In Brisbane we have the ‘ go card’ for all public transport. Rarely do I ever hear a complaint about it. When an inspector comes aboard they have a small machine which can read the card to see if it’s been swiped for that journey.
MIKE SMITH: “”how do patrols tell whether you swiped it when boarding?”” At the end your beating you’ll wish you had swiped it. Did you see the footage on ABC this week? Look it up, most edifying.
no no, quite right, even though the government currently fund 75% of public transport some pissant group who think it should be totallly free are applauded. That’s not a political act its just being so cheap you won’t even pay your tiny contribution to society. It’s not sticking it to the man, its making every one else pay more. How civic.
And Steve Gardiner, police have no right to demand a ticket. Say no politely, ask them under what act they have the power to ask for tickets and ask that they show an authority. Perhaps explain that it’s an offense to act or purport to be an authorised officer.
@SBH: Yes. But I wonder how much the fare collecting costs, factor in capital cost of Myki, maintenance, patrols cost. Why not just say, the h3ll with it, and make it free[1] ?
[1] IOW, spread 100% over taxpayer base, instead of 75% + cost of collecting?
I was getting on a bit at the time of an incident and held up my ticket and said I don’t have my concession card. The guard waved acknowledgement all was good and moved on to a group of young things like our crowd was once with skinny legs and threat written all over their youthfuness compared with the middle aged guard whose demeanour changed when one of that set didn’t have his student card but a student ticket.
The guard moved in on him in a threatening way straight out of my past in Queensland copping bureacracy gone mad. I saw red and in one leap stood in front of the guard eyeballing him and suggested it was time to put the attitude away given what our own generation had been subjected to and that he ought to be ashamed of himself role modelling behaviour like it particularly after passing over my own status. He blanched, said you are right and repeatedly apologised to me and the assemblage. He said to me thank you when I was getting off the train and I unavoidably looked through him as if he wasn’t there I was so disgusted.
I have told this story before. I add that public transport and I are on more than terms of passing acquaintance and the administration of public transport ought to be put into the hands of people who use it.
well making it ‘free’ Mike, as you’ve already noted would just be a cost transfer and that cost would be 500 million (577,532,000 i think) dollars. Probably better ways to spend 500 mill but that’s not my call
30 thoughts on “I love trams and I vote”
zut alors
July 6, 2012 at 12:58 pmIn Brisbane we have the ‘ go card’ for all public transport. Rarely do I ever hear a complaint about it. When an inspector comes aboard they have a small machine which can read the card to see if it’s been swiped for that journey.
Venise Alstergren
July 6, 2012 at 7:50 pmMIKE SMITH: “”how do patrols tell whether you swiped it when boarding?”” At the end your beating you’ll wish you had swiped it. Did you see the footage on ABC this week? Look it up, most edifying.
Mike Jones
July 6, 2012 at 10:02 pmVenise,
I hear quite a lot of transport bleating
Hop on board and cop a beating
And if your joy in travel’s fleeting
Put your filthy boots upon the seating.
And if you feel no wish to pay
Don’t punch or swipe
Just stay away.
SBH
July 6, 2012 at 10:47 pmno no, quite right, even though the government currently fund 75% of public transport some pissant group who think it should be totallly free are applauded. That’s not a political act its just being so cheap you won’t even pay your tiny contribution to society. It’s not sticking it to the man, its making every one else pay more. How civic.
And Steve Gardiner, police have no right to demand a ticket. Say no politely, ask them under what act they have the power to ask for tickets and ask that they show an authority. Perhaps explain that it’s an offense to act or purport to be an authorised officer.
Mike Smith
July 7, 2012 at 1:45 am@SBH:
By the government you mean us, the taxpayer are funding 75% of it. 🙂 As a mostly non user of buses/trams/trains, yes, I do feel quite civic.
Venise Alstergren
July 7, 2012 at 7:39 pmMIKE J: Brilliant, just perfect.
SBH
July 9, 2012 at 8:22 amIndeed Mike Smith – us – so not a lot of benefit in some very small group of us deciding the larger group should just pay more so they can pay less.
Mike Smith
July 9, 2012 at 10:50 am@SBH: Yes. But I wonder how much the fare collecting costs, factor in capital cost of Myki, maintenance, patrols cost. Why not just say, the h3ll with it, and make it free[1] ?
[1] IOW, spread 100% over taxpayer base, instead of 75% + cost of collecting?
Sandshoe
July 9, 2012 at 2:29 pmI was getting on a bit at the time of an incident and held up my ticket and said I don’t have my concession card. The guard waved acknowledgement all was good and moved on to a group of young things like our crowd was once with skinny legs and threat written all over their youthfuness compared with the middle aged guard whose demeanour changed when one of that set didn’t have his student card but a student ticket.
The guard moved in on him in a threatening way straight out of my past in Queensland copping bureacracy gone mad. I saw red and in one leap stood in front of the guard eyeballing him and suggested it was time to put the attitude away given what our own generation had been subjected to and that he ought to be ashamed of himself role modelling behaviour like it particularly after passing over my own status. He blanched, said you are right and repeatedly apologised to me and the assemblage. He said to me thank you when I was getting off the train and I unavoidably looked through him as if he wasn’t there I was so disgusted.
I have told this story before. I add that public transport and I are on more than terms of passing acquaintance and the administration of public transport ought to be put into the hands of people who use it.
SBH
July 9, 2012 at 10:00 pmwell making it ‘free’ Mike, as you’ve already noted would just be a cost transfer and that cost would be 500 million (577,532,000 i think) dollars. Probably better ways to spend 500 mill but that’s not my call
Now ‘Shoe THAT was civic, chapeau!