Re: Metcard (sorry)

[pshute@melbpc.org.au (Peter Shute)]

On Thu, 13 Aug 1998 08:47:24 GMT, trambuff@hotmail.com (Daniel
Gerrard) wrote:

>
>I am doing an assingment on metcard and need some arguments for it.
>The against side was easy but for is harder. If you can think of any
>(I know its hard) I would appreciate to hear them. Thankyou in
>advance.

1. I can now buy my next monthly ticket with eftpos, any time I like,
providing the machine is working. Before (at my station) it was only
open in the morning, and they occasionally didn't have any(!). Not so
long ago I couldn't buy any tickets from my station at all. They
certainly never had eftpos. I have some very tight connections to
make, and was rarely able to be sure I could get my new ticket the
evening the old one ran out, which used to be the earliest you could
renew.

2. Did you ever watch platform staff checking tickets as people
streamed out of the station. What a joke to think they could spot an
invalid ticket. Now they just have to watch for people climbing over
the barriers (where they have them, when they are working).

3. Until a year or so ago, my station was unmanned. They manned it
while waiting for the machines to be installed. The number of
passengers getting on there doubled. Previously (some) people avoided
unmanned stations as they were sick of explaining themselves at the
other end. Since the machine went in (unmanned again now), patronage
has not dropped.

4. ATMs require video surveillance to protect them. Before ATMs video
surveillance was for premium stations only. Now my station has ATMs
and video, and we don't have to walk through piss, vomit and broken
glass every morning. (it's still there, but not near the entrance).

There. 4 advantages. Can't think of any more.
Peter Shute, Melbourne, Australia