The Editor,
Re. "TransLink cops' future queried" (The Tri-City News, Dec. 9).
Anyone who sincerely believes fare gates and transit smart cards will drastically reduce fare evasion has never used transit systems in other cities.
Unless fare gates are over five feet tall, some people will jump over them. I have seen it done in London and Paris many times. I have also seen people with a pass or ticket that were about to go through a fare gate being pushed hard from behind by someone who didn't wanted to pay and entered with them.
Transport for London (TFL) has gates in the Tube, most commuters use a smart card (the Oyster card) and there are 500 inspectors roaming the system, yet TFL reports that fare evasion costs it almost 75 million annually, including about 40 million on the fare-gated Tube lines.
Further, I am philosophically opposed to a transit "police" and shopping mall security staff in paramilitary uniforms. Canada is not a dangerous country yet and we aren't at war. Having all sorts of police forces and police-like security staff dilutes the power of the real police and military.
In many of the countries I have travelled to, lived in, etc., transit staff wear non-military uniforms and fare checkers often wear civilian clothes, and city police departments patrol transit stations that are on their beat.
J-L Brussac, Coquitlam
