No wonder there are so many Metrolink fare dodgers

Metrolink platform

@Asylum (47893)

Manchester, England

April 18, 2016 10:45am CST

I regularly see people walk onto the platform at my local tram station and board a tram without purchasing a ticket. There are also many people that I know personally who never buy a ticket, but travel into the city on a fairly regular basis. Inspectors are quite rarely seen. In fact I catch a tram in both directions every day and can go weeks without seeing one. I have also travelled long distances at times without encountering a single Inspector. The company does employ Inspectors, but they never seem to spread around or visit different stations. The only place I see them reasonably often is at Manchester Victoria, which also serves as a railway station. Today I noticed a vast number of Inspectors at Victoria Station. You cannot see them all in the above photograph because several boarded the tram to check tickets, but there were 12 in total. Surely splitting these into groups of 3 or 4 would be a more practical use of the manpower.

21 people like this

22 responses

@amadeo (111938)

• United States

18 Apr 16

when we were there and remember Victoria Station.Of course this been many years ago.At the time things were running smoothly.

2 people like this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Apr 16

Depending on how long ago that was, the Metroilink may not have been there at the time.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Apr 16

@amadeo That pre dates the Metrolink which began early 1990s.

@amadeo (111938)

• United States

18 Apr 16

@Asylum This was in the eighties I believe

2 people like this

Show more comments

@SIMPLYD (90722)

• Philippines

19 Apr 16

Ha ? Is that as lax as that when it comes to collecting fares ? Here , you will but a token before you will get to go inside the ramp where the trains stops and opens its doors .

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

19 Apr 16

Tickets are dispensed from vending machines and all Metrolink platforms have open access.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

19 Apr 16

@SIMPLYD A vast number of people are dishonest and will avoid paying if possible.

1 person likes this

@SIMPLYD (90722)

• Philippines

19 Apr 16

@Asylum But why are there dodgers still . They aren't that honest to buy the tickets ?

1 person likes this

Show more comments

Arthur Chappell

@arthurchappell (44998)

• Preston, England

18 Apr 16

I think they like to be mob handed for when they catch anyone - I often see them leading suspects off and inspections are getting more frequent

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Apr 16

It is hardly likely to require as many as I saw today, which usually occurs at Victoria Station.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Apr 16

@arthurchappell A dozen inspectors on one platform is definitely overkill.

1 person likes this

Arthur Chappell

@arthurchappell (44998)

• Preston, England

18 Apr 16

sometimes it is overkill @Asylum

1 person likes this

Show more comments

ElizabethWallace

@ElizabethWallace (12074)

• United States

18 Apr 16

There you go being logical. They must have their reasons, maybe safety. But it does seem foolish.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Apr 16

I can understand why they would not put one inspector alone on a platform but 12 is definitely unnecessary. Even when a tram arrives many of them have nothing to do.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Apr 16

@ElizabethWallace Yes, but all the inspectors were non the same platform, so my ticket was not checked.

1 person likes this

ElizabethWallace

@ElizabethWallace (12074)

• United States

18 Apr 16

@Asylum Is this place a hub, where they can get on different trams and go to other stations?

1 person likes this

Show more comments

Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (317089)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

19 Apr 16

It sure would, and the trams would stop losing money to those who regularly ride for free hoping never to get caught without a ticket.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

19 Apr 16

Some people travel to Manchester regular without even thinking of buying a ticket.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

19 Apr 16

@just4him I am surprised that they show a profit because they are constantly renewing the lines.

1 person likes this

Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (317089)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

19 Apr 16

@Asylum That can't be good for the transportation company. You would think they would be losing money.

1 person likes this

Show more comments

@arundhatiwriter (276)

• India

18 Apr 16

People escape rail tickets in our country. Tickets in trams, buses or metro rail are impossible to avoid. I'm surprised to know that it happens in England also!

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Apr 16

It would not be possible to travel by bus free, but trams and trains are very vulnerable.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Apr 16

@arundhatiwriter This is the problem, which the honest travellers pay for via higher fares.

1 person likes this

@arundhatiwriter (276)

• India

18 Apr 16

@Asylum yes I understand. I just wonder that people all over the world have the same approach, if they can cheat, they will do it!

2 people like this

Show more comments

Belle Starr (Iz)

@BelleStarr (61102)

• United States

18 Apr 16

Wouldn't being practical be asking a lot of a metropolitan authority? I know it would here!!

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Apr 16

There seems no point in employing inspectors and having them all working on one platform, especially when it is the predictable place to see one. They may as well just cancel the idea of fares.

1 person likes this

Belle Starr (Iz)

@BelleStarr (61102)

• United States

18 Apr 16

@Asylum But think of the unemployment!!!

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Apr 16

@BelleStarr I am in favour of employing them, but at least make use of their services.

1 person likes this

@LadyDuck (471459)

• Switzerland

18 Apr 16

Twelve seems too many, I wonder if a couple were instructors and they were teaching the job to the others. Just a thought.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Apr 16

It is not the first time that I have witnessed this, which appears to be a standard practice.

1 person likes this

@LadyDuck (471459)

• Switzerland

19 Apr 16

@Asylum Very strange. I know that they are never alone on the trains here too, but never more than two.

@softbabe44 (5816)

• Vancouver, Washington

18 Apr 16

Here in Washington they have inspectors all over the place when you travel n Oregon you'll see them a lot of the time you'll ally see them at the moda center where the blazers play they are thick they are trained in ways that when they get on the train their shoes shuffle they get off the same way.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Apr 16

Inspectors serve little purpose if everyone can predict where they will be.

@miniam (9154)

• Bern, Switzerland

18 Apr 16

lol

@Inlemay (17713)

• South Africa

18 Apr 16

You should become the Inspector Manager as it seems they are huddling in one place. Right on with your suggestion, it would most certainly work better.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Apr 16

It seems absurd to have so many inspectors in one place that many have nothing to do even when a tram arrives.

1 person likes this

@Inlemay (17713)

• South Africa

18 Apr 16

@Asylum I agree

1 person likes this

@pgntwo (22408)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

18 Apr 16

Perhaps they think there's safety in numbers...

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

19 Apr 16

That same statement would justify a large group of police standing together while the remainder of the city is left unattended.

1 person likes this

@pgntwo (22408)

• Derry, Northern Ireland

19 Apr 16

@Asylum Birds of a feather...?

1 person likes this

@garymarsh6 (23405)

• United Kingdom

1 May 16

I guess they are trying to imitate buses. Wait for ages for a bus then three or more turn up!

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

1 May 16

They take the idea to the extremes. You wait several weeks to see an inspector and a dozen suddenly appear.

@fishtiger58 (29820)

• Momence, Illinois

19 Apr 16

But then I have seen and had many bosses or those in charge that don't have one lick of sense nor do they do their own job correctly. So this doesn't surprise me at all.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

19 Apr 16

It could well be the idea of some boss.

1 person likes this

@fishtiger58 (29820)

• Momence, Illinois

19 Apr 16

@Asylum Yup I'm sure

1 person likes this

@JohnRoberts (109846)

• Los Angeles, California

18 Apr 16

Is it because of limited budget that they don't hire more inspectors? Here in LA, you don't see ticket checkers because the cost of employing them is more than ticket fines.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Apr 16

I can understand that as a reason for the scarcity of inspectors, but placing 12 on the same platform is a complete waste of money.

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

19 Apr 16

@miniam The fine is £100 here, but with inspectors being so scarce it is not a successful deterrent.

@miniam (9154)

• Bern, Switzerland

18 Apr 16

We pay $150 if you dont have a ticket,@JohnRoberts really overpriced.If there were more people(at least 2 per train/tram)more people will buy tickets and they will not need too many inspectors.

1 person likes this

Show more comments

@jaboUK (64354)

• United Kingdom

18 Apr 16

Perhaps they figured out that they were losing money, but it's not rocket science to realise that people will take advantage of such a lax system.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Apr 16

Placing them all in one place will not make a lot of difference. They did not even ask to see my ticket because I was on a different platform.

1 person likes this

@gudheart (12659)

•

25 Apr 16

LOL it was easier to dodge it a few years ago but not any more. I always get train tickets now as always check when I am on the train. Might be different for trams.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

25 Apr 16

Trains do have more than trams because many routes can be paid on the train itself, thus justifying having a ticket collector.

1 person likes this

@Marilynda1225 (82789)

• United States

18 Apr 16

I'm amazed that people can board a train for free and no one is there to check for a ticket

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Apr 16

This was the tram system, but I have also travelled to the airport by train and never seen anyone checking tickets.

@TheHorse (218927)

• Walnut Creek, California

18 Apr 16

As a teenager in Chicago, I knew how to "jump" the trains from the South Side to the North Side. I think we did it for sport, as we weren't short on allowance. Will you still associate with me, knowing that I was a soft-core juvenile delinquent in my day?

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

18 Apr 16

Are you given internet access in penitentiary?

@JudyEv (340220)

• Rockingham, Australia

19 Apr 16

I think fare-dodging is standard practice in many cities in Australia too although the fines are pretty drastic if you're caught.

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

19 Apr 16

Someone needs to check tickets before anyone is caught, so it is not common for people to get fined here.

1 person likes this

@Shiva49 (26686)

• Singapore

28 Apr 16

We have automatic fare collection gates/turnstiles that ensure fare collection as only one person can pass at a time. If some are able to dodge buying tickets then others who pay are subsidizing them and it is quire unfair - siva

1 person likes this

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

28 Apr 16

Walking onto a Metrolink platform here is like walking onto a bus station.

1 person likes this