I’m only familiar with the buses near me - I don’t think the bus driver would let me on board if I didn’t pay - how do these riders get away without paying? The driver will wait for people to get exact change and not move, though I have seen a driver let someone on who claimed they lost their card. I can see how people do this on a train or subway (until you get spot checked for fare) but I have to walk by the meter/card reader where I am for buses. The article is behind a paywall so I only got the first two paragraphs.
> I’m only familiar with the buses near me - I don’t think the bus driver would let me on board if I didn’t pay - how do these riders get away without paying?
There's a history of bus drivers being attacked pretty badly for ticking off the wrong traveler. So they don't enforce this for the sake of their safety; they're supposed to just make a record of it and move on.
They usually just don't insist that strongly because they'd rather not get into a confrontation, as not moving might also anger people other than just the one you're holding for (as an argument I once saw happen on a bus went after a driver insisted, "the money isn't coming out of your paycheck so why do you care?").
Previously the consideration used to be nice because it was possible to end up in a situation where your metrocard was too low on balance, too far away from a machine to add more money to it, and you didn't have change. But nowadays most busses have tap-to-pay, so there shouldn't be many excuses.
Select Bus Service uses those paper tickets or OMNY app reader, both of which are self-service and available in the middle door of the bus, far away from the eyes of the driver.
