Are they going for the March Primary, or the October General Election?

Have there been significant service disruptions over the last two month as a result of the fires?

Did the Board made up of local elected officials approve this TG weekend free rides?

How many votes do you think this will buy?

Yes, this system is underperforming, as a result of poor service levels, and with added service levels coming next month, maybe the Management and Board thought this would be a good "marketing move", to allow folks to experience the service, to improve ridership and farebox return, or doesn't that motive fit with your theory?

Do other transit system offer "free rides" for certain events, or on holidays?

Are they trying to "buy" votes with those free rides when they offer free Christmas Eve and New Years Eve service on Metro, even when they have nothing on the ballot?

Or, are they just "being nice" and saying thank you to their customers at the holidays, or worse, using "free rides" on public transit during the holidays to reduce DUI incidents and encourage responsible behavior?

Or, is this just the SMART Board saying we're sorry about the disruptions you've been experiencing due to the fires, and we're going to be improving service levels soon, and we'd like you to try it out?

I've actually done work on making transit "free" (it's not, it's a public service the taxpayers through their elected representatives provide, for mobility, just like they spend taxpayer dollars on roads), like how they don't charge you, every time you drive on the public streets... So are "free" public roads also part of a "trick" to make people vote for them?

Wow? Now I know we live in pretty "nutty" times, and folks are bombarded with "crazy" conspiracy theories by all kinds of goofballs of various stripes.... But, as Freud used to supposedly say: "Maybe, the cigar is just a cigar"...

And, I hope your predictions have a more rational basis than your interesting theory...

Meanwhile, for the vast majority of folks who actually like trains on AP, it sounds like a chance to take a train ride for free, on a great little piece of historic RR this weekend.