Condductors not checking tickets

Five times lately I've been on the commuter rail, and not once has a conductor asked me for a ticket. On one occasion I was told "I don't need to see that". What gives? Is this official policy? And if so, why is it nowhere posted?

I assume they'll go back to checking tickets tomorrow when the new schedules go into effect,

It’s definitely not official policy that rides are free. Train crews probably just don’t want to have close interactions with passengers even though they should be collecting/checking tickets.

I've been wondering about this too regarding the bus with everyone being instructed to enter and exit through the rear door with the front of the bus -where the driver and the CharlieCard reader is- being blocked off. That's interesting that conductors haven't been collecting tickets on your train.

I heard a while ago that if you were lucky enough, you could take a high speed train from Paris to Disney World France without the conductor checking your ticket, but it is not recommended. I thunk I also remember taking the LIRR from Riverhead to Greenport and back without the conductor checking tickets, so that might have to do with low ridership.
The tickets might not be checked duw to distance or ridership of that train. But then again, always have your ticket avaliable when you are on the train since it us proof that you paid for your ride. I have heard too many stories, some of them I remember were from Britain, of passengers almost making it without their ticket checked and the conductor busted them right before their station. Moral of the story: always have your ticket.

NH2060 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 21, 2020 11:54 am I've been wondering about this too regarding the bus with everyone being instructed to enter and exit through the rear door with the front of the bus -where the driver and the CharlieCard reader is- being blocked off. That's interesting that conductors haven't been collecting tickets on your train.

On other modes of transit, such as the Green Line, Mattapan Line, or the rubber tired coaches that cannot be discussed here, entry and exit are center/rear door(s) only, and fares are not collected on board. Fares are still being collected at fare gates. This is to protect the operator, as the farebox is right next to them.

On the Green Line and the rubber tired coaches that cannot be discussed here, (I'm not sure about the Mattapan line), the front portion of the vehicle is also roped off so that passengers cannot occupy that space, because they'd be too clsoe to the operator. The rope is lightweight and easily breakable in the event of an emergency where an evacuation would be necessary.