Re: Tram Announcements: another Victorian election conspiracy theory

[cmgord@ecr.mu.oz.au (Christopher_Martin GORDON)]

: For the same reason that they do not have to physically turn a handle and
: open the doors outwards like they had to on the swing door trains, or sit in
: compartments on suburban trains like on the Tait's. Or for that matter, for
: the same reason that England does not transport convicts to the colonies any
: more - because things change. You cannot use the argument that "We have
: never done it that way before, so why should we do it now?" If that was the
: attitude everywhere, then nothing would get done. You would still be writing
: on slateboards, rather than using a computer.

Anyway back to the point, the idea of trams is boarding is quick and easy
not like buses where you get on one by one and show the ticket to the driver
(or validate it)

: If we're all the same, then why this obstinacy on the part of Melburnians?

Does everyone in Sydney validate all the time?  Maybe if we got some stats
for trains and compaired them, and for buses are compaired them they would
be the same.  What do you compair Melbourne trams to? 
 
: A bit like parking in a 30 minute parking zone for 4
: hours - just because they are not booking you for it and you are getting
: away with it does not mean it is right.

Plenty of people do that right around Australia, it is a fact of people.

: So you are agreeing then - it IS civil disobedience.

If it against the law/regularations than of course it is.

: And I do that every year - plus I visit Melbourne quite often DURING the
: year. I have pointed this out - I am not a total authority on the workings
: of Melbourne transport, but I have quite a lot of experience on it.

: First week of February is school time, and people are back at work - this is
: my third week in Melbourne. Besides, normal loading from Flinders St station
: to Melbourne Park gives a pretty good indication of busy loads.

And the unversities?  They don't start till March.  (All students are ones to 
get around anything, like Metcard and anything else.)

: True - they were tourists, unfamiliar with the system - if they can make it
: work, why can't those who DO know it?

We do know how to use it and do use it, the majority have valid tickets, and
they just don't bother to re-validated them.

: Yes - those who don't know it can make it work, those who *do* know it are
: incapable of this. It DOES tell me something about Melburnians.

Do we have a higher rate of people traveling without tickets than Sydney?
(I don't know, I would say it is about the same.)



--

Chris Gordon
http://www.ecr.mu.oz.au/~cmgord