The MBTA has officially started slinging out higher-priced fines to anyone who skips paying the fare, but it isn’t stopping one group of protesters from trying to teach riders how to avoid putting cash towards a trip on the transit agency’s buses and trains.
This Friday, Boston Fare Strike, a coalition of activists that describe themselves as “individuals that came together this Spring to meet the July 1 fare hikes with a fare strike,” has plans to let a plentiful amount of passengers pass through various T gates without purchasing a ticket.
“We are going to go to multiple stations and potentially also try and leave them open in some way,” said one of the group’s members, who goes by the name of Julie Almond.
Almond has invited the general public to participate in the “direct action,” and said the group will teach T users how to hitch a free ride, following a march on the city's streets.
But those who join in risk some hefty backlash.
According to T officials, on July 2, Transit Police officers started writing citations with new increased fines attached.
Four days after they began giving out the citations with stricter penalties, a 53-year-old Dorchester man that was issued a ticket by transit officials mailed the very first $50 fine back to the agency.
Fare evasion fines increased to $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second offense and $300 for a third offense.
In addition, the new law requires that the violator pay the fine or request a hearing to fight the fee with-in 30 days of issuance.
The increases in fines came at a time when the T's fare prices went up, on average, by 23 percent.
However, Almond said already, the group of activists has helped more than 150 people find a way to avoid digging in their pockets to pay the fares.
On June 17, following an “Anti-Austerity” march against the impending increases, a group of 50 rallied at Park Street, where they plan on meeting this Friday, and held the doors open so people could shuffle through for free.
Then, on July 1, members of Boston Fare Strike met in Copley Square to teach riders various fare-evading tactics, before letting roughly 100 people through the gates at no cost.
In both instances, members of the group said no one was ticketed or arrested.
When asked if the T police would increase security in anticipation of the fare evasion tactics expected to happen this week, MBTA Spokesman Joe Pesaturo said “as a general rule, the MBTA does not publicly discuss specific police patrol strategies.”
While members of Boston Fare Strike may get away with not paying, Pesaturo said “their foolish tactics are misguided.”
“[They] serve to do nothing more than worsen the T’s already fragile financial condition,” he said.
Almond said she expected such a response from the T.
“They have to try and belittle [the action]. But from what we have seen, their system doesn’t fix the issues,” she said.
According to Almond, asking the legislature to do something to stop fare increases through the democratic process didn’t work, “so to gain results” they have turned to “collective direct action.”
“We will keep asserting our right to use the T together,” she said.
The group outlined five ways a rider can skip paying the fare to prepare for Friday’s event:
1. Join other fare strikers this Friday: The best way to learn all the tactics is to join with other folks who are also evading fares. Also, this is the lowest risk because together, with a crowd of people, you are much safer from the police.
2. Piggy-backing: Have one person pay, and then get close together and walk through.
3. Use an article of clothing or newspaper: Trigger the sensors on the other side of the gate so that they think someone is coming out of the doors, and then they will open.
4. Jump: If you want to get really acrobatic about it and are agile enough, you can jump on to the turnstyle and land on the other side.
5. Talk to the workers: See if they sympathize with you. Tell them how you feel it’s outrageous that they are raising the fares in the middle of the recession. The MBTA has been mismanaged for years and is attempting to balance its books on the most vulnerable.
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Streetwise Comments
Gerry Praysman
+6
This is so outrageously stupid that it's not even funny. I'm not saying I support the fare hikes, but completely avoiding to pay the fare is an utterly inept response. It'll do nothing to help the financial situation of the MBTA and honestly could result in greater fair hikes.
Other than being completely immature, it's simply criminal. What they should really do is steal cars, if they can't afford to buy them, since they'll only have to do it once. I recommend a group viewing of Gone in Sixty Seconds to build morale.
MJ
+0
I don't agree with this strike, however; I assume that it has been organized to get attention in hopes that wants/demands will be heard and addressed.
If this strike is a large "success" and nothing is done- they may do it again. But I am not entirely sure how seriously these people will be taken...
Gerry Praysman
+0
That's a good point and I do understand that. But I don't think that breaking the law and flagrantly encouraging others to do so is the appropriate way to raise awareness.
MJ
+0
possibly not... but demonstrators/protestors/activists have been breaking rules in this manner for a long time. They are adults, and they know that they may be penalized for their actions.
Andrew Crimer
+1
Gerry Praysman: If you have a couple hours in the near future, you should consider reading "Civil Disobedience" by Henry David Thoreau -- it might explain a little better why activists often break the rules in order to call attention to a broken system.
E Sullivan
+1
Actually, fare strikes have been used to successful ends in Chicago, LA, and San Fransisco. There have been a few other recent examples in the US and Europe that I can't remember off the top of my head.
Its really frustrating when people assume activists do things just to do them. They are able to, you know, learn and use strategy.
Gerry Praysman
+0
Fare strike or fare theft?
Andrew Crimer
+0
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fare_strike
Fare strike.
Gerry Praysman
+0
"Unfare Strike"
Brendan Kearney
+5
If the fare increase - and not the fare itself - is the problem, wouldn't it be more productive to ask people to pay the previous rate (by collecting donations), opening the gates, and then giving those total proceeds to the MBTA as a lump sum?
MJ
+0
Not a bad idea.
Melissa Ablett
+4
*Hugs bike. *Smiles.
Gerry Praysman
+1
Way easier to jump the turnstyle with the bike!
Melissa Ablett
+0
You and me, Praysman. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PhUAUsGuu4
Gerry Praysman
+0
Touche, touche.
Scott Kennedy
+1
"The best way to learn all the tactics is to join with other folks who are also evading fares. Also, this is the lowest risk because together, with a crowd of people, you are much safer from the police."
While not always the case, one person standing up and doing what the crowd knows is the right thing will often have a greater impact than an authority figure. I'll be closing any open gates I see on Friday.
Gerry Praysman
+2
Andrew Crimer - not sure if serious, or actually comparing an MBTA fair hike to slavery. Perhaps, the MBTA is a broken system - then don't use its services. Stealing from it to comment on how broken it is only combating "injustice" with literally no quotes needed injustice, and doing absolutely nothing to solve the problem.
Yes, I realize Thoreau was all about screwing the government and not paying taxes a form of protest. Keep in mind, the MBTA is provided to you by, yes, wait for it, the state government. A stronger statement on their part would be boycott the MBTA instead of using it's services (something no one is even slightly entitled to) and not paying for them. Same argument can be made of not paying taxes, but to be fair Thoreau did exile himself to Walden Pond and lived void of most (but not all) of the government's provisions a result of paying those taxes.
Anything else I should read?
MJ
+3
*getting popcorn and settling in in front of screen*
Andrew Crimer
+0
No harm meant – it was just a reading recommendation.
Dave Eisenberg
+3
Since you asked, I'd recommend the novelized version of xXx starring Vin Diesel as written by Mel Odom. The pages turn as fast as the tape rolls! I'd be happy to share with you my entire 'must reads' if you're interested!
Andrew Crimer
+1
Also, I know there's only two posts, but http://falafelconnoisseur.blogspot.com/
Scott Kennedy
+1
I thought this book was really good, http://www.amazon.com/The-Drunkards-Walk-Randomness-Rules/dp/0375424040, found you a good price too.
Gerry Praysman
+0
I've actually heard great things about this one - no joke. I'm currently on Born to Run and previously finished Moonwalking with Einstein, which I highly recommend for a fun read.
I don't know if I can return the favor of finding a deep discount like that, but if the final price is unfavorable, I suppose we could just take them off the bookshelves at our local Barnes as a form of protest!
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