Best Get to Steppin'...

Yesterday my mom called to tell me that AC Transit, BART, Muni and the Golden Gate Ferry all raised their prices, like a lot. Now a one-way ticket on the bus costs $2 and a roundtrip BART ride from Berkeley to the City is over $7! I don't even know what to say about that... well except, HELL NAW!



THE FACTS:
In March the AC Transit Board of Directors raised the adult fare from $1.75 to $2; youth, disabled and senior fare from 85 cents to $1; and the 10-ride tickets went from $8.50 to $10. BUT, the 31-day passes remained the same prices ($15 for youth, $20 for seniors and disabled)
BART raised their fares 6.1%, the Golden Gate Ferry saw a 5% increase and Muni added 50 cents.

I mean look I get it, there's a recession and public transportation systems were hit hard by the recession and the inability of the California state legislature to get their act together and agree on a mothafucken budget (!), gas prices are high and have been high for what feels like forever, but this is just getting ridiculous. It used to cost sixty-five cents to get on the bus (remember those fifty-cent youth bus tickets?), so believe that I feel real old when I say $2, are you serious? Am I going to Emeryville via Vegas, because dayum...

This isn't a new situation. I know everytime AC Transit proposes a new fare hike people get real angry, especially for the disabled, elderly and youth. Until recently everyone has pretty much agreed that us grown folk can complain all we want, but for the most part we're employed and/or have ways to mitigate the costs. But for those who live on small fixed incomes or are dependent on others for their pocket money, the gradually skyrocketing prices of their main form of transportation stings... a lot.

But in this economy I don't think we should limit our outrage. When the unemployment rate in California is at about 11%, very few people won't be staring at an empty wallet or lean bank account wondering if they'll have to make a choice this month between electricity, food and that train ride to work. And whereas there may be a way to find some money to supplement your bills or food (I grew up on foodstamps and am not ashamed), where do you go when you can't afford that BART ticket? And if you can't afford to get there on Muni and you don't have a car, the situation probably goes down hill real quick. I mean, isn't everyone's financial situation at this point just a gigantic house of cards. One unexpected expense and that budget for the month is out the window and down the drain faster that I can sign my name on that check.

I don't understand money but I do understand poor and I want to know wtf our leaders (local, state, and national) are going to do to fix this ish right here!