"You just going one way?" he asked. I confirmed that this was my intention. "Just give me a dollar."
He pressed the CANCEL button on the vending machine, spitting my card back out without my having added value to it. So I agreed, even as I'm aware that this probably means he will pocket my cash ... and I'm abetting.
But wait -- after he unlocked the disabled-access gate for me to walk through, I watched him take my dollar and feed it into the machine. He wasn't keeping it! I thanked him and move on, but he wasn't done. He felt the need to justify his action.
"Can you believe they raised the fare a quarter? That's ridiculous."
"Yeah ..." I trailed off as I moved toward the stairs, but I was debating whether to say anything about the fact that I don't have a problem with the fare increase.
I think the Chicago Transit Authority went out of its way to make this increase as mild as possible. I mean, this was the first fare increase in 12 years! NYC's public transportation ($2.00 now, right?) can't claim that. And the CTA actually reduced the cost of transfers (from $0.30 to $0.25). And they didn't increase any of the multi-day pass costs (making those an even better value than they were before). So it sounds to me like the CTA is doing its best to target the fare increase toward those who don't rely mainly on public transportation. Or am I completely off base here?
I chose to say none of this to my fuming CTA worker. I wondered as I sat on the train if the guy would have made me the same offer to me had I not looked like the kind of person who maybe couldn't afford this easily. I've been growing my hair out, I'm doing "the beard thing," and my expensive work clothes were covered up with a somewhat dingy winter coat and scarf. Is this "discount fare" an offer he makes to those he feels need it? Or does he do this for everyone, provided they're standing all alone in the station at the time he makes the offer?
My question was partially answered that night when I relayed the story to Laura and Piper's babysitter, Marta. "He does that for me, too!" said Marta. I note that, unlike me, Marta is female, and unlike me, Marta is gorgeous, and he may just be giving her one of the perks that many beautiful women sometimes experience from the puppy-dog men they encounter.
"Maybe he's bisexual," Laura offers.
"That could be," I concur. "Hey Marta, you and I are competing for the same guy!"
Marta flashes me a look that makes it clear that Mr. CTA Worker is all mine, should I seriously want him.
One of the big reasons the CTA switched a few years ago to the fare card system was to avoid the skimming that many station attendants, who used to handle the money directly, were doing. It's interesting to note that (assuming this is a somewhat prevalent occurrence) a form of skimming is still going on, and now the riders seem to be benefitting from it. Next time a wave of articles on how bankrupt and teetering-on-on-collapse our public transportation system is, I'll know that I played a $0.75 role in the ongoing tragedy.
Happy birthday to: Elvis Presley, David Bowie, and Paul Hester. But most of all, happy birthday to brother Ian. I hope you have a kick-ass gig in whatever town in Colorado you've stumbled into tonight.
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