Muldowney v. Pittsburg & Birmingham Traction Co.
Muldowney v. Pittsburg & Birmingham Traction Co.
Opinion of the Court
Opihtoít by
The plaintiff testified, that, when the conductor came to collect her fare, she discovered that the only money she had was a five dollar bill and three pennies; that she tendered him the bill, but he refused to change it, and said: “ You will get off —You get off.” She insisted, and said: “I will not get off; you take my fare.” He replied, “ Won’t you? I’ll see if you don’t.” He then passed through the car, and collected the fares of the other passengers, after which he stopped the car, and beckoning to her from the platform, where he stood, said .- “ You get off; get off here.” This was several squares distant from the point where she had entered the car, and three or four squares from the point where the conductor had demanded her fare. A man who was about to enter the car evidently heard what the conductor had said; for, as the plaintiff was in the act
Assuming the truth of the plaintiff’s version of her ejection from the car, can she maintain an action of trespass; and if she can, wherein did the trespass consist ?
Unquestionably, street railway companies may make reasonable regulations upon the subject of fares, and refuse to carry passengers who will not 'comply with them. It would be unreasonable to expect conductors of street cars to be prepared to change bills of any denomination that passengers may present. On the other hand, where places are not provided for the sale of tickets, and it is the uniform custom for the conductors to change bills and coins, it would be a harsh rule to hold, that a passenger entering a car in good faith may be summarily ejected because he is unable to tender the exact fare.
We come then to the offer alleged to have been made by the stranger. It is worthy of notice — although we do not rest our decision on this ground — that this offer was not made until after the car had been stopped for the purpose of ejecting, the plaintiff. See Ham v. D. & H. Canal Co., 142 Pa. 617. The more important features of the testimony upon this subject are, (1) that, judging by the terms in which it was framed, it was addressed, not to the conductor, but to the plaintiff; (2) that, by her own admission, she refused it. Whether or not the conductor ought to have accepted it, without affirmative evidence, express or implied, of her assent, is an immaterial ques
The conductor used no violence, nor, indeed, force of any kind in ejecting her from the car, and we have given all he said in the exact language of her testimony. The suggestion of counsel, that he subjected her to unnecessary insult and humiliation, and, that this, of itself, might be a ground of recovery, needs no discussion. Under the plaintiff’s own testimony the conductor had a right to compel her to leave the car. It was not an “inexcusable trespass ” as it was hi Laird v. Traction Co., 166 Pa. 4. There was nothing in the manner in which it was done that, independently of other grounds, would justify a recovery in an action of trespass.
It follows, that the defendant’s first point should have been affirmed.
The juc[gment is reversed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Thomas Muldowney and Annie Muldowney, his wife, for use and right of said wife v. the Pittsburg & Birmingham Traction Company
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Street railways — Fares—Reasonable regulations. Street railways may make reasonable regulations upon the subject of fares and refuse to carry passengers who will not comply with them. Province of court — Tender of five dollars for five cent fares not reasonable — Conductor's duty as to change. The reasonableness of a tender of money in excess of the fare is a question of law to be determined by the court. Held, that the tender of a five dollar bill for a five cent fare was unreasonable as a matter of law, and that the conductor was not bound to accept it and give back the change.