So, anyone remember not too long ago when the MTA reported on having a surplus of cash, then 6 months later they suddenly report they're broke and we got a rate hike.

Now they are supposedly saying that the MTA is in some dire need of cash and that the 1-way ride fee will go up to $3.00 and people, like myself, who use a monthly card will be forking out a whopping $102 a month!

For what? Let me think....

+ Trains that have no schedule whatsoever
+ Decrepit and out-of-date cars
+ perpetual slowdowns
+ overcrowding
+ beyond dirty stations
+ Train conductors who either don't bother to report what's going on, the stop, or if they do the yell / mumble / eat the microphone so you can't understand them.
+ BUMS and how the MTA (or cops on security detail) allow them on the train. Sorry, but fuck them. I'm tired of gagging on my way home from some slob who has crapped himself too many times.
+ Perpetual construction...for what? Does it do anything to help or just add to the slowdown?

I find it amazing that the MTA, their "leaders" and many of the people who are getting the high salaries won't do something smart, like not take a bonus so that we can avoid the bending over with the ride fees.

Funny thing is that there really isn't any way of complaining to them - like anything else you either get an employee who doesn't care or an email address that is probably a dummy account.

B-U-R-N

i'm glad I don't have to bother with that noise with my bike.

CTA in Chicago did that a few years back when I still lived there. They, a PRIVATE company NOT gov., asked for a MILLION bucks from IL, Blago gave it (could've gone to healthcare or schools or well you know, REAL things), 3 months later "we need more!" Asswhipes. I wish I could get around my area better on a bike but I live in the middle of no where, hills all over and jag-off pick up truck and suburban drivers who think anything else on the road is a target.

When I lived in Northwest Indiana I had a short drive to the train stop then paid (at that time)$165 a month for the South Shore train up to Michigan ave, so I feel ya on getting hosed by the CTA. It's been a few years since I had to ride the EL so I don't even know what the one-way is now.

I'd love to ride a bike to work - although coming from Astoria down to the garment district (31st and 7th ave) isn't all that appealing. The cabbies in front of MSG, along with the nutcases who run in front of any form of traffic just to make their trains...hoo wee...

I use to walk from Greenpoint to Union Square when i worked / lived there. That was pretty awesome and worth it

I pay $59 for the subway in Boston. Used to be cheaper but then they raised the ticket prices and justified it by making it a bus pass as well (but I don't use the bus).

So nowhere near a $102 pass or rate hike.

Still deal with dirty stations, constant delays, train conductors who close doors on you while you attempt to board, crazy people and bums who haven't washed in months and sleep on the trains etc etc.

Latest idea to get more people on the trains is to take out the seats in the middle cars and have everyone stand.

Meanwhile, they put in a new ticket system a year or two ago to replace the ancient tokens and turnstyles.
People are still able to sneak in or get past the gates.

I could bike to work but Boston drivers are too crazy (I nearly got crushed by a bus 5-6 years ago).

But I'll take it versus the long bumper to bumper commutes that you see some people drive every day.

While the title of this thread makes me cringe (can't you say "robbing" or "stealing") I gotta say its happening everywhere.

My train just went up too (only 10 cents each way, but it adds up to another $20/month for me. Bridge fare between Home & Work is now $4 instead of $3 (its supposed to go up to $5 next year)!

And Philly parking just doubled to $2/hour, which might not sound like a lot, but it adds up if you work in the city $14/day=$70/week=$280/month!

Then the actual parking tickets are way higher too $78 in center city, for safety violations.

It adds up to a bad situation, where by the time you leave work your paycheck is half gone, just on getting to work.

title changed for Missy's sake

haha its fine. i hear people say it often, even friends. as someone who talks with actual Rape victims every day, i hate to see it used as a metaphor.

F*uck the MT f*ucking A! When I lived in NYC, a monthly pass was around 60 clams. $102?! Give me a break. MTA has always been like this since the Robert Moses days. Basically he built that entire infrastructure to hold the city hostage. They consistently claim upkeep for fare hikes. The trains are still beyond overcrowded (so obviously no new trains are added to the timetable) I'm sure. I remember trying to get into Manhattan from Williamsburg in the morning. Sometimes at the Bedford stop I'd have to let 4 trains pass before I could find one I could squeeze in (and I'm not a big guy)

They're doing the same thing here in Buffalo. Jacked the subway rate from 1.50 to 1.75 and want to increase it again in the spring to 2.00?! Why? Has anyone seen downtown Buffalo? Empty buildings all around. Only M&T, HSBC, and Key banks have offices where people work. Other than that it might as well be Detroit. No jobs what so ever. I'm so utterly tired of these "Authorities" getting unlimited public funds to keep massive profits. It was proven here in Buffalo that the NFTA was moaning about costs for the fare increase and it was broken down to them that one particular bus route was costing them 750,000 per year with only 4 active riders. They could have bought all 4 people a car and saved the taxpayers money and avoided the fare hike.

It's all BS for profit.

yeah - you know, some of it is, unfortunately, the unions. No matter where i worked, when there was a union (whether I was part of one or not), there was bad service, shoddy work and overpaid workers. As with anything if it's an established system then people take advantage of it. The ones who pay? the consumers.