Some 90 miles north of Philadelphia, there’s a reckoning going on over paying for subway rides. Unlike in Philly, which recently decriminalized fare evasion, New York City is ramping up its enforcement.It's absurd that a $2.50 fare dodge anywhere should be a criminal offense. It isn't one when you steal a greater value of parking by not feeding the meter. More than that, nobody ever gets arrested for "dodging" much more expensive regional rail fares. Sure in theory you can buy tickets on the train but they don't take cards and at worst they'll chuck you off the train though that's highly selective (in my vast experience around the world, if you look like you "made an oopsie" and really intended to pay your fare they let you go and if you look like someone who would try to dodge a fare they don't and we can all guess what goes into that determination, generally).
There's no way this is in net a money "saver" of course. Cops are expensive as are trials and incarceration. In NYC it's $2.75. Give people the equivalent of a parking ticket.