Yesterday, conservative writer Helen Andrews tweeted about what she’d purportedly witnessed at a D.C. Metro station. Apparently there were quite a few Metro riders who didn’t feel like paying the fare at that time:
Update: Nearly 40 fare jumpers in five minutes this morning.
I asked the Metro attendant if he cared about people stealing. He said, verbatim, “That’s not my job.” https://t.co/M4cYCFAe9j
— Helen Andrews (@herandrews) January 24, 2023
Fare jumping is a very real problem when it comes to public transit in large cities like D.C., New York City, and Chicago. And clearly something needs to be done to address it and fix it. But what? What’s the solution here?
Well, Adam Johnson, a writer and host of the “Citations Needed” podcast, has a pretty intriguing idea: just get rid of fares altogether and let people ride for free! Can’t skip out on fares if there are no fares to begin with!
https://twitter.com/adamjohnsonNYC/status/1617949879439077376
Boom! Genius!
An even better way to solve the problem: No public transit no fare evasion!
— Nik Stankovic (@nikstankovic_) January 24, 2023
Now hold on there, Nik. You’re just talkin’ crazy:
Hum. This is stupid. The goal is moving humans across the city not charging people. Opposing toll roads or private parks is not the same thing as saying we should have no roads or parks. It’s saying they should be free to everyone and funded by taxes not end users
— Adam H. Johnson (@adamjohnsonNYC) January 24, 2023
Recommended
Just use taxes to fund public transit so riders don’t have to pay for public transit, you guys.
“funded by taxes not end users”
Who…who is paying this tax. https://t.co/f2PNPaetBj
— Sunny McSunnyface (@sunnyright) January 25, 2023
Weren’t you listening, Sunny? Taxpayers will pay the tax. It’s simple.
The left seems to collectively believe that taxes are paid by elves who sneak into the Treasury at night and leave behind gold.
It’s an older person version of a list for Santa and thinking mom and dad won’t have to pay for it because Santa does.
— Sunny McSunnyface (@sunnyright) January 25, 2023
So, Adam Johnson believes in Tax Santa. Maybe he’s just young at heart.
Or maybe he’s just an abject moron who doesn’t understand how any of this works.
This person typed out this thought, then smashed the “tweet” button, proud of his point. Best of all, he thinks *you’re* stupid for understanding how stupid it is. https://t.co/Xe0tPHY4TP
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) January 25, 2023
It's "by definition, a fake crime" but also "change the law and there'd be no crime" https://t.co/1gNh18Fg7g
— Isaac Schorr (@isaac_schorr) January 25, 2023
Yes, it's a victimless crime if you don't count every taxpayer. This is beyond stupid. https://t.co/tRAJ4kgFCP
— Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) January 25, 2023
They really think this. https://t.co/tgcOzaHfWF pic.twitter.com/krqAK9LIr4
— JCrow (@jlc225) January 25, 2023
This is maybe the dumbest thing I've ever read. https://t.co/obfbjLIcCZ
— Grayson Quay ⚓️ (@hemingquay) January 25, 2023
And the competition is stiff, to be sure.
No see because "taxes" is something only Donald Trump pays. https://t.co/FMvWeYdhdG
— Noam Blum (@neontaster) January 25, 2023
Why should Donald Trump pay them? If there aren’t any taxes, there aren’t any loopholes for him to take advantage of or ways to cheat the system.
GP I am going to assume without evidence this person agrees that we can stop all tax fraud by simply no longer imposing taxes on Americans.
The alleged problem of widespread tax fraud and rich people not paying their "fair shares" solved overnight! https://t.co/MymlkofdW2
— The Gormogons (@Gormogons) January 25, 2023
Adam Johnson should run for office. Or at least for head of some city’s metropolitan transit authority. He’s got big, bold ideas … who knows how transformative he could really be?
GP Lulz. Let this genius run the MTA. All mass transit in the NYC metro area would end within a month. https://t.co/MymlkofdW2
— The Gormogons (@Gormogons) January 25, 2023
Only one way to find out for sure.
Same with groceries. No price tag, it's not theft.
JESUS CHRIST WHY DIDN'T WE THINK OF THIS— Brandon Nichols (@BrandonMNichols) January 24, 2023
"Just remove the locks on your doors and put up a sign that says "take it". The “crime” is now over. 1000% of home break-ins have been stopped."
Where do these people come from???
— Katewerk (@katewerk) January 25, 2023
You know how idiotic you sound, right, Adam? Or are you too much of an idiot to even know that?
Brainworms. https://t.co/VY7aQ9MqA3
— Phil Labonte (@philthatremains) January 25, 2023
***
Join the conversation as a VIP Member