This is incorrect. When you buy a ticket, a portion of the price goes to the government. This portion is not optional. Therefore it is compulsory. Hence the author's argument.
Much like many other comments on this article, that seem to have been written in a painful rush to demonstrate just how damn rational the comment author is.
The headline is neither wrong nor sensationalised, and the article is nuanced and cogent.
Furthermore, I think everyone has a right to his or her own opinion.