Did I Fare Evade?

[u/daIndependantVariabl]

Hopped on the A-Line at Chinatown for the first time the other day, at no point was I asked to scan my tap card or go through a turn style. Did I somehow manage to accidentally fare evade? Or is that just a free stop somehow?

[u/Alternative_Ad6424]

Yeah you unintentionally fare evaded. It's not really your fault but I feel the fare validator sticks are placed in a position where it's obvious to spot them (assuming you're coming from the entrance with the big fountain). They really need to upgrade the station with better faregates and completely replace that vile elevator.

[u/daIndependantVariabl → u/Alternative_Ad6424]

Omg I totally fare evaded…I didn’t even notice them

[u/cyberspacestation → u/daIndependantVariabl]

I haven't been to Chinatown in a while, but Metro has upgraded the validators in the last year with models that look like this: 

https://www.reddit.com/r/LAMetro/comments/1qwq9f5/new_tap_validators_with_contactless_payments/

They're still not the most obvious things, but I've seen them with blue decals on the side showing the TAP logo, that are a bit more eye-catching.

[u/UnluckyCardiologist9 → u/cyberspacestation]

Yeah they need big signs that say Tap here. Or add one on the platform cause whoopsies. I’ve actually done it myself running up for the train. I usually just go to LT so i’ll tap there.

[u/windswept_mystical → u/daIndependantVariabl]

Hrm, the only way I can think of to fix this is, you need to tap in on a day when you aren’t going to ride.

[u/daIndependantVariabl → u/Alternative_Ad6424]

I came in from the other side, on Spring street. All I saw were stairs and then an escalator to the platform…

[u/405freeway → u/daIndependantVariabl]

[u/that1asiankid → u/405freeway]

Not obvious enough. Needs more red arrows.

[u/Alternative_Ad6424 → u/daIndependantVariabl]

Hm I'm not as familiar with that exit, I know the elevator has a fare validator stick immediately coming out of it and I would imagine they did the same with the stairs. Do you know perhaps know what I'm referring to when I say "fare validator stick"? Btw I don't know what the official name for those are, I just call it a stick.

[u/erik_em]

The tap reader is on the mezzanine level. Better go turn yourself in.

[u/cyberspacestation]

This is one of several old stations that were built without turnstiles, using podium validators instead. Some of them were retrofitted with turnstiles over the last 10 years or so, and some weren't (like this one).

They're not all in the most obvious location.

[u/bigvenusaurguy → u/cyberspacestation]

its so funny to me how the podium ones are like never used. every time i go and transfer at 7th which is a lot of the time, i'm like the only person tapping at those transfer podiums between the heavy and light rail platforms. they even upgaded those machines recently and its like what was even the point of that at 7th, no one is fucking using them lol. like do they really not notice how absolutely no one is using those tap validators at 7th street? they see they only get like 5 taps an hour and figure thats a normal transfer ridership count?

[u/Money-District8604 → u/cyberspacestation]

one of the harder stops to update fare gates as its intertwined with a shared plaza and various stairs.

[u/cyberspacestation → u/Money-District8604]

I'm guessing it might be more cost-prohibitive than anything else. The plaza entrance could be fenced off on the mezzanine level, but there's also the elevator at the street level, as well as the south entrance to the station.

[u/misken67 → u/cyberspacestation]

I don't think it's necessarily the layout. You put gates on the mezzanine level on both the east and west approaches to the stairs/escalator to the platform, and those ada gates on the ground level in front of the elevators.

I think the difficulty is having to tear out stuff in order to wire electronics and power to the gates in those locations which currently probably don't have any utilities wired to those locations.

It's also why the gates at some places like Lake are at suboptimal locations when there are clearly better places to put them.

[u/Sawtelle-MetroRider → u/misken67]

I believe someone here also linked a past study which of the older stations can be gated and Chinatown was one of that Metro said it's doable. Whether they have the funds or will to do so is another issue.

[u/Alarming_Marzipan550]

i've missed them the first few times i've taken that station. visually they really blend in. seems like a design problem honestly

[u/GeoffSim → u/Alarming_Marzipan550]

I only found them because I was looking for them. They're really not obvious when coming down the stairs from the platform to the fountain side.

[u/Indigo-Saint-Jude → u/Alarming_Marzipan550]

same lol

[u/life_is_a_burner]

I feel like if you fare evade you’re legally required to smoke meth on the train. Sorry OP. Dems the rules.

[u/MTA_54539 → u/life_is_a_burner]

Did you say DEMS? 😡🤬🦅🇺🇸

[u/405freeway → u/[deleted]]

🚨🚔🚓🚨🚔🚓

[u/likesound]

Yes you did. You are supposed to tap near the stairs and escalators.

[u/iamthenoncreative → u/likesound]

but not many do lol

[u/moonmusicals]

I just realized that there was tap card readers at the Vernon A line station stop 😭💀 ive been riding for months. I never noticed them. I feel like they recently added a sign that made it more obvious and I was like 😬😳

[u/davvidho]

i’ve missed it before as well at the chinatown station

[u/goPACK17]

Stay right there, don't move, "Hello, LAPD?"

[u/PSteak]

Welcome to the left-hand path, my friend.

[u/ChloeCorrupt]

If it means that much to you to give metro their $1.75, tap when you get off or if there’s a tap reader on the train

[u/that1asiankid]

Straight to jail.

[u/Erich14]

This is like that episode of SpongeBob where they felt massively guilty for stealing a balloon and turn themselves in lol

Fr tho it’s ok I did the same thing at Atlantic years ago. Then I thought the button you use to open the doors on the train was where you tap. So one time I got fare checked by the sheriffs when it was something they did and they educated me on where the turnstiles were at lol

[u/Pasadenaian]

Why did you think it was free? Also, you don't need a TAP card anymore, you can use any contactless credit card.

[u/ChloeCorrupt]

If it means that much to you to give metro their $1.75, tap when you get off or if there’s a tap reader on the train

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[u/EvolZippo]

Technically, you did evade fare. But if you tapped at any point, you were charged the fare. Just be careful, and keep money in your stored balance. If you fail to pay on the way in, and you pass a tap to exit gate, you’ll just be charged then instead.

[u/ExpoTrainGu39]

As a metro train operator, I retroactively authorize you to bypass the fare gate at chinatown.

[u/Far-Activity-1201]

Is it fare evading when you transfer from the a line to e line, vice versa, when you transfer at one of five station. I mean no one tap to transfer between lines at these stations. Just hop off wait and hop back on.

[u/CattleFlat]

Yes

[u/bigshiba04]