Sydney’s introducing a new public transport fare system called “MyZone”, from April. At first I pretty much believed the name and the colourful graphics on the web site, which implied that it’s a Melbourne-like multi-modal zone fare system, working on every train, bus, tram and ferry. But it isn’t. It’s mostly still paying by distance ... [More]
On AM on Thursday they noted research which shows four in ten people use credit for basic purchases such as groceries, the implication being that many of those are doing so because they can’t use cash as they need to defer that spending to stay afloat. PETER RYAN: So credit cards being used for entertainment ... [More]
COMMUTERS are ignoring Government advice and are using myki cards on trams as well as trains. … (Jean Ker Walsh said) ”Myki equipment on trams is turned on for use by testers and system auditors,” she said. ”Everyone else on the tram should have a valid Metcard.” — The Age, Caution urged for travellers who ... [More]
Was watching an email list discussion about imperial vs metric. I’m young enough that all I learnt at school was metric, but most of the adults around me (such as my parents) were more familiar with imperial, and some of it rubbed off and entered my knowledge and vocabulary. So I do know that an ... [More]
At work I have a “Loud” play list, for when things are noisy in the office and I need to concentrate on something. Loudness helps, but an all-encompassing sound is even better for when I need to drown out other noise. Most artists in my collection have at least a few loud songs, but some ... [More]
See also: 2015 update Just so we’re clear here about which type of train is which, here’s a quick guide… Firstly, this is the train that’s in the news today: the Siemens. Their brakes have problems. (Update 2012: The brake problems have apparently been fixed.) Whereas this is the Comeng. Their air-conditioners tend to konk ... [More]
The current Flinders Street Station is 100 years old today. There’s a newish book on the history of Flinders Street Station called Beyond the Facade by Jenny Davies. Recently I was walking through the Degraves Street subway and noticed a display for the book. Then something in one of the windows caught my eye; amongst ... [More]
Was chatting a while back to a colleague about his kids in high school. One of them ends up carrying an enormous amount of stuff to and from school, including books and sports equipment, but also a notebook (laptop) computer costing a couple of thousand dollars. Giving students laptops makes no sense to me. Compared ... [More]
Work has moved me to the west end of the city, and apart from needing to figure out where there’s a decent newsagency and ATM, I’m also figuring out the transport links. Flagstaff station is the closest. Easy. Well, until they go ahead with that plan to move Frankston trains out of the loop, which ... [More]
The horrific car accident on Sunday morning that left 5 teenagers dead reminds me of some very stupid driving I saw from people on the trip down to Inverloch and back. On the way down I saw a motorcyclist come up behind me on a stretch of single lane road. I was doing about the ... [More]
People, people, people, you may be celebrating the fact that Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky has resigned. But it’s not that simple. Just as the replacement of Connex with Metro hasn’t miraculously fixed the trains, neither will everything magically be okay with a new minister at the helm. She was spot-on last week when she ... [More]
Over the holidays, I became a bikie: … discovered the truth about Roger Ramjet: … and took a ride in a harvester:
It’s just not that hard to stub out that cigarette when you get rid of it, rather than chucking it on the ground. It’s just not that hard to look at the lights outside the lift when it arrives. If the top light is on, it’s going up. If the bottom light is on, it’s ... [More]
So here’s what I’ve found while trying out Myki in the last week or two. On the day it was announced it was being switched-on for trains, I ordered cards for my kids. (I should note that I still recommend the general public do not use it, unless they’re looking for trouble. Me? I am ... [More]
Here’s an inconvenient truth of ticketing: Installing brand new smartcard systems, even established ones from elsewhere, is perhaps not as cheap as one might think. Some have said instead of developing Myki, Victoria should have bought an existing system like Hong Kong’s Octopus, or London’s Oyster. The government (TTA) claim you can’t do this. But ... [More]
I spent the day working at home yesterday rather than venture out into the world of 43 degree temperatures and train heat troubles, though admittedly I also missed out on comfy air-conditioning at work. My house doesn’t have air-conditioning. It does have internal blinds in most rooms, the exceptions being the kitchen and the bathroom, ... [More]