Got a Metro infraction (London: how much, transfer, to buy)

[robertpasa]

Today I was on the Red Line and then transferred to the Gold Line as I wasn't aware you have to pay again when you transfer. The inspector gave me an infraction called 640b2. He told me to wait two weeks and then check the website lasuperiorcourt.org.

Do you know how much I would have to pay?

Also, will I have to appear in court or could I just pay the thing by mail?

[LASam]

That annoys me that you can't transfer trains with a one-way pass, nor can you purchase a transfer when taking Metro Rail. I imagine you just will pay it and not need to show up in court unless you wish to challenge it.

[robertpasa]

Another question:
The top of the citation says LA County Sherriff's Dept. The second line says Notice to Appear...MTA. Their website asks for which department, so should I pick LA County Sherriff's or MTA?

In your experiences, should I in fact wait 2 weeks and they try going to their site and typing the citation number? That's what the guy told me to do.

[BRinSM]

i've received one of those as well. you can pay via the internet, but you'll get no more reminders, so make sure to check your citation number through the website. unfortunately, you can get fined up to $250. you can fight it, but you have to pay the fine either way. i received my citation for not having a ticket, but that was because there were no working TVMs at the station i boarded the train (go figure). i paid the fine and sent in my complaint in writing and received a refund.

also, i agree with lasam about the transfer rules. the TVMs aren't always easily accessible when changing lines and you can easily miss your transfer and have wait another 10+ minutes for the next train while attemtpting to buy another ticket.

[robertpasa]

Originally Posted by BRinSM

i've received one of those as well. you can pay via the internet, but you'll get no more reminders, so make sure to check your citation number through the website.

BRinSM, did you have to wait 2 weeks in order to get access to your citation on the site?

[BRinSM]

i don't remember exactly how long it took, but i do remember it was some time before my citation number was recognized in the system. it may have been longer than 2 weeks.

[matt345]

I have mixed feelings about LA's no transfer policy. On the one hand, transfers make the whole transit experience much more smooth and convenient and the policies are sometimes unclear, ie it seems like an unnecessary step to have to purchase another ticket when going from the Red to Blue line or Red to Purple Line.

But, Metro does have some of the most affordable fares you'll ever encounter in a major transit agency. $1.25 one way and only $5 for a day pass? SF's Muni is $2 one way with no day pass available (but they do issue transfers good for ~2-3 hours). When I know that I'm going to transfer at least once in LA, I usually just buy a day pass, which evens out anyway since one roundtrip transferring once each time is 4 rides. $1.25 x 4 rides = $5.

[yamota]

I would give it some time, LA has a relatively young subway system compared to subway systems in world class cities like New York, Paris or London

[VLWH]

Originally Posted by robertpasa

Today I was on the Red Line and then transferred to the Gold Line as I wasn't aware you have to pay again when you transfer. The inspector gave me an infraction called 640b2. He told me to wait two weeks and then check the website lasuperiorcourt.org.

Do you know how much I would have to pay?

Also, will I have to appear in court or could I just pay the thing by mail?

Here is the fee schedule:

http://www.lasuperiorcourt.org/bail/pdf/misd.pdf

[Naomi Manischewitz]

Just curious, what did the person who give you the ticket look like and how were they dressed? I have always wondered what they look like! I think that it is almost stupid how you have to buy a seperate ticket for a transfer. I just always buy the day pass so I don't have to wait for trains and go back to the kiosk 4x in a day.