by Kelly&Kelly
The MTA held a press conference in Grand Central today exhibiting a pair of new-age cyber LIRR turnstiles.
It seems that fare evasion is becoming such a costly Long Island pastime that the State has decided to at least talk about it. Yeah, they're talking about turnstiles. But what they are really saying is labor savings. Turnstiles don't get paid. They don't get pensions. And there's a crisis here we've gotta manage!
The MTA has suggested a "soft transition" to automated fare collection, starting with "gating certain stations during the rush hours". And to fuel the fire, if $24 million in annual fare evasion isn't too big a problem, the MTA also recommended a "educational approach" to replace the "criminal approach" to fighting fare thieves. So if you don't want to pay, that's okay -- but you really should though. No more IOU's or 1870s. Just some education and understanding.
So as this new Chump Based Fare Collection dis-enforcement policy produces more and more fare evasion, and everybody but the real chumps stop paying, the MTA can easily justify a full-blown leap to turnstiles. After all, those 19th-Century trainmen just can't keep up with 21st-Century fares, see? Only automation can do that.
Keen way of cutting the workforce, isn't it?
Ironic that the Unions supported these same people in the last election. Unfortunately for the first time, they didn't deliver a victory on Long Island where the incumbents were annihilated. It's a clear case of "what have you done for me lately?" Apparently not enough to keep your craft.
https://www.newsday.com/long-island/tra ... s-otsp6s4f
It seems that fare evasion is becoming such a costly Long Island pastime that the State has decided to at least talk about it. Yeah, they're talking about turnstiles. But what they are really saying is labor savings. Turnstiles don't get paid. They don't get pensions. And there's a crisis here we've gotta manage!
The MTA has suggested a "soft transition" to automated fare collection, starting with "gating certain stations during the rush hours". And to fuel the fire, if $24 million in annual fare evasion isn't too big a problem, the MTA also recommended a "educational approach" to replace the "criminal approach" to fighting fare thieves. So if you don't want to pay, that's okay -- but you really should though. No more IOU's or 1870s. Just some education and understanding.
So as this new Chump Based Fare Collection dis-enforcement policy produces more and more fare evasion, and everybody but the real chumps stop paying, the MTA can easily justify a full-blown leap to turnstiles. After all, those 19th-Century trainmen just can't keep up with 21st-Century fares, see? Only automation can do that.
Keen way of cutting the workforce, isn't it?
Ironic that the Unions supported these same people in the last election. Unfortunately for the first time, they didn't deliver a victory on Long Island where the incumbents were annihilated. It's a clear case of "what have you done for me lately?" Apparently not enough to keep your craft.
https://www.newsday.com/long-island/tra ... s-otsp6s4f