Section 7-705 - Prohibited acts.
§ 7-705. Prohibited acts.
(a) Payment of fare; proof.- It is unlawful for any person entering a transit facility or transit vehicle owned or controlled by the Administration for the purpose of obtaining transit service or a train owned or controlled by the Administration or operated by a railroad company under contract to the Administration to provide passenger railroad service to:
(1) Fail to pay the applicable fare charged by the Administration in the required manner; or
(2) Fail to:
(i) Pay the applicable fare;
(ii) Exhibit proof of payment; or
(iii) Provide truthful identification.
(b) Prohibited acts enumerated.- It is unlawful for any person to engage in any of the following acts in any transit vehicle or transit facility, designed for the boarding of a transit vehicle, which is owned or controlled by the Administration or a train owned or controlled by the Administration or operated by a railroad company under contract to the Administration to provide passenger railroad service:
(1) Expectorate;
(2) Smoke or carry a lighted or smoldering pipe, cigar, or cigarette;
(3) Consume food or drink, or carry any open food or beverage container;
(4) Discard litter, except into receptacles designated for that purpose;
(5) Play or operate any radio, cassette, cartridge, tape player, or similar electronic device or musical instruments, unless such device is connected to an earphone that limits the sound to the hearing of the individual user;
(6) Carry or possess any explosives, acids, concealed weapons or other dangerous articles;
(7) Carry or possess any live animals, except seeing-eye animals and hearing-ear animals properly harnessed and accompanied by a blind person or a deaf person, and small animals properly packaged;
(8) Board any transit vehicle through the rear exit door, unless so directed by an employee or agent of the Maryland Transit Administration;
(9) Urinate or defecate, except in restrooms;
(10) Fail to move to the rear of any transit vehicle when requested to do so by the operator or a police officer;
(11) Fail to vacate a seat designated for the elderly or handicapped when requested to do so by the transit vehicle operator, train conductor, or a police officer; or
(12) Except by contract with the Administration, solicit the purchase of any goods or services.
(c) "Elderly and handicapped person" defined.- As used in this section, "elderly and handicapped person" means any person who, by reason of illness, injury, age, congenital malfunction, or other permanent or temporary incapacity or disability, is unable to use transit facilities and transit services or railroad facilities and railroad services as effectively as a person who is not so affected.
(d) Certain provisions of subsection (b) inapplicable.- The provisions of subsection (b)(3), (5), (8), and (12) of this section do not apply to charter bus service rendered by the Administration. The provisions of subsection (b)(2) and (12) of this section do not apply to excursion train service rendered by the Administration or by a railroad company under contract to the Administration. The provisions of subsection (b)(3) of this section do not apply to any railroad service rendered by the Administration or by a railroad company under contract to the Administration.
(e) Penalty.- Except as provided in subsection (f) of this section, any person who violates any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and is subject to a fine of not more than $500 for each offense.
(f) Obstruction, hinderance or interference with operation of transit vehicle or railroad passenger car.-
(1) It is unlawful for any person to obstruct, hinder, or interfere with:
(i) The operation or operator of a transit vehicle or railroad passenger car; or
(ii) A person engaged in official duties as a station agent, conductor, or station attendant who is employed by:
1. The Administration;
2. An entity that provides transit service under contract with the Administration;
3. A local government agency or public transit authority;
4. A private entity that provides public transit service; or
5. An entity that provides transit service under a transportation compact under Title 10 of this article.
(2) Any person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and is subject to a fine of not more than $1,000, imprisonment not exceeding 90 days, or both, for each offense.
(g) Enforcement of other laws or regulations.- This section does not prohibit enforcement of any other State or local law or regulation that is consistent with the provisions of this section.
[An. Code 1957, art. 64B, § 31A; 1977, ch. 13, § 2; 1983, ch. 116; 1984, ch. 255; 1991, ch. 222; 1992, ch. 127, § 2; 2001, chs. 118, 730; 2009, ch. 685.]