Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority police are warning people who try to sneak onto Metro buses that officers are watching.
News4’s Adam Tuss tagged along with Metro police as passengers who attempted to ride without paying were caught in the act. It only took two stop before a man tried sneaking on a bus, trying to pass himself off as a D.C. student and using a student pass.
Undercover officers quickly arrested the man, charging him with impersonating another person.
At another stop, a passenger tells the bus operator that he doesn’t have enough money on his fare card. Instead of paying the money, he just walks away and to the back of the bus.
He was removed.
Another passenger tried to sneak on the bus with a crowd of people. They were also led away for questioning and arrested.
"It's everybody's duty and obligation to pay their fare,” said Metro Police Chief Ron Pavlik. “You and I have to pay our fare. It's an equity issue, and everybody should have to pay their fare."
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Tuss said as Metro cracks down on fare evaders, the transit agency has gone high tech. The number of people who board buses is being counted. If they see a lot of people boarding and not many fares being paid, they will be arrested.
