Jun 18, 2009 11:41 am US/Eastern
NYC Transit Seat Hogs Could Face Jail Time
New Campaign Directed At Rude MTA Commuters; Violations Could Lead To $50 Fines, 10 Days In Jail
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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A subway conductor looks out onto the platform at the Times Square subway station Oct. 9, 2005, in New York City. (File)
Mario Tama/Getty Images
Rudeness could land New York City transit riders in jail.
A new campaign reminds subway and bus riders to give up reserved seats to the elderly or disabled.
Those who refuse could be fined $25 to $50 -- or even face up to 10 days in jail.
Signs are going up this week in thousands of subway cars and buses. The law has long been on the books; transit officials are now trying to get people to obey it.
Evelyn Quinones of the Bronx, who uses a walker, says people used to have better manners.
Says the 77-year old: "The world has changed."
Quinones thinks the new warnings might get the seat hogs' attention.
Meanwhile, Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road commuters experienced a 10 percent increase in ticket prices Wednesday.
The new fare will affect those coming in from the east and the north. The bump in prices was part of a compromise when Gov. David Paterson and the state Legislature approved a payroll tax on employees in the 12-count region served by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
MTA officials before had threatened a 30 percent increase but settled with 10, and most commuters say they're relieved it wasn't the worst-case scenario.
MTA expects the new prices to generate about $500 million a year.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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