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All MTA workers are hopelessly unequipped to deal with violence in their workplace. I was kicked in the stomach several times on the subway stairs at 59th St. I went straight to the booth and asked the MTA employee to call the police. (And at 59th St. there is a police office about 50 yards from this booth). She was very apologetic because she had to tell me to go through the turnstile and go to the police myself--she had no way of contacting them from her booth. By that point the perpetrator had walked over to the other train and hopped on.
We have to ask why bus drivers and booth operators aren't equipped with an immediate line of access to police in an emergency.

Radio is not the best way to inform police because the fare-beater can hear the message and leave bus before police arrives. However it can be a simple device on which driver press couple of buttons to inform police about violation via wireless telephone that will tell police where bus is located and where is next stop to capture the violater. This device will be type of iPhone or Blackberry.

I ride the B48 almost the whole route every day and I feel really protective of the bus drivers. They have to deal with double parking and drivers constantly blocking them and generally making the drive difficult, and then there are riders who are rude or try to get on for free or complain (as if the driver can control the traffic). In general though, I think people appreciate the drivers and are respectful. I've had a driver deal with a fare jumper by pulling over and calling some police officers on the street onto the bus. I thought the officers might have been stationed along the route specifically for that reason. They should do that for areas where this is a constant problem.

I have no gun or bat, this is not my money. I am not going to get hurt defending a system that will just have someone take my run the next day or next hour if I get injured demanding fare. Explain that to my daughters. Heros save people, not a transfer.

It's charming that the mayor and governor want people to "thank" transit workers verbally--once one dies. I hope they are willing to "thank" transit workers more substantively--and to keep these dangers in mind, much less the other occupational safety and health hazards we don't hear about short of death--next time the transit workers contract comes up for negotiation!

I live in Pelham Bay in the Bronx, I always see people getting on at the back door. I have never seen anyone say anything.

Why not have an honor system with roving enforcement officers like other cities do?

I had a mild argument with a bus driver recently due to the new partial-fare values on metrocards now with the most recent fare hike.

I had my 2 boys with me and I had to use 2 metrocards to cover both of their fares. I dipped the first card twice on the first bus. It had enough for the first fare, and some left over for the second fare, but not the full amount. So, I dipped a second metrocard for the remainder of the 2nd fare.

When we boarded anoter bus for a transfer, neither of the 2 cards had the auto transfer recorded on them. The driver (rightfully) complained, but I tried to explain what happened. (I had never encountered this scenario with the partial values, so I had to figure it out myself.)
But I had paid 2 fares and was entitled to 2 transfers, and we had someplace to go, so we would not be deterred.

But this situation is a potential point of contention between drivers and passengers.

Routes substantially impacted by fare beaters?

Sounds like some neighborhoods have found a strategy to beat those recession blues!

this ir not my dollar van. I get paid either way if a customer pays or not. They send management beekies to write up drivers who do not challenge fare. Then they tell you in the schoolroom not to challenge the fare.

This is absurd... Drivers have radios, they should just radio in that they have a fare evader on board, and have a cop meet the bus at the next stop or so, and kick the bum off!

What kind of message does this send to the hard-working people who are paying their fare?

On the bus recently, I saw a driver scold a young rider who evidently had made a habit of not paying. I thought the driver had been going out of his way to help this kid out previously; I didn't realize it was policy. The kid got a ride, but he also got an earful.