Re: New logic on Metcard

["Johann Fan" <yagsX@geocities.com>]

[snip]
>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.

Its thermal printing so, just the same with some fax machines, the print
eventually fades. You can make it faster by rubbing it with other surfaces
(ie validating it) or applying a heat source (making it go all black)

># 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).
I thought the PTC ooops... Hillside/Bayside trains took over the
advertising/awareness campaign... I recently heard at Spencer st when a
train arrives (ie.. after "Train on platform 10 is....")
" Hillside trains recommends you prepurchase your ticket, saving you time
the next time you travel, then all you have to do is validate before your
trip"
>>>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...


I've been using it since November 96 when they first beta-tested it on
buses. The system now is *much* improved... but still there is a long way to
go :( I used to get tickets bought on buses that were printed ***EXPIRED***
when I got to the station and validated them.

cheers
Johann