Comments on: Fine example http://www.saysuncle.com/2005/12/10/fine_example/ Remember, I do this to entertain me... not you. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 07:01:00 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Dumb Criminals » MARTA Rider Busted for Selling a Token - Funny Crimes, Stupid Crooks, and Dumb Criminals http://www.saysuncle.com/2005/12/10/fine_example/comment-page-1/#comment-41474 Dumb Criminals » MARTA Rider Busted for Selling a Token - Funny Crimes, Stupid Crooks, and Dumb Criminals Tue, 13 Dec 2005 16:05:36 +0000 http://www.saysuncle.com/archives/2005/12/10/fine_example/#comment-41474 [...] Sometimes we deviate from dumb criminals to share an occasional story about ridiculous enforcement. Criminals certainly don’t have a monopoloy on poor judgment. An Atlanta man was arrested for helping out a fellow MARTA passenger when the token vending machine failed to operate. Thanks to gunner over at SayUncle for bringing to light this absurd turn of events. The original story can be found here. Transit police handcuffed and cited a man who sold a $1.75 subway token to another rider who was having trouble with a token vending machine. Transit authority spokeswoman Jocelyn Baker said Friday that the officer “acted within the law” after he spotted Donald Pirone, 42, selling the token Nov. 30 inside the West End subway station [...] [...] Sometimes we deviate from dumb criminals to share an occasional story about ridiculous enforcement. Criminals certainly don’t have a monopoloy on poor judgment. An Atlanta man was arrested for helping out a fellow MARTA passenger when the token vending machine failed to operate. Thanks to gunner over at SayUncle for bringing to light this absurd turn of events. The original story can be found here. Transit police handcuffed and cited a man who sold a $1.75 subway token to another rider who was having trouble with a token vending machine. Transit authority spokeswoman Jocelyn Baker said Friday that the officer “acted within the law” after he spotted Donald Pirone, 42, selling the token Nov. 30 inside the West End subway station [...]

]]> By: SayUncle » Are you kidding me? http://www.saysuncle.com/2005/12/10/fine_example/comment-page-1/#comment-41342 SayUncle » Are you kidding me? Mon, 12 Dec 2005 13:37:55 +0000 http://www.saysuncle.com/archives/2005/12/10/fine_example/#comment-41342 [...] As though this wasn’t bad enough, this is an all time low: Charles Atherton, a former secretary of the U.S. Commission on Fine Arts that advises the government on architecture and design in official Washington, was hit Thursday while crossing busy Connecticut Avenue. He died Saturday night at George Washington University Hospital. [...] [...] As though this wasn’t bad enough, this is an all time low: Charles Atherton, a former secretary of the U.S. Commission on Fine Arts that advises the government on architecture and design in official Washington, was hit Thursday while crossing busy Connecticut Avenue. He died Saturday night at George Washington University Hospital. [...]

]]> By: Ravenwood http://www.saysuncle.com/2005/12/10/fine_example/comment-page-1/#comment-41258 Ravenwood Mon, 12 Dec 2005 02:16:05 +0000 http://www.saysuncle.com/archives/2005/12/10/fine_example/#comment-41258 It's been years since I rode MARTA, but if I had to guess, I'd say it has to do with subsidies. MARTA (like D.C.) may sell discounted tokens to city employees and "the poor", and is worried about them being resold at a profit. It’s been years since I rode MARTA, but if I had to guess, I’d say it has to do with subsidies. MARTA (like D.C.) may sell discounted tokens to city employees and “the poor”, and is worried about them being resold at a profit.

]]> By: Manish http://www.saysuncle.com/2005/12/10/fine_example/comment-page-1/#comment-41133 Manish Sun, 11 Dec 2005 04:28:03 +0000 http://www.saysuncle.com/archives/2005/12/10/fine_example/#comment-41133 This is absolutely ridiculous This is absolutely ridiculous

]]> By: Xrlq http://www.saysuncle.com/2005/12/10/fine_example/comment-page-1/#comment-41085 Xrlq Sat, 10 Dec 2005 23:41:43 +0000 http://www.saysuncle.com/archives/2005/12/10/fine_example/#comment-41085 I'm at a lost to see what token "abuse" (resale) can possibly "cost" MARTA, except in terms of lost windfall profits on the sales of the original tokens, some of which would otherwise have gone to waste. I’m at a lost to see what token “abuse” (resale) can possibly “cost” MARTA, except in terms of lost windfall profits on the sales of the original tokens, some of which would otherwise have gone to waste.

]]> By: Everett http://www.saysuncle.com/2005/12/10/fine_example/comment-page-1/#comment-41080 Everett Sat, 10 Dec 2005 15:35:21 +0000 http://www.saysuncle.com/archives/2005/12/10/fine_example/#comment-41080 Assuming that "fare abuse" is only people reselling tokens and doesn't include things like jumping the turnstiles, MARTA must be saying that is suffers "losses from predicted sales that never materialize (versus an actual decrease is revenue or units sold). Thus, MARTA's approval for the preposterous criminalization of reselling (even at face value!) of tokens is merely an underhanded scheme to bolster what, if Atlanta public transit follows the example of every other system in the country, lack of sufficient revenue generated from ridership. That is, MARTA must be counting on the fact that by selling tokens of fixed value (I assume - I've never ridden the subway in Atlanta, but "token" brings to mind a coin-like object rather than the magnetic striped tickets of something like the San Francisco BART), there will be an inherent inefficiency in the market allowing them to garner a bit of extra revenue for service not provided. Now, at a private establishment that sells tokens, tickets, special debit cards, etc. (e.g. a traveling carnival or Jillians) youre consenting to wasting a bit of the value of the proprietary currency. The same thing could be said about MARTA, but the crucial difference is that it is a government entity going out of its way to deny you the opportunity to redeem the value of your token, either through clever pricing schemes (i.e. tokens cost $1.75 and the shortest ride is $2.00) or forbidding transfer of the token. That then, constitutes not only willfully foisting an economic inefficiency upon the public (hmm, this seems to be a theme with governments), but a tax. Assuming that “fare abuse” is only people reselling tokens and doesn’t include things like jumping the turnstiles, MARTA must be saying that is suffers “losses from predicted sales that never materialize (versus an actual decrease is revenue or units sold). Thus, MARTA’s approval for the preposterous criminalization of reselling (even at face value!) of tokens is merely an underhanded scheme to bolster what, if Atlanta public transit follows the example of every other system in the country, lack of sufficient revenue generated from ridership.

That is, MARTA must be counting on the fact that by selling tokens of fixed value (I assume – I’ve never ridden the subway in Atlanta, but “token” brings to mind a coin-like object rather than the magnetic striped tickets of something like the San Francisco BART), there will be an inherent inefficiency in the market allowing them to garner a bit of extra revenue for service not provided. Now, at a private establishment that sells tokens, tickets, special debit cards, etc. (e.g. a traveling carnival or Jillians) youre consenting to wasting a bit of the value of the proprietary currency. The same thing could be said about MARTA, but the crucial difference is that it is a government entity going out of its way to deny you the opportunity to redeem the value of your token, either through clever pricing schemes (i.e. tokens cost $1.75 and the shortest ride is $2.00) or forbidding transfer of the token. That then, constitutes not only willfully foisting an economic inefficiency upon the public (hmm, this seems to be a theme with governments), but a tax.

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