Skipping on the fare
Meet Planka.
"Buses, trams, commuter trains and subways are necessary for us to get around in society. We cannot choose to walk 5 kilometers if it does not suit us to pay the fare. The public transportation should be like the sidewalk – paid by all, free to walk on.
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"Plankakassan, or the p-kassa, is a fund for fines available to the free riders in the Stockholm public transport system. As a member, the fine you get from the SL controllers for free riding, gets paid by the fund."
Basically, you pay these guys a very reasonable fee ($10/month, $50/half-year) and they cover any and all fines you may infer from "planking" (the Swedish term for dodging the fare.) Planka seems to have come about in response to the ubiquity of planking here in Stockholm. Stand by the entrance at any subway stop and you'll be amazed at the number of people casually skipping on the fare. It's not just youths either. Guys with briefcases. Fancily clad women. Families.
I suppose when you pay some of the highest taxes in the world, you get a bit more demanding about public transit. And for good reason. I can't help but wonder if the recent substantial reduction in transit fares has something to do with Planka. Keep up the good work guys.
posted by Liam at 2:16 PM
5 Comments:
Wow, hippie spam. Always wanting to make history and beautiful things...
I admire the underground/rebellious aspect of Planka. Organized civil disobedience at it's best.
Too bad this won't fly in Toronto, where public transit communters are already generally villified for not owning a V12 Suburban.
A Planka type deal here would be akin to squeegie kids unionizing to: (1) get acess to better windshield cleaning fluids and, (2) obtaining the legal right to take a dump on the hood if they feel your tip was insufficient.
There's an idea. Dumpa Toronto. Wanna join?
People in Toronto seem too complacent. I've never seen people hopping the 'stiles in TO the way they do here. Realistically, the ticket dude is not about to hop out of the booth to chase money for his/her boss. What are we so scared of?
I dunno, as a service that I use and appreciate, the TTC can have my fare. I just wish it was a bit more, er, fair. Like $3.00 per trip isn't fair at all. But I'm not about to start hoppin' the stiles, they're in enough money trouble as is.
Honestly though, if people got righteous, the government would be more hard pressed to jump in and alleviate the issue. No, wait, I mean they'd blame the "troublemaking" public and spend more money prosecuting them for their petty crimes than they would add to the budget. But seriously, you gotta get radical. Shit, the TTC staff recently announced that they weren't going to chase people who skipped on the fare, and people STILL paid! The TTC is a joke, and it should be treated as one. I know it's not their fault, but shit, something's gotta give.
I work for GO Transit in Toronto. Our system is the honour system. You must pay for a ticket before you board or have a monthly pass or 2 or 10 ride ticket that you punch.
If the Transit police catch without a ticket or you did not punch you will recieve a fine.
If you don't pay the fine either a collection agency, the court (if you have alot of fines) or you go to renew your driver's license you will pay then.
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