Unit 8 · Detecting Reasoning Errors
Railway Ticket Inspectors — Deterrence Error
Lesson 23 of 34
About this lesson
Ticket inspectors on the Northern Intercity Railway have not caught a single person in five years. Linda says they're a waste of money. But is 'never catching anyone' a sign of failure — or success?
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Question
The Northern Intercity Railway employs ticket inspectors to check that everyone travelling on a train has a valid ticket, and catch anyone trying to ride for free. Anyone caught without a ticket has to pay a $500 fine.
In the last five years, not a single person has been caught without a valid ticket.
Linda: “That just shows that the ticket inspectors are a waste of time and money – they never catch anyone. The Railway should save the money, or employ them to do something more useful.”
Which one of the following sentences shows the mistake Linda has made?
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