Dear STM,
Wow, you got the really cool new 21st century system going dontcha? Those Opus chip cards. Just stick 'em in the machine and load 'em up with tickets or a monthly pass. It's all very ecological and shit. No more paper passes or tickets, reusable card. Kudos to you.
There's just one thing. A tiny thing but a fucking big annoyance nevertheless. Now, see, let me explain. I can load up to four different types of "fares" on my Opus card. As you mention in your website:
You can recharge your card with various transit fares, according to your needs. For example, you could load it with an STM monthly pass along with single fares to take RTL or STL buses.That's great I think, it really is. Me? I really don't like loading my card often so I recharge with four packs of ten tickets - which will last me a couple of months.
But.
Yeah. you saw that coming didn't you?
But, I can't pay for the four packs with one swipe of my credit card. No. I have pay as I load each pack. Four times $20 in about two minutes. What happens? Each time my damn credit card has a fraud alert put on it, and I have to call the credit card company to confirm my purchases.
Because you. Are. A. Bunch. Of. MORONS!! who never thought your damn system through.
Ticketed off-edly
Jazz
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Dear credit card company.
How many times has this happened now? Three? Four? I understand the computer analyzes my spending habits, but by the third or fourth time, you'd think the computer would have caught on to the fact that every couple of months I make four $20 payments in about two and a half minutes.
What the hell do I need to do in order to establish this as a spending habit? Can't you put a note in my file to not bother calliing when that happens and just unlock the damn card???
Yes, yes, my safety first. You're on the ball, that's for damn sure.
But I can't help but wonder if you'll "fraud out" my credit card when I go on vacation this weekend?
Chargedly,
Jazz
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Dear moron on the subway,
I was giving my seat to the hugely pregnant woman who got onto the subway at the same stop as you did. Not to you. You're only thirty and despite the business suit and that laptop you have to carry, I'm sure you can stand for a few stops. Get the hell over yourself.
To your credit though, when I loudly said, "that seat wasn't for you, it's for the hugely pregnant woman standing next to you" you sheepishly got up.
Kudos to you. The Jazzer, she is impressed
Jazz
.
14 comments:
You go girl!
Hope they change the system. Pretty stupid and not thought out.
If I was ever in a fight I'd want you on my side!
My dearly beloved Jazz at the top of her form again. You do these so well, dear.
Gaelyn - It's the montreal transport commission - it's pretty much all par for the course.
DD - I'd take the bastards DOWN!
Ian - Thanks... *blush*
Hey, at least you have an Opus card (to paraphrase something someone once said on my blog in response to me whining about a poorly thought-out program by the municipal government)
I always enjoy this segment of your programming.
When I used to go to Vegas a lot, on about the 3rd day, my card would "fraud up" on me and I'd have to call, which can be kind of a buzz kill. After a few times, I would call in advance and say, "HEY!! I'm going to Vegas on these dates - DO NOT FREEZE MY CARD!" It really did help. It's a minor inconvenience compared to having your card frozen to call ahead and say, "Okay, verify me right now because here's what I'm about to do..."
We have such a nice subway (well, "we" being a figure of speech here, but I still consider myself a Montrealer), it is such a shame that the system works so badly. It seems that there is always ticket problems. And that's when there is no strike!
Just (((((((((((((JAZZ)))))))))))
because you rock and you make me laugh on fridays. :)
XUP - Point taken! :-)
WM - And I enjoy looking for idiots to blast. It's a vocation it is. My vocation is to bitch... that sounds bad doesn't it?
Geewits - I'm going to do that tomorrow
Guillaume - Yeah, we do have a nice subway. But other than that, it's always something.
Hagelrat - I aim to please.
You think you have it bad lil sister... just think of the poor parents and students who had to stand in line for hours because there is only one company authorised to take pictures for the opus student card...we're not talking a 1 hour wait here but a 3-4 hours. Why didn't they wait for school, because the STM don't get around to some schools before the end of october...
Jazz, I've passed along the "Best Blog Award" to you. Thanks for making my day so many days of the week. Please feel free to stop by and pick up your award.
YOU SAID THAT TO THE GUY? THIS IS WHY YOU ARE SO AWESOME. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
I'm left, too, wishing we had more public transport, even if it meant I had to bitch about it.
The credit card company froze our card once for "unusual activity," leaving only a message on our home phone and a useless card. What triggered it? Making several phone calls to relatives and friends from the ICU waiting room while we waited for news about our child who was recovering from brain surgery. Fuckers.
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