It's not about profitability. It's about the extraordinary expense to discourage at best a minor misdemeanor that costs relatively very little in comparison. You could probably achieve the same effect paying one cop to monitor random stations and fine people as the do it. There are much more important things that cops could be doing that's actually worth spending $150 million. Or you could just divert a fraction of that money to subsidize public transit.
That's the point. Opportunity costs.
How many criminals, real criminals, could have been arrested and tried for that much money?
Or how many low income families could have gotten free/subsidized tickets?
How many cars could've been removed from the streets by simply letting everybody ride transit for free? That's the biggest opportunity cost of them all.
It's not about profitability. It's about the extraordinary expense to discourage at best a minor misdemeanor that costs relatively very little in comparison. You could probably achieve the same effect paying one cop to monitor random stations and fine people as the do it. There are much more important things that cops could be doing that's actually worth spending $150 million. Or you could just divert a fraction of that money to subsidize public transit.
That's the point. Opportunity costs.
How many criminals, real criminals, could have been arrested and tried for that much money?
Or how many low income families could have gotten free/subsidized tickets?
How many cars could've been removed from the streets by simply letting everybody ride transit for free? That's the biggest opportunity cost of them all.
Or even is it worth charging at all?