Question:
I didn’t have enough money on my Rav Kav and I was planning on paying double the next time. An inspector from Egged came on and fined me 100 NIS. Am I mechuyav to pay the fine?
Related to this, I was in Meron this year from Lag Baomer with my child. I payed 60 NIS each. Due to the tragedy, we were unable to get a bus back from Meron and were taken in a shuttle to somewhere else where only private buses were running and no Egged buses were going. We were unable to get back to the original location and had to take a private bus which we payed out our own pocket.
If I am mechuyav to pay the fine, would I be able to minus the amount from the amount of money i had to shell out to pay for my transportation in Meron and/or the cost of the return journey from Meron to Yerushalayim which I didn’t receive.
Thank you.
Answer:
Hello.
You are obligated to pay the fine. With all the good intentions of paying the fare later, at the time that you went on the bus, you didn’t pay, therefore the fine is justified. The fact that they owe you money because you didn’t get the ride back, is not going to help you here. The fines work thru the court system, and practically they are not going to give you a break on the fine because they might owe you money for lag b’omer. If the bus company of anyone else owes you money for the ride to Meron, that is another story, you should check to see if you can get reimbursed for it.
Hatzlocha
