SEPTA - A Philly Post

SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) is the company that operates all of Philadelphia's public transportation systems (trains, trolleys, subways, and buses). They have a largely poor reputation among Philadelphians -- based a perception of mediocre service and overpriced fares.

Background. Right now it costs $5 for a one way ticket to downtown Philly from the suburbs -- about a 20 minute trip. $10 round trip! I often find myself puzzled by this situation -- especially because the company seems to be in a state of perpetual financial turmoil and regularly threatens to cutback service in order to compensate for losses.

Additionally, rush-our trains are always full.

Where does all the money go? This is the greatest mystery of SEPTA's tattered soul.


I would like to share my personal experience on a SEPTA train this morning so that readers can decide for themselves what the enterprise is all about.

I arrived at the local train station this morning (bumbled up the stairs to see another train just pulling out -- it's open, moving doorway calling me to sprint alongside it leap into its wings -- but I didn't) and eventually stepped onto a train that was so crowded it was 'standing room only.'

Fine, I don't mind standing a while -- in general, I sit too much, given that my current job entails plopping behind a desk all day while my thigh muscles atrophy. I was standing inside the car's doorway when the friendly and slightly-hunchbacked conductor waltzed in and started chatting with an acquaintance (something about gravy). At some point he muttered something about the car being too crowded, not being able to wade through to check tickets, and reasoned that because everybody on the train was a regular rider -- and must, therefore, already have a pass or a ticket -- it didn't really matter anyway.

Hell yeah! I thought. Free ride -- get to save the 5 smackers for lunchtime burritos. I lucked out.

But then I started to consider. Did I really luck out?

As I watched droves of people stream out of the train onto different center city platforms, it hit me that SEPTA must be losing boatloads of money this way. While the conductor had garbled something about 'regular riders' earlier, he failed to recognize that even though passengers already had tickets -- they didn't need to use them today, and could therefore save them for next time and avoid buying a new one (this is what happened in my case, at least).

Now, if entire trains heavy with rush-hour passengers regularly fail to be ticketed -- and I'd seen this happen before under the same circumstances (actually, I've taken the train to work twice in the last two weeks, and both times we eluded the ticketmaster!) -- how much money was SEPTA losing?

Most likely a lot.

The irony is that SEPTA itself -- by failing to provide more cars during peak hours -- helps to create the conditions for overcrowding and the prevention of its conductors from freely moving about collecting fares.

Can it be that a slew of SEPTA's losses are due to its own poor management -- compensated for by fare increases to customers later?

Fuck it! We all get to ride for free in the morning so it's a moot point biatch!