Deseret News | Reader comments: UTA sets fines for passengers viewing 'inappropriate' Web sites

Reader comments
UTA fines for 'inappropriate' sites

Jim P | 3:30 a.m. June 15, 2009

Amazing, a Supreme Court, cannot agree on what is pornography, and yet UTA charges an officer or two with having to determine what is or isn't ? Thankfully there is an appeal route, but hopefully it's not going to be as prejudiced as most.

UTA out of bounds | 4:24 a.m. June 15, 2009

UTA, like any other business, cannot write laws or fine individuals. Totally illegal law. They can ask passengers to get off buses but they don't have the authority to write any laws. The TRAX and UTA police departments should already know this and can't write tickets or fine individuals. Only government entities of cities, counties, and state can write laws or ordinances. And ordinances are limited to city boundaries. UTA is a business and has over stepped the line on the issue of writing any laws or fining individuals.

Adrenals | 5:05 a.m. June 15, 2009

Good for the UTA. Riders don't have to be bombarded with immoral images while in close proximity to others.

Comments continue below

18 years old | 6:38 a.m. June 15, 2009

They are never going to be able to enforce the 18 year old rule. Kids with ipod touch will be doing whatever they want and will never get caught. I am glad they are working on blocking the porn etc but the 18 year old rule needs to get thrown out.

That is Stupid | 6:54 a.m. June 15, 2009

Sorry but why have connection on the bus anyway in the first place?

Duh | 7:26 a.m. June 15, 2009

I don't see the reason for the illegality of the online gaming site? They're going overboard about the privacy of our homes.

uncannygunman | 7:49 a.m. June 15, 2009

Just gotta have that control, don't ya? How about letting people access the information they want on their own computers, and only getting involved if they are displaying something inappropriate to the public.

Ultra Bob | 8:02 a.m. June 15, 2009

Every day it seems like I hear or see conservative rants about the possibility of being forced at gunpoint to pay for someone else's health care.

Now comes this column about UTA providing Internet service along with parental control for some passengers at the expense of all passengers. Apparently there are not any conservatives riding the FrontRunner or express buses.

Im not sure that the other riders of UTA buses will think kindly of the idea of helping to pay for services that they dont participate in. Especially with the exorbitant fares now being charged.

How about we press for a public transportation company that puts the public transportation as the highest priority instead of profits.

HelenWheels | 8:09 a.m. June 15, 2009

Good grief. UTA is providing a great service and an good incentive to ride the bus so that folks can either get started on their work day earlier or just be connected on their way to (and from) work. Would these people surf porn or gaming sites from work? I think UTA has every right to control what is accessed through their gateway, just like my employer does through theirs. Good onya, UTA!

-HW

Kudos! | 8:25 a.m. June 15, 2009

Kudos to the UTA. While individuals do have freedom to choose what they do in private, individuals also have the right to ride a public transport and not be subjected to trash.

Thank you, thank you for taking a stand!

Re: UTA out of bounds | 9:17 a.m. June 15, 2009

Very, very good point. What legal right does UTA have to levy fines and arrest people?

Unless it has some special authority in the Utah code, UTA has no more right to make its own laws and fine persons than Wal-Mart does.

Michael | 9:38 a.m. June 15, 2009

Here is what will happen ...

The UTA will be deemed the "service provider" in court, by charging a fee to the rider ... and thus it will NOT be allowed to fine its own clients, for any portion of a service that the UTA itself is providing.

All this "service" does is create MORE unwanted regulated behavior ... which then in turns creates more court cases ... which then in turn creates more un-regulated and un-wanted behavior (think prop 8).

UTA should just say NO to all internet service, save their company and their consumer's fare money, and let people work on the things they bring with them inside their computers (which they then CAN fine them for) instead of offering them more access to more porn and card rooms over the net.

Avoid the very appearance of evil? No?

If you want the benefit you have to allow the cost and pay the piper. Shut the service off, then you have no problem.

It's not like there are competing bus lines forcing you to offer this service right? Or is it just like charging people for riding on the Sabbath because every other city does?

Thankyou... | 10:18 a.m. June 15, 2009

I for one am glad that the uta police have a presence on the train. There are so many people who ride without paying. I wish they would check people more frequently.
Frontrunner, Tracks, and the bus system needs to be a safe environment for all riders. Being a business class rider, I would stop riding if it was not safe or did not provide an acceptable benefit.
Good for UTA. Keep up the good work.

Amen | 10:40 a.m. June 15, 2009

Sorry but this comment is absolutlely WRONG:

"Re: UTA out of bounds | 9:17 a.m. June 15, 2009
Very, very good point. What legal right does UTA have to levy fines and arrest people?

Unless it has some special authority in the Utah code, UTA has no more right to make its own laws and fine persons than Wal-Mart does."

UTA has every legal right and can fine any fool that doesnt obey the rules set by the Government Agency. Specifically read the Terms of Agreement before clicking agree for ANY Wi-Fi access. In this case if one is stupid or foolish enought to violate the TOA I hope they are fined and subject to imprisonment. Keep up the tremendous work UTA!

Way to go UTA | 12:36 p.m. June 15, 2009

My boss blocks porn and it's ok by everyone. If we find a way to access it here, we could get fired and/or fined. No different from the UTA, which is a PUBLIC SERVICE. Good for UTA! They have every right to block content on their system. All you whiners should just go home and look at your porn in privacy. Or won't your wife let you?

Public Fooled | 2:17 p.m. June 15, 2009

again by UTA's constant "press releases"!

First: I ride Trax 3-4 times per week, and in the last 2 yrs. I have seen transit cops actually on the train checking for fares, a total of 4 times. Oh I see them in the parking lots of trax stations, (usually 2-3 of them), but SELDOM actually on the trains.

IF they EVER DID start down the aisles checking for tickets, don't you think the person perusing the porn would simply "minimize" it, or "exit" entirely?

IF someone sitting next to a "porn addict" turns the guy (or girl)in to a transit cop, is it his word against hers?

Point is: UTA does all sorts of "press releases" like this to make people think they're "right on top" of things, but:

THINK IT THROUGH - the ordinance isn't worth the paper its printed on!

Larry | 2:20 p.m. June 15, 2009

While I don't necessarily object to blocking of pornography in public places. I have an issue with the infantilization of young adults in the United States. Many young adults under the age of 18 have devices that can connect to the internet using Wi-Fi. These high school age young adults are not small children and shouldn't be treated as such. Are young adults who may appear to be under the age of 18 going to have to produce identification proving that they are 18 if they are listening to internet radio that is streaming via Wi-Fi or downloading a ring tone for their telephone? How is this going to be policed? And if so, how will it stand up in court?

UTA | 2:31 p.m. June 15, 2009

WOW - between policing the "smokers in the park", catching the Internet pornsters, counting peoples' chickens in their backyards, - its NO WONDER local police have no time to arrest illegals!

Writing Laws? | 2:51 p.m. June 15, 2009

UTA is not writing "laws". Their enforcing their policies for public transportation. Just like any other business does, like WalMart, Sears, McDonalds, etc,..
They should intensify their focus on all the free loaders not paying their fares, which will help keep fare's at a reasonable price for everyone else.

Frank | 3:04 p.m. June 15, 2009

Funny how quickly UTA adds a new service and everyone feels their already entitled to it.

Its a free service that they didnt have before, UTA puts rules on it and all of a sudden people are complaining as if buses had free WIFI for 100 years or something and are being robbed.

Get something for nothing and cry about it. Get over it people.

Re; Writing Laws? | 3:36 p.m. June 15, 2009

"UTA is not writing "laws". Their enforcing their policies for public transportation. Just like any other business does, like WalMart, Sears, McDonalds, etc,.."

Uh, no. They're passing an ordinance and enforcing it. That's no different than what cities and counties do.

WalMart, Sears, and McDonalds can set their own rules on their own property, but if you break them THEY HAVE NO AUTHORITY TO CITE OR FINE YOU.

They can call the cops or take you to court and sue you, but their door greeters or security guards HAVE NO AUTHORITY to write you a citation and if they did it wouldn't be worth the paper it's printed on.

Now UTA might have been given legislative authority to set and enforce its own ordinances, in which case this would be valid (First Amendment concerns aside).

But absent that authority, they have no power to fine you for violating their Wi-Fi Terms of Service.

Geez, given the cluelessness about government authority here it's no wonder President Obama enjoys high approval ratings; the idea that a government entity can do whatever it wants to regardless of constitutional authority is apparently quite popular in Utah.

Re: Amen | 3:44 p.m. June 15, 2009

Not every government agency can fine or cite persons, and it has not been established that UTA has that authority.

Unless the Legislature has given them the power to pass and enforce their own ordinances, they have no authority to fine anyone anymore than a private ISP has the authority to fine a user for violating their Terms of Agreement.

They can cut off service, they can sue in civil court, they can report criminal activity to the police. But without the legal authority they have no more right to fine people for violating their rules than the LDS Church does.

Slag0500 | 3:57 p.m. June 15, 2009

Most of the comments have completely missed the point. The point is not that UTA should or shouldn't block porn--the point is that UTA has absolutely no business providing internet service in the first place. Providing internet service on public transportation is a completely improper misuse of taxpayer funds. There is no constitutional basis for providing public transportation in the first place--to provide internet service on public transportation is completely illegal.

Anon | 4:02 p.m. June 15, 2009

I'm dumfounded. People would rather have no wifi whatsoever than have wifi and not be able to browse porn.
Keep calling UTA's bluff, I'm sure they will grant you unlimited access, or maybe not. They'll probably cut wifi completely until people can grow up enough to behave themselfs.

good for uta | 5:09 p.m. June 17, 2009

i dont know how many times people have gotten caught viewing porn at libraries within full view of children. if the service is offered by publically funded money then it should be regulated. if you view inapproriate material you get fined bottom line. get over it people. you dont have a right to do whatever you want when you want to do it. its called life. grow up.

otherwise26 | 9:40 a.m. June 19, 2009

People should try to know what they are talking about before they post a comment. UTA is a transit district( read chapter 17 of the Utah sate code), like a school district or a water district or a fire district.

UTA is a government agency and their police officers have the same law enforcement authority as any city or state law enforcement officer( read chapter 15-13-103 of the Utah state code).

UTA, like Salt Lake City can create ordinances(laws)and UTA "police" officers have the authority to enforce those ordinances and all other city, county, state and federal laws.

If you are going to post a comment and pretend that you are stating fact, do some research first, because if you did you would know what a government agency has the authority to do.

Why is it so hard for Utahns to get that public transit is a government agency, every major city has public transit and those agencies have major police departments, but here it seems like people just dont get it??

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