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357

When the Metra conductor comes by and doesn't punch my 10 ride (i.imgur.com)

submitted ago by solidwhetstoneWorks in the Loop

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[–]limac333Lake in the Hills 17 points18 points ago

and nothing is more frustrating when the conductors don't punch the numbers in sequence.

[–]WeightlessUnderwater 7 points8 points ago

I used to ride the metra before i moved.

The worst was when they'd punch BETWEEN the numbers, like you get a new fresh one and its the 7:00 morning rush and the conductor punches right between 1 and 2, and then the next guy punches 3, so when the guy says "One left" when he gets to 9, you have to point out to him that "Uh, no. Guy A was sloppy" and it disrupts me from my book because I have to explain the situation.

That doesnt fit on the FWP meme.

[–]winegums 1 point2 points ago

Thats an amazing first world problem haha

[–]nosoup4you718 10 points11 points ago

There is nothing sweeter then a free metra ride!

[–]zydeco100 14 points15 points ago

What's worse is when you fall asleep and wake up to find you've been punched again.

Seriously, we need to cut the crap with paper tickets and conductors punching paper and collecting money on the trains. Sell tickets station-side with 24-hour kiosks like the rest of the civilized world does. If you don't have a correct ticket when the conductor comes to check, you're out of there.

No turnstyles, no conductors missing fares because they can't make it through a train full of Cubs fans before Arlington Heights.

[–]inkratRogers Park 6 points7 points ago

Since Metra is distance based for fares, we can't have the "one ride" fare like the CTA does... but DC has the right system that can be used for Metra. Turnstiles at both ends, entrance AND exiting, that you need to swipe your card or beep your pass against. Deductions are based on which station you enter and exit from. For fuck's sake, there's no reason why we shouldn't be able to use a CTA Chicago Card Plus on Metra.

[–]zydeco100 0 points1 point ago

Lots of other transit systems manage just fine. Your ticket says where you start and where you end. If the conductor finds you on a train outside of those zones, you're fined.

This means we probably need to get rid of 10-rides and move to other concepts like weekly passes. Electronic pass cards on the train would work well too, like you suggested.

[–]PointXIVLincoln Square 0 points1 point ago

Where would they put that though? I take the RI district to go see my family, and all of those stations are too small to support something like that without a major renewal.

[–]matt312 1 point2 points ago

I never leave a ten ride out in the open. I hand it to the conductor and take it back. Try that out.

[–]hapaxLegomina 4 points5 points ago

And then my wife loudly comments on it instead of keeping her iPod playing and accepting the grace of the Metra gods.

[–]anomaliedEdgewater 9 points10 points ago

The fucking Riot.

He had some clutch moments for us but I will never forgive that little Judas for his 'right side of the rivalry' bullshit.

[–]slinkyfarm 3 points4 points ago

The right side of the rivalry is always the side you're on right now.

[–]yousuckatlinux -1 points0 points ago

I usually make a half-hearted attempt to flag the conductor down, but sometimes even that doesn't work. I like transit and wanna pay, and feel guilty that other riders (myself included) end up picking up the cost in higher fees across the board, but I'm not going to chase the conductor down the stairs and across the car. It'll be nice if/when RTA and CTA unify fares and modernize collection. I do hope it doesn't come at the expense of firing all those conductors, though.

[–]hollander9 1 point2 points ago

I would imagine that to unify collection Metra might have to add CTA-style turnstiles, in which case they would need staff at each station to assist with malfunctions and stop people jumping the gates, which happened all the time when Metra used to have turnstiles. Perhaps the conductors would fill those positions.

[–]toxicbrew 2 points3 points ago

Not necessarily. In Toronto, you tap a card before boarding. Conductors do not check everyday, but do random checks to make sure everyone has paid. They get 87% of their funds from the farebox, a much higher percentage than most transit systems, so they must be doing something right.

[–]egr4wig 2 points3 points ago

I figure this is going to be down-voted, but what the hell.

Be fair, pay your fare.

[–]kodemage 3 points4 points ago

Sometimes the conductors are just nice to the regulars. It's like the gas station attendant that doesn't charge you for coffee because he recognizes you from the other 4 times that week you've been in the store.

[–]norebeEvanston 2 points3 points ago

Except that's really not their call to make, and it's part of their job to collect all fares. There are people who have difficulty affording anything these days -- no need to make it harder on them by stressing the fare system more.

[–]toxicbrew 1 point2 points ago

Yep, they have watchers watching the conductors, one conductor told me.

[–]kevver 1 point2 points ago

And ... who watches the watchers?

[–]toxicbrew 1 point2 points ago

Haha, I wasn't going to write this in the original post since it sounded like a movie, but he actually did say that they are watchers watching the watchers (I don't know how far the rabbit hole goes).

[–]bettorworse 0 points1 point ago

YES!!!

[–]Irish0625 1 point2 points ago

Theriot kinda looks like Charlie sheen

[–]ArmsRaisedBeBrave 3 points4 points ago

SFGiants are WINNING...unlike the cubs.

[–]bass-tard 0 points1 point ago

Happened to me once last week, once this week. Don't tell anyone..............

[–]hightiedye 0 points1 point ago

As a poor college student who sometimes is using the last of my change to go home and visit my parents... if you don't want to pay all you have to do is get on at one of the stops that isn't Union/Ogil, sit in the seats that don't have the ticket clip, read a book with an old ticket as a bookmark slightly sticking out, have headphones, and not make eye contract for a few stops.

[–]lefthash 2 points3 points ago

Nothing like being gifted $2.35

[–]solidwhetstoneWorks in the Loop[S] 11 points12 points ago

$5 actually.

[–]sgcuomoHumboldt Park 6 points7 points ago

At that moment, it's worth so much more than $5.

[–]dino_snack 3 points4 points ago

When its 7.25 for a one way for me, totally makes it amazing.

[–]elanmoridin 1 point2 points ago

Ah someone else from out in no man's land too

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