Dear Americans: About Subways

[Zorkaz]

I assume you buy a ticket before you pass a barrier in the subways that let's you through depending on if you have it or not.

 

But is it custom to also have a conductor down there checking them?

[StormWolf01]

Heyas Zorkaz!

This is a cool question and I'm happy to participate!

Ok, this is related to the states of New York, and New Jersey.

There's two versions. PRE Covid, and POST Covid.

 

PRE Covid: There was a person in a booth, that you could get your tickets from (who were always rude and nasty, and had no time or patience to try to help you, even if you or your child was lost!) , or you could get them out of a vending machine that only took dollar bills or plastic.

You could also order a monthly pass. Dunno much about that, tho.

POST Covid: The NY/NJ Transit moved pretty much everything to digital. You have to sign up an account with them, order and pay for your tickets online through an app on your phone.

 

But yes, there are still conductors. But only on the actual trains. The trains that run the subways do not have conductors, and have not had so for many years.

 

As a sidenote: NY subways have become increasingly more and more dangerous with a much greater proliferation of violence, crime, and even sexual assaults; Post Flloyd.

 

[Edit] The actual trains, you get charged from Point A to Point B. Meaning, how far you are traveling. For a subway, it's one price goes. You get on the train, and you can literally run the route ALL DAY. A lot of unfortunates tend to do that, for shelter. If you're interested, years back, there used to also be unfortunates riding the trains, trying to sell newspapers, that were written by a charity org, that helped the homeless.

Occassionally, there are still performers working the trains. But a lot of the recent explosion of crimes and violence has driven a great many of them to safer climates.

[fraquar]

Every train I know of has someone checking tickets. You don't always see them, but they are randomly checking throughout the day.

The question is if you play the margins, do they find you that day?

Was that way in Germany and pretty much all of Europe when I was stationed there - and that was what? 30+ years ago?

They worked on the honor system, you just boarded the bus, train, etc and it moved on - it had a very, very tight schedule to stay on.

Lets just say in 9 years in Germany I never saw a late bus - and never saw one wait for someone running to it either. Your job was to be there ON TIME, so the bus could stay ON TIME.

 

In Germany, the fine wasn't worth the risk.

You could buy 3 months worth of tickets for the cost of the fine.

If you were in the Military like I was and they caught you - not only do you pay the fine, but likely (99.9% likelihood) lose 1/2 of your wages for 2 months on top of that - are in TOP's doghouse for even longer and your life gets restricted to the barracks. Only an idiot would risk that.

 

Currently I live in Texas. I can just walk on the train (they don't have subways in Texas), no biggie.

If they have the guy come asking to see tickets on that trip? Gig is up. Unless you stink to high heaven and look like a homeless person - you are getting billed to pay the local "Uncle Sam".....

Edited August 26, 2022 by fraquar

[Zorkaz]

Yeah okay so it's like in Austria.

I just was confused because I played Darkside Detective and in one story a conductor asks you for your ticket before you get in.

[RoNin1971]

Not an American and no recent knowledge, but back in '97 they still used tokens in NY :)

...and most subway stations looked like caves... (I mean, there where literally stalactites growing from the ceiling...)

 

The token would allow you access to the subway system, so it didn't matter if it was only for going to the next station or stay down there "indefinitely".

[StormWolf01]

The token would allow you access to the subway system, so it didn't matter if it was only for going to the next station or stay down there "indefinitely".

 

 

For the actual subways, yeah pretty much. Whatever fee you pay, is just to get you past the turn styles. Beyond that point it's whatever you want to do, unless you exit the point where you have to go back past the turn styles.

 

Didn't know Texas had subs! That's cool!

 

If you want to make the turn styles authentic, Zorkaz, make sure that the player can jump over them :laugh:

[Moksha8088]

 

But is it custom to also have a conductor down there checking them?

It was customary in the 1950's that this game uses as a theme.