When I lived in Elmhurst, I would take the milk run UP West train to Ogilvie in the morning instead of the express train. It started at Elmhurst on the south track, so it would sit there for about 10 minutes before departing and it would be empty which meant I could sit upstairs and go back to sleep.

It would stop at all the God forsaken stops like Melrose Park and Bellwood, and usually three people would get on. Eventually it would fill up at River Forest and Oak Park which were skipped by the express. But it was worth the extra 10 minutes of travel time to get a seat. I used to live a block from the station so I was usually still half asleep at that point!

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"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

If you buy a monthly , it’s about $15 more to go to 59 as opposed to Naperville . Not a lot at first blush but if 10% ( which is a conservative estimate ) of the people are scamming that would add up over the year .

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

A few years back Metra hired this consultant guy who was assessing operations. The first thing he did was ride the various train lines. He figured out pretty quickly that the conductors are either disinterested or overwhelmed and do not always get around to properly checking tickets.

I know the NY MTA is facing the same problem as people jump the turnstiles.

It’s a problem but low on the list of all of our issues.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

Can it really be classified as evasion if you just are sitting there and nobody comes around to collect your fare or punch your ticket?

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Multiple shots fired at one board member in this thread.

I hope he is OK.

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No, which is what makes this whole thing so odd. In the absence of turnstiles to jump, what constitutes evasion? When you're asked for a ticket, you just get it out or buy one, if they don't ask, well, you got lucky. What are you going to do, refuse to pay? Literally run away from the conductor?

Of course, I would never volunteer to get my ticket punched. That's remind-the-teacher-she-gave-homework shit. And the people who flag down conductors to point out that they missed someone else should get tickets to the ninth circle of hell. myofb.

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If a board member here is a conductor, then he can confirm they make 6 figures with a full pension.

All public transportation should be free.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Not trying to be a hater, but I think these pork union jobs can be questioned when it concerns the public sector. It's pretty absurd that Metra fares have near doubled in the past decade considering oil prices have remained static.

There are unsophisticated methods of evasion in DC, such as "piggybacking" the paying rider in front of you as s/he taps the card while exiting or entering. People also simply exit or enter the metro platform by using a side door that's meant for personnel to pass through while monitoring the station. This usually happens when the metro dude is busy with other riders, especially tourists who don't know how to fund their metro cards.

The crackdown included placing police at stations during the two rush hours to specifically spot piggybackers. What they've also done is add electronic locks to that side door I mentioned so now it's impossible to use it without being buzzed in by the metro supervisor. The second measure is effective but it also creates security risks - in the event of an incident you're effectively trapped because you can't make a quick exit, especially if you're elderly, have kids, etc.

There's nothing to do about piggybacking though except random checks by police.

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Successful calls:

Kyrie Irving will never win anything as a team's alpha: check
T.rubisky is a bust: check
Ben Simmons is a liability: check
The Fields Cult is dumb: double check

2013 CSFMB ROY

buddy of mine growing up used to take the Metra downtown to hit the OTB in the loop. A couple times he lost everything and to get home he would hop the Metra and then hide in one of the bathrooms for the entire ride.

One time he went with 2 friends and they all lost everything and on the way home they each hid in a bathroom.

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I wouldn't go that far, but the fares have been getting awfully high while service has remained the same or been cut back, not to mention that 1970s sickly-green-window rolling stock ain't gettin' any newer. Ten years ago it was $7 to ride to/from the end of the North Line, it's $9.50 now and might be even higher for Harvard or Kenosha, which I'm pretty sure outpaces the rate of inflation by a significant amount. And now apparently you're paying for the bonus experience of having the police buzzing around your platform as if you've done something wrong by existing.

Keep fares low and people won't need to dodge them, and they'll be less inclined to drive, which we need.

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While we're on the subject of Metra, here are some of my pet peeves -- not against the service itself, but the riders:

1. People who place their belongings on the seat next to them while the train is boarding, or spread out to take up the entire seat. These people are douchebags, plain and simple. (Once the train is moving, that's fine.)

2. People who ruin the metal prongs meant to hold the ticket. I've seen idiots wedge a wallet or slipcase that's 1/2" thick, thereby deforming the tabs so someone trying to use it for their ticket (as intended) can't, as it would just fall out.

3. People who walk through the cars as the train approaches the station, so they can jump ahead and exit before everyone who is seated in the front cars.

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#3 is the worst. You’re gonna end up stuck at an intersection walking to your office. There’s no time savings

Metra has a monthly newsletter that exists for passengers to bitch and snipe at each other for their poor social graces.

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Interesting. #3 doesn't even register for me. Keep the train moving. Get ready to get your butt off the train. I guess that is probably obnoxious heading into downtown and I don't have to deal with that.

I'd say 80% of the riders I see use the Ventra app. Really speeds things up. us if you use the ten ride option, you can still get away with a freebee. The monthly buy is still what I have todo. CH I think the price is $9.50 from top to bottom on UPN now.

Biggest reason I see for making a big production out of train skipping is just to scare people into not doing it. Call em out before they board to try it.

On the bi-level...

That was some great snarky shit-posting. I miss those.

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Is it fare evasion if you find a 10-ride ticket on the ground, and then sell it for $30?

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Or how about this...Metra has a quirk where they let you use a monthly pass up to noon on the first business day of the next month (so people who have forgotten to buy the new pass aren't screwed on the ride in on the first day). I have already purchased my February monthly. Is it wrong for me to give my January pass to someone on Monday morning's train so they don't have to use their 10-ride ticket?

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I occasionally ride the NW line on weekends from Arlington Park to either Ogilvie, Irving or Edison Park. I never see people trying to evade. I would guess about 60% of the time I am not asked to pay a fare. It has been that way for years. It doesn't matter if the train is empty or full.

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"I honestly don't see a good bet on the board here."

no.

screw em. They rip u off as it is, so get what u can back.

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UPN just launched some dude from the train. $2 short on a $4 dollar ride. He's done it before apparently as the two knew each other. Donations on the old man's behalf were not accepted by Metra personnel.

Shit should be free anyway .

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

These are the same Dbags that rush towards the front of the plane when it stops at the gate.

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That's more forgiving. Plane seats are uncomfortable and usually sitting for hours.

A couple of other assholes moves are also due to a false sense of importance.

1. Not alternating with the top deck when exiting the train. Pausing 3 seconds isn't going to kill you.

2. Not alternating and refusing to "zipper" when going down the platform stairwells. It's unrealistic for certain train car passengers to go all the way to the back on the line to use the stairwells. In fact, it would clog and worsen exiting the platform. Just pause two seconds to let the person in, asshole.

Forgiveness of the plane rushers is denied.

They rush forward as far as possible, bumping off people as they go, until they're pinched off, leaving a trail of pissed off passengers in their wake...plus, they end up in the way of people who just want to stand and stretch and grab their overhead bag.

People who don't let others merge in while getting off the plane are also assholes. They know it too, since they avoid eye contact at all cost.

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That's the dumbest thing I have ever heard.

I mis-understood. I thought you meant people who stand up and occupy the aisle

Just had a guy get busted for riding past his zone and try and lie his ass off to the conductor.
“ Your pass is for F zone but you got on in H zone
No I didn’t I boarded in F zone
Sir, you literally almost ran into me when you boarded the train in H zone , don’t you remember that ?
Oh yeah , well I usually don’t take this train
Seems like you usually don’t buy the correct pass too. That’ll be an extra $ 6.50 .

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

Dude you have hungry people coming across the border and climate change and this is your concern?

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Elections have consequences.