# Can you pay cash to ride your local bus system? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 30, 2015, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-pay-cash-to-ride-your-local-bus-system/723862 "2015-06-30T09:45:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-pay-cash-to-ride-your-local-bus-system/723862/1 "2015-06-30T09:45:06Z")
In my case nope, one time I tried at night the driver gave me a free ride. Since then I came to learn the nationwide(not saying much) buses can only be boarded with a ticket bought at the station or far scattered resellers or monthly pass cards etc. The hell? ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-pay-cash-to-ride-your-local-bus-system/723862/2 "2015-06-30T09:57:23Z")
Yes, but it’s better not to. A local ride on bus (or light rail) is 1.25. You can give the bus driver exact change for a ride–but he can’t sell you a transfer. If you have a Metro Card, each ride purchased also gets you a transfer, to another bus route or light rail. Anyone who regularly uses mass transit in Houston learns this. Actually, I use the Day Pass Card–so I never pay more than 3.00 a day. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-pay-cash-to-ride-your-local-bus-system/723862/3 "2015-06-30T10:11:45Z")
Not anymore. You need to purchase either a one-time ticket or a monthly card at any mass transit station. I think you can purchase the ticket on the bus, though, but it’s only for that one ride. I think, too, you can only use an ATM card because the drivers no longer carry cash. ---
**Author:** ![scareyfaerie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scareyfaerie/32/3135_2.png) [@scareyfaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scareyfaerie)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-pay-cash-to-ride-your-local-bus-system/723862/4 "2015-06-30T10:14:52Z")
Yes I can, and there are a variety of ticket options from single, return and either day- or night-saver tickets. You do have to give the driver the right money as they don’t give change and there is a standard short-hop fare (£1.90) and a standard £2.20 single fare. I don’t need to, because I have a monthly travel card within my region which allows me to use the bus, train and tram services so don’t have to worry about carrying enough spare change for a bus fare. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-pay-cash-to-ride-your-local-bus-system/723862/5 "2015-06-30T10:21:32Z")
We can, but it’s better not to. I think cash payers pay more, and you are going to have a whole line of people rolling their eyes at you as you hold them up. The cards are available at every metro station and every CVS (which is basically every corner). There is no reason not to have one. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-pay-cash-to-ride-your-local-bus-system/723862/6 "2015-06-30T10:26:08Z")
You’re right, the PTSC buses mostly operate a very fixed route, and don’t even do all the stops in the way. And yea, you need the ticket beforehand. I’m not sure why they do that, when they’re bigger and more capable and could handle cash more easily than the smaller collective vans. Next time, take the red striped (or yellow striped, in your area) maxis. They take cash, as long as you don’t use the hundred bills. I’ve only ridden a PTSC bus once (and I had to buy the ticket before like you said). I take the maxis almost every day. They happily take cash. And I would consider them part of the bus system. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-pay-cash-to-ride-your-local-bus-system/723862/7 "2015-06-30T12:11:52Z")
You can use cash on CTA busses in Chicago , but not on trains. No transfers are issued. Almost everyone who uses public transit has a ventra card which is loaded either with a monthly pass or a dollar amount. It’s mainly tourists I see using cash. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-pay-cash-to-ride-your-local-bus-system/723862/8 "2015-06-30T13:30:18Z")
Portland is tickets, cash, or passes (either paper or smart phone). ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-pay-cash-to-ride-your-local-bus-system/723862/9 "2015-06-30T14:33:09Z")
WMATA takes cash but one has to pay every single time they board. No free transfers. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-pay-cash-to-ride-your-local-bus-system/723862/10 "2015-06-30T16:51:57Z")
Exact change only for buses. But you have to buy tickets (and validate them) for the train. Yeah, it’s cheaper per ride with a bus pass, but for occasional one off rides it’s cheaper to pay cash. Unless all you have is a $5 bill, then that ride will cost you $5. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-pay-cash-to-ride-your-local-bus-system/723862/11 "2015-06-30T16:57:33Z")
In St. Louis you can [pay cash for the bus](http://metrostlouis.org/FaresPasses/NewFareboxes.aspx) but you need a ticket for light rail. ---
**Author:** ![FuriousGeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecae2f/32.png) [@FuriousGeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuriousGeorge)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-pay-cash-to-ride-your-local-bus-system/723862/12 "2015-06-30T17:17:16Z")
Denver, yup… two bucks and a quarter… no change. The light rail, however, needs a ticket first. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-pay-cash-to-ride-your-local-bus-system/723862/13 "2015-06-30T17:28:57Z")
Anybody know why they have all this complicated bus pass business instead of a credit/debit card reader? Why not both? They’re ripping up the coin operated parking meters and replacing them with the kind you can swipe a card at, I hope buses are the next municipal service to be updated to 21st century payment standards. St. Louis is always one of the last to get this stuff, are there other cities that let you swipe a card to ride the bus? I know Madison had the “smart” parking meters years before St. Louis did. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-pay-cash-to-ride-your-local-bus-system/723862/14 "2015-06-30T17:45:17Z")
In Sacramento, you can pay cash to ride the bus, but you need a pre-paid ticket to ride light rail. You can buy the tickets with cash at the station. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-pay-cash-to-ride-your-local-bus-system/723862/15 "2015-06-30T18:57:59Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > Anybody know why they have all this complicated bus pass business instead of a credit/debit card reader? Why not both? They’re ripping up the coin operated parking meters and replacing them with the kind you can swipe a card at, I hope buses are the next municipal service to be updated to 21st century payment standards. > > St. Louis is always one of the last to get this stuff, are there other cities that let you swipe a card to ride the bus? I know Madison had the “smart” parking meters years before St. Louis did. When I swipe my Metro Daypass Card, it charges me 1.25. If I swipe it again within 3 hours going the same direction, it counts as a Transfer–no charge. If I ride a bunch in one day, swiping with every trip, the _maximum_ charge is 3.00. The Metro Card knows things my debit card does not. I can reload the Metro Card at light rail stations using my debit card–credit cards & cash also work. Metro Cards can be reloaded on buses but you need some non-wrinkly bills. It’s really not complicated. (Light Rail is on the “honor” system. Except when Metro personnel board the train or wait at a stop. They “read” your Metro Card or check the printed card (bought at the same gizmo that reloads cards) & _don’t_ write you a ticket if you paid.) ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-pay-cash-to-ride-your-local-bus-system/723862/16 "2015-06-30T19:04:46Z")
> [@DrCube](#): > > Anybody know why they have all this complicated bus pass business instead of a credit/debit card reader? Why not both? They’re ripping up the coin operated parking meters and replacing them with the kind you can swipe a card at, I hope buses are the next municipal service to be updated to 21st century payment standards. Are you kidding me? I’ve worked as a cashier, and I’d estimate 1 out of 20 card transactions has some kind of problem- card is declined, demagnetized, whatever. That’s fine if you are just dealing with your car. That’s not fine if you’ve got a line of 500 people waiting in the rain at rush hour who are going to be late to work. Maybe in areas where people rarely take public transportation, it may make sense. But in areas where people have public transit commutes, it needs to be as smooth as possible. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-pay-cash-to-ride-your-local-bus-system/723862/17 "2015-06-30T19:15:04Z")
Yes, and as I found out recently that it’s better to do so if you’re taking multiple rides. A friend and I recently used the bus to visit a few places around town - I used my bus system card, they paid cash and got a paper transfer. I ended up needing to pay 3 fares (the card didn’t always register a transfer, don’t know why some trips counted and some didn’t); their transfer was good for the entire trip. I think you can also buy an all day pass for cash, but can’t do so using the local bus system card. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-pay-cash-to-ride-your-local-bus-system/723862/18 "2015-06-30T19:22:58Z")
In the Greater Cleveland area you can pay cash, but you’d better have exact change. You can buy an all-day pass on the bus. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-pay-cash-to-ride-your-local-bus-system/723862/19 "2015-06-30T19:47:10Z")
My city just ditched fares altogether on our (admittedly rather small) bus system. So, to answer the OP, nope! ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-pay-cash-to-ride-your-local-bus-system/723862/20 "2015-06-30T20:17:31Z")
> [@grude](#): > > In my case nope, one time I tried at night the driver gave me a free ride. > > Since then I came to learn the nationwide(not saying much) buses can only be boarded with a ticket bought at the station or far scattered resellers or monthly pass cards etc. > > The hell? I don’t ride the bus much: basically only one days when the weather permits me to bike to the office in the morning but it’s raining or too hot that afternoon. But most of the people riding when I’m on are swiping a card with a magnetic stripe on it, so I assume it’s poe but discouraged. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-pay-cash-to-ride-your-local-bus-system/723862.md?page=2)