Re: [Vic] Metcard - What could be done.

["Dave Proctor" <daproc@spambait.ozemail.com.au>]

"Vaughan Williams" <ender2000@my-deja.com> wrote in message
8iaoj1$rmn$1@nnrp1.deja.com">news:8iaoj1$rmn$1@nnrp1.deja.com...
>
> > Only Melburnians seem to think this.
>
> And they are the ones using the system on an ongoing basis. Have you
> heard the expression "let those who ride decide"?

What about "Obey the rules of the ones who own the system"?

> > It has not benefitted passengers because the system is not working as
> > designed. If everyone validated, then we would be able to argue the
> issue,
> > but because so many people are refusing to validate as required, it is
> > impossible to argue either way.
>
> Lets assume everyone was going to validate out of the goodness of their
> hearts.
>
> Can you point to any benefit to passengers cf. the old system?

The example I gave of why they had to issue cops in Adelaide with tickets.
Community pressure and community attitudes resulting in abuse directed at
people who *don't* validate (by definition, fare evaders, since everyone is
validating).

> > And you need to use it as a regular commuter does, i.e. 5 or 6 times
> a day,
> > every day, using weekly or longer tickets. I have done this, without
> any
> > dramas.
>
> I've done this. My partner still does.
> A few annoying results:
> 1) Missing trains while waiting in a queue of commuters waiting to
> undertake transactions with the machine, which takes forever to do an
> eftpos transaction

Which is why, on arrival in Melbourne in January, I buy two weeklies, one
for the first week, one for the second week. No queues.

> 2) Being unable to buy a ticket for weeks at a time due to the ticket
> machines at stations at both ends being smashed and the off-system
> vendors not having any monthlies in stock
>
> 3) Ticket wearing out before the month is up and machine no longer
> accepting it

That is one of the things they need to work on, probably using the same
plastic coated tickets that Sydney uses for tickets of 28 days or longer.

> 4) Validator at one end not working, unable to get through electronic
> gates at other, having to detour to go to a manned/open gate.
>
> 5) Being unable to get an extension ticket to zone 2 or 3

Yeah, that is a problem. When I went out to Belgrave on my day off this was
a drama.

Dave