MUNI Fare Shenanigans AKA Just Because Scofflaws Are Free Spirits Doesn’t Mean the Rest of Us Aren’t Paying….

Quite a lot of news regarding MUNI fares today. First off, we find out in today’s Chronicle that apparently, MUNI isn’t collecting enough of the money it’s owed, and that fare evasion is costing the system real money, far more than that projected deficit that we keep hearing about.
Think about it. Despite the fare evader junkie logic we’ve grown accustomed to hearing, the fact is that scofflaws and cheats are starting to cost the system real money – which, if spent properly could make your commute a lot easier.
When you combine this with the money the MTA isn’t collecting properly from parking meters, you start to realize that even if MUNI and the MTA collected even a little bit more of the money they’re owed, they wouldn’t need to jack up parking garage rates or parking tickets, or fares, or taxes.
Heck, they’d even have more money to do things that would benefit you, the citizen transit rider, such as making the buses and trains run on time, instead of settling for a less than stellar record. Really!
Well, not. The potential for a better funded MUNI exists, but it’s only going to happen when the People In Charge make the changes needed to end the era of half-assed budgeting and “feel good” policies, and invest in the time and effort to make some of these things happen. Don’t hold your breath – pester those responsible instead, and hope for the best.
So remember: the next time you see some freeloading hipster jump on the bus in some sort of misguided attempt to stick it to The Man, he or she is actually stealing right out of your pocket – and all of ours. Just because they are a “free spirit” doesn’t mean the rests of us aren’t paying the price.