Re: Ticket Machines on Melbourne Trams

["Mike" <malex@bigfoot.com>]

> >> So tell me, when I make a sudden decision to take a tram to the city,
> >> how do I purchase a ticket if I don't have enough coins.
> >
> >How do you park your car if you don't have enough coins for the parking
> >meter. (Although, granted, $1.50 will usually get you some time at a
> >parking meter, but not in many places, e.g. most of St. Kilda, $2.00
flat
> >fee)
> >
> If you are asking how I park my car in St Kilda Road, then the answer
> is I drive into my office car park, where not even coins, credit cards
> or bank notes are necessary :-)
> 
> But if I drive into the city (which looks increasingly likely), I
> handle it two ways.  I either park in a parking station, where they
> (cleverly) accept notes or even credit cards, or at a meter, and to
> cover that possibility in my car I have a little container of coins.
> But I certainly don't want to have coins rattling around in my pockets
> just in case I want to buy a tram ticket.
> 
> A 2-hour ticket is almost half the value of the smallest bank note.  I
> cannot understand why I won't be able to buy a tram ticket without
> coins.  I also cannot understand why I will be able to buy a 2-hour
> ticket on a tram (assuming I have enough shrapnel) but if I want to
> spend the afternoon in the city, and not just 2 hours, I won't be able
> to buy an all-day ticket.


Aha, so you can plan ahead ("in my car I have a little container of
coins").

So, all you need to do is carry 2 (that's all) coins on your person, and
you can ride a tram whenever you want. Are we forgetting that coins are
actually still legal tender, and quite commonly used :-)

And if you really can't stand those 2 coins "rattling around in your
pocket", why don't you just buy a few 2-hour tickets next time you are in
town, and keep them in your wallet. Hardly any more oneous than your
container of coins.

Have you ever bought a phonecard for the same reason? Sure it is more of a
hassle to actually buy it in the first place, but it sure makes those phone
calls easier.

> but if I want to spend the afternoon in the city, and not just 2 hours, I
won't be able
> to buy an all-day ticket.

Oh well, just fork out the extra 10 cents for two 2-hour tickets. That can
give you 5 hours, and possibly up to 6 depending on when you buy them.


Regards,

Mike Alexander
(malex@bigfoot.com)