Melbourne, you are a wonderful city. But we need to have a chat about your public transport habits. It’s an accepted fact that, at any given time, someone is on a tram eating hot and possibly fried food; in the process filling the carriage with an odour that is somehow both familiar and putrid. That’s an act woven into the fabric of public transport in Victoria. Enduring it is part of the terms & conditions of boarding. However, new stats show that Melburnians are putting their feet up on seats at a simply absurd rate, and we very much need to talk about that.
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Transport for Victoria has this morning released new data on the amount of public transport fines that have been handed out to commuters across the Melbourne network so far in 2018, and it’s some real eye-opening shit.
Since the start of the year, 6,789 people have been pinged with fines for, as the official wording puts it, “placing feet on anything other than the floor, or a part of a public transport vehicle designed for the placement of feet, without a reasonable excuse.” Or in other words, putting their awful grotty feet on the damned seats, where butts are supposed to go.
Assuming everyone nabbed for this heinous crime was an adult, that offence alone has therefore netted some $1.6million in total fines. Which makes it some real expensive feet no matter which way you look at it.
Fines for not presenting a valid Myki have exploded in the 10 months thus far this year, with inspectors dishing out 61,258 fines. That is well up on the 57,484 fines that were handed out over the entirety of 2017, and equates to a total dollar amount of around $14.8million or so. A fair chunk of change.
But at 6,789 fines, that means 22 people per day are getting sprung with their horrendous, smelly boots on train and tram seats.
It’s not good enough, Melbourne. We all love a good recline from time to time, but the train ride home ain’t the time or the place.
Put yr dang feet down.
