Transit ticket: do I have any recourse?

[albertGQ]

Do they ever go on the train and check nowadays? I only see them waiting on the platform by the doors. If someone didn't have a ticket and saw the peace officers at the door, wouldn't they just stay on the train, get off the next stop, buy a ticket and go back to their stop?

[habernac]

Originally Posted by albertGQ

Do they ever go on the train and check nowadays? I only see them waiting on the platform by the doors. If someone didn't have a ticket and saw the peace officers at the door, wouldn't they just stay on the train, get off the next stop, buy a ticket and go back to their stop?

saw them on the train yesterday, one of the very rare days that I took transit to work.

[fredr123]

Originally Posted by albertGQ

Do they ever go on the train and check nowadays? I only see them waiting on the platform by the doors. If someone didn't have a ticket and saw the peace officers at the door, wouldn't they just stay on the train, get off the next stop, buy a ticket and go back to their stop?

Originally Posted by habernac

saw them on the train yesterday, one of the very rare days that I took transit to work.

Normally the loiter on the platform in groups of two. Just before the train is ready to depart, they pop on the cart and wait by a door until the train is in motion. Then they make their way down the car asking to see everyone's ticket, pass, etc.

You are basically trapped and can't go anywhere.

Last time I was checked was during the Sun and Salsa Festival a couple weeks ago.

[habernac]

I was actually surprised as they gave one guy a ticket, then walked to the other end of the train. They didn't check me (yes, I had a valid transfer).

[jydk]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

Not at all the same thing.

If you get into a multi-vehicle accident after letting your insurance lapse, the other driver is screwed since you don't have liability coverage. If I buy a transit pass (which I do every month) on the 4th instead of the 1st, Calgary Transit receives the same amount for my ticket either way -- there's no victim.

Not true at all, the insurance companies will send out a registered letter giving you 14 days to pay your renewal, so if you were four days passed your due date and get into a multi-vehicle accident, as long as you make your payment within the 14 days, your insurer will pay the losses.

I'm sure the transit bosses tell the "cops" to issue tickets regardless of excusses unless people can provide valid fare proof. It's their job, and if they didn't, people will just take advantage of "it's the start of the month and I forgot" excuss. The onus is on you to make sure you have valid fare when you get on the train, in this case you didn't, you should have to pay the fine, you knew this rule, honest citizen or not.

But if it was me with the fine I might argue a different point
Hell, I don't even know if I agree with what I said, just looking at it from the transit cops point of view.

[MarchHare]

I'm sure the transit bosses tell the "cops" to issue tickets regardless of excusses unless people can provide valid fare proof. It's their job, and if they didn't, people will just take advantage of "it's the start of the month and I forgot" excuss. The onus is on you to make sure you have valid fare when you get on the train, in this case you didn't, you should have to pay the fine, you knew this rule, honest citizen or not.

I'm not disputing that the officer was certainly within his rights to ticket me. He requested a valid pass, I didn't have one, so he fined me. I said exactly that in the OP of this thread.

I just think it was a pretty crappy thing to do given that I showed him proof (7 monthly passes, one for every month in 2009 prior to this one) that I'm an honest transit customer. It was obvious that I made a stupid absent-minded mistake in forgetting to buy my August pass on time and I'm not a free-loader trying to cheat the system. In fact, many other people in this thread have posted that they too have forgotten to buy their passes at the start of the month, but they've been let off with a warning. That should have been the appropriate response in this case, in my (obviously biased) opinion.

[jydk]

I agree with your position and fully understand where your coming from, I'm just able to also agree with the other side too. Sorry that my post didn't help much, and was kind of redundant of your OP.

[Clarkey]

Originally Posted by MelBridgeman

You are suppose to pay to use transit, you didn't? It's your fault! Pay the fine...

I "forgot" the speed limit was 90 once...

You suck.