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Comment by Toenex | Hacker News Reader

Isn't this how some public transport works (at least in the UK)? There's only a limited number of inspectors on the trams in Manchester so I probably won't get stopped but I don't know where they will be. I think the outcome is that the punishment has to be significant enough otherwise people work the probabilities.

(Note I always buy a ticket because I can afford it and want successful public transport.)

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Funny story, London buses have traditionally had only one entrance at the front (apart from bendy buses), which made the driver also function as a ticket inspector. The new Routemasters introduced by mayor Boris Johnson have ticket touch points at each entrance and many people abuse this and get free rides. Johnson promoted those buses heavily and stated they would have a second person working inside as a ticket inspector like they used to have back in the day, but TFL said that this was never an option or even point of discussion, and there is no way to pay for the second employee in every bus. A single bus fare is £1.50 , a day ticket is £4.50 and fare evasion can cost up to a few hundred, but many people still use the new buses for free.

My experience is that most European cities have transit systems like this, whereas most American cities require you to pay before entering the system. I wonder if anyone has analyzed this from a sociological perspective.

or any Mass surveillance state like North Korea, China, Stalin-era Soviet Union, DDR (East Germany)

they had limited resources but high enough punishment to keep the population in check

The DDR spent considerable resources on internal security.

The Stasi museum in Berlin is well worth a visit. After the Helsinki agreement to limit physical abuse, prisoners were subjected to psychological isolation instead.

Some Stasi jailers wrote academical treastises on how to handle enemies of the state.

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