MTA needs system to ensure fares are paid

Re “Trust, turnstiles and the underground economy,” March 5

D.J. Waldie just doesn’t get it. He tries, without success, to justify the illegal activity of fare scofflaws. When the Metropolitan Transportation Authority had a dedicated police department, we staffed the Red Line subway to have dedicated coverage for the stations and the trains at all hours. This was to provide not only for public safety but also to ensure that if you rode the train, you paid your fare. It was the law then, it still is today, and it should be enforced because it’s the right thing to do.

SGT. SCOTT ANDERSON

Maywood Police

Mid-Management Assn.

Maywood

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When I saw that the Metro didn’t have turnstiles, my first thought was how stupid it was to just trust people to pay the fare. All one has to do is go to the Bay Area and view a simple and efficient system that removes any doubt about whether people have paid their fares.

There will always be fare-jumpers, but the present system is just an invitation to play the odds for those who might have the slightest tendency in that direction. And it is very irresponsible of our government to have placed this temptation before them -- at the expense of the majority of taxpayers and riders and not, unfortunately, at the expense of those who designed this “honor” system.

BRIAN SHEPPARD

Encino