[Avodah] free public transport on Shabbos/Yomtov

Zev Sero zev at sero.name
Wed May 27 17:45:01 PDT 2020


In NYC, when a section of the subway is shut down over a weekend for 
work to be done, they run free shuttle buses along the closed section, 
stopping at every station along the way.

In the current situation all NYC buses are free, since the front of the 
bus is closed to protect the driver, and all boarding is from the rear.

In some cities there are free buses or streetcars on a regular basis. 
For instance in Pittsburgh all buses within the center of the city are free.

In all these cases, is there any problem with using these services on 
Shabbos or Yomtov?  (For those buses that only stop if someone is 
waiting at the stop or if a passenger has signalled a request to get 
off, assume that one boards only at a stop where someone is already 
waiting, and gets off only when someone has already requested a stop.)

Further, assuming that there is no problem, suppose one boards within an 
eruv, and gets off also within an eruv, but the two eruvin don't touch 
each other.  Obviously one may carry on to the bus, and one may carry on 
the bus, but may one carry off the bus what one brought on board, and 
carry it around in the second eruv?


-- 
Zev Sero            Wishing everyone a *healthy* and happy summer
zev at sero.name       Seek Jerusalem's peace; may all who love you prosper


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