Tag Archives | septa

overthinking transit and change

The inspiration for writing about transit began when I made a point to notice this sign as I descended the stairs at the Tasker-Morris stop on the Broad Street Line last week: Exact fare only. The cashier has no change.

exact fare only

This is not a very friendly message. Since I have a monthly unlimited transpass, I can ignore that sign and keep moving. A few years ago, when I wasn't on the monthly plan, that sign used to anger me every day. Not only did this station require exact change, they did not have token machines either. Unless you're a seasoned rider, you would not know until you get to the cashier that the fare is $2. And if you had a $5 or a $20 bill, it didn't matter. $2 in bills or coins was all that would get you through that turnstile.

As I was pondering this frustration the other day, I realized (to SEPTA's credit) that in the years since I used to visit this stop regularly, they have gotten token machines! Yes, I have seen them many times, but it dawned on me that they did solve one part of the problem. Technically you don't need exact change anymore. If you have a $5 bill, you can put it in the machine and get a few tokens to be used for future trips.

But if you want to buy some tokens with all those quarters you've stashed for a rainy day, forget it! This machine does not accept coins.

this machine does not accept coins

Well SEPTA, you are trying.

I'm still holding out for NYC's MTA plan: MetroCards with declining balances that can be filled up at any station at any time, with cash or credit. Now that's convenient.

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time for my morning jacket

recent points of note:

- i’m usually always thinking of crazy things i want to write on here, but somewhere between the idea and the walk home or the ride on the subway i misplace my brain.

- i’ve decided to temporarily ease up on the anti-septa venom because the nice token collector at my station has been giving me free rides.  a "good morning" and a smile will get you places, literally!

- i dusted off my my morning jacket albums yesterday, it’s my favorite fall music.  and by dusting them off, i just mean selecting them to play all at once on my ipod.

- i’ve been wearing all of "my morning jackets" recently since there’s been the tiniest bit of chill in the air.  it’s been fun actually, because pulling an old jacket out of the closet inevitably means stumbling upon things that happened the last time the weather was brisk.  each jacket tells a different story with a long lost receipt or move ticket stub. it really does take you back for a minute.

- it’s officially fall, and it’s my favorite time of the year…

more soon…

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septa, you have really outdone yourself

i have a lot of reasons not to like septa (southeastern pennsylvania transportation authority). after living in nyc for several years and becoming accustomed to credit card accepting vending machines at every single station, i would get annoyed by the lack of such a machine at my local station. i have gotten frustrated by the need to buy tokens (hello! tokens??) at random stations on the broad street line and / or at rite-aid (let’s not even go there). i could talk endlessly about their monthly pass and how it’s actually not a big savings and you can only buy it for the specific month (and not for any 30-day period). i have a laundry list of other issues as i have fully accepted my obsession with mass transportation. but yesterday, yesterday takes the cake. here goes:

i was taking the regional rail train to the suburbs to spend the afternoon at my parents’ house. while my train was stopped on the tracks for whatever reason, it was HIT BY AN ONCOMING TRAIN!!! there are few words to express what it was like to be sitting in the very first car of the train, and then suddenly see that the conductors are freaking out and telling everyone to get up and run. i was able to look out the window and see the train heading straight for us and thinking, no way, this cannot be happening! i ran, fearing for the worst, and on impact was thrown to the ground. it wasn’t as worse as it could have been. my only battle scars are skinned knees from my fall, but i saw some bloody broken noses and bumped chins, and many people taken away on stretchers.

today there is a note on septa’s website that says:
Shuttle buses are operating on the R2 Warminster regional rail line between Glenside and Warminster Stations due to emergency work crew activity near Crestmont Station.

i guess i am just going to start walking everywhere.

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