My bike is broken, two flat tires, but that's no excuse. I was going to walk the 3 kilometer like I had done for the 3 weeks when the other bike was broken. Instead I got on the bus and they were checking for tickets.
What I really want to talk about is what to do next. Obviously, I will pay the fine.
But then the crazy thought is that the fine is "only" 40 euros. OK, for a student that's quite a bit of money, and for me too, but I've blow more than that on booze. The thought is to break the law on purpose. To basically pay 40 euros to see how long I can ride the bus without paying and to effectively avoid their surveillance system.
It should be fairly easy. The controllers always work in pairs. Most police here operate this way. A sort of humanizing/non-aggressive approach. The idea is that if there's a women there, it's better and less threatening. Sure, but in this case it's fairly easily then to spot when controllers get on to the bus.
If a couple boards a bus and hangs at the payment machine, then it's time for you to exit the bus.
This you can't do on the train obviously.
The modern condition. I am so well feed and protected by my society that I have enough free time and spare money to fuck with the system.
And the juvenile rational is if I am not hurting anyone why not? You say, but yes I am hurting someone when I decide not to pay for riding the bus. Someone has to pickup the additional cost. Why is the bus ticket 1.95 euros? It is that high because of people who ride for free. So my law abiding neighbor is paying for my free bus rides. The higher cost comes from higher usage without higher revenue and the additional cost of the surveillance. You have to pay the police too.
There are two principles working here. One is the idea of having the people who use the bus pay for the bus. The second is to provide a city/town with a efficient public transport system to reduce pollution and traffic. They are slightly opposing. In a modern context, you want to encourage people to use the public transport system, but if the cost is too high then people will not want to pay (in my case paying 1.95 euro for 2 km) to ride.
Am I talking too much, like a guilty person, or someone that is lying.
I am trying to justify breaking the rules. I will pay the fine. I thought this out before I tried to ride without paying. Usually I pay for the ride, but I've also agree with myself that sometimes I will ride without paying for a ticket, and if I get caught then I pay the fine.
OK. But this still doesn't excuse you from breaking the rule. Because of rule breakers, there is the additional cost. Perhaps without the rule breakers the cost will be lower.
Then explain to me this. Why is it that in Italy, where everyone breaks the rules, the cost of a bus ride is cheaper. You would imagine that the additional cost from the rule breakers would be higher there... no?
I AM justifying rule breakers! As always it's easier to justify a group when you belong to that group. HA! I don't see why a city doesn't just have a free public transport system. This is very UNamerican, to curb your independence and pay more taxes! And why should I pay a tax for something that I don't use.
I will tell you why. Gasoline prices are subsidized. If consumers had to pay the correct "Free Market" price, a lot of consumers would be riding the bus/train system. If you live in California you are basically paying a lot of taxes for roads. There is no reason to take the bus.
I think this will correct itself if the US gasoline/oil market becomes unsubsidized.
a quick Google search for
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