Threw me off a train

Kate Hullfish of Lawrence
    I had just stepped off the platform of the Market East Train Station in Central Philadelphia onto the R3 train to West Trenton. I realized too late that I had forgotten to get money from the ATM to purchase my ticket on board the train. It was a Sunday night, and I needed to get home relatively early for work the next day. I didn’t want to wait an hour for the next train, so I decided to stay on.
   I found a seat, then waited for the conductor to come by and sell me a ticket. The conductor said the fare was nine dollars. I only had four dollars and asked if there was another form of payment that I could use — a check, debit or credit card, or could I get a receipt and mail the payment later. She replied tersely, no, and told me to get off the train at the next stop— Wayne Junction. She said to go buy a ticket there and “start over”.
   Wayne Junction is not the safest neighborhood in the city. After the conductor removed me from the train, I walked to the ticket office which was closed. I went to the nearest store to see if they had an ATM, and luckily, they did. The area was only dimly lit; I was alone in a bad area of town, and would not have wanted to go any further in search of cash. I returned to the platform and waited an hour for the next train. It was past 11:30 p.m. I settled in for a tense hour.
   SEPTA should consider alternate forms of payment for the outrageous cost of purchasing a train ticket on board. It is inconvenient to wait in line at the counter in the train station when pressed for time. Also, in a time when credit and debit cardsare commonly used for payment, not as many people have cash readily available.
   Without such convenience, and with such unfriendly conductors, I think SEPTA will find fewer people using its service. In the worst case scenario, SEPTA could be held liable for something happening to a passenger who is put off the train in a dangerous area.
Kate Hullfish
Craven Lane
Lawrence