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A fare fight: Woman charged with throwing coins at T bus driver
By adamg on Mon, 06/15/2009 - 12:56pm
Coin toss, MBTA style, as captured by a bus surveillance camera.
A Dorchester woman faces assault and battery charges after allegedly throwing a bunch of coins at a driver on a Route 66 bus who wouldn't let her board because the amount of coins wasn't enough for one fare.
Chantal Williams was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (coins) following the incident last night around 11:50, the T says. According to a Transit Police report, Williams got on the bus at Roxbury Crossing and told the driver "I only have this change and you're gonna let me ride the bus." The driver responded by radioing his dispatcher that he needed a passenger removed for refusing to pay the fare. That allegedly did not sit well with Williams who, on leaving the bus "threw all the change in her hand in the driver's face."
A bus inspector saw Williams standing at the bus stop in front of the Reggie Lewis Arena and flagged down a passing Boston cruiser, whose officers took Williams for a ride back to Dudley, where an MBTA cop was waiting, the report says.
The bus driver did not require medical treatment.
Innocent, etc.
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Comments
Chantal Williams? Is that
Chantal Williams? Is that Irish?
Bullshit!
This didn't happen! As someone who rides the bus regularly, all you have to do is feed a bunch of coins in to the farebox, and walk down the aisle. The driver hits a button, the farebox displays "SHORT FARE". Bing!
Or, be like the asshole today on the 39: jump on at the back door and flash your charliecard, because mere possession of a charliecard is good enough.
Another Method
My kids inadvertantly discovered this:
Tap charlie card - registers as "not enough fare"
Start pulling out money/change and counting it
Driver says "it's broken" or "just forget it"
Of course the system gets their money anyway if they board a train later on, but the broken add fare systems or the driver wanting to forget about it do mean free rides sometime. It also probably helps if you are clearly acting in good faith with full intention of paying your fare.
As for "this didn't happen", well, there are security cameras for that. Just ask the guy who drove the 111 route - or used to.
Coins are dangerous weapons?
Coins are dangerous weapons? Then I'd better make sure I purge my house, and pants, of them before I hurt myself or someone I care about.
Change isn't even safe in CharlieTicket form
I paid my bus fare this afternoon with a $5 bill, and the box printed a CharlieTicket for the $3.50 change with "NOT VALID FOR TRAVEL" emblazoned on it.
They're not taking any chances.