Want to ride METRO for free?

(9/26/07 - KTRK/HOUSTON) (KTRK) -- Want to ride the bus or METRO rail for free? We'll show you how. What you're about to read won't get you in trouble. We've just discovered how you can ride free and how it's costing Houston area taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

A few months ago the public was in an uproar when they learned toll road workers got free rides on the toll road. Well, wait till you hear this one.

From a METRO commercial: "Hey, what's up? It's Jay with MTTV, METRO Television."

This is METRO's way of promoting its new Q Card, a pay in advance charge card for bus riders and rail passengers. But you can only see the video and your tax dollars at work at a METRO Ridestore. It's the video that cost you nearly $75,000 to make. The price included three mobile dressing rooms and $3,400 for the actors.

Jay makes $1,000 a day to look, as METRO scripts say, 'hip.'

"You need regular people who catch the bus to tell you how to use the bus," said passenger Donnie Smith.

"The amount of money we are spending on actors is reasonable and we are going to keep it that way," said METRO VP of Communications and Marketing George Smalley.

The production company even charged taxpayers for cell phone air time for the three-day shoot -- $150. Someone should tell them there are better cell phone plans.

But before you complain about the $75,000 price tag, keep in mind you didn't just pay for an English version.

You can hear about the Q Card in Spanish or in Vietnamese. Whatever language you speak, we've found a way you can ride the bus or the rail absolutely free anytime you want.

"Are you referring to METRO employees?" asked Smalley.

That's right. METRO employees ride free.

"Why should they ride free if we have to pay?" asked passenger Jackie Harris.

"How can we compete with the private sector? One of those ways is a transportation benefit," said Smalley.

The perk on the park and ride is worth up to $1,700 a year just for one employee. It's a perk that's costing Houston taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Unless you buy METRO's logic.

"It's an existing seat," he said. "It's an empty seat."

But do METRO officials need a free ride? Sixty-nine executives make more than $100,000 a year. Smalley makes $175,000. Dionne Smith spends $400 a year commuting on the bus.

"If I've got to pay, they should too," she said.

"Did anyone say at METRO, this isn't a good idea?" we asked Smalley.

"We think it's a good idea," he answered.

And now, we've learned it's not just employees. Their spouses' get free bus and rail, too -- 3,000 more people. But METRO won't show us the list.

You'd think free passage would be an incentive for METRO officials to use mass transit. The METRO Blog says yes.

"A blog is a good example of new technology we want to capitalize on," said Smalley.

Writing the blog is part of Mary Sitt's $76,000 a year job at METRO.

"Even if she was just blogging, that might in itself be worth the money," said Smalley. Sitt told readers in July she was riding back to work on the train when she ran into four METRO officials, including Vice President Todd Mason and the CEO Frank Wilson.

"I happened to have my camera in my purse and snapped some photos," the blog said.

What a lucky coincidence for Sitt.

"Was that some kind of staged PR stunt and if that's the question, no it wasn't," Smalley told us. "We don't play those kind of games, Wayne."

We asked because Sitt said the pictures were taken on June 18 at 1:18pm. We looked at METRO's Q Card records and there was no record Sitt was even on the train that day or Mason or Wilson.

METRO's explanation -- maybe they just didn't swipe their Q Card and got on the train without a ticket.

"Are there instances when I'm rushing to catch a train and don't swipe my card on the reader? I'm sure there are instances," said Smalley.

Try that explanation the next time a METRO cop asks for your ticket. Let us know how it works.

"Could there be executives of METRO who on a regular basis don't ride? "Probably unlikely."

METRO's Q Card records show more than half of METRO's top managers don't use the transit system they spend money convincing us to use.

We found out what happens when you ask METRO's chairman if you have a right to know that.

"I'll be happy to get back to you on that," said Chairman Ed Wolff when we asked him if he rides.

"I'll be happy to get back to you on that," he said.

"You don't know sitting here right now? Is that a tough question?"

"No."

"So come back here and answer it," I said.

Wolff did come back to our 13 Undercover microphone, but not for long.

"They definitely should ride it," he said.

"How do we keep track of that?" we asked.

He walked away.

So the next time you pay that METRO sales tax, remember, you're helping a METRO employee and his family get a ticket to ride for free.

Talk back to Wayne about this report on his blog.

(Copyright © 2007, KTRK-TV)

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