A cut of the profit of sales?
How does that make any sense?
By getting people in your store to get the card, they're likely to buy something from you. It's called "loss-leading".
So now the T is not only getting businesses to help fund the card and system in the form of advertising, but they're giving them money back to them?
How about a cut in the price of the frigging fare for the people who have to look at your stupid corporate logo everywhere?
Link to the Globe article:
http://tinyurl.com/rhr96
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Nice Laaaaayyydeeey!
Apparently the monthly pass policy has been that you must be in the system for 20 minutes before you are allowed back in once you exit. This is to discourage "pass-backs" of monthly passes. That's fine, though 20 minutes is too long. So with the old turnstyles, you'd be locked out, but could always flash your pass at the person the booth, and they'd let you in the handicap entrance.
Not so with the Charlie Card. There is still the 20 minute window, but now they won't even let you through, as experienced by the guy in this article:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/05/07/even_unlimited_t_passes_have_limits/
Well today it happened to me.
Today I had to get out at South Station to get some cash, as there are no BofA ATM's in the Marine Industrial Park.
So I got to SS and politely asked the CSA - who was a complete bitch, literally, I was 6" from her saying "excuse me, excuse me" and she just kept looking the other way - if I could come back in, as I had a monthly pass.
"Have you been on for 20 minutes?"
"I think so, but I'm not sure"
"Then you'll have to pay again"
"But I've got a monthly pass, you are seeing me exit, and I will come to you to get back in, can I do that?"
"I don't care what you do, as long as it's been 20 minutes."
Nice.
Former token sellers are now referred to as CSA's, or Customer Service Agents. I'm thinking that the acronym really stands for inCompetent Surly Assholes.
Not so with the Charlie Card. There is still the 20 minute window, but now they won't even let you through, as experienced by the guy in this article:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/05/07/even_unlimited_t_passes_have_limits/
Well today it happened to me.
Today I had to get out at South Station to get some cash, as there are no BofA ATM's in the Marine Industrial Park.
So I got to SS and politely asked the CSA - who was a complete bitch, literally, I was 6" from her saying "excuse me, excuse me" and she just kept looking the other way - if I could come back in, as I had a monthly pass.
"Have you been on for 20 minutes?"
"I think so, but I'm not sure"
"Then you'll have to pay again"
"But I've got a monthly pass, you are seeing me exit, and I will come to you to get back in, can I do that?"
"I don't care what you do, as long as it's been 20 minutes."
Nice.
Former token sellers are now referred to as CSA's, or Customer Service Agents. I'm thinking that the acronym really stands for inCompetent Surly Assholes.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Out Of Touch
I've written a bit about the new LED train arrival announcement system, and how hopefully it will get better, and actually let you know when the train will arrive. Currently, it only tells you when the train is about to enter the station. Nice, but utterly useless, as you can see the damn thing coming anyway.
Then today I read this from the Globe:
"The system can count down the minutes until a train arrives, but Grabauskas said that isn't necessary.
'You don't need 15 minutes lead time for a rapid transit train," he said. ''If you know you have enough time to get down the stairs, that may be all the information our customers need.' "
What a dope. He clearly drives to work.
Looks like the new boss is, in fact, the same as the old boss.
If the technology is ALREADY THERE, why not use it?
Then today I read this from the Globe:
"The system can count down the minutes until a train arrives, but Grabauskas said that isn't necessary.
'You don't need 15 minutes lead time for a rapid transit train," he said. ''If you know you have enough time to get down the stairs, that may be all the information our customers need.' "
What a dope. He clearly drives to work.
Looks like the new boss is, in fact, the same as the old boss.
If the technology is ALREADY THERE, why not use it?
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Balancing Act
To the people who think that they can hold a hot cup of coffee in one hand, a magazine or something else in the other, while standing, NOT hold onto a grab bar on the train, and manage to not fall victim to the laws of motion:
YOU CAN'T.
There was a woman today who tried that and fell everytime the train started and stopped, the whole way into town.
Plus, she was a doctor or nurse, unless she just liked to wear scrubs, and had a packet of Marlboro reds poking out of her jacket.
Nice.
YOU CAN'T.
There was a woman today who tried that and fell everytime the train started and stopped, the whole way into town.
Plus, she was a doctor or nurse, unless she just liked to wear scrubs, and had a packet of Marlboro reds poking out of her jacket.
Nice.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Mr. Mac Has A Tale
Thought you’d appreciate this- I got off at Malden Station last night, and it was raining so I went to take the bus, but where the 101 picks people up there was a bus with a hand-written sign in the side window that said “93”. So, I looked at the front of the bus and the LED sign in front (the one on the side was broken) said “101”. When I got on, this cranky-ass bus driver was lambasting this woman passenger in her 60’s saying “Have you ever taken the 93?!? Have you?!? Have you ever seen it at Malden Station?!? No! Because it doesn’t go to Malden Station, so how could this be the 93 bus?!?” It was crazy. So, when I was getting off at my stop I asked if he wanted me to take down the hand-written sign. He said “No, whatever, it’s fine”. My phone started ringing, so that’s all I said. Lucky for him, because I was going to drag him out of the bus and attack him with my sock full of rocks if my phone hadn’t rung.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Helpful
My T stop got the new fare gates installed, and as promised there were helpful T employees showing people how to use the new ticket machines.
Helpful, that is, if you were only travelling to and from stations that accept the new tickets.
A family of 6 was buying tickets, and the T guy told them that they only needed to buy 1 ticket, but put enough value on it for all 6 riders.
What he didn't tell them was that that ticket wouldn't be valid for their return trip!
Given their full-on red sox gear, I assumed that they were going to the game last night.
So I walked up, next to the T guy and asked them if they were going.
Yes, they replied.
Well, you're going to have to buy 6 tokens for your return trip then once you get to Kenmore (or Ruggles, if they were taking the shuttle).
Why, they cried, but, we just bought 12 rides on this ticket!
Well, that guy forgot to tell you that the new value-added tickets aren't usable in the old turnstile stations.
DOH!
Helpful, that is, if you were only travelling to and from stations that accept the new tickets.
A family of 6 was buying tickets, and the T guy told them that they only needed to buy 1 ticket, but put enough value on it for all 6 riders.
What he didn't tell them was that that ticket wouldn't be valid for their return trip!
Given their full-on red sox gear, I assumed that they were going to the game last night.
So I walked up, next to the T guy and asked them if they were going.
Yes, they replied.
Well, you're going to have to buy 6 tokens for your return trip then once you get to Kenmore (or Ruggles, if they were taking the shuttle).
Why, they cried, but, we just bought 12 rides on this ticket!
Well, that guy forgot to tell you that the new value-added tickets aren't usable in the old turnstile stations.
DOH!
Monday, May 01, 2006
New Scam, I mean, Fare Structure
So with the new Charlie Card comes a huge fare increase.
We heard about this awhile back, and it's a good notice this time, with the increase to start in January 2007.
It's still a giant increase though, especially considering that they are elminating the subway and bus passes to make a combo pass called the OnePass.
There are combo passes now, and that's great if you happen to take the bus and subway on a regular basis.
I don't, and now my pass will go from $44 to $62 a month since I can take the bus if I want to - and I don't.
This means that now the T will cost more than the NYC subway for a monthly rider.
Nice one!
We heard about this awhile back, and it's a good notice this time, with the increase to start in January 2007.
It's still a giant increase though, especially considering that they are elminating the subway and bus passes to make a combo pass called the OnePass.
There are combo passes now, and that's great if you happen to take the bus and subway on a regular basis.
I don't, and now my pass will go from $44 to $62 a month since I can take the bus if I want to - and I don't.
This means that now the T will cost more than the NYC subway for a monthly rider.
Nice one!
Out Of Sight...
This morning a conductor was cleaning up all the Metro papers that the idiots left on the floor of the train.
This is clearly not his job, so it's cool he even did it.
BUT.
Instead of picking them up and walking, literally, 4 feet away to put them in the bin, he took about 5 minutes to jam them down between the platform and the train.
Did he think that they wouldn't be visible once the train pulled out of the station.
What an asshole.
This is clearly not his job, so it's cool he even did it.
BUT.
Instead of picking them up and walking, literally, 4 feet away to put them in the bin, he took about 5 minutes to jam them down between the platform and the train.
Did he think that they wouldn't be visible once the train pulled out of the station.
What an asshole.
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