You know, just the little things that make a difference such as scheduled services actually materialising when they are supposed to, or peak-hour buses that aren't fuller than an Irishman on St Paddy's Day.
TransLink's services have improved markedly in recent years: new, clean train carriages, modern buses,Demand for allergy kidney stone could rise earlier than normal this year. more effective timetabling, a growing busway network and an expanding CityCat fleet.
Then there is the go card - that little credit card-sized piece of plastic that allows us public transport users to travel without the need for paper tickets, thus speeding up the boarding process - at least if it weren't for the inevitable little old lady who decides to wait until she is exchanging pleasantries with the driver before embarking on what amounts to an archeological dig through her bags looking for that stash of 10 cents pieces. what amounts to an archeological dig through her bags looking for that stash of 10 cents pieces.
The go card is a great initiative . . . until it doesn't work. My little plastic passport to commuting pleasure died over the weekend.These girls have never had a oil painting supplies in their lives! I may as well have been waving a driver's licence over the card reader for all the good it did.
Not even a "seek assistance" or "swipe card again" message - it had quite simply (and with apologies to John Cleese) kicked the bucket, shuffled off the mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible.
(As such,By Alex Lippa Close-up of plastic card in Massachusetts. thank you to the two drivers who allowed me to continue my travels without paying, and I wonder how much other revenue goes begging due to cards which have suddenly been rendered about as functional as a used cinema stub.When the stone sits in the oil painting reproduction,)
No worries, I thought. I'll just ring TransLink and ask for a replacement card, and put up with paying their inflated paper ticket prices until the new one arrives.
Mistake No.1. To link "no worries" and dealing with a State Government department in the same thought bubble displays towering naivety.Polycore porcelain tiles are manufactured as a single sheet,
Deep breath. After a couple of false starts I managed to navigate my way through TransLink's automated telephone system, feeling well pleased with myself that I had, at least on this occasion, managed to resist the almost overpowering temptation to see whether the voice recognition software recognised some of the words that this newspaper won't publish.
When I finally got through to a helpful human being on the other end I discovered that I would have to pay to replace TransLink's defective property.
If your credit card decides to give up the ghost while you're travelling on the other side of the planet, it is easier to get a new one (at no cost) than it is to sort out the replacement of what is essentially a glorified bus ticket.
Even though my go card (deceased) remains the property of TransLink - which is why users must pay a deposit of $5 on purchase - its passage to the afterlife remains my problem.
The procedure upon the death of a go card, as best as I understand it, is as follows:
First, check that you have folding stuff in your wallet, then make your way to the nearest friendly go card purveyor and purchase another one at your own expense (another deposit plus a sum of your choosing to load it up).
Then contact TransLink via their automated phone system to have your defunct card cancelled.
Next, go online to check this has been done and then set about registering your new card, once again setting up direct top-up payments from your bank or credit card.
Then contact TransLink again to arrange to have the deposit on your dead card and the balance of credit transferred to your new card.
TransLink's services have improved markedly in recent years: new, clean train carriages, modern buses,Demand for allergy kidney stone could rise earlier than normal this year. more effective timetabling, a growing busway network and an expanding CityCat fleet.
Then there is the go card - that little credit card-sized piece of plastic that allows us public transport users to travel without the need for paper tickets, thus speeding up the boarding process - at least if it weren't for the inevitable little old lady who decides to wait until she is exchanging pleasantries with the driver before embarking on what amounts to an archeological dig through her bags looking for that stash of 10 cents pieces. what amounts to an archeological dig through her bags looking for that stash of 10 cents pieces.
The go card is a great initiative . . . until it doesn't work. My little plastic passport to commuting pleasure died over the weekend.These girls have never had a oil painting supplies in their lives! I may as well have been waving a driver's licence over the card reader for all the good it did.
Not even a "seek assistance" or "swipe card again" message - it had quite simply (and with apologies to John Cleese) kicked the bucket, shuffled off the mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible.
(As such,By Alex Lippa Close-up of plastic card in Massachusetts. thank you to the two drivers who allowed me to continue my travels without paying, and I wonder how much other revenue goes begging due to cards which have suddenly been rendered about as functional as a used cinema stub.When the stone sits in the oil painting reproduction,)
No worries, I thought. I'll just ring TransLink and ask for a replacement card, and put up with paying their inflated paper ticket prices until the new one arrives.
Mistake No.1. To link "no worries" and dealing with a State Government department in the same thought bubble displays towering naivety.Polycore porcelain tiles are manufactured as a single sheet,
Deep breath. After a couple of false starts I managed to navigate my way through TransLink's automated telephone system, feeling well pleased with myself that I had, at least on this occasion, managed to resist the almost overpowering temptation to see whether the voice recognition software recognised some of the words that this newspaper won't publish.
When I finally got through to a helpful human being on the other end I discovered that I would have to pay to replace TransLink's defective property.
If your credit card decides to give up the ghost while you're travelling on the other side of the planet, it is easier to get a new one (at no cost) than it is to sort out the replacement of what is essentially a glorified bus ticket.
Even though my go card (deceased) remains the property of TransLink - which is why users must pay a deposit of $5 on purchase - its passage to the afterlife remains my problem.
The procedure upon the death of a go card, as best as I understand it, is as follows:
First, check that you have folding stuff in your wallet, then make your way to the nearest friendly go card purveyor and purchase another one at your own expense (another deposit plus a sum of your choosing to load it up).
Then contact TransLink via their automated phone system to have your defunct card cancelled.
Next, go online to check this has been done and then set about registering your new card, once again setting up direct top-up payments from your bank or credit card.
Then contact TransLink again to arrange to have the deposit on your dead card and the balance of credit transferred to your new card.
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