Bus tickets and Local ID

Hi

I normally get a 30 day bus ticket when I come to Vegas, looking on the CAT website there' a 15 day ticket which is more in keeping with my needs however.........

I have looked at this before and always been put off by the fact the Terms & Conditions always said that you need local ID to ride the bus (Deuce or Gold) along The Strip, so I always bought the 30 day pass. Looking at the CAT website this week I noticed that the 30 day pass says that you have to have a local ID to ride the bus on The Strip. I don't know if it said this before so wanted to check if anyone had any experience of this. I've never been asked for ID on the bus, but not sure what the inspector would do if you were on the bus, and checked and didn't have local ID?

Any thoughts?

 

My understanding is only locals can use the local fare passes
Tourists can only buy 1-day ($8) and 3-day ($20) premium fare passes.

I have seen RTCS inspectors checking everyone's tickets on SDX and issuing citations.
Remember you must buy ticket before boarding SDX, so if you are caught on the bus without a ticket, you are guilty.
But I am not sure if they see you holding a local pass, they will ask for your ID or not.

 

I have always bought a 30 day pass on the understanding that anyone could buy and use it to ride any bus. Never been asked for ID, but that said I have never noticed that the Ts&Cs on the website said locals only on the 30 day pass. Wonder if that's new?

 

i havent rid the bus in 2 years but i have a locals cta card, i think if they do a spot check on the bus you must provide a local id same as disabled for discount.like a medicare care or discount cta card

 

check out Deweys blog on buses. Just put Dewey in search. And haven't seen dewey post in awhile, anyone seen him

 

i bought and used the 15 day pass ($34 in walgreens) on duece=sdx-and a lot of local routes-once on the sdx an inspector examined tickets and never looked for id from anybody only checking for validity. superb value.

 

I was just there for 6 days and rode the buses using the residential 24 hour passes and was never asked for id, I never saw anyone checking for tickets either.
The sdx was always crowded,but no inspector could check the bus very fast with that many people on board anyway. I wouldn't and didn't worry about it.
The Residential pass was definitely the way to go.

 

Greetings from sunny Las Vegas!

Thanks guys, heading out to buy a ticket this afternoon. Bit of a faff as the information on the RTC website is wrong. 7-11 at Hawaiian Market Place has close, still on the website as ticket vendor. 7-11 up by Riviera supposed to sell passes, phoned then and they don't. The 7-11 on Koval near Ellis Island isn't listed on the RTC website and it's too hot to walk there to see if they do have passes. So, we're going to head up to the transit terminal and grab them from there.

Cheers

TNU

Thanks

 

What he said. I have purchased both 30 day and 15 day passes a number of times over the years and never a problem. I have also never seen anyone's ID checked and I see no fine print saying those passes are only for locals.

Agree the 15 day pass, which is I think newer, is a great value. Perfect for my 7-9 day trips and I leave the unexpired pass with a few days left on it with cash for housekeeping on my last day before checking out.

 

Job done, pass purchased. Rode the bus to SSTT - the horror! no staff on duty selling passes and ticket machine only had 30 day passes. The good lady her indoors asked at the security window and there is another ticket machine in the back. Hurrah! 15 Day pass duly purchased. Rode SDX back to the strip, then got on the Deuce and validated the pass. Driver just said "you've got 15 days", no request for ID, rode the bus back later that night and again no request for ID. Excellent. Going to have a ride on WAX later, see if I can get from down here at Excalibur up to Fashion Show without getting lost/ending up somewhere I don't want to be (WAX appeared to be the bus for this, but now I am not so sure).

Happy to have the pass now, I walked over 9 miles on Friday and about 6-7 Miles yesterday and the old knees and ankles know about it this morning.

 

The pickup location for the WAX is outside NYNY on Trop. From there it gets on I-15 and heads downtown. It does stop at a large mall once downtown if that is the one you're referring to? I'm not a shopper, but I thought the one on the Strip was called Fashion Show. If that is the you are referring to, the WAX WON'T get you there.

 

WAX will go to downtown from NYNY, NOT Fashion show mall. WAX is the way to go from airport to downtown.

 

Thanks guys, thought it stopped on that street that runs down the size of TI. Glad you put me right! Will check the bus schedule as I'm sure there's something that goes from Tropicana to TI along Koval.

 

Just take the Deuce to the Fashion Mall. You can pick up the wax at the Tropicana stop to get to the airport.

 

Cheers. Think I confused myself. Bus from E Reno to Fashion Show mall it's what I'm after. Will try later.

 

I just purchased a 15 day pass a few weeks back off the RTC's website. Paid via PayPal at 7:00 P.M. on Thursday night and recieved the pass the following Monday by USPS. I'll take the WAX from the airport once I get there and validate it. Very convient to already have the pass in hand when you get there. I have used 15 day passes before and have never been asked for a Local I.D. Dewey's post has stated that several people have gone to the BTC and asked about the 15 day pass several times over and always were told that the 15 day pass is all access.

 

Been using my bus pass for about ten days now, not a hint of being ID'd. Ridden Deuce and SDX multiple times, got on at SSTT and everywhere up and down the Strip, there have between RTC inspectors on some buses and Security on others and not a hint of an issue. Thanks for the reassurance prior to me buying, going to be getting the same pass next year, no hesitation.

 

Sorry to have been not around lately. I guess I missed helping the OP, but I'll post info anyway.
First, technically when using a 24 hour residential pass, you need a local ID. However, I have asked and asked and can't find a single person who was ever asked for local ID. I asked a bus driver on the 202 and she said they probably should ask, but don't. I asked an RTC worker in front of Binions and he said drivers don't ask.
Don't confuse that with the need to prove yourself if you are a senior on reduced fare. You will need to prove your age. The RTC issues a photo ID. Also a Medicare card will work. To get the photo ID go to the BTC. Some report using a driver's license on the WAX with no trouble, but I don't think I"d want to use an out of state driver's license if using a 24 hour residential pass to hop the SDX.
If you are really nervous about not being a local, board the Deuce. The driver will let you know immediately if he wants to see a local ID. Then you can just get off the bus. Again, this has never happened as far as I can tell.
The 15 day pass is another deal. It is all access. No local ID even technically required.
On this board I've had seven people ask personally at the BTC if the 15 day pass is all access or not to everyone and get the same answer.
The answer is a definitive, "yes" so if bus drivers start asking for local ID, they won't ask on a 15 day all access pass.

Where this becomes especially cost saving is for seniors. A 15 day all access pass is $17 for seniors. Compare that to $20 for just a three day strip bus pass where no senior reduction is offered.

The citations mentioned being issued on SDX are usually for people traveling with outdated or no ticket at all. Also, some will have a senior/youth reduced pass but no ID to prove age. And usually people are just asked to get off the bus, but if the inspector sees the same folks every day trying to scam a ride, then a citation is issued.
I have never heard of a citation issued to a tourist.

The SSTT has been often reported as a difficult place to buy passes, especially for senior rates because there are confusing and sometimes broken machines and no people.
I buy the 15/30 day passes downtown at Walgreen's or at the Walgreen's near the Orleans (a few blocks on Tropicana walking away from the strip) There are other locations that you can find by going on the website,
http://www.rtcsnv.com/transit/fare-information/where-to-buy-a-pass-around-town/
but some of them won't have the reduced fare passes, just full pay. I have not used them. One was very near Ellis Island. Check the list on the RTC site and then call and ask if they have what you want and what hours they are open. That one near the Orleans is open 24 hours and I've bought them at 2 AM. They say they are never out of passes there.
I generally either start my trip downtown or at the Orleans and get my 15 or usually 30 day pass easily that way.
Also, both these spots are easily accessed by the WAX or the WAX and the 201 from the airport.
When all else fails a trip to the BTC will get you a pass from a living person with no machine confusion or failure.

Please let me know if any of you purchase a 24 hour residential pass and get asked for local ID by any drivers. I know that the strip and Tropicana corner was frustrating the RTC because tourists picked up a 24 pass from the WAX driver and then presented it on the Deuce, boarding with their luggage and clearly not locals. I know that they installed the machine at the airport bus stop to preclude that happening, but I still have not heard from anyone asked for a local ID and then asked to buy strip pass even at that stop.
I played poker with a lawyer who claimed she knew that any pass purchased by even tourists had to be honored. Still, who is going to court over that?

As much as it can, the RTC plots to provide locals with special fares and get more from tourists. I don't know any other city where this happens.

 

Happy to see you back Huey. Hope you made out well on your last trip.
We are both over 60. Want to get the 15 day senior pass(will be there 8 days). Is all we need to show is our medicare(red,white,blue) card when boarding with pass and not license which shows what state we are from? Hate to get the 3 day pass since our bus travel will be sporatic and spread out over the time there and 24 hour passes can get expensive. When purchasing at Walgreens (on Fremont) will we have to show out of state license or just SS card. Will it be any problem with out of state ID? Or should we just use machine?

 

To buy the pass you need to show nothing. To board the bus you have to show your Medicare card or you can go to the BTC and get a nice ID with your photo that is good for 5 years. Take any bus from the Binion's stop and it will go to the BTC in just a few minutes. They all go there. Don't miss the stop, however because then they all go other places. You could get the ID on the way to just about anywhere by taking any bus from Binions and getting off to get your ID and then getting on whatever bus you want to ride from the BTC

Getting the ID takes 15 minutes and it makes it simple because it combines your photo with senior status and generally you just flash it at the driver on your way in. Nice with luggage. Insurance against dropping the Medicare card somewhere.
Oh, my last trip of 21 days my gambling score was up $255. I ate for under $12 a day. With the cheap transportation I was golden. Saw a bunch of shows, most of them free. Here are snippets of the trip, organzed by topic rather than sequential time.
http://vegasbirthdaybash.blogspot.com/



You should not have to show your license, but there is no issue with the 15 day pass because it is all access for everyone. The only technical issue is with the 24 hour residential pass. I suppose when you show the Medicare card, the driver might ask you to prove you are you. But no worries for you.

By the way, when heading out from downtown, if the WAX is coming soon to the Binion's stop and you are going to the strip in the NYNY area, take it. It is much faster than that bumper to bumper strip traffic. I even do it to go to Bellagio area. I get off at NYNY and walk to the free tram inside Monte Carlo. That takes me to Bellagio. Going South is even easier. follow the signs to the Excalibur free tram and it will take you to Luxor and Mandalay Bay although sometimes you have to go to Mandalay Bay and then back to the Luxor.