Transit thoughts....

This one may be a little long, bare with me.

I commute to NYC for work via the Long Island Railroad. I purchase a monthly ticket to cover the cost. On the 1st morning of a new month you are allowed to use the previous month's ticket but you must have the proper ticket on the return trip in the P.M. This month I used my April ticket on the morning of May 1st. with the intention of buying a May ticket that afternoon. On my way home I got a little sidetracked when I stopped to get a "sweet tea" (read my 1st post) and forgot to buy my monthly ticket. Uh ooooooh! I realized I'd forgotten as soon as the doors of the train closed. So, when the conductor comes through to check tickets, in my most humble voice I say "I don't have my ticket". BTW I also don't have any cash (all I had was $1.09, which I used on the tea). I never do, I use my trusty debit card for everything. Thus I am not even in a position to pay the jacked up fee they charge you for buying a ticket on the train. Oh yeah, as you already know I am black, the conductor was not. Well he is none too happy with me and he does not hold back letting me know. He starts telling me that this is unacceptable, it has been happening all through the train and that I'm going to have to pay. "I don't have any cash sir", I say. Well as you can imagine he gets angrier and he starts to yell at me and tell me he may have to call the police, etc... Now I don't check him on his tone and attitude because I am totally in the wrong and you know the old saying "you can catch more flies with honey blah, blah, blah. Being the skilled multitasker he his, he continues to go off on me, while asking the woman in the next bank of seats for her ticket-she happened to be black also. You guessed, it she was in the same situation as me, needless to say he straight loses it. After he rants some more we are both asked to produce identification, which he uses to scan a list he has in his pocket, which I assume is some sort of repeat offender list. Neither one of us is on his list. He issues us both a summons/ticket that must be paid by mail or at the main terminal in Penn Station. So clearly there is a procedure in place for such an occurrence. Fast forward to this past week, some 20 days into the month. I'm on my way home and a conductor is making his way through the train checking tickets (different guy, same persuasion). He comes upon a woman who is not black and she produces an April ticket, "I don't have my ticket" she says. The conductor mutters something under his breath, while giving her the evil eye and then without so much as a word he continues to travel through the train car. There is no yelling, no ranting, no threats, no embarrassment and most importantly no replacement ticket. I think to myself what is that all about? Is it simply a matter of inconsistency in enforcing policies or does she get a pass because of something else? What do you think?

Maybe I will have another opinion to share soon.....Be Well.