About MAX Fair Inspectors:
The Fair Inspector is needed because to ride the Max one needs to purchase a ticket on the platform from a machine (similar to the PATH/Metro Card machines). The ticket is only good for the zones it was purchased for, unless you buy an All Day/All Zones pass. The problem is that a lot of riders don't buys tickets because they have learned from TriMet's lack of Fair Inspectors that they can pretty much ride for free. With that said, I should clarify my phrase "a lot of riders". The majority of non tickets holders that I have seen in my short tenure riding MAX are either teens or the homeless. The homeless ride the lines all day. Back and forth collecting cans, panhandling, begging. Its also an easy ride to the stop right outside of the Portland Mission.
Most of the commuting workforce who ride the Max have yearly or monthly passes with a photo ID on the pass. This keeps us safe from the Fair Inspector. But I could forget my pass at home and not buy a ticket and still have a 90% chance or better of making it all the way to downtown and back home without ever seeing an official TriMet Fair Inspector. That's pretty sad on their part considering the amount of lost revenue they must experience from fair skippers. They do hand out fines (not sure the fee) for not having a ticket/pass but I doubt this makes up for the masses that skip paying and never get caught.
Final thoughts before my stop:
-Could More Fair Inspectors = Less Crime on MAX??
-Get rid of Fairless Square??
pdxMAX
1 comment:
When I was traveling around Eastern Europe I got on a train going from West to East Berlin. My friend said I had better buy a ticket and I told him I wanted to see what happened if I didn't. You know the whole "local laws don't apply to me I'm an American" thing. Well needless to say the ticket inspector came around and gave me a fine of $60 (US). It was this cool green thick stock paper with the time, the train info and the inspectors signature. Best tourist memento ever.
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