Transit workers gives the OK to ride 'free'... No, Im baller and pay for it at the next stop. :fuckyea:

Did the first group of transit workers say you can ride for free? or ride to the next station for free? It makes a big difference.

Although given that the transit cops cancelled your ticket, it's as if "ride for free" was the benefit you were given,
or the cops were just being nice to not ticket you for the other stations you passed when you could have purchased a ticket.

FYI, it's your responsibility to get off at the next stop and buy your ticket. Given that you were checked later on in the trip you deserved those tickets.

Uuhhhhh, the transit police voided the ticket when they received confirmation that the ticket machine was out of order.


Basically, the OP is complaining that he did not get his apology and is claiming the Transit Police gave him attitude.


Oh the humanity :rolleyes:

I'm sure glad we have a bunch of honest-abes in this forum. I'll sleep a little better tonight knowing the city won't have people taking free-rides even after they were given the go-ahead to do so by the very authority that tickets fare-evaders.

To be honest, the idea of stopping at the next station, getting out of the train, going downstairs to get a ticket for the rest of the trip, didn't even come to my mind until someone mentioned it here. What indication did JPark have that would make him believe that he needed to get off at the next station and still purchase a ticket for the rest of the trip. Based on his story, he was advised to not worry about the ticket and to just hop on the train by transit authority.

The idea of people paying for something at the next viable chance when they've already been given a free pass is absurd. This isn't like you're paying your friend back who spotted you for a movie...we're talking about paying a fare to ride public transportation.

Sure, OP's thread may be an over-reaction to a situation since his ticket was voided but to suggest that anybody would've gotten off at the next station to pay for the fare is ridiculous.

Transit police are on scene to ensure they catch fare-evaders and to maintain an efficient transit system. If they required OP to purchase a ticket at the next station, they should have instructed him to do so than simply saying "dont worry and proceed." A "we'll let you get on the train now but it's your responsibility to purchase a ticket at the next stop" would've been the appropriate thing to do for the original transit officer. The system was down at no fault of his own and OP was given the impression, as any reasonable person would've been given, that he was given a pass because there was no way of him purchasing a ticket at that station. It's simple. Perhaps some of you are frequent-public-transit users and from experience have realized that you need to purchase a ticket at the next stop; but the average person would've conducted themselves in the same manner as OP (besides creating this thread.)

that's if the officer believed OP, which they didn't, and i don't blame them because I am sure that excuse has been used 10000 times. On top of their dispatch advising them there were no machines out of order at their respective boarding. If the machine was down, and confirmed on scene, then yes, the officer should technically let OP ride and tell them to purchase a ticket at the next stop.

Last time there was a broken machine or simply the station had too many people, they told us to just buy a ticket when we get off. Maybe it has been too long since I've used transit, but never once was I instructed to purchase one at the next stop.

Was it written anywhere to do so, or is this just one of those 'oh you're stupid because you couldn't think of it' type deal? Although I can see where both parties are coming from, this is just a unfortunate series of events.

ive seen transit police argue with some girl saying bus driver told her she didn't have to worry about the bus fare but strolled into the skytrain without paying for the fare and got caught

better safe than sorry...not saying I wouldn't have done anything different than OP but if you wanna gamble then when you get caught you cant make a big deal out of it

Spidey...the logical assumption would've been that I was referring to the FIRST transit officer that told him to not worry about it...Your notion of whether the officers believed JPark's story is irrelevant because I don't contest the idea of ticketing a fare-evader. I do however, as mentioned above, contest the notion that the original transit officer thought it was okay to give him a pass and not instruct him to purchase a ticket at the next station.

Without stretching this too far, the first transit officer's actions could almost fit the idea of entrapment. He induced JPark to get on the train and not worry about the ticket. He was in a position of authority and a reasonable person would've presumed that with his transit authority, he was given good advice to help both the transit system and the passenger.

Fair enough. But the officer should have then ackknowledeged they errored by apologizing to the OP for not believing him earlier when he was clearly telling the truth. Cancelling the ticket is the LEAST they could have done. A simple "you were right, we were wrong" or dare I say "we're sorry for the inconvenience" and this thread would have never appeared.

this problem is a result of a system (both technical and personel) breakdown and failure.

a public system should be more resilient to bullshit like this, so we dont have these instances occurring. transportation is the backbone of any economy, so its damn important. it should be acted on and continually improved based on feedback like this.

As for the cops, yeah they probably seen enough bullshit to not give a flying fuck really anymore. Given with the amount of scumbags they deal with, its understandable.

anyways, dont feel too bad jPark. this is just another bullshit issue with vancouver
bikelanes, expensive artwork, liquor laws(at all fucking levels). whatever man. these are issues that a city which has been on the international stage many times definitely needs to overcome

you did your own detective work which was good. and u got out of the ticket. its all good man

Anyone who says OP should have disputed the ticket through the usual channels has clearly never done that before. The chances of dismissal are almost always zero. It's a written dispute through an arbitrator. All they look at is either:

You had proof of payment or you didn't.
The ticket was filled out incorrectly

Best thing OP did was return back to the original station to try and find proof. Hence why his night was wrecked and I'd be upset too.

Only thing different I would have done is when the staff member originally said I could go ahead without paying, I would have asked them right there "ok but what happens if I get checked for a fare payment later on". The answer would have prevented this whole thing most likely.

Your right, I havnt been through the system for this matter, and I can imagine how terrible it could be.

And thats the problem, any reasonable person could determine what JPark is saying is the truth a 100 different ways. But instead they focus on irrelevant bullshit when this gets disputed.

Either way it comes down to this:

Translink can complain about the fare-evaders and all that BS until the cows come home, but realistically if they can't keep at least one damn machine functioning at each station that's their damn problem.

To be fair to those who first suggested stopping at the next stop and picking up a ticket, those posters didn't know that jpark was given the okay to ride the train, that point wasn't in the op. it was edited for clarity im assuming by jpark later on (he didn't originally make that point until a few comments down)

Thanks for getting me up to speed. I didn't realize that. I assumed that their responses had taken into consideration that he was given a free ride.

for everybody's info, if this ever happens again, tell them to write you a "fare" before you hop on board. i mean if its ok anyways, i don't see why they wouldn't write one up for you. and to all those that thinks its ok and should buy one at the end at wherever you're stopping, do yourself a favor and just buy it at the next stop. it would really save you a world of trouble. i mean, who in the right mind would buy a ticket at their stop when they already rode the system and haven't got caught.

the odds are, if you get caught within one stop, its faster to go back and check. the techs that fixes these machines aren't that fast ;)

the first employee OP ran into was the transit security/worker, not a Transit Police officer. But I am still questioning whether or if at all anyone else got caught along with OP, who obviously had issues buying tickets if the machines were broken.....

The real issue is Translink. How the hell could they let it get to the point that ALL the machines at a station go down at once?

I had to wake up early on my day off last week to drive my wife to work because the skytrain broke down again. f translink.

There are flaws with any system...but overall, they are few and far between and usually handled swiftly.


I was on my way to SFU once and my purse was stolen when switching at Columbia (along with my U-Pass). I was writing a final, so I needed to keep going. At Braid we ticked checked and asked to get off the train...I explained everything, but still was issued a ticket. The officer said that once I had "proof" my purse was stolen, the ticket would be waive. I did just that.

Some times, if you have an honest and legitimate story to go along with why you don't have a ticket, it is better to contest it rather than fight with the officer on site.

Man fucc da polec


Jokes aside, eh.. It happens, buy a tix next stop just to be safe
Posted via RS Mobile

OR

when you see da police(when you are riding without a ticket), get the fuck off da train(and hop on the next one without constabulary)!

Best advice of this thread.

Why fight the officer on their playground where they are king? If you're looking to fight it, you may as well do it on your accord in court. Sure it may take up more time but it's the only venue where you're not guaranteed to lose.

an old coworker did this before...we're by the door and i'm leaning against the window talking to him all casually...he's looking all nervous looking over my shoulder and i'm wondering wtf is he looking at...when the transit guys walk in to the door as they're closing on the other side of the train he narrowly slips through the doors we're by just as they're closing in mid conversation...i stare at him as the train's leaving like WTF just happened...next day he tells me he didn't pay for fare :lawl:

oh i forgot to mention that he caught the next train...and the transit police had gotten off on the next stop and got back on his train and talked to him :lawl:

he talked himself out of the ticket though...it helps when you have an aussie accent and you're a "visitor" and got "lost & confused" with the transit system :lol

I always pay for my tickets

...............


And it's not that they got a "free pass" they got the OK to go to the next stop to buy a ticket. I know people who have had this problem before and the transit cops said it's your responsibility to get off and buy a ticket at the next stop. You are never given the ok to ride free for the entire length.