Totally freaked over DART Ticket (Dallas, Converse: buy, construction, inspectors)

[Daisy8]

I never updated, but knowing that others find this and wonder what happened, here it is:

I went in to where you pay the tickets to request a court date. The woman behind the counter said, "You want a court date for a DART ticket? Are you kidding me? The judge is way backed up with far more serious issues than this. He's likely to may you pay the fine PLUS court costs for wasting his time over something like this." I was so taken aback at how crazy this whole thing was. I explained to her the whole thing (as briefly as possible) while she sighed loudly, looked around and then said, "Are you going to pay this or not? You can pay or I can set a date, but before you decide to set a date, you may want to think about it."

I sat down for a few minutes. To be honest, the place is totally creepy. I sat in the small waiting area feeling rather defeated when an older man said I looked like I'd lost my best friend. He asked me, "Haven't you ever been here before?" I told him I had not. He showed me his piece of paper. It said "DISMISSED." It was for being on the train without a ticket. They had dismissed it. I told him very very briefly what had happened. He laughed and said, "Mine got dismissed, but honey, I hate to tell you, yours won't. I see it all the time." He told me that his was dismissed because he couldn't afford to pay for a ticket. He said mine would not be dismissed because I was the wrong race. Another man nearby said, "He's right. You look really nice, and I hate it for you, but the judge is just going to see you as someone who thinks that they can get their way because you're white."

I am NOT trying, in any way, to start a problem on here. What he said was what he said. I don't know that it's true or untrue. I do know that the first man had been in many times and usually had his tickets dismissed. I do know that, because he had more experience in there, I had no one else telling me differently and someone else backing him up. Both men were kind and compassionate towards my situation and I have nothing ill to say about them. I don't think either of them felt that it was fair, but they were willing to tell me that I was better off just paying it.

In the end, that is what I did. The lady behind the counter assured me that a DART ticket did not cause a permanent mar on anyone's record and did not show up as a misdemeanor on anything, but that is not what the ticket itself said. I still have all of the papers - the tickets I had purchased that were later found after going through the washer and dryer, the paper she handed me that had something that was worse than "dismissed" stamped on it, my receipts, etc. I filed them away because seeing them really upsets me to this day. I feel like that the whole thing is my fault for not being more attentive, but to have anything on my record stating "theft" is a horrifying prospect. I don't even know how to check my record to see what it says, if anything. (The woman at the counter said it would say I got a traffic ticket, if anything.)

The worst part is that I know the kids on the train that day had not purchased tickets. Nothing happened to them. The man in the office didn't purchase a ticket. His fine got dismissed. I purchased a ticket, and felt like I had no choice but to pay for something I didn't do with the possibility of it affecting me in the future.

I will never ride the DART train again. Worse than that, I will never see the world unjaded again. I'm the first person to say that there are 2 sides to every story, but when someone says that they were treated differently because of their race (whether their race is the same as mine or not), I listen and feel for them. I just wish everyone could be treated the same.

[TheOverdog]

I purchased a ticket, and felt like I had no choice but to pay for something I didn't do with the possibility of it affecting me in the future.

Why didn't you just print out your debit card statement or whatever showing you purchased the tickets? That's what everyone told you to do and told you to bring to court. It doesn't sound like you did, you were just going to tell a story to the judge. Courts don't care about stories, they want evidence. They also show a bit more lenience on very poor people (in rare cases - the jails ain't full of rich people). Print it out, take it back, and who cares if you are wasting the judge's time? He obviously sees other cases for DART tickets. Yours will just be one of many.

In my opinion, you didn't actually purchase a ticket, and you are mad that some kids got a free ride and you got caught. Some speeders get caught,, some get warnings, some get tickets. Let it go.

[alastrian2]

I'm sorry for your experience. That said, taking the word of some person in the waiting room to heart is a bad plan. You have the right to the same process. Unless you've gone through the process with a poor outcome, I don't understand why you need to be jaded.

[jbb303]

Originally Posted by TheOverdog

Why didn't you just print out your debit card statement or whatever showing you purchased the tickets? That's what everyone told you to do and told you to bring to court. It doesn't sound like you did, you were just going to tell a story to the judge.

In the original post, it sounded like she paid with cash.

[FalconheadWest]

I find it sad that you decided to listen to two people in the waiting room instead of all the fabulous advice you received here about going in with the evidence that you had purchased the tickets. That's your own fault, no one elses...

[ChristieP]

I agree that you should not have taken that guy's advice. You should have gone to court and shown your evidence to the judge.

[MovingtoDFW]

Sorry to divert the topic, but I am a little confused after reading here that a DART citation can go on your record! Is this true?

I have a DART annual pass, and on a rare day, I did not have it in my bag and was issued a citation on the train. I told the lady I had an annual pass and showed her a pic of it on my phone. She said that wouldn't do since I didn't have the actual card with me, and asked me to argue the citation.

I called DART later in the day and explained my situation. I was transferred to a couple of people and then the main guy wasn't available, so I left a detailed message for him. I obviously had an annual pass which was also valid on the day I was issued the citation - and which they could easily verify - so I thought they will dismiss it. I didn't hear back from him for a month, and my payment deadline came up, so I decided to just pay the $50 online, as I really don't have time to take from work and argue my case.

I have not received any kind of tickets before this, so I did not even consider the possibility that this may go on my record! Can somebody clarify regarding the possibility of this going on my permanent record..

[Philip T]

Originally Posted by Made_it_To_the_Metroplex

Wouldn't it just be easier (and save tons on payroll) for DART to make it so you can't possibly get on a train without a valid ticket?? I believe the process is called "franking". Worked GREAT the several times we were in Europe...

Well, of course.

But you must understand that you are presenting a solution to a problem where a solution is NOT desired.

It would only take some gates . . . and . . . well, yes of course.

BUT. The object of the exercise has nothing to do with Tickets or Revenue. Rather it is to give the DART Cops something to do, stay engaged and run bums off the trains. Maybe some folks even pay the fines. But mostly -- not so likely. A bit hard to say on that one.

[TheOverdog]

Wouldn't it just be easier (and save tons on payroll) for DART to make it so you can't possibly get on a train without a valid ticket??

Every subway sytem in the US I've been in (NYC, Portland, LA, Chicago, DC) it is trivially easy to get on a train without a ticket, and most have gates and turnstyles, and staffing. So actually a roaming DART cop is much cheaper than all that infrastructure.

[lily76]

As a mum of a special need child myself. I just want to give you a hug OP. I guess we are in the same boat and I do understand how it feels in that kind of situation. When I was criticized being not able to 'educate' my 2-year-old to stop crying in an setting off airplane, I got the same feeling as you did when you were told by the officer that she 'did not have the time to let you find the tickets'.

I don't have any ideas but is it possible to write a letter to explain to the Judge or the court?

Good luck anyway.