[PRCo] Re: Clarifying A Couple of Off Topic Things

[Donald Galt]

On 2 Aug 2004 at 20:27, ktjosephson at earthlink.net wrote:

> My wife wanted to charter a vintage trackless trolley and spend my forty
> fifth birthday touring some of the system. This was to be a birthday present
> to me. Not much cooperation with trying to set that up. I suppose I'm too
> crass, uneducated and ill mannered to ride in their historic fleet.
> 

Offhand, I'd attribute that to MEHVA's (Metro Employees' Historic Vehicle  
Association's) lack of any but the most rudimentary organisation. Those 
trolleys go out just a couple of times a year, with no advertisement to the 
public - even the website is updated only glacially - so that attendance at the 
excursions is low except when somebody in the know happens to put together a 
party to come along. People on the streets look up in wonder without a clue as 
the to what is going on - the buses don't so much as carry banners to announce 
themselves. The fare charged doesn't begin to cover costs. The contrast with 
Edmonton and Vancouver is a bit embarrassing.     

So it probably wasn't you, they're just not set up to do anything beyond what 
they have done for years and years. The people involved with MEHVA are fine, 
dedicated folk but is strictly a shoestring operation, sclerotic and dependent 
on Metro's half-hearted support. Charters aren't unknown, but can present a 
challenge.  

Don