DOWNTOWN ZONE
There is a special 50 cent fare for people traveling within the downtown zone. It always amazes me when people try to extend the limits of WHERE the limits are.
There has been a seemingly nice young lady that was getting on at the stop where the downtown zone limits begin all week. One day, she was at the stop just before it. It is about 1-1 and a half blocks away. She smiled and put in 50 cents. I smiled and told her the fare was $1.75. She said she was just going downtown. I told her she was not within the downtown zone limits. She put in another quarter and looked at me. She went and sat down. I turned and looked at her like she lost her mind. I told her the fare was $1.75 and she came up and put in the missing dollar.
She's not a bad person. Just one that thought she'd test the limits. My thing is, there is a downtown zone...period. If you choose not to walk a block to be in it, then you have to pay the full fare. If we start extending the zone, soon people 6 blocks away will be doing the same thing.
The young lady got on the next day at the downtown zone stop. As usual, I smiled and said "Good morning" and she smiled and said "Good morning" to me. When she got off, I gave my usual "Have a nice day" and she thanked me and got off...no harm done.
I think most people know the rules, but some will try to bend them. She wasn't mad at me for enforcing the rules. I know she knew she was wrong. She just didn't know if she could get away with it until she tried. Now she knows...and we are still friendly with each other. That's what counts.
There has been a seemingly nice young lady that was getting on at the stop where the downtown zone limits begin all week. One day, she was at the stop just before it. It is about 1-1 and a half blocks away. She smiled and put in 50 cents. I smiled and told her the fare was $1.75. She said she was just going downtown. I told her she was not within the downtown zone limits. She put in another quarter and looked at me. She went and sat down. I turned and looked at her like she lost her mind. I told her the fare was $1.75 and she came up and put in the missing dollar.
She's not a bad person. Just one that thought she'd test the limits. My thing is, there is a downtown zone...period. If you choose not to walk a block to be in it, then you have to pay the full fare. If we start extending the zone, soon people 6 blocks away will be doing the same thing.
The young lady got on the next day at the downtown zone stop. As usual, I smiled and said "Good morning" and she smiled and said "Good morning" to me. When she got off, I gave my usual "Have a nice day" and she thanked me and got off...no harm done.
I think most people know the rules, but some will try to bend them. She wasn't mad at me for enforcing the rules. I know she knew she was wrong. She just didn't know if she could get away with it until she tried. Now she knows...and we are still friendly with each other. That's what counts.
posted by Jeanne Ree at 10:52 AM
12 comments
