Here is the daily ritual that I and other bus commuters endure and its all to do with out-of-peak-hour-tickets:
(1) On jumps victim-of-society (VOS).
(2) Out comes the ticket.
(3) beep-beep-beep!
(4) “duh!” says VOS in amazement (usually feigned because he/she always
trys it on).
(5) Bus driver politely (where do these guys get the patience from!)
informs VOS … blah! Blah! Blah!
(6) VOS “duh” and looks around sheepishly but stays put.
(7) Bus driver again politely … blah!blah!blah!
If we are lucky VOS gets off the bus. Unfortunately VOS thinks he’s/she’s got some money and starts to scratch around for it. In the meantime, on a hot, sticky bus, people are starting to shift uncomfortably in their seats.
If we are really unlucky, as happened to me recently, VOS simply causes chaos! Three VOSs got on my bus at departure time. Beep-beep-beep ritual. ” Duh ritual” x 3. Driver tells them to talk to the Interchange Bus Manager, no doubt hoping to get them off so he can shut the door.
One VOS goes off. But smart VOS stays in the middle of the door entrance so the bus can’t move and the other just stands there picking at his face.
The leader VOS then finds a $50 note and the driver, who has just about lost it, tries to find the change. He finds the change but the bus can’t go because the negotiating VOS isn’t back from the Interchange HQ.
I estimate my bus was held up for 10 minutes because of these clowns. For the life of me I can’t see why ACTION doesn’t let these people on for free? Delays would be reduced. Tensions subside. I’m sure most bus commuters would be more than happy to subsidise the free ride of the … less fortunate. Anything, anything to avoid that unavoidable, routine, predictable, ghastly, day in, day out – beep! beep! beep – “duh!”.
[ED - One suspects that if the scam worked on a regular basis no-one would ever pay at all]
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Ed.
The scam only works where the bus driver is new to the passenger or is a softie!
There was one no-nonsense bus driver I saw in action (no pun intended) in this context and he was …cool.
This physically challenged chap would catch my bus and the poor bugger was challenged big time. His arms went everywhere and to see him try and extract money from his pocket was … painful.
But that’s exactly what the driver made him do. He’d regularly do the “duh!” ritual and most drivers would, understandably, waive the fare but not this driver I’m talking about.He wasn’t nasty, just firm.
Perhaps this example of the handicapped chap and the difficulties he had finding his card/money is support for my view that these people should be allowed to travel free and the rest of us should be able to get to our destination without delay!
They used to let people like this travel free but they copped a lot of flak for it.
sorry but what exactly is the blah blah blah?
This is the reason that busses used to have conductors. Of course, it’s much cheaper not to have them, but then you get crap like this pulled.
If all they can say is “duh” and “blah blah blah”, then I am not surprised there is a communication problem. Bloody immigrant drivers.
Daily Luca opinion piece?
and its free, Kaydo!
I would like, if I may, to share a corroborating story on the perils of attempting communication on Action. I had the following conversation with my driver just this afternoon:
Sheer: Why does your sign say Narrabundah and not Woden?
Bus Driver: So that people don’t get confused and think I go to Woden.
S: But you do go to Woden.
BD: Yes.
S: Right. I need to go buy a 10 trip ticket, do I have time or are you about to leave?
BD: I can sell you a ticket
S: No I want a 10 trip ticket
BD: Sure I can sell you a ticket
S: Really? One of the 10 trip savers?
BD: Nooooo, cant sell you one of those
S: Right. Do I have time to go buy one?
BD: Cant sell you one of those, you need to go to a store
S: Yep. Do I have time?
BD: Sure. We wont leave for about 5 minutes I reckon.
*sigh*
I fully support making all the Action customers pay their meagre $1 or whatever it is.
Pretty amazing the ‘user pays’ system isn’t it!
Everyone should pay the fare – yes, even people with disabilities. Quite frankly, people with disabilities get through life with a lot of freebies from well-meaning people, to the point where its an expectation rather than the exception.
As for holding up the buses – disabled or not, how about saying something to them. Let ‘em know they’re pinging you off!
Sometimes the transfer doesn’t work – I’ve had this happen. You get one and a half hours to transfer between buses to complete your journey on the one fare. (It’s not enough time anymore on weekends, given the stuffed up tightarse timetable, but that’s a rant for another time). The driver can check the stamped time on the ticket and if it’s within the 1 1/2 hrs, you don’t have to pay again.
That said, some do try it on with regularity. Which is a pain as the drivers are finding it hard to stick to the new crazy timetable as it is.
Thanks Luca, was worried I might have to resort to talk radio. Actually, that’s free too…
Kaydo my man, you too … can submit threads! As much as I would like to have daily threads, not … not because I’m an opinionated sonofabitch with too much to complain about (more that I want to try and improve the quality of life of ACT residents, particularly mine), the Ed rejects 95% of what I submit! Usually for things like floating apostrophes,misspellings, inaccuracies (got Jon’s birthdate wrong once).So what I’m saying, mate, is that it could be worse, much worse!
I have a really neat system that has meant I never have to be subjected to problems like this on Canberra’s fine public transport system.
It’s a simple, 2 step process:
1) Buy own car
2) Use own car
There is an old guy who takes the 35 in the morning and who just walks on without paying. The bus driver doesn’t say a thing. Nice deal if you can get it.
there is an asiatic who boards my bus. she is unaware that the timetable has changed and when she arrives at the stop (5 mins after a bus has gone) and waits for half an hour (for the newly scheduled bus) she gets very annoyed and gets on the bus and taps her watch in front of the driver.
she gets very annoyed and gets on the bus and taps her watch in front of the driver
Haha, I can just imagine that. Hilarious.
smackbang – he could be another action employee, i understand the ride for free ?
You get one and a half hours to transfer between buses to complete your journey on the one fare.
Really? Cos as far as I knew it was only an hour.
When I was a student, I had a bus driver tell me that I couldn’t use my student pass/student price during school holidays, because I wasn’t a student during school holidays.
He wore a beret. Feel free to punch him for me.
Yes, they upped the transfer time to 1.5 hours.
Ex longterm ACTION employees get free bus travel. My Gran and Pop don’t have to pay to catch the bus as my Pop was with ACTION for 27 years.
with you all the way VY. I can’t even remember the last time I used public transport…
Andy, he could be an ex-action employee, but I suspect it is actually just because he is a bit of a fruitcake and the bus driver has worked out it’s easier just to let him on.
What’s that old line? “Public transport would be great, if only you didn’t have to share it with the public.”
Hell is other people (on ACTION buses)…
Snahon, you’re not an MLA are you????!
I remember once when the Curtin bus didn’t show up. Fortunately, that meant I didn’t get to see the Canberra Hospital
imexplosion and so didn’t get a piece of metal through my head. Thanks ACTION!