Occasionally, I am surprised by my own clarity about an ethical issue. What I told my friend is that I believe that public transportation, like public education, should be free to those who use it. It should be supported by taxes and available to everyone. In both cases, the society as a whole benefits from everyone having access. There will always be those who can afford private alternatives, but as these are essential services, they should be available to all people, even if we can't all contribute equally.
Perhaps someone who doesn't use public transit may wonder why his taxes should support my subway ride. This is straightforward enough: for many years, my tax dollars have paid for roads and other infrastructure that permit him to drive his car. Moreover, the externalized environmental costs of driving are borne by all of us. And they are not shared equally; some people have the misfortune to live in areas of heavy traffic congestion.
So now, finally, we come to the essence of metrosharing: we are all in this together.
Metrosharing connects us to the people right in front of us, which is always a good thing. If enough people do it, it will cut into MTA's revenue, raise hackles, and call attention to the hardship that many New Yorkers experience at the fare box. Starting this campaign has motivated me to work very hard for Fair Share Tax Reform and other measures which bring us closer to a society in which we all have access to quality public services and we share the costs equitably.
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