Most regular or semi-regular MAX riders are aware of the problem. At some stations some or all of the ticket machines and/or ticket validator don’t work.
Hadley Price has had enough. The website he’s created, Trimetdown.com, draws attention to the problem of broken TriMet ticket machines, and looks for a solution.
The mission of [the] site is to bring the failure of these ticketing machines into public awareness, allow citizens the opportunity to provide comments and ideas and to have TriMet respond appropriately and responsibly. Having 10 to 15 frustrated officers converge upon a train full of passengers and just writing tickets is not the answer. However, [Trimetdown.com] intends to help find the answer.
KGW website has a story about his efforts: MAX rider’s website exposes broken machines.
I mentioned one of the (many) problems I’d had with the ticket machines to someone at the Trimet office and she said, “oh, never use those”.