CATA-Ride fare increase too much

CATA-Ride increased fares 25 cents to $3.25. When a senior needs new tokens, they’ll cost $3.25, but CATA will still want an extra quarter.

(Apologies to the Kingston Trio)

Let me tell you of the story

Of a man named Charlie

On a tragic and fateful day.

He put a token in his pocket,

Kissed his wife and family,

Went to ride on C-A-T-A.

Charlie handed in his token for a trip to Bellefonte

And he thought he had a plan

When he got there the driver said, “That’s one more quarter.”

Charlie couldn’t get off of the van.

And did he ever return?

No, he never returned,

And his fate is still unlearned.

He may ride forever through the Centre Region.

He’s the man who never returned.

All day long, Charlie rides through the region,

Saying, “What will become of me?

How can I afford to see my sister in Boalsburg

Or my aunt at Mount Nittany?”

Charlie’s wife goes down to the CATA Ride depot

Every day at quarter past two,

And through the wheelchair access she throws Charlie a sandwich

As the bus goes rumbling through.

Once Charlie found a dollar in his jacket pocket

And he tried to pay his fare.

The driver said, “Sorry, exact change only.”

It was more than Charlie could bear.

All you county seniors, don’t you think it’s a scandal,

How the people have to pay and pay.

Even tokens that cost three-and-a-quarter,

Need two bits for C-A-T-A.

This story was originally published August 28, 2017 at 9:55 PM with the headline "CATA-Ride fare increase too much."