The brief kerfuffle about “microlooting” (shoplifting) by privileged, anticapitalist young white beneficiaries of capitalism, and now this post about a Walgreen’s accused of racism for installing antitheft devices, brought to mind a routinely witnessed New York City (and probably just big-American-city) phenomenon: young Black men jumping subway turnstiles.
Some socialists have suggested that mass transit should be free to board and paid through taxes. Sort of like street lights. You don't put a nickel in the base of a lamppost as you pass it. (I stole this example from David McReynolds.) I left NY a cuppla decades ago. I don't know if this is still a prospect. Of course, we'd lose a reason to dump on fare jumpers.
Some socialists have suggested that mass transit should be free to board and paid through taxes. Sort of like street lights. You don't put a nickel in the base of a lamppost as you pass it. (I stole this example from David McReynolds.) I left NY a cuppla decades ago. I don't know if this is still a prospect. Of course, we'd lose a reason to dump on fare jumpers.
Apropos! https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/06/american-cities-cars-public-transportation
Mamdani campaigned in part on free buses, didn't he?