To the editor:
As if commuters didn't have enough to deal with — paying around $250 per month for a Zone 8 pass (Rockport to Boston, round trip), now comes the latest news from the MBTA, which, incidentally, was never brought up at any of its meetings or on its website.
Not only are the fares going up 23 percent July 1, as widely reported, but according to media reports, we're about to get the shaft again!
We can no longer pay for fares on the train with cash, unless we agree to pay what I would call a hidden surcharge of either $2 or $3 per ticket, depending on the hour. Prior to July 1, if there was no ticket window at a boarding station, there was no surcharge.
Yes, we're being forced to buy tickets in advance, or we're basically being fined. The T says it's "to avoid confusion" by creating one system for everyone, according to spokesman Joe Pesaturo.
My question is, how hard is it to sell a ticket on a train? Will the conductors become part of a bygone era, too? When will it end? The T has us by the throat and is squeezing tighter and tighter, making it a true financial hardship for commuters just to get to work.
If you agree, please write someone, anyone, everyone, and complain. There must be a way to stop these governmental thieves from robbing us of our hard-earned, menial cash.
JUNE HAYES
Granite Street, Rockport
