Got nailed by TriMet ticket inspector (Portland: rent, buy, DMV)

[generic-user]

I unfortunately got stopped getting off at 162nd by TriMet security asking for valid fare. I've looked up what others have said about getting nailed with this outrageous $175 ticket (that's even more than getting nailed by the radar van while driving, $160) and have seen the options of pay the original fine, go to court and get it reduced or option of community service. What I'm asking is how do you request either the reduced fine or community service? I'd rather have the community service option (I do alot of voulenteer work so it doesn't bother me).

I moved here awhile back from an area where there's no public transit whatsoever. I've never gone to court so I'm wondering what the process is like and what do I say to request community service? I can show records of me paying for previous TriMet tickets (I've kept almost all of them) for the past few months as I normally always buy a ticket. I didn't buy a ticket this time because I was only going 2 stops. 122nd to 162nd. I know that doesn't justify failing to purchase a ticket, but I took a risk and it clearly didn't pay off.

I was cooperate with the officer, explained I haven't been here long, have been dealing with homelessness twice since being here due to sudden rent increases and the other time for my roommates trashing the place. I've had a full time job since being here, actually have 2 jobs now and never just chose to be homeless. She asked why I was on the max, and I explained that my car was in the shop getting new tires, and that I've been more focused on getting Oregon plates and registration (I have to pay the DMV almost $400 just to get Oregon plates/registration).

The citation presented to me was a joke. I tried asking multiple questions about it and got generic non useful answers and the citation I received is almost unreadable. I can't even hardly read the citation, had to google the fine amount, officer wrote the wrong address number, scribbled it out and rewrote over it, she wrote the violation occured at 122nd, when it was actually 162nd, and can't read what the violation even was.


The "too long didn't read" summary:
Rode 2 stops, upon exiting got asked for fare I didn't have.
I complied with officers, gave them my information, explained I didn't have Oregon credentials due to homelessness and moving here recently.
I have tickets from pretty much Everytime I've rode TriMet and can present them in court.
Citation is extremely hard to read. Can't read the fine amount, the action I did to even receive the citation, address is scribbled and wrote over and the wrong location of offense was written.
Looking for guidance on how to request community service when I'm in court.
Have 2 jobs, both are directly involved with helping the Portland community, and voulenteer often
Can I go to court earlier than my date? And will it make me "look better?"
This is my first offense with TriMet and Oregon, and have a clean background.
Also, what does the citation mean by paying before you go to court? I can't just take cash to court and pay it?

The back of the citation says 4 options but since I've never been to court, I don't really understand what the options are telling me.

Thanks for everyone's input!

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by generic-user

I unfortunately got stopped getting off at 162nd by TriMet security asking for valid fare. I've looked up what others have said about getting nailed with this outrageous $175 ticket (that's even more than getting nailed by the radar van while driving, $160) and have seen the options of pay the original fine, go to court and get it reduced or option of community service. What I'm asking is how do you request either the reduced fine or community service? I'd rather have the community service option (I do alot of voulenteer work so it doesn't bother me).

I moved here awhile back from an area where there's no public transit whatsoever. I've never gone to court so I'm wondering what the process is like and what do I say to request community service? I can show records of me paying for previous TriMet tickets (I've kept almost all of them) for the past few months as I normally always buy a ticket. I didn't buy a ticket this time because I was only going 2 stops. 122nd to 162nd. I know that doesn't justify failing to purchase a ticket, but I took a risk and it clearly didn't pay off.

I was cooperate with the officer, explained I haven't been here long, have been dealing with homelessness twice since being here due to sudden rent increases and the other time for my roommates trashing the place. I've had a full time job since being here, actually have 2 jobs now and never just chose to be homeless. She asked why I was on the max, and I explained that my car was in the shop getting new tires, and that I've been more focused on getting Oregon plates and registration (I have to pay the DMV almost $400 just to get Oregon plates/registration).

The citation presented to me was a joke. I tried asking multiple questions about it and got generic non useful answers and the citation I received is almost unreadable. I can't even hardly read the citation, had to google the fine amount, officer wrote the wrong address number, scribbled it out and rewrote over it, she wrote the violation occured at 122nd, when it was actually 162nd, and can't read what the violation even was.


The "too long didn't read" summary:
Rode 2 stops, upon exiting got asked for fare I didn't have.
I complied with officers, gave them my information, explained I didn't have Oregon credentials due to homelessness and moving here recently.
I have tickets from pretty much Everytime I've rode TriMet and can present them in court.
Citation is extremely hard to read. Can't read the fine amount, the action I did to even receive the citation, address is scribbled and wrote over and the wrong location of offense was written.
Looking for guidance on how to request community service when I'm in court.
Have 2 jobs, both are directly involved with helping the Portland community, and voulenteer often
Can I go to court earlier than my date? And will it make me "look better?"
This is my first offense with TriMet and Oregon, and have a clean background.
Also, what does the citation mean by paying before you go to court? I can't just take cash to court and pay it?

The back of the citation says 4 options but since I've never been to court, I don't really understand what the options are telling me.

Thanks for everyone's input!

So to summarize, you were trying to defraud TriMet and got caught. Now you are upset about getting caught. Is that right?

My suggestion, cut your losses and pay the fine. If you don't want to do that, then go to court on the assigned date and let the judge make the decision about what to do with you.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

You got caught stealing from the city. Good to know. Make sure you tell everyone so maybe the rest of the cheats will think about paying for their ride instead of leeching off of the taxpayer.

I don't know what will happen when you go to court about it. The easiest way to deal with it is to just pay the ticket and don't do it again. But if you really want to know what happens in court, you could go and sit there for a couple of days and observe.

[j_k_k]

I don't think we can take this seriously. Its details are almost designed to draw ire: comparing situation to radar vans, defrauding a good transit system that isn't very expensive, moved here and promptly added to the homeless population (it was others' fault, of course), thinks the citing officer's penmanship is a Real Big Issue, now wants to get out of the penalty. The responses are completely predictable (and reasonable). I do not believe it.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by j_k_k

I don't think we can take this seriously. Its details are almost designed to draw ire: comparing situation to radar vans, defrauding a good transit system that isn't very expensive, moved here and promptly added to the homeless population (it was others' fault, of course), thinks the citing officer's penmanship is a Real Big Issue, now wants to get out of the penalty. The responses are completely predictable (and reasonable). I do not believe it.

I had the same reaction. I was used to the public transportation system of payment in Portland on light rail so when I moved to Cleveland and found it was the same, it was no big deal. But even if it wasn't the same it still wouldn't have been difficult to learn.

The excuse that the OP gave that he wasn't used to public transportation where he moved from is silly. You have to go by the rules and laws of wherever you are now, not wherever you were then.

Two stops or ten, fares are required. Period.

[CSD610]

OP: Your summary is still too long however, to answer the only question I saw in your entire post.
You pay the fine as is without an attempt to get it reduced.
You knowingly did not pay the proper fare so you voluntarily received the ticket.
Next time pay the fare you know you have to and quit trying to blame someone else for your attempt at theft.

[jribe]

OP- there is no free rides just because it's too stops.. That's not how it works. You've (hopefully) learned your lesson; just go and pay the fine. Showing that you have your old tickets will not win the judge over- in fact, it will just prove that you do indeed understand how to use the transportation system. i'm also quite curious on how you've lived in portland for "a short time" - yet have had 2 rent increases and been homeless? Is your definition of "short time" a year?

[Minervah]

In other threads, he's complained about not being able to pump his own gas in Oregon where he cheats the system by pointing to his out-of-state plates as he pumps his gas claiming he didn't know he wasn't supposed to. He's also complained about Portland not putting salt on the streets. Now it's the Tri-Met fare system he's unhappy with. Maybe he made a mistake moving to Portland in the first place?

[wolfdog]

Originally Posted by Minervah

In other threads, he's complained about not being able to pump his own gas in Oregon where he cheats the system by pointing to his out-of-state plates as he pumps his gas claiming he didn't know he wasn't supposed to. He's also complained about Portland not putting salt on the streets. Now it's the Tri-Met fare system he's unhappy with. Maybe he made a mistake moving to Portland in the first place?

Excellent observation.

[Luckystrike1]

I have read time and time again in TriMet fares threads about how fare inspecting is almost nonexistent, or that they have never seen them. Either all these people have just been lucky, or ride it so infrequently that they lower their odds.

But I ride the Blue Line, and I have seen fare inspectors over the years way more times than I could guess. I don't believe I have ever seen them clear through a cabin without pinning someone who did not have fare. It is not worth the risk, and TriMet is not a service for free rides.

I think inspectors in busses have cut way back, though. Haven't seen one in a long time.