Los Angeles: Gate dilemma will keep Metro rail riders on honor system

[marmar]

(Los Angeles Times) Julio Maciel was headed home on the Expo light-rail line in downtown L.A. on a recent weekday. He entered at the Pico station, sat down and waited for a train headed south.

But when he walked inside, he didn't pay.

Maciel thought he had paid, he said, because he had bought an unlimited day pass. He didn't know he needed to tap it against a shiny, metal validator by the entrance.

"I didn't see any signs," Maciel said.

The Pico station is long and slender and has two entrances at either end where the validators stand. There are no turnstiles or gates. Riders may enter without paying. .................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-gate-locking-20131118,0,7196112.story#axzz2l0Jhc6tX

[flamingdem]

1. In Germany it was or maybe still is honor system BUT

there are cops in plain clothes who will ticket those who cheat and they are aggressive. I saw how they treated likely offenders. While I was there a story was in the paper about a man who tried to get away and jumped off the moving train and got killed.

On the other hand it's nice to have the option to ride for free if stuck for cash as many are from time to time. Comments in the article mention that there are more taggers and criminals on the trains since they can skip payment. If there's a connection between free and crime maybe in the end it's better to have payment required.