on a trial basis boarded for free: before noon good until 15:00, after it to end of service day. The MetroQ Fare Card holders can earn "Rider Rewards" of 5 free trips for every 50 paid trips. Tickets and cards are purchased from machines at the stations. No charge applies to Texans/Dash/Dynamo home game days with game ticket, nor to seniors over 70 or to children under 5 who ride with an adult (limit 3). Fare collection, like most light rail systems in the United States, is based on a proof-of-payment system: METRO's fare inspectors randomly check tickets and cards aboard trains. Failure to pay the fare is a Class C Misdemeanor and is subject to a fine of up to $500. Consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited on the train platform and subject to the same fine as a Class C Misdemeanor. Ridership In the first year of METRORail, daily ridership, though increasing from 12,102 in January to 32,941 in October, tapered off slightly in the last two months of the year, and "fell short of the 35,000 goal transit officials had set" in early 2004, according to the Houston Chronicle. The line reached 75 million boardings in December 2011, four years ahead of schedule, but throughout that year, ridership numbers remained flat or showed small decreases. By 2012, average weekday ridership was 36,250. The North/Red Line Extension exceeded ridership projections by 62% in the first month of operation, averaging 4,200 weekday boardings in January 2014; this was 1,600 more boardings than projected for the extension through September 30, 2014 (the end of the METRORail's fiscal year). Notable records in ridership have occurred on the following dates: February 1, 2004: 64,005 passengers rode the METRORail to Super Bowl XXXVIII February 23, 2004: 54,193 passenger boardings were recorded, the highest weekday at the time February 27, 2007: 56,388 passengers were recorded the day of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo March 15, 2012: 70,611 passengers were recorded; many of whom attended the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and a performance by The Band Perry after the rodeo at the Reliant Park sports complex. March 19, 2014: 76,925 passengers were recorded due in part to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. February 4, 2017: 109,500 passenger boardings were recorded during Super Bowl LI November 4, 2017: 125,000 passenger boardings were recorded the day of the Houston Astros World Series victory parade