(12-11-2020, 08:05 PM)danbrotherston Wrote:(12-11-2020, 07:51 PM)ac3r Wrote: I don't see this as targeting transit users. They're targeting the idiots who use transit but refuse to wear masks while doing so. What's wrong with that? A bus or LRT ride can be a perfect way to spread the virus. There is very little constant airflow nor any filtration. If you sat on a bus for 25 minutes with a maskless, SARS-CoV-2 positive individual you can be pretty sure that the chance of them infecting you or others would be very high.
So first of all, this is not true, infections have been very rare on public transit vehicles. Ventilation per cubic meter is quite good, and since people are sitting and not generally eating or talking boisterously (or moistly) it's actually a fairly safe environment. Masks are still important but you're much more likely to be infected in a bar, not my opinion, the data shows this.
And yes, idiots who ride transit but refuse to wear a mask are idiots, and they are annoying.
Interesting, that's news to me. However, although I have not read any data on it, I don't doubt there is truth to it. Even still there is at least some risk involved, and I don't imagine anyone wants to be stuck inside a bus with someone not wearing a mask.
Even so, it doesn't feel like targeting transit users at least. If you wear a mask, you've got no problem, just like one wouldn't have problems driving if you don't do anything illegal. If you have a medical issue that prevents you from wearing one, that's perfectly okay. But the people that just don't want to wear one need to deal with the punishment of not doing so, so handing out fines is alright to me. I frequently take the bus/LRT and it's basically every other day there will be someone not wearing one (or who pulls it down after sitting down) or who are petty enough to fight with the driver about it.
Quote:I also don't think people should ride transit without paying a fare, but I vehemently disagree with enforcing fare payment far in excess of the same crime (not paying ~3.5 for a public good) when committed by people who happen to commit said crime while driving a car.
I agree here. The fines for not paying are incredibly high. I can't forget the exact number, but it's in the hundreds is it not? It should be 40-50 dollars at most. Maybe they thought that because it's a new system they could discourage people from doing this by making the fines high but they're still quite absurd. There are many people out there who can't afford it and should not have half a pay cheque taken away because they had to hop on the LRT for something. I mean, most who do this aren't doing it on a daily basis or they'd be regularly fined.
My card is all messed up and frequently won't register the tap - particularly at LRT stations - and half the time I just get on anyway...I don't have time to waste making sure it registers. It'd be nice if we could transition to a system like you can find in countries like Austria or Germany. It goes on an honour system. They simply trust you buy the ticket. No having to show/scan tickets to get onto the bus/Straßenbahn/S-bahn/U-bahn. You just walk on and if a ticket inspector comes, you show your ticket (paper or on an app) and that's it. If you have none - if you were schwarzfahren (black riding) - you got a 60 Euro fine...just enough to make you consider buying a ticket next time. But because the honour system is now so engrained in the culture there, most people do indeed buy their ticket and there isn't much of a problem. For those obviously too destitute to afford to, they would generally leave alone.