No matter the reason, you’re most likely walking out with a $124 dollar ticket that, likely, you won’t be able to ‘successfully’ contest. Face it. But the officers are also very real people. Behind their cold exteriors fronts a normal, everyday person. As we stood waiting for our coffee in the Dogpatch, perfect timing struck and an off-duty MUNI officer waltz’ right in. To protect his identity and to also keep his anonymity, we will refer to the officer as “A.” We approached A as a MUNI rider who had a few questions about the job, ticket system, and rider encounters—but we also offered to pay for their coffee & lunch if they answered a few questions. Please note that this transaction was written sloppy down in our notebooks. So enjoy: BC: If you don’t mind me asking, do you like your job and why? A: I love my job, it’s training me to later go into the police force. I get to meet a lot of community and people. It’s quite rewarding. BC: Do you ever feel that this job is a waste of time? A: No—again, the people make it worth it. BC: What is the most interesting encounter you’ve had with a rider. A: Maybe not most interesting but one time a group of asian girls barreled through me to get out of a ticket.
BC: That actually leads me into my next question: does paying ‘your fare share’ do anything? A: I can’t comment on that. BC: What are your hopes and dream? A: I want to serve my community, I’m SF born-and-raised in the Sunset and my dad was a MUNI operator. He’s since retired and he would have so many stories when he came home from work every night. I aspire to be him. BC: What got you into this line of work? A: You know, it seemed like the right fit. I had been working in private security but you’re pretty chained down to one location and building for most of the day so getting to be a Municipal officer allows me to kind of go around the city. BC: I assume it comes with the territory? A: What do you mean? BC: I mean, people must hate you for what you do? A: Look, man… I’m just doing my job and if someone really want to evade a two-dollar-and-75-cent fare to then get a ticket that could be upwards of $129 dollars, that’s their choice. BC: So why are tickets so expensive? A: Essentially, It helps to deter people from wanting to evade again and gets them starting to pay their fare share. BC: What if someone gives you a fake name and address? Do they still have to pay. A: I can’t comment on that either. BC: Last question before you have to head off—how can I tell when a MUNI officer is going to be at a stop? A: You can’t ever tell. Hahaha. BC: Jeez, thanks… haha. // Photography courtesy of the National Association of Transit City Officials
