The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-02-16
Unreasonable Conduct Of the Public
on the II" Roads.
DIFFICULTY CT COLLECTING LADIES' FARES.
How Fussy Old Parties Cause
Trouble and Loss.


story 1t it came from the lips of one of the
most intelligent ticket agents Of the Metropolitan
"L"
'You have no idea how unreasonable people are"
said he sitting in his little box fairly deluged with
silver change trade dollars quarters dimes and pen
nes "now look at these trade dollars for instance
Everybody wants to get rid OF them and NOBODY
wants to take them. The very people. have
sometimes noticed who bring them to US
grumble when offer them to them In ex-
change Said a man the other day to me:-'You
don't take them and yet you pay them out. Now.
how could we pay them out If we didn't take them?
So 1t with pennies. Everybody wants to get rid Of
them and nobody wants to take them from us. Isn't
It queer thing that ladies always carry many PEN
MES? Now, of course il should accumulate all the
pennies receive should have to get extra train
to take them down to the office. But many person. If
We give them few pennies in change will flop them
down or push them rudely back growing. don't
want any pennies and the very next day they'll
come along and slap US down seven pennies and
three cent piece. shouting all the time, Give me
ticket, give ticket; I want to catch
this trainv We have good deal Of trouble
with these three cent pieces, too. They're
80 small and SO easily lost that nobody wants to
take them. Now. Of course. don't mind If gen.
tleman lady tells civilly that they do not wish
to take trade dollars pennies three cent pieces
but when they rude and insulting, as they fire.
quently are. and flop them back. calling out gru1y
Il don't want these often become vexed.
WANTS TO GO TO THE METROPOLITAN HOTEL.
''To show you what comical incidents happen in
ticket agents experience let me tell you what &C.
Cured here one evening. stranger came along
with two ladies. He left them standing behind and
came up to me. asking
"'Will this road take me to the Cosmopolitan Ho-
telY"
"'Yes, SIR" replied.
"'What's the fare?" he queried.
"'Ten cents per person.. was my response.
'That makesAthirty cents said he, with an express
sion of disappointment on his face. and he added.
That's pretty steep' Then he asked. How near
will this take to the Cosmopolitan Hotel?' Right
to it, said l. its close to station at Chambers
street. He pondered a few seconds and then went
back and held quite whispered conversation with
his two ladies' Then he came back and said. Look
here. now. don't want to go to the Metropolitan
Hotel, want to go the Cosmopolitan All right
said !. this will take you to the Cosmopolitan. He
then bought three tickets and rushed for the train.
which was about to start. Suddenly he comes
ment and, pointing ut the tickets. cries out,
Look here. you gave me tickets for the
to him that the word Metropolitan on the tickets
was the name of the road and not OF the hotel.
Then he rushed again for the train which was gone.
till the next train came along because we didnt tell
him that before"
FOR HOW MANY WILL THEY PAY?
another comical difficulty often arises from the
way people come in groups and pay sometimes for
whole party. and on other occasions each for him.
self Here. for instance. party of three four
comes along. They are engaged in conversation. OF
pay separately not, and there's such rush that
we have time to ask them. II only take one fare
out of the dollar fifty cent piece which the first
Any hafn af tha ytnhn
he will very probably snap at me and call out-What
do you think put dollar Tor fifty cent piece down
three or four fares. would get mad and halloo:--I
only want to pay for one. Damn it, what's the mat
We often have two or three ladies' come up in
friendly cosey party Each one Will insist upon pay
ing.
"Oh have the change the other will exclaim.
..And then they will tumble and fuss about for
perhaps half minute, and. by the strangest mis-
chance none can find the change for a surprising
space Of time. Finally train comes along and one
shade of disappointment on her face how little she
likes it. and then the others keep up consoling
chorus:-.oh. that's too bad;' Now. really. didn't
want you to do that
ARE THEY DELIBERATE CHEATS?
"You have no idea how much trouble we have with
as in giving wrong coin. l DO not say by any
means that 1t is so in all cases; but am satisfied
that in many of them it undoubtedly Is. There
some men who will fling down penny or three
piece roughly that it will roll inside and fall
upon the floor Of the box office: Meanwhile they
clamor excitedly for their ticket telling me that
they want TO catch that train and that can pick it
up by and by. and several times when have done
80 have found myself stuck. One man Topped
down a coin in this way the other day so that
could not it, and kept hollooing for his ticket
his ticket. had been stuck several times, that
picked it up Immediately after l gave him his
ticket. and found it was only u penny instead of
ten cent piece. raped hard at the window, made
whats the matterY" he shouted excitcdly;
"Tm missing that train
"'well. sir. you only gave me penny said.
''Help yourself; take all you want. he exclaimed;
and, thrusting his hand into his pocket he brought
slapped down before me. The train was about start
ing and. without giving me second to take out ten
cents he grabbed up the whole handful quick AS
lightning and rushed off again. I raped again and
the gatonan made him come back
Now I've lost that train. lie grumbed, and when
told him that he gave chance to pick out the
tare he said 4 told you to take all you wanted;
and he sworc. as he finally paid his ten cents that
he'd report me at the Office But then that's
always the first word. II the gateman shuts out the
passenger the train starts, which the rule laid
down by the superintendent, he II often be abused
and threatened with n report to the Office An
other man, l remember. flung down three-cent
piece and reaching his hand through the screen.
grabbed ticket and rushed on. raped and made
him come back. and then he rated me soundly for
making him lose that tranl 1t never entered his
head that would have been seven cents short II
had let him 40. Talking about pennies, by the way
ladies will be anxious to give them out that II one
who has plenty of dimes, mind you. can only rake
together eight of her pocketbook. she III borrow
the remaining two from her lady friend with her.
THE CENT HOURS.
1.-THE change OF tickets during commission hours
gives us sometimes little trouble too. Now. OF
course. IL isn't my interest to sell ten cent ticket
instead of u Ave cent one. II my sympathcs are with
any they rather with the poor man than with
rich corporation. And yet few minutes before
half-past seven in the morning. when the hve cent
hour expires, there will be long line OF grumbers,
each of whom invariably has different time One
man says it's twenty minutes past seven, another
twenty five minutes past seven, third twenty nine
minutes past SEVEN and on-whilc my watch,
which is regulated at Bcnedict's. shows half-past
seven to be the right timc. In the evening
it's sometimes worse STILL About four or
Ave minutes before Ave thcre'll be quite string
of people waiting for the beginning OF the five cent
hour. They'll pull out their watches and grumbie
Aloud Now. isn't this shamcY Here it's two min.
utes after hve!' What's the matter with that ticket
sellers watchY Isn't this q swindley and on.
When 1t gets to be about one two minutes before
five they'll appoint "a quasi-spokcsman who como
up to- me and make speech about IL, and probably
tell me that ought to be ashamed of myself. With
children we have also good deal OF difficulty. Up
to the age of Ave they pass free. and from Ave to
twelve they pass for half fare. Well. you'd be
hal tn hpx lar liz. oh