[PRCo] Re: Mass transit usage

[Phillip Clark Campbell]

Mr.Keener,
Best of wishes for your career;  this is a tough time to
be 'thrown' into the job market.  Trust you have found
satisfying and rewarding employment.

Being an imperfect world there isn't any one reason
for 'not riding' is there.  Some use 'anything' as an
excuse not to ride;  others do have legitimate concerns.
As already mentioned elsewhere, 'we' are our own
worst enemies.  I have been on buses where an individual
spreads out to prevent others from sitting 'near.'
They sit cross wise on a double seat, feet on the seat.
They literally lay down across a double seat allowing their 
feet to block the aisleway and complain if someone touches.
Packages are placed on a vacant seat and they refuse
to move them even for seniors.  These are not people
'of color.'  This was totally unthinkable let alone doable
in the 1940s and 1950s;  feet on the floor and not the
seats.  Sit up and act properly;  speak softly.

Crime is not unknown on public transit;  some places
have more trouble than others.  Pick pockets regularly
ride tourist lines;  bus drivers make announcements
about this.  Many drivers come to know or suspect
such and the individuals behind the crime.

On a much lighter note it was several years ago near this
Holiday late in the evening when a couple very attractive
women boarded the bus,  very nicely dressed.  It is
assumed they were college graduates working professionally.
One was local; her friend was visiting from out of town.
The local lady rode the bus to and from work;  she chatted
amiably with the bus driver.  The other woman stated she
didn't ride buses;  she couldn't bring her nose down from
its lofty heights.  She couldn't look at the driver when spoken
to or speaking to him.  It was clearly beneath her dignity
to be on 'public transit.'  When asked the driver said he
didn't know either of the ladies.


Phil
Without  a   'coast'   but  not  a   'cause.'





________________________________
From: Jim Keener <jimktrains at gmail.com>
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Sent: Mon, December 6, 2010 8:09:14 AM
Subject: [PRCo] Re: Mass transit usage

I'm just out of college. Most of the people I know will take
the bus if a car isn't available. Why? They don't consider 
the busses reliable enough. Also, certain routes, 
Shadyside and squirrel hill routes are heavily used most 
hours of the day. That's probably a mix of frequent 
service and higher density. Even then i/we count on the 
busses not running on schedule.

Even I'm hesitant to take a bus off the peninsula 
because of how infrequently they run.

My friends in philly use septa, especially regional rail heavily.

I really think it all comes down to service. I pay septa 
fare over renting a zip car because I count on septa 
to work. I take a cab from the airport, when with 
someone, because I don't trust the 28x to be on time.

I guess my point is that for my circle I've never heard 
the argument about the people you meet, its about service.

PAT needs to re-organize. The tdp wasn't enough. 
The whole system needs to ne optimized. Better 
service is the only way to get more customer. 
You have to (smartly) spend money to make money.

Jim

"Dennis F Cramer" <trombone at windstream.net> wrote:

>Outside of this list, I know no one who uses mass transit.  Most are 
>terrified of the
>"types" of people the think they will encounter. It is not just people
>in
>the rural areas, but also people in the two largest metro areas of
>Pennsylvania.  It never ceases to amaze me how something so practical
>is met
>with such derision.  I guess Mr. Ford and cheap gasoline spoiled many
>of us.
>I also suspect many of us are not quite as willing to accept the
>"melting
>pot" (I prefer the term "salad bowl") that is the United States of
>America.
>In their cars they can avoid those types of people whom they do not
>understand.
>
>When I visit Delaware County, people respond to where I live as being
>"out
>West".  I guess Kittanning and California are close enough.  When I was
>going to school in Westchester County, NY, anything across the Hudson
>was
>way out west.  I can say though the understanding and usage of mass
>transit
>in the NYC metro area is well ingrained.  Even the students who never
>used
>it at home learned quickly. It was nice to get on the train and ride
>into
>Manhattan without the tolls, traffic and parking.
>
>If you live in an area that has mass transit, treasure it.  Living over
>80%
>of my life in an area that is void of mass transit makes one realize
>how
>lucky others have it.
>
>
>          Dennis F. Cramer