Metra to Riders: Don’t Laminate Your Passes

The discovery of several phony passes has led Metra to ban its regular riders from protecting their monthly passes by laminating them, according to a Chicago Tribune report.

Starting Aug. 26, commuters were notified that laminated passes will no longer be accepted, the Tribune said. The move came after four fake passes were found on Union Pacific North line trains. Railroad police recently arrested a person in Highland Park for trying to use a fake pass.

According to the report, laminating the passes is one way unscrupulous riders have bypassed security features, such as a blue strip that changes color when handled by a conductor.

If you’ve already laminated your September pass, don’t worry: A Metra spokewoman told the Tribune that regular riders will be able to get replacement passes if they unwittingly broke the new rule.

Click here to read more about the ban.