11-25-2019, 08:14 PM
(11-25-2019, 03:44 PM)plam Wrote: In the context of fare inspection and penalties, it would seem like the rational level for the penalty would make the expected cost of not paying slightly more than the cost of paying. One could have exceptions for first-time non-payers etc.
That would require either lots of enforcement, or very high penalties.
Personally, I would rather have lots of enforcement. It projects the image that the transit authority is watching, and the officers can also be helpful in emergency situations and provide information. The fare inspectors with whom I have interacted are very approachable so this isn’t some sort of hypothetical.
It’s all in what they are trained to do and how they are managed. If they’re taught that they are in a war against freeloaders (with a dogwhistled suggestion that it’s mostly the Black or Arabic people who are the freeloaders), given night sticks, and not disciplined when they use the night sticks, you can expect a lot of very bad behaviour. If they’re taught that they are there to serve the public, including by keeping everybody honest but also by being a help when there is an emergency or when somebody has a question, then you will most likely see much better behaviour. Note too that different people will be attracted by these different working environments — I don’t claim that a couple of weeks of training can turn the same person into a violent criminal with a badge, or a helpful tourist ambassador.