MTA fine

Hey everyone! Is there anyone else in the Washington, D.C. area who’s dealt with something similar? So, I basically just got my first ticket from the MTA today... I was just heading two stops over to an ATM after finishing an exam, and since I’d been hyper-focused on studying, I didn't have any cash or my ID on me (just my student ID and bank card). I hadn't topped up my transit pass yet because I haven't even been in D.C. most of this month. And of course, my luck was terrible. The fare inspector grabbed my student ID right out of my hand after about ten minutes of lecturing me, threatening to call the police because I didn't have a driver's license on me. She even threatened to slam the brakes on the tram so I'd be liable for "misuse of emergency equipment" or whatever... Then she wrote up the citation and asked for my birthday, but she actually misspelled my last name—like, she missed two letters, it looks like a completely different name now. Now I'm wondering if it's worth going down to the depot to apologize and just pay for a pass, or if that would just make things way worse since the name on the ticket isn't technically mine.

You've got a Legal thread for all that.

If she didn't get the last name right, you probably won't face any fines—at least, not likely.

Seriously, can you not just step away from the controls for one second? 🤣
And don't even get me started on how accurate that birthday is 🤣

feralcrane19 said:Can't you just stay away from the transit fare inspectors?🤣
and even then, getting your birth date wrong...🤣

Zahaltal confronted me right as the bus was pulling away, and honestly, I’m just not the type to get into an argument—especially not with some fake blonde wearing ten pounds of makeup. I only spoke up because she refused to hand my ID back. I had no way of knowing she wouldn't even be able to transcribe basic info from it...

If you don't have an MTA pass and you're thinking about riding just a couple of stops, my advice is to hang out near the doors when you hop on. Keep a close eye on that yellow validator, too. Sometimes the system glitches during inspections and the screen flashes "Inspection in Progress" in bright red letters, which can be a bit of a giveaway.

As for the fare inspectors themselves—look, I get it, they’re just doing their jobs. But if one of them starts getting aggressive or tries to pull some nonsense like threatening to slam the emergency brakes just to issue a fine, I wouldn't sit there and take it. I’d head straight to the depot to file a formal complaint against them. If you didn't catch their name, just tell the MTA management exactly which line you were on and what time it happened.

feralangler70 said:Zahaltal cut me off right as the train was pulling away—and honestly, I’m just not the type to get into an argument, especially not with some fake blonde who looks like she’s wearing ten pounds of makeup. I only spoke up because she refused to give my ID back. I mean, how could I assume she even knows how to read?

Sent from my LG-D331 via Tapatalk

Does my ID actually show my date of birth? Not on mine— 🤷

Drew Sanchez82 said:If you’re planning on riding the MTA without a fare for a couple of stops—just a heads-up—stay close to the doors when you board. Keep an eye on that yellow validator, too; the inspectors always seem to jam the system so it flashes "inspection in progress" in red right when you need it.

As for those fare inspectors—look, I get it, they’re just doing their jobs. But when they start getting aggressive and making threats like trying to force a fine by slamming the brakes on a subway car, that's crossing a line. If that happened to me, I'd head straight to the MTA depot to file a formal complaint against them. Even if I didn't catch a name, I'd just tell the office which line I was on and what time it went down.

It’s actually the opposite—you need to get away from the door. You're the first target there, and you won't have any time to realize they've already come in.

Drew Sanchez82 said:If you don't have an MTA pass and you're thinking about riding just a couple of stops, always hang out near the exit doors. Keep a close eye on that yellow validation machine... sometimes the system glitches during inspections and displays "inspection in progress" in red letters, preventing you from validating...

As for the inspectors themselves, I get that they're just doing their jobs. But when they start making threats—like trying to force a fine by slamming the tram brakes—I’d personally head straight to the depot to file a complaint against them. If you don't catch their name, just tell the MTA which line it was and what time it happened...

The three of us girls were right by the back doors, so we were her first targets. Regarding complaining about the fine, there's a record of the inspector's ID, the date, and the route, so I could definitely track her down... though I'd much rather never run into her again.

Xica doesn't even ask for your birth date. Honestly, it was my own fault for telling her... but like I said, she refused to give my ID back. By then, she had already kicked me off the tram and kept up all this unnecessary drama. Maybe you guys think this is funny, but I'm really not a confrontational person. I tried to be reasonable and told her I would just get off the tram, but she just kept getting worse and worse. At that point, I couldn't even tell if she actually called the police or not. I just wanted to get away from her as fast as possible, even if it meant taking the fine I deserved... but this was truly one of the worst attitudes I've ever encountered...

Anthony Jackson2 said:Wait, does your transit pass actually show your birthdate? Mine definitely doesn't.🤷

It’s actually the opposite—you really want to stay away from the doors. If you're right there, you're the first target, and by the time you realize they've even boarded, it's too late.

That’s the thing. Those validation machines are usually right by the doors. When the bus or train is packed tight, it’s hard to tell if enforcement is on board without seeing that machine active.
Usually, the screen shows if an inspector is currently running a check.

feralangler70 said:I was sitting by the back doors, and my two friends and I were the very first ones she went after. As for complaining about the fine, it lists the officer's ID, the date, and the route, so I could technically contest it, but honestly, I’d rather just not run into her again.

The card doesn't have a birthdate on it. I feel pretty silly for even mentioning it to her, but like I said, she refused to give my ID back. Everything happened so fast once she kicked me off the bus and things just spiraled into this huge drama. Maybe you guys think this is funny, but I’m really not a confrontational person. I was just trying to be reasonable and told her I’d just get off the bus, but she just kept getting more and more aggressive. At that point, I couldn't even tell if she had actually called the cops or not. I just wanted to get away from her as fast as possible, even if it meant taking the fine. It was easily one of the worst interactions I've ever had with transit staff.

They definitely know whether to hit the front or back doors. Sometimes they'll grab both ends at once if there's a pair of them walking toward the middle from either side.

Honestly, they probably only threaten to call the police to scare people into paying. It’s not worth their time to deal with the headache of a cheap fare$3.25 and then waiting around for a cop to show up.
When I was a kid, they used to pull me over all the time and threaten me with the police, too, but nothing ever actually happened. No cops, no nothing.

By the way, I always hear that when people get caught, they refuse to give their real info or just make stuff up. I don't blame them, though. It feels pretty stupid to pay a massive fine$3.25 just for a few minutes of riding.

If the MTA had a system more like those local suburban shuttles, or if Amtrak charged based on the actual distance traveled, I bet there would be way less fare evasion and fewer headaches for everyone.

Drew Sanchez82 said:It's tough. There's usually a validator near the doors. When the subway is packed to the gills, you barely notice when transit officers board...
The screen on the device usually indicates if an inspection is underway.

They might enter through the front or back doors. Sometimes they come in pairs, splitting up to meet in the middle from both ends.

They probably just threaten to call the cops to intimidate anyone caught without a pass. It's not worth their time to deal with a cheap ticket $3.25 and wait around for the police to show up.
When I was a kid, they used to stop me all the time, threatening me with the police too, but nothing ever actually happened... no consequences, no cops.

By the way, I always hear that when people get caught, they refuse to give their real info. They make things up on the spot. I don't blame them, though—it’s idiotic to pay $3.25 for just a few minutes of travel.

If the MTA had a system more like those suburban bus lines, or if Amtrak charged based on distance, I think fare evasion and all these headaches would drop significantly.

True, as a student, every cent counts! xD
But what I want to know is: does the officer with that handheld device have access to a database? On Xica, it only shows my name and photo, and she transcribed it (incorrectly) and then asked for my birthday and street address. She didn't ask for my city or zip code, so I was terrified thinking she was checking to see if I was lying to her...

Honestly, that device is barely reliable enough for checking basic maps, let alone being trusted with access to any kind of sensitive database.

Taylor Gray5 said:That device should probably just stick to checking maps... they definitely shouldn't have access to any actual databases.

Man, give me a break. Good luck finding me if they have my wrong last name and an address without a city. If I actually showed up to a DMV appointment, they'd probably slap me with a fine because they have the wrong info. I guess...
And then you hear people talking about how they have three unpaid tickets and nothing happens at all...