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New York, NY - Fine for Sneaking Through Back Door of Bus Goes Up |
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Jul 06, 2008 at 10:00 PM
News Source: 1010 WINS
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New York, NY - Getting caught trying to beat transit fares is about to get more expensive.
Starting Monday, the fine for jumping the subway turnstile or sneaking through the back door of a bus goes up $100 to $160.
If you think that those are arts of the past, you're mistaken. The NYPD issued 85,000 summonses for it last year, officials said. Over $7 million in fines were collected.
The hike was unanimously approved by the MTA's board last month.
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Read Comments (6) — Post Yours »
1
Jul 07, 2008 at 02:45 AM Anonymous Says:
Not that I condone fare beating, but this is crazy $160.00 fine for beating a $2.00 fare. With that logic why not punish them to death by the firing squad.
The 8th Amendment to our constitution explicitly forbids the government from imposing excessive fines. This to me sounds excessive, cruel and unconstitutional.
I guess over $7,000.000 is not enough for them to pilfer.
2
Jul 07, 2008 at 08:53 AM Straphanger Says:
In Rummel v. Estelle, 445 U.S. 263 (1980), the Court upheld a life sentence with the possibility of parole for fraud crimes totaling $230.
Soooooo, a $160 fine for trying to beat a $2 fare sounds like a bargain!
If it's too expensive, then there's also the option of just paying the $2 fare like the rest of us law abiding citizens do.
3
Jul 07, 2008 at 09:46 AM Sheesh Says:
Straphanger Says:
If it's too expensive, then there's also the option of just paying the $2 fare like the rest of us law abiding citizens do.
07-07-2008 - 8:53 AM
I didn't think of that.
4
Jul 07, 2008 at 10:17 AM Anonymous Says:
Straphanger-
The point in that case was that the Texas statutes made it a felony for theft and other fraud crimes, even for such a small amount. It wasn't the Supreme Court who had it wrong there, rather it was the Texas legistlature.
5
Jul 07, 2008 at 03:05 PM Straphanger Says:
Anonymous:
The text of the 8th amendment reads: "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted".
If the Texas statute was "wrong" for making such "trivial" things a felony (thus carrying with them such an "excessive" punishment, then the Supreme Court could not have upheld the sentence. The statute would have been struck down as unconstitutional.
Food for thought: In a beis din society, if a ben-noach is neherag by beis din for gezel it is not considered a "cruel and unusual punishment". Thus, the firing squad might not be such a fallacy after all.
Sheesh:
The reason they are upping the fine is that there were at least 85,000 people (who got caught + all those who didn't get caught) who also didn't think of paying the fare. - Nothing like the memory of paying a a stiff fine to jog the good old gray matter between the ears.
BTW, when people don't pay their fare, we all suffer, as the transit system runs on a deficit, and we then have foot the bill on behalf of the freeloaders, in the form of a price hike.
6
Jul 09, 2008 at 02:12 AM BiggestFish Says:
Quote:
"Conclusion
In a 5-to-4 decision, the Court held that the life sentence imposed by Texas law did not constitute cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments. The Court held that Texas had a significant interest in dealing "in a harsher manner with those who by repeated criminal acts have shown that they are simply incapable of conforming to the norms of society." The Court also noted that Texas had "a relatively liberal policy of granting 'good time' credits to its prisoners," indicating that there was a possibility that Rummel would not be imprisoned for the rest of his life."
So, 1. He was a repeat offender.
2. In texas a life sentence doesn't mean life.