Re: Roll Call

["Chris Downs" <cvdowns@ozemail.com.au>]

Chris Downs, 36 (makes me a pig I 'spose), Hazelbrook resident (Blue
Mountains, NSW), tax officer (yeah yeah, I know), cohabitant with 1 wife, 1
dog and 1 cat.  Always been interested in railways (definitely hereditary -
have they identified the gene yet?) being taken to watch 32s through Rockdale
and 19s at Darling Harbour in my infancy and 10 class on the SMR in my youth.

Compulsive rail commuter, some of the more interesting work commutes across
the years include:
Woy Woy - Newcastle (a 95km one train marathon, plenty of U-boat trips in the
AM);
Emu Plains - Bankstown (3 train special, especially during that damn 11/96
'table);
Engadine - Bankstown; &
Bardwell Park - Kingsgrove (just because it was usually a W-set in the
morning).
Currently a weekday Penrith - Hazelbrook V-set commuter.

Keen observer of CityRail (rolling stock, signalling performance,
timetabling.......).  Much saddened by the current service offered on the East
Hills line ('tabling and reliability) but over the moon for CityRail and its
staff for the Olympic service, magnificent!  86 chaser when time permits to
pursue such elusive quarry.

Favoured locations to observe trains are Wondabyne and the 10 tunnels between
Clarence and Zig Zag, sensational scenery makes it a near Zen experience.

Chris

Al <alpout@optusnet.com.au> wrote in message
3acc0db7$0$25522$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au">news:3acc0db7$0$25522$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au...
> Just thinking that it's about time that we had a roll call in the group to
see
> where everyone's coming from (passenger, user, employer, employee etc) and
> what their background is.
>
> I'll start.  Alex, 22, live in East Maitland, use trains to get to/from uni
at
> Warabrook, with the odd longer trip thrown in (Sydney and beyond).  I've
also
> had an interest in trains my whole life, starting with models when I was
still
> wearing nappies and progressing through to the stage where I chose my career
> (engineering) based on doing something in transport.
>
> There also seems to be two trains of thought (pardon the pun) about trains,
> and public transport in general, one being the users' view of "Why can't my
> train run on time/run more often/run express/go direct to where I want etc",
> while on the other hand is what I'd call the blinkered management view of
> "Adapt to our system if you want to use it".  OK, I agree that there are
going
> to be certain conditions placed on using a train for travel, but so there
are
> with driving (road rules), flying (try getting on a plane without a ticket),
> and sailing/shipping (red means stop, green means go, ie you have to give
way
> to vessels on your starboard (right) side).  The point I'm trying to make is
> that some compromise has to be reached between those providing the service
and
> those using it.  Opinions?
>
> Finally, a ticketing idea which would reduce fare evasion quite
substantially,
> but would probably cost a fair bit to implement (thinking of CityRail here).
> Firstly, have barrier gates at all stations.  Secondly, before going through
> the barrier, the passenger must take a blank ticket, which is then validated
> (for want of a better term) with the start point and time.  Finally, when
the
> destination is reached, the ticket is put into the barrier again, which
> calculates the fare based on starting and finishing station.  If a token
cost
> is put on the blank ticket, say $5, then at the destination, change is given
> or more money required to get out.  (If no money is presented within a given
> time, say 2 minutes, then a fine is issued).  The same ticket could be used
> for daily, weekly, or longer periods, as the amount owing is recalculated
> according to how many times a ticket is used between the stations, so it
would
> get cheaper per trip the longer you use the ticket for.  It could also be
used
> between any two stations, and if a network is used, then it works like a
> TravelPass or Zone 1-2-3 Metcard.  It would also save money by not requiring
> as many tickets or inspectors, and reduce the litter problem caused by
tickets
> (are magnetic stripe tickets recyclable?).  Finally, throw in pre-payment of
> credit (like a photocopy card or an E-tag) and let people go until that's
all
> used up.  Who's for and against?
>
> --
> Al Pout
>
> Men are from Earth.
>
> Women are from Earth.
>
> Deal with it.
>
>