Ever noticed how crowded the trains are on the weekend on the busy lines since the footy finished? I don’t mean on race days, I mean on “normal” weekends. People are not just having to stand, but sometimes it’s a struggle to fit aboard, because they’re running short 3-carriage trains. It’s not a new thing; ... [More]
Category: transport
All forms of transport, including gunzelly
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Bad advice
From a distance, I couldn’t hear the conversation, but from the gestures I guessed it went something like this: He, on platform 2: “Is this the platform for Frankston trains?” She: “No, I think it’s platform 3. Down there, across the tracks.” “Thanks.” So he followed her advice, went down and across the tracks. Perhaps ... [More]
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Another trip
Another trip (more pleasant this time) and another fellow-passenger out of context. I sat down on a train a couple of weeks ago, and flicked through the MX. I looked up and saw a familiar face in a nearby seat. Who is that? Oh. So I went over and said “Hi Dad.” Hadn’t seen him ... [More]
As someone who has lived in the Bagel Belt for most of my life, I’m somewhat shocked to hear of the alleged racist attack on a Jewish man in Balaclava Road last Saturday by some mindless idiots on a football club trip. The operations manager of the football league involved said: “It was a trip ... [More]
Mr woolly jumper, what makes you think it is acceptable to floss your teeth on the train? Gross-a-rama.
I was on the tram. A man in a nearby seat looked rather familiar. Was he someone I knew, or an undercover ticket inspector noticing I hadn’t bothered to re-validate my already several-hundred-times-re-validated Yearly ticket, so the tram company beancounters would get their flawed and meaningless statistics for the month? He got up. “Daniel, how ... [More]
I’m no fan of Connex’s obtuse “Don’t Hold Others Back” campaign. Some of the TV ads make no sense when seen in isolation: you have to go to the web site to find out what it’s about. Of those that have ready web access, how many people would bother? Some advertising people will probably win ... [More]
Despite petrol at record prices and traffic congestion, most people still don’t use public transport. Its share of the market sits stagnant at about 8% or so. Why? Because most people will only choose PT over driving when it’s convenient: when it goes where you want to go, and when it’s frequent. How frequent is ... [More]
I rather like the design of this Warholesque tram. It’s to celebrate 100 years of electric trams in Melbourne, even though the first electric tram in Melbourne ran in 1889. It only lasted 7 years though, so I suppose this one can celebrate 100 consecutive years of electric trams. But that would sound a little ... [More]
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Right place, right time
“The only thing wrong with public transport is the public.” I’m not sure who said it, but sometimes it rings true. On my train home last night at about 9:30pm, a crazy woman started screaming at nobody in particular. Just a cry of “You f—ing murderers! Nazis!” every couple of minutes. As you do. The ... [More]
A grizzled old man in the supermarket queue tonight was bitching about petrol prices. “It’s criminal!” he was saying. I didn’t feel like trying to explain the concept of Peak Oil to him. Nor did I think telling him it was only going to get worse would placate him. A more informed response to the ... [More]
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My travel patterns
Yeah, I’m mulling over my travel patterns to the nth degree again. This week’s question: When to replace a car? Josh pointed me to a discussion about when one should dump an old car and buy a new (or less-old) one. The short answer appears to be: it varies (obviously). Factors include the costs involved ... [More]
135 metres to Parliament Station In the City Loop, there are signs at odd intervals, saying things like “Parliament station 135 metres”. They’re placed under every third light. The lights are at 15 metre intervals, the signs at 45 metre intervals. This is because the loop was designed before the switch to metric in the ... [More]
I don’t agree with the name change, but I do think the renovated Southern Cross Station is impressive. Compare this picture from about a year ago to how it looks today (yep, there is a massive tram stop in front of it, seen here with a massive tram, so it’s a bit harder to see ... [More]
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The value of branding
I’m no marketing expert, but even I know that branding is a powerful and valuable thing. If you’ve got a well-established brand, you have to be careful if you tweak it or change it. As far as possible, you’d have to make the transition as smooth as possible, for your users/customers, including the once-a-year ones. ... [More]
The next time you hear the government making excuses as to why they can’t extend train and tram lines, and how they have to provide a “balance” between freeway and public transport expansion, keep this in mind: (Current and past ten years dollars spent on freeway expansion: $7.2 billion. Rail/tram network expansion: $225 milion. Full ... [More]