Here is what happened. I have a friend who received a ticket while using the Metro. He was caught riding without his billete and the guard gave him a ticket that he never paid! He had thrown the billete in the trash immediately upon entry. What happens if people don't pay their tickets?

Also, what is the purpose for the Metro when it places guards at every subway entrance in the city?

They will issue a warrant with Interpol, of which the FBI is a member, so they will probably be visiting him, and he will be deported to Spain. Or, since you live in Los Angeles, the police will simply beat the crap out of him.

quote:

Also, what is the purpose for the Metro when it places guards at every subway entrance in the city?

Not sure what one has to do with the other. The purpose of the Metro is for transportation. The purpose of the guards is for security.

The Metro is not free, everyone who uses it must pay. Seems strange that your friend was "caught" without a billete to the Metro since in order to get to the platforms you have to pay at which time they give you a billete. When the billete is fed through the automatic turnstile, you have to take it with you (and there is a lit sign that reminds you to do so) Did he think that it was a souveneir or for decoration and just threw it away before boarding? I am supposing that perhaps your friend has not ridden public transportation in the USA before where generally you are expected to hold onto your ticket until you have finished using the mode of transport.

In any case, I am glad to know that the security guards are doing their jobs of spot checking to ensure that there are no turnstile jumpers.

Asterault, I almost fell off my chair laughing when I read that L.A.P.D. beating comment, good one my man!

Anyway, Saenz, either Asterault is right or they will secretly send 2 big Portuguese guys with bats to his house, you know, one of those pay on the spot or else thingies

But seriously, if he was just here as a tourist nothing will happen to him due to the unpaid fine.

Chica, "has dado en el clavo" ("you hit the nail on the head"), his friend is a major loser for jumping the turnstyle and that is part of the job of a security guard, to prevent free riders and keep the "METRO DE MADRID" the best in the world, as well as one of the safest

Saludos,
jer...

jer, read the post! He did NOT jump the turnstyle! He threw the ticket in the trash because they were piling up and makig a mess in at his apartment!

asterault: I'll get my friend to push you out your window!

You guys never answered. What is the purpose for placing guards at every subway entrance in the city? I'm just curious.

Saenz, thanks for clearing that up, I must have missed that althoug I still think he just skipped on paying since as Chica stated, even in the U.S. you usually need to hold onto your ticket in case someone asks for it. He should have thrown away the old tickets that were accumulating up at his apartment instead of throwing away the one he had just used to get on the Metro

I think he misuderstood alltogether (if he even understood at all). You see, one only needs to conserve the ticket until they leave the Metro, they do not have to let them build up and save them for years :lo: That sounds like the beginning of a joke, can you all imagine someone thivk enough to read the signes and then keep all tickets forever Whhhhaaaaaaaahhhhhaaaaaaa!

As for not having answered your question about the "why" of the security guards, please see:

1) Chica's post where it reads...

quote:

"The purpose of the guards is for security."

It is all in the name my man.... "SECURITY guard"

2) My post above that reads...

quote:

...that is part of the job of a security guard, to prevent free riders and keep the "METRO DE MADRID" the best in the world, as well as one of the safest"

Question has been well answered.

Saludos,
jer...

p.d. Not that I read your opening post again, I realize that you answered your own question right there. The guards are there to make sure that "chusma" (used it the best sense of the word of course) like your friend does not skip out on paying for the Metro like a normal contributing memeber of society

I understand that but does it make much sense to place guards out there for one day out of the year? WHy not have them out there 365 days per year?

You missed something here my man.

There is a difference between the security guards in the Metro who ARE THERE EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR for...well...uh... "SECURITY" purposes and the "revisor de billetes" (ticket checkers) who do random ticket checks to be sure we are all being good little boys and girls and paying for our rides

Glad I could clear all that up, seems there was a misunderstanding and a mix up between the security guards (who byt he way can also ask for your ticket if they want to) and the actual ticket checkers who do spot checks.

Saludos,
jer...

Thanks jer! So those were ticket checkers and not security guards? OK now I understand.

Really, jer, my friend just tossed it in the trash after he passed the turnstyle. He had never been checked before and he didn't think it would be any different that time.

Got ya Saenz, as I said, noting will probably come of the ticket, so many Spaniards do not pay even thier more serious tickets (parking, speeding, etc...).

The spot checks are soooooo random that you never know if they will ask for your tickets.

I read somewhere that if the Metro statistics generated by the turnstyles show a significant drop in Metro usage, they put more ticket checkers out on a spot check campaign to see if their are a lot of illegal riders.

I have lived here for almost 7 years and have been cheked only about 10 times, and I use the Metro every day.

Saludos,
jer...

saenz my friend, think you should talk to your friend about getting a monthly ticket, sounds awfull with all those old billetes in the apartment

Maybe an ABONO??