I have no problem with the Metro fare hikes. No, really. They don't really affect me personally since I can just wake up ten minutes earlier and take the bus. I imagine commuters who park-and-ride may feel differently. Well, someone had to get hosed. Might as well be the people who can afford cars.
And the thing is, we may all end up saving money in the long run. How? Well, Metro gave itself way too much credit and dropped this bombshell:
...the board adopted a suggestion by Maryland board member Gordon Linton to consider refunds to customers when service does not meet certain criteria. Metro staff members have been directed to recommend a specific service guarantee policy.
We all know a guarantee makes a man feel good. But what exactly will the Guarantee Fairy drop behind our pillows? Here are my suggestions:
1. Stop charging people who enter the gates and immediately leave. This policy is stupid. I shouldn't have to pay $1.35 to enter and gate and immediately leave when I notice the clusterfuck at the bottom of the escalators.
2. Issue a refund if an unreported elevator outage forces a disabled passenger to travel to a different stop. This should be a no-brainer.
3. You know how Metro estimates the time of travel between two stops? Well, if your trip takes 15 minutes longer than advertised, that trip should be free. This will probably cripple Metro since they are unable to maintain anything close to resembling consistent service, but a man can dream.
If they start offering refunds for these little disasters, I'll be pleased. This guarantee might be the start of something good.
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Who am I kidding? It'll still be the same old shit.
12.14.2007
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I hope this magical guarantee also applies to buses. Especially buses whose drivers take wrong turns and get lost. True story. Happened to me on the H4 in Mt. Pleasant about a month ago.
ReplyDeleteAlthough witnessing a full-size bus trying to maneuver a U-turn on a skinny DC street was slightly amusing in a Tommy Boy "fat guy in a little coat" kind of way.
Yeah I'm not too bent out of shape about the prospect of paying 30 cents more a ride during peak hours or whatever it is.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think that if you go into the metro system and then decide to leave again without riding the train that you can talk to a metro employee and get out without paying $1.35. (I think I did this before, although I have to say usually I'm just like "fuck it" especially since the metro employees are always either MIA or busy talking to some clueless tourist).
"If your trip takes 15 minutes longer than advertised, that trip should be free. This will probably cripple Metro since they are unable to maintain anything close to resembling consistent service, but a man can dream."
ReplyDeleteRusty-Obama 2008!!!!!
i think metro should go in the opposite direction, kind of a ride at your own risk policy. people are less likely to complain if their expectations are lowered.
ReplyDelete#1 is dead-on. WTF is that? I dropped my to-do list while pulling out my wallet the other day and got charged for going back in to get it. Sheesh.
ReplyDeleteTurn off escalators that run the average length of office building stairs. Long ones like Dupont and such stay on. Maintenance and electricity costs drop like a rock.
ReplyDeleteYeah, how much of Metro's budget goes to fixing these escalators? Half the time their out of order anyway. Trying to "share" a seat gets harder and harder -- this town could use some exercise!
ReplyDeleteRusty,
ReplyDeleteAs much as you whine about the Metro, come back to Boston and ride the T for a few days. If you then went back to DC, you'd think you died and went to heaven.
Just sayin'...