Regulations on paying fares need to be enforced
Having driven Metro buses full-time for 25 years, I was glad to see “Scofflaws costing Metro $3.2 million” [NWThursday, May 20].
The problem with “scofflaws” (cheaters) has long been known to drivers. But we are not trained or authorized to be police officers, so we cannot force people to pay or deny rides to those who do not.
Cheaters know this — and that Metro would rarely, if ever, punish them for not paying. The fact that “fare evasion” is a misdemeanor crime would not deter them. Reporting of cheaters to management hardly ever garners any significant response.
I know drivers who have been yelled at, spat on and physically assaulted for just asking for fares.
If Metro really wants to try to collect all its fares, it should adopt a system such as that of the light rail: Riders must buy a ticket or have a pass to use the service or take the chance of receiving a large fine if caught without one. This means transit police must regularly check for tickets and issue citations. Only if enough people see regulations being enforced would they abide by them.
This latest report may spur Metro to change things. But after all my years on the road, I will believe it when I see it.
— Michael Spence, Tukwila