A People’s History of MTA Fare Hikes
Even as long ago as 1948, New Yorkers blamed transit workers who don’t pay fares for the system’s problems. (They also blamed firemen back then, who were allowed to ride for free as well.) “While there may be some reason for the policemen to have this privilege,” wrote one reader, “there is not the slightest justification for the firemen and transit employees to have it.” I dunno, asking transit workers to pay fares always seemed crazy to me, like if this magazine made me buy copies of it. They work there.