The public transportation system in Melbourne called
Metlink is very convenient, although its cleanliness is another story. When y
ou buy a ticket, you can use it on the bus, tram, or train. Trams even have GPS built in so you can check on the monitor (right picture) when the next tram will arrive. While Metlink is nothing special to write home about, I did notice a humorous ad campaign known as
Karma Central with life size posters all around the city warning citizens of fare evasion. The message is simple: if you don't pay your way, something bad will happen like getting splashed by water or sitting on a freshly painted bench. My favorite ad is the girl with her skirt stuck in her granny panties (because that could
so happen to me!)
I didn't understand why there was a need for such an ubiquitous ad campaign. When you ride the train, you have to buy a ticket to pass through the turnstiles and the turnstiles are guarded by attendants at major stations. Then I rode the
tram and understood why. I'd guesstimate that only two out of ten passengers actually validate their tickets when they get on the tram. According to Metlink's website, it is estimated that fare evasion costs the system $48 million a year in lost revenue. At first I thought it was only cheap Asians or Indians, but as I watched carefully, I realized that like cancer or venereal disease, fare evasion is an unbiased affliction regardless of race, gender, age, or class. Just about everyone gets on and sits right down without paying for the ride. While it's tempting to save a few bucks, I'd highly advise you against fare evasion not because of karma, but because there are undercover hall monitors lurking around to check everyone for a validated ticket and fining violators $100. Hmmm...Since we're still unemployed, maybe we could pretend to be one of those hall monitors and fine people.
The public transportation system in Melbourne called Metlink is very convenient, although its cleanliness is another story. When you buy a ticket, you can use it on the bus, tram, or train. Trams even have GPS built in so you can check on the monitor (right picture) when the next tram will arrive. While Metlink is nothing special to write home about, I did notice a humorous ad campaign known as Karma Central with life size posters all around the city warning citizens of fare evasion. The message is simple: if you don't pay your way, something bad will happen like getting splashed by water or sitting on a freshly painted bench. My favorite ad is the girl with her skirt stuck in her granny panties (because that could so happen to me!)
I didn't understand why there was a need for such an ubiquitous ad campaign. When you ride the train, you have to buy a ticket to pass through the turnstiles and the turnstiles are guarded by attendants at major stations. Then I rode the tram and understood why. I'd guesstimate that only two out of ten passengers actually validate their tickets when they get on the tram. According to Metlink's website, it is estimated that fare evasion costs the system $48 million a year in lost revenue. At first I thought it was only cheap Asians or Indians, but as I watched carefully, I realized that like cancer or venereal disease, fare evasion is an unbiased affliction regardless of race, gender, age, or class. Just about everyone gets on and sits right down without paying for the ride. While it's tempting to save a few bucks, I'd highly advise you against fare evasion not because of karma, but because there are undercover hall monitors lurking around to check everyone for a validated ticket and fining violators $100. Hmmm...Since we're still unemployed, maybe we could pretend to be one of those hall monitors and fine people. 
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