In the 1903 case of Boering v. Chesapeake Beach Railway Company, the U.S Supreme Court ruled in favor of the railway company. The plaintiff, Mr. Boering, had purchased a ticket for a round trip on the defendant's railroad but was denied transportation on his return journey because he lost his return coupon. He then sued for damages and won at trial court level; however, this decision was overturned by an appellate court which found that losing one’s ticket does not entitle them to ride without it as per contract terms printed on tickets issued by common carriers like railroads or airlines. The Supreme Court upheld this ruling stating that while common carriers are obligated to transport passengers who have paid their fare, they may also establish reasonable regulations regarding how these fares are collected and verified - such as requiring presentation of a valid ticket before boarding. Therefore, since Mr. Boering failed to comply with these rules when he lost his return coupon and could not present it upon request during his attempted return journey, he was rightfully denied service under law.

In the dissenting opinion for Boering v. Chesapeake Beach Railway Company, it was argued that the majority's decision to hold a railway company liable for an accident involving one of its trains and a pedestrian who was crossing its tracks at night without looking both ways first, is unjust. The dissenting justices believed that this ruling unfairly places all responsibility on the railway company while ignoring any potential negligence on part of the pedestrian. They contended that individuals should be expected to exercise reasonable care when approaching train tracks, especially in situations where visibility might be compromised such as during nighttime hours. This includes taking precautions like stopping before crossing and checking both directions for incoming trains. By failing to do so, they reasoned that pedestrians are also contributing to their own harm and thus should share some liability in these accidents.