Bronx residents know that bus hopping is a widespread problem in the city, and some want police and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to take action.
Hopping on a bus without paying the fare is a crime in New York City, but residents say they see it everyday. Residents say when the bus is crowded, people can sneak on the back. They say some do it because they only want to go one stop, some do if for the thrill and some skip the fare because they just don't want to pay. Besides calling out the rider, MTA bus drivers only other course of action is calling police, which would stall the commute of all the paying customers.
Since 2005, police have issued 200,000 summonses to subway turnstile jumpers. In that same time, police have issued 21 summonses to people who hop the bus. Individuals who receive a summons must appear before a judge, who then determines the amount of a fine.