ticket to ride

plural tickets to ride

1. idiomaticSomething that enables one to do something which would otherwise not be possible.

   The plan was always to teach and at the college level. This required a graduate degree, the next ticket to ride.

   2011, Kurt Fishback, Passion with Purpose, page 50

   2 more examples

   The club's “partners” had made arrangements with the police, so employees were cop proof too. All this amounted to a ticket to ride for me. The party only stopped when I wanted it to.

   2007, Doug "Ten" Rose, Fearless Puppy on American Road, page 100

   I came across Bart on a week away, whoring and drinking mostly, heard his glib stories about where he worked, and there found my opportunity. His ego was my ticket to ride.

   2015, Rob Thurman, Carniepunk: Painted Love

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see ticket, ride.