More Stinginess?

I was in Dallas recently and rode their light rail, which is one of those “honor system” arrangements where there is no one taking your ticket but you are supposed to have one anyway. Fare patrol officers will randomly board cars and ask for tickets, and if you caught without one, you get a fine.

I didn’t have any cash with me, but at the station where I bought my first ticket, there was a machine that took credit cards, so it was no problem. The station from which my return trip departed did not take credit cards, and cash was the only option for buying a ticket. I found an ATM nearby, but it was going to cost me $3.50 in bank fees to get cash. The tickets cost $1.50, and I never learned how much the fine was, but I figure there’s no way that paying effectively 3x the value of a ticket is +EV relative to rolling the dice and boarding without a ticket. So, that’s what I do.

The train arrives, and as I board, I see that the person boarding immediately after me is a far patrol officer. I run so bad.

He recognizes a woman on the train and chats with her for a minute, bragging about how many people he catches on this line. He is a young, jovial fellow, and very fat. I figure he will be looking for people who look nervous or evasive, so I throw on my best poker face and join in the conversation. I remark on how underused the train seems to be (basically it looked like only the poorest 20% or so of the city was using it, even though it seemed quite pleasant and convenient), in part to make conversation and in part to establish that I am not from around here. We chat for a minute, and at the next station, the officer gets off without checking anyone’s ticket.

Ship it.