Re: Ticket Machines in Melbourne - Again

[paul@xenu.ee.mu.oz.au (Paul Dwerryhouse)]

Iming Chan <chani@translib.com.au> writes:

>However, I have come across quite a few customers trying to validate
>Zone 2 ticket at Ringwood and they want to go to Box Hill.  Most of them
>would insert their tickets, but ignore the "Wrong Zone" message
>displayed and then walk through the open gate.

Hey hey hey -- in which case, they are travelling without a valid ticket
and should be fined. This is no different to them picking up a blank
piece of cardboard and trying to validate that (ie, they may as well have
no ticket at all).

That people don't notice the rejection sound is no reason to not sell _all_
tickets in _all_ vending machines.

>In regard to "... defeat the system in this manner would get caught at
>the other end."  This is not quite true, as "other end" could also
>include minor stations (such as East Camberwell, Auburn, East Richmond,
>etc.), which do not have barrier gates or station staff.  In this case,
>customers with invalid tickets can simply walk through!

Well, that's really the Met's fault for making such a ridiculously stupid
ticketing system. 

The question comes down to this: Either people should be able to buy whatever
ticket they like from the vending machines OR ticket inspectors should be
removed completely, since they obviously aren't looking at tickets. 

The MET cannot have it both ways. 

What, for example, am I supposed to do if I have a monthly Zone 3 ticket
(already validated) at Tecoma station (where there were no staff last time
I looked) and I want to get to Box Hill?

What is so wrong with being able to buy a two hour Zone 2 ticket from there?

Paul.


--
Paul Dwerryhouse                                        paul@xenu.ee.mu.oz.au
"The growing use of e-mail, not to mention Web-page publishing, threatens to 
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