Re: New logic on Metcard

["Michael Walker" <walker@hotkey.net.au>]

>I still cannot understand why they have not adopted the plastic coated
>tickets that Sydney has in the interim, until the get Xpress up and
>running - the plastic coating ensures the printing is still legible, and
>also makes it more robust (for when you constantly put it in validators and
>gates).
>
This would make more sense.

>>Why should weekly and monthly ticket holders still go through hell with
the
>>existing Metcard system?
>
>Oh you poor people - it really is HELL isn't it, to have to get your wallet
>out, get the ticket out, and put it in a validator. You had to get your
>ticket out when conductors were around - what is the difference?
>
The old paper tickets wore out and got dog eared too but the differences
are:
# The person checking your ticket didn't reject it because it was slightly
bent or dog eared or worn or in less than pristine condition. Metcard
validators whilst accepting some wear do.
# The writing tended not to quickly wear out on the old tickets. After all
indelible purple ink tends to last MUCH MUCH longer than the ink that is
used on Metcards which seems designed to last little more than a week. It
would help if they didn't coat the back with the smooth coating, maybe the
ink would sink in a little better to the paper. On the other hand, the
ticket would probably break down more quickly meaning you can't win either
way.
# The validators are much slower than people and less flexible when it comes
to dealing with crowds of people going both ways such as at city stations.
#You could protect the old paper tickets (weeklies and monthlies) by keeping
them in the little plastic wallets provided by stations instead of
continually removing them like you need to do to validate Metcards. This has
nothing to do with the inconvenience of removing the ticket but everything
to do with rubbing the ink off the ticket and keeping it in good nick (see
above)
#Paper tickets always worked when you bought them, I have on many occasions
bought Metcards that didn't work at all. Trying to validate your ticket
repeatedly at a station just before the train arrives is not something I
used to have a problem with until Metcard. The only answers are to carry
some spare cash with you in case you need to buy another ticket or run the
risk of travelling and getting fined for not validated a ticket. You may
notice in both cases that although the Onelink consortium supplied a faulty
product, the onus is on me to prove my innocence or keep extra money on me
to cover their faulty merchandise. I believe most other products purchased
put the onus on the supplier to supply goods as advertised and in good
working order.

>When I was in Melbourne in January and was travelling like a commuter (2
>trams to work in the morning, a tram to the city around lunch, tram back
>after lunch, 2 trams home) during the week and like a tourist on days off,
>using a weekly ticket, I did not experience a single problem over the
>fortnight.
>
You've said this before but just because you had a successful week of
Metcard doesn't give you the right to claim other people are sooking. I can
genuinely assure you I am by no means alone in having trouble with Metcards
both with people on this newsgroup and those I associate with in my 'normal'
life. I have had many Metcards last a week too just like I've had many funny
looks (and derogatory comments of Metcard) from National Bus drivers because
the printing has faded by the end of the first / middle of the second week.
Metcard has many good points and significant potential to add to the service
provided (pre purchase, different ticket types to suit different needs eg
Metcard 10 which would have been difficult to implement with manual systems
but easy to do for computerised ticketing) but at present it falls way short
of the mark with the PTC on one hand saying 'It's not our system, we just
enforce the rules, talk to Onelink' and on the other hand Onelink just shut
up and hope everyone will get used to mediocrity. The government is quietly
disappointed that the ticketing system doesn't do what it is supposed to do
(collect accurate information, cut fare evasion, work reliably) and that
Onelink isn't doing more to fix it (or give public transport free
advertising, there was an article in The Age earlier this year where the
government were getting heavy handed with Onelink to fix and advertise the
system more to promote use of it - Onelink's response was they were planning
an advertising campaign for this month, obviously late March given I haven't
heard anything yet).

>>Metcard is destroying the loyalty of many otherwise happy users of public
>>transport.
>
>Only because they are too "precious".
>
Obviously not as precious as some Sydneysiders who think after using the
system for a week that they know more than the people who use it every day
and have done for at least the last 52 weeks or so...