Jim Yarin, a 58-year-old Acton resident and longtime commuter rail passenger, had already paid for an entire month of rides with an October pass. He was detained last week by Transit Police on a North Station platform and charged with trespassing after the ticket checkers said they could not verify that his paper ticket was valid.
Yarin concedes that he could have avoided arrest but says he escalated the situation out of principle. Yet his act of personal rebellion highlighted that the private operator running the commuter rail for the MBTA, Keolis Commuter Services, is taking the checks seriously, while also exposing a flaw in the new system: The checks are based on a brief visual inspection of paper tickets, plastic CharlieCards, and mobile apps, and cannot definitively determine whether a passenger has paid a fare.
To read the full story, visit BostonGlobe.com.
They arrested him and hauled him off to jail? Gee they could have just wrote him a apperance ticket.
That’s not how I saw the blackshirts do it in San Jose, and I don’t expect it to be any different elsewhere in NoCal. Watch the fine and exorbitant ‘fees and costs’ be for something other than fare payment when he gets to court, too... something statutory about failure to comply with police instructions, perhaps.
Interesting, too, to see what his countersuit is going to be and how it fares in the California justice system — hope he doesn’t try pro se with his attitude...
Yeah, take his money and waste his time, that will teach him to stand up for himself! Action must and will be taken against those who do not submit to petty authority.
54light15Action must and will be taken against those who do not submit to petty authority.
And petty authority will be strengthened in their ‘the beatings will continue until morale improves’ operational models...
Boston Globe...Yarin, who works as a paralegal at a law firm that he declined to identify, said he has grown accustomed to the new checks and has often passed without issue. But last Thursday, after his ticket was questioned, Yarin was directed to the North Station ticket counter to obtain a new pass. In a fit of defiance, he refused to go, his frustration with the ticket checkers compounded by other longtime commuting complaints such as delayed trains. ...“I was pleading with them,” Yarin said, asking the checkers to take a close look at his ticket or ask a conductor if they recognized him. Yarin’s October pass was reviewed by a Globe reporter. It had indeed faded significantly, with orange blotches and mostly indecipherable lettering, but still featured the T’s logo and the pass’s distinctive orange arrow. And the words “OCT 2017,” indicating its validity in October, were legible — though barely so. Yarin proved the pass was valid by using it at an Orange Line stop, since commuter rail passes also give access to the subway. Yarin said he typically purchases his monthly pass at the ticket counter, which still gives paper tickets. The tickets should be more durable to prevent the ticket-checking issues, he argued, or else Keolis should change how it inspects faded passes.
In a fit of defiance, he refused to go, his frustration with the ticket checkers compounded by other longtime commuting complaints such as delayed trains.
...“I was pleading with them,” Yarin said, asking the checkers to take a close look at his ticket or ask a conductor if they recognized him.
Yarin’s October pass was reviewed by a Globe reporter. It had indeed faded significantly, with orange blotches and mostly indecipherable lettering, but still featured the T’s logo and the pass’s distinctive orange arrow. And the words “OCT 2017,” indicating its validity in October, were legible — though barely so. Yarin proved the pass was valid by using it at an Orange Line stop, since commuter rail passes also give access to the subway.
Yarin said he typically purchases his monthly pass at the ticket counter, which still gives paper tickets. The tickets should be more durable to prevent the ticket-checking issues, he argued, or else Keolis should change how it inspects faded passes.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Sounds like you have a bad attitude! Get on the gound NOW! Stomp! Resisting arrest? STOMP STOMP TRAMPLE (The sound of being thrown in the back of a cruiser and taken to the Ministry of Justice- "Report to O'Brien in room 101! ")
54light15 (The sound of being thrown in the back of a cruiser and taken to the Ministry of Justice- "Report to O'Brien in room 101! ")
RATS!
Overmod That’s not how I saw the blackshirts do it in San Jose, and I don’t expect it to be any different elsewhere in NoCal. Watch the fine and exorbitant ‘fees and costs’ be for something other than fare payment when he gets to court, too... something statutory about failure to comply with police instructions, perhaps. Interesting, too, to see what his countersuit is going to be and how it fares in the California justice system — hope he doesn’t try pro se with his attitude...
This overreaction took place in the Boston, Mass. area, on some component of the MBTA, not in California.
Never a good idea to "cop an attitude" with the police, whoever they are, whether it's justified or not.
Maybe they're right, maybe they're wrong, but they're the ones in charge of the situation. Do as you're told, if a complaint's justified make it later. If it's valid it will be acted on. This is what the cops I used to know told me. Good cops know and will tell you there's dummies on the force that shouldn't be there, and they don't want them on the job any more than you do.
Don't play the martyr. You won't win.
Firelock76Never a good idea to "cop an attitude" with the police, whoever they are, whether it's justified or not. Maybe they're right, maybe they're wrong, but they're the ones in charge of the situation. Do as you're told, if a complaint's justified make it later. If it's valid it will be acted on. This is what the cops I used to know told me. Good cops know and will tell you there's dummies on the force that shouldn't be there, and they don't want them on the job any more than you do. Don't play the martyr. You won't win.
If you are connected to a law firm - you are the person to force the situation, if in fact you know your firm will be participating in your defense. Individual isn't playing the martyr, he is forcing a resolution to a percieved hole in the enforcement question. With the resources of his law firm behind him, he may win.
If it was you or I, without the resources of a law firm behind us, you are right don't play the martyr, the playing field is stacked against us.
Well, hopefully the firm he works for doesn't practice real estate, business, family, divorce, or personal injury law. If that's the case he ain't out of the woods yet.
Here in Buffalo on our 6 mile subway (POP fare system) we have a "Da Ticket Lady" who checks tickets. She writes citations but does not have arrest powers but if you tell her to shove of and walk away NFTA police are in short tow around the corner. Most of the time she will walk you to the fare machine and you pay your fare.
Not to change the subject, are there any plans to expand the Buffalo line? I have ridden it and it seems overbuilt for what it does but anyway...
Yes, planning, environmental impact, etc. are in progress to extend the line to the State University of Buffalo Amherst campus.
daveklepperYes, planning, environmental impact, etc. are in progress to extend the line to the State University of Buffalo Amherst campus.
In the year 2121
Like it was going to kill him if walked over to the ticket counter and present his current pass, which then would've been verified as in good order, and perhaps replaced with a more legible one(partially his fault for letting get in that condition in the first place, paper or not)...incident over.
Why would he need to walk to the ticket counter to present a valid pass when he already did that to the checker. That is not his job or responsibility.
He complied with their request (he showed his valid ticket), he complied with the rules (he bought a monthly pass and had it on his person when boarding). They did not (they arrested him even though he had a ticket to ride).
I would like to hear what his settlement ends up being.
GERALD L MCFARLANE JRLike it was going to kill him if walked over to the ticket counter and present his current pass, which then would've been verified as in good order, and perhaps replaced with a more legible one(partially his fault for letting get in that condition in the first place, paper or not)...incident over.
Had a similar situation yesterday - Had a store issued coupon whose ink had faded to the extent that the point of sale terminal could not read the bar code on it - even though the rest of the printing on the coupon was perfectly legible. Clerk would not honor the coupon since the terminal wouldn't read it and suggested I go to Customer Service that had a line about 10 deep. Thank You but no thank you.
rrnut282 Why would he need to walk to the ticket counter to present a valid pass when he already did that to the checker. That is not his job or responsibility. He complied with their request (he showed his valid ticket), he complied with the rules (he bought a monthly pass and had it on his person when boarding). They did not (they arrested him even though he had a ticket to ride). I would like to hear what his settlement ends up being.
Very true. It's not the rider's fault that the paper passes are of such poor quality that they fade after less than one month's use. Perhaps the private operator cut corners on choosing a printer.
If you save receipts from almost any store in about 2 - 3 weeks the printing often becomes not legible. Makes IRS audits a real problem.
blue streak 1If you save receipts from almost any store in about 2 - 3 weeks the printing often becomes not legible. Makes IRS audits a real problem.
Same thing happens to printed reciepts from ATM machines.
A question and a comment.
Anybody know how this turned out in court?
I'm reminded of watching the checkers in Frankfurt, Germany 35 years ago. A team of ticket checkers was checking tickets on a UBahn train when they came across a small group that was drunk. The checkers were all women and the drunks were all male and being obnoxious. In short order the group was on the floor in restraints. And the checkers were none to nice about it. They then asked if I was with them. I said no and I was more of less asked to prove it. I have a British passport thanks to my father and produced it. My girlfriend told them I was ein Englander nicht Amerikaner. They more or less looked at me and let me go on my way. I was very impressed with how quickly they dealt with a bunch of idiots who were given to the MP's and were going to have to explain this to their commander. I was expecting to see the Polizei, and they would ask questions. As it was just being near that kind of group and speaking English was enough to get stopped.
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