precision vs letting things slide

For the past week and half, I've caught the bus at the corner of 15th and Failing every morning around 7:30. I've fed my one-zone ticket into the little ticket eater, the bus driver has handed me a transfer, and I've been taken within one block of my workplace. This morning, however, I fed my ticket into the ticket eater and the bus driver (a new one for me, having caught an earlier bus than usual) looked uncomfortable, frowned at me, and asked if I had 30 cents. I laughed at him. Why did he want 30 cents? He wanted me to upgrade my ticket. I didn't understand. None of the other bus drivers had ever asked me to upgrade. This information did not sway him. I said "A one zone ticket won't get me downtown?" And he said "Not from this stop." So I handed him 30 cents, feeling puzzled, and took a seat.

Later, at work, I looked my route up on TriMet and, sure enough, I'd been catching the bus exactly one stop outside the inner zone. None of the other drivers had mentioned it. Did they think I knew and that I was just trying to make a point or pull one over on them? Or did they see how ridiculous it was to ask for 30 cents more because I was getting on the bus just two blocks outside the inner zone? Did they just not care?

And this guy? Would it have killed him to explain? When I asked about my one zone ticket, why didn't he say "the zone ends at Alberta." Then I would've understood. Instead, it was like some mystery, some secret. Why are people so awkward with each other?

So now I know. And I can either walk an extra two blocks to Alberta every morning, or I can pony up the extra 30 cents. Or I can keep catching the later bus and continue my unspoken yet known cheating of TriMet. How odd.