Operation Lincoln

Operation Lincoln is a non violent form of civil disobedience regarding any transit systems fare hike. Coined in 2011 after the Capital Metropolitan Transit Authority started charging fares for Disability Fare Card Holders and Senior Citizens, it involves the act of going to a check cashing establishments, gas stations, banks, grocery stores or financial institutions and converting paper money into rolls of pennies. The low denomination coins will be used to pay the fare.

The protestor will hop on board the bus, tap their Disability Fare Card or Reduced Fare Card (In many jurisdictions show the Bus Driver the Reduced Fare Card) open up the roll of pennies when boarding and putting as many pennies in as possible until the bus driver says that fare is good enough don't worry about it and lets you board or until the reduced fare has been paid.

Tactics

• Operation Lincoln creates a burden for the fare boxes which will cause them to be emptied for frequently.
• Operation Lincoln can also affect the buses "On Time Performance"
• Operation Lincoln's purpose is to advocate fare reduction in fixed route public transit.
• Operation Lincoln affirms the notion that Seniors and Disability Fare Card Holders live on a fixed income and are pinching every penny to get by.
• Operation Lincoln also encourages a Zero Fare Public Transport.

Advocates of Zero Fare Public Transport claim that Public Transit is already paid for by the sales tax and federal grants and that fares pick up a minimal amount of the public transit agency.

This protest is called Operation Lincoln because President Abraham Lincoln is on the United States Penny or 1 cent coin.

A person paying in only pennies for bus fare is called an Operation Lincolneer.