A commuter has captured a heated interaction on a busy tram, with a young woman being verbally abused for not touching her travel card.
In a video posted to Instagram on Sunday, an elderly woman was seen approaching a younger female passenger on a tram in Melbourne.
“You got on the tram without a pass,” the woman said.
“It's not free.”
In Melbourne, passengers must have a valid myki card to travel on public transport.
The young woman sat quietly dressed in a black puffer jacket with the hood pulled over her head.
“I don't have one,” the younger woman replied.
The older woman, who said her name was Mary, then asked the young passenger how she could use public transport without a valid card.
'How do you get to public transport? We have to support it,” she said.
“It's not free.”
Mary then berated the young commuter for apparently having money to spend on luxuries when he didn't have a myki pass.
“You can buy your glasses, get your nails done, you can buy a brand new cellphone, but you can't afford to get a damn MyKi card,” she said.
The young woman became frustrated and then replied, “You're not my mother.”
'Who are you? You don't have to tell me what to do,” she said.
Mary (right) lectures a younger female passenger (left) for not having a valid myki card while traveling on a tram in Melbourne
The older woman claimed her name was Mary, to which the passenger replied, “Okay, good for you, Mary.”
Mary then appeared to become angrier and threatened the unsuspecting passenger.
“Don't ignore me b****, swipe your card,” she said, before sitting back down on a chair.
The tram then stopped to let passengers in and out and the person who filmed the tense altercation left the tram.
The video provoked mixed reactions on social media.
Some fully supported Mary and agreed that the younger passenger should have had a valid ticket to travel.
“She's not wrong. iPhone in hand, nails done, paying for the tram, eh', said one response.
Another said Mary was “right” when she called the young woman out.
'People who don't tune in are the reason that public transport prices have to rise. Just like those who steal groceries, they raise our prices to make up for it,” they said.
'Mary is a legend!' a third claimed.
'If you expect to use a service, expect to pay for it!'
According to Public Transport Victoria, a person who does not have a valid ticket while traveling may be fined (stock image pictured)
Others felt that Mary had gone too far and that the system should be criticized for individual travellers.
“Tax money pays for public transport so it should be free,” said one:
While another denounced 'Boomers' for always being 'happily down'.
'Mind your own business. You have no idea of that person's situation,” another warned.
When traveling on public transport in Victoria, a passenger must touch at the start of the journey, for example when boarding a tram, train or bus.
Passengers must then prove at the end that they have ended their journey by touching.
According to Public Transport Victoria, a person can be fined if they do not have a valid ticket while travelling.
To travel with a valid ticket, a passenger must pay the correct fare and obtain any concession rights.
If someone does not have a valid ticket when traveling by public transport, or does not show their ticket when requested, this may be an offense.