmmm......like Land Marshalls? That will work!

cxb

Could someone please explain to me how this story is MORE IMPORTANT for Gothamist to post than any discussion of FREE SUBWAYS (and the comprehensive reasons this saves us trillions of dollars while improving everyone's quality of life)???

[jen pretends to be feeding her baby and feigns not hearing the question...]

Papercutninja

MOAR CAPITAL LETTERS. ALL CAPITALS ALL THE TIME.

cxb

Thanks for making me look like a GENIUS.

I said prior to your post that you are UNABLE TO DISPROVE A SINGLE POINT I MAKE and instead digress desperately to syntax.

Nice try, Mr. Bloombag!

Why not just disprove my POINTS?

(Also, I use CAPITALS in lieu of ITALICS, OBVIOUSLY, b/c I like my prose to be more D-Y-N-A-M-I-C, so you're actually TWICE as retarded as I said you are. )

better luck next time!

xoxox,

CXB

[ps: PLEASE can my "critics" try arguing SUBSTANCE with me?]

[oh that's right: Bloombag trolls have no way of arguing facts or substance so they try to kill the messenger with vacuous right wing stunts...]

LB

Honor systems are for pussies, dick heads, and Bitchy whiners ! If the mta really wanted to make some money they should place undercover cops on some of those buses . I'm betting that would net them about a 1/4% of there budget deficits alone !

LB

Sorry I'm just to busy chillin here reading your shit as I toke this weed . Maybe next week if I feel up to it I'll converse with you in a "X-Files" kind of way . Lotta theories, half truths, quarter truths, that need "DUSTING Off" for the MASSES of Dumb, Deaf to the FACTS, & Conveniently Blind to accept as FACT .

longacre

You are delusional. Even if it costs $400 million to collect fares, it costs tens of billions to actually run and maintain the system, about half of which is covered by fares. And if rides were free, ridership would spike by millions of passengers, which would require more trains, more work hours, and billions of dollars in increased costs.

JenChungsBaby

Don't you know silly boy that it's the cost of turnstiles that's killing the MTA. I bet YOU didn't make 40,000 correct predictions about NYC.

cxb

Okay JenChungsAfterbirth...

so WHY do you think the MTA goes FURTHER into debt every time they earn another billion in fare hikes?

NOTHING these criminals do is legit (even the Second Ave subway is a SCAM) --- so why doesn't media destroy them?

Because media WORKS FOR THE SAME TEAM.

I don't even ride the subways, you shithead, so DON'T LISTEN TO ME.

I have a hunch the MTA will PUNISH your ignorance more than I ever could!

HA HA HA!

[sounds of more laughter from the back rooms of the MTA, cracking up at the sheep who doubt CXB and trust govern-media instead...]