elina

In Europe people who regularly use public city transport have prepayed tickets. You can purchase one that is valid for one month, three months or a whole year. So, locals DO bother with tickets.

And Gordie, it is because that "stinkin socialism" European towns have efficient public transportation that is affordable to everyone.

gordiemonster

Thanks for the advice Phil, but I'll be back, metro/bus/vaporetto ticket in hand, cause I'm freakin innocent! From now on at least. I love Europe, to visit--just not to live.

Yah, so my political views sorta slipped out in my first post. Honestly, I was just so giddy about telling my story--the original poster practically begged for it--I got carried away. I don't retract what I said though. I do think socialism sucks. I lived in Australia for the better part of a year, and I think that if anyone could make a decent case for the success of socialism it's those lovable Aussies, but I still found it hugely inferior to capitalism, mostly because it chooses to ignore the Natural state of man--that he is fallen, greedy, and requires competition and monetary or other self-serving incentive to achieve excellence in his work.

Besides Every socialist country I've ever been too, which is basically everywhere outside of the US I've been, is amoral and Godless. That's why it seemed appropriate at the time to jump their metros, because they seemingly have no moral compass anyway. But again, I was a fool (and dare I say it a hypocrite) to just maintain the status quo in ole Europa. I should have distinguished myself as the morally upright American that I am.

Sure, there exist thousands of terrific European individuals, I met many of these. I don't mean to decry the ethics or morality of every European individual or lump them all together--I love Spaniards in particular. But the fact remains, that by in large the systems of government that reign in these countries are premised on a philosophy that is anti-God. That's a recipe for disaster, Phil. And disaster will ultimately come. Pray for reform and for revival, that's my advice to you, my friend.

I presume that I might incur all sorts of scathing insults like hypocrite since I keep making allusions to God and Christianity but just remember...I confessed both my sin and the fact that I behaved like a hypocrite in jumping the metro, and that seems to me the only way to absolve one's self of hypocrisy. So, hypocrite I am not.

Now, all you would-be political/moral philosophers have ample ammo to fire away, no?

Cheers

gordiemonster

Elina, on your first point you are correct. However, I acknowledged that in my first post when I referred to "season passes". On the second point, DC, NYC, and Chicago to name a few, have comparable public transit systems with cheap ticket prices

angeleno

i don't think DC's metro is inexpensive at all. it's convenient and clean, sure, but not cheap. if i could figure out how to board without paying, I would

Christina

I live in DC and you are completely and totally wrong in claiming that DC has a cheap metro system without socialism. It is rather expensive and poor people can't really afford it very well. They don't have many good passes, either, which is the problem, unlike Paris where a resident can buy a very reasonable monthly pass. It isn't even close to the price in Prague where they have very cheap long-term passes, such as for a week. For example, it costs about $2.50 for a single trip during peak hours (which are quite a long period, when people commute and far beyond that) just from one edge of the city to the other. It's more if you go farther into the suburbs, which many people have to do to get to work. A WEEKLY unlimited metro pass is $25 here, much more than any European city I know.

The amorality and hypocrisy of someone claiming to be very religious and Christian who thinks it is okay to steal from others (including poor countries like the Czech Republic) whenever they want (the fact that it is a service rather than an object, doesn't make it not stealing) or decide they don't like someone doesn't surprise me. The logic that it is okay to steal from a socialist society because those residents pay higher taxes for their public services, and you don't so it's okay to steal them, is truly bizarre. I don't think much of most organized religions or people who need to proclaim how religious (or capitalist) they are in comparison to others and this is one example of why, it is meaningless in real moral terms.

SaraL

I often thought about not paying as you say many other people don't seem to pay. BUT guess what I bought a ticket in Florence and forgot to stamp it on the bus, 2 stops later inspectors got on and were really abusive in Italian, they then switched to english when they threatened and started to call the police. We each got fined 40 Euros and it spolit our day in Florence.
I think the DC fares are reasnoble for tourists, $1.10 a trip is a lot cheaper than say London which is about 1.60GBP ($2.20) for a single trip

i_am_kane

Sure did see one try to get away without paying for a ticket on a vaporetto in Venice. The police were on the boat asking for a show of tickets, and one guy could produce one. They were very discreet about it, but he was escorted off the vaporetto. However, one they found him, they stopped the search, and no other passengers were asked to produce their tickets. We were legitimate, but it could be embarassing if you don't have a ticket.