Metro Lille: Is it Worthwhile to Take It “free”?
Many years have passed, yet the story of fare evasion on the Lille metro remains vivid. Lille, a city in northern France, has a unique metro system that does not use turnstiles at all. Unlike Paris, which has robust mechanical gates, the Lille metro relies on riders’ honesty.
Frequent metro users frequently use prepaid cards, and the preset amount is gradually withdrawn as they utilize the service. Before proceeding to the waiting platform, simply tap the card on the scanner, and the system will record the journey. When they get off the train, they continue to swipe their card, allowing the system to calculate the distance traveled and deduct the appropriate payment. Everything is simple and quick, with no direct supervision.
As a result, some people have taken advantage of this loophole, claiming that using the Lille metro is “free” if they do not touch their cards.
However, the situation is not so straightforward. Metro Lille employs a crew of staff that undertake random checks on the train. Anyone who does not swipe their card will be penalized, but the initial fine is not excessive; it is simply a reminder. However, if you are found reoffending, the fine would be substantially higher—potentially equal to the cost of an annual metro pass.
A classmate of mine once attempted to “ride the metro” in Lille without a ticket. The first time he was checked, he was fined a little sum. But, as old habits die hard, he continued to repeat this conduct until one fateful day, right in the carriage he was sitting in, he was examined again. This time, the fine was so large that it equaled the cost of a year’s metro pass. There was no escape, no place for argument, and he would never dare to make that mistake again.
The story is still told as a life lesson. Metro Lille appears to be easy to “cheat,” but once detected, the consequences are severe. And certainly, even without control gates, the system’s strictness is enough to make anyone who has “sneaked in” once be careful for a long time.
