You know that awesome feeling you get after you post a blog post you're proud of? Well, I just got that feeling again. Only, this time, it wasn't my blog post.
Cameloparadis?, aka the MAX FAQ's blogging guy, posted a post that really opened my eyes, and I'm posting it here.
Like This.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
All Right, Technical Difficulties Cleared
Here's a tip-right after everyone in the community posts a link to your blog, don't change the address of it. All those linkies get broken and that's no good. Anyway, I changed it back to the very incorrect address I had before. Oops. :)
Keep on reading!
Keep on reading!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
And in the midst of all of this
A Name Change!
Yes, I promised one last month or the one before that, but now I followed through with this! And you know why it took a month to change it? Cause I thought of this in 15 seconds. And 5 more to actually change it. Meaning-I don't know. But now I got a new better name! Now if I could only figure out how to change its color
Yes, I promised one last month or the one before that, but now I followed through with this! And you know why it took a month to change it? Cause I thought of this in 15 seconds. And 5 more to actually change it. Meaning-I don't know. But now I got a new better name! Now if I could only figure out how to change its color
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
My Speech-HOLY CRAP 189 VIEWS IN 1 DAY?!
Hello, I am Cameron Johnson, 16 year old member of OPAL Bus Riders Unite. And I think it's time I said what's been on nearly everybody's mind. First off, TriMet, with all its flaws, is a top of the line Transit System, don't get me wrong on that. But it's rapidly deteriorating, because of reasons many people have stated before. Paying $2.30 for a bus that runs at best every 20 minutes. 4 Rounds of service cuts back to back to back to back, and to top it off, a fare increase. I'm going to be perfectly frank, if I hear the phrase "It was necessary to fill up budget holes." one more time, I'm going to hurl. You're right now proposing more than $150 million of your own funds on "Transit Related Projects" which, I may add, has nothing to do with the hundreds of miles of Bus Service and has everything to do with 5 miles of light rail. $150 million. What does that mean in terms of bus service? That's tens of thousands of bus hours saved, true "frequent" service, as opposed to the current joke, and dozens of needy bus stops improved with amenities and infrastructure. You may not view this as a choice between one or the other, but when you're crying poverty, it absolutely is. [cut - Now for all of those who can't fathom $150,000,000, I'll put it simply. It's a whole lot more than TriMet filled up with their service cuts! So it may as well have been that the whole reason for our mainly bus service cuts and then some was to fund the Milwaukie MAX Line.
I was really excited to see in the Tribune front page strewn around the back of my line 14 bus that "TriMet's not letting bond measure failure slow them down." I was almost proud at first, because I thought "TriMet's really listening to people and taking something away from this!" Then I read the sneakily placed subtitle that said "Board proceeding with Milwaukie Light Rail Project." I almost ripped said article to shreds. In fact, I could imagine that said article got left on the bus in the first place when someone else read said article, got frustrated and threw it back down on the seat across from him.
I'm going to say this as straightforward as I can, because I'm sick of beating around the bush and because you're don't seem to get it. The Milawukie MAX Line IS NOT NECESSARY. It only benefits one part of the metro area, and half of the people there don't even want it. It may be a nice addition, but it is definitely
NOT worth its $1.6 billion price tag that all these sources like the Lottery and the City itself are putting towards with when it could be going to so many better sources,
namely improved bus service. The biggest problem is not the original investment or approval, it's continuing to throw money at a black hole, with no analysis justifying the increasing cost. When the federal government said they would provide only 50% match instead of 60%, that should have been a reason for smart people to pause and consider the opportunity cost of throwing more money at a problem. But TriMet seems to have viewed this as just another schoolbook challenge, without considering the consequences on real people. People are losing trust in you for this, including me.
Not only are you ignoring what people actually want, but you're doing it without good reason.
such as safety and education and helping people who truly need it, like the HOMELESS or the impoverished or the otherwise suffering, or a much easier way to help the environment than THIS. Instead, we're blowing all that money on a way that a few thousand people could save 10 minutes getting around instead of taking the 33, which will run at the same frequency as this MAX Line. It's POINTLESS. If this gets voted for, I may as well abandon all hope right now, and I'm darn well about to. This company is making a transition from a Transit Agency to a Development Agency. A Development Agency can be good and all, but here's the catch, if you become a Development Agency, THERE IS GOING TO BE NO TRANSIT AGENCY LEFT FOR THE CITY. Listen, I know you're good people. I have no doubt about it. But you really gotta understand that the MAX line is nothing more than a pet project by you guys and for you guys. I understand, I'm an Author, and It would be a dream for a book of mine to be published. But Draining a billion and a half out of the city and its people to see it completed is like me publishing a book of slander of everyone I know and love- It's going to hurt everyone involved, including you.
You've got to understand that not only SHOULDN'T vote for this, you CAN'T vote for this. It's going to be a huge blow to the city
and our future ability to take care of all our riders.
Because if you continue on your "development at all costs" approach, you will lose the confidence of your core riders, and there won't be any transit agency left.
From all of us in the city to you, do not vote for this. For once in your term, actually let what people are saying influence your vote, because if there were no people, there would be no TriMet.
Whew. I needed to get that out. BADLY.
So, there's my speech, and I really hope to make no edits to this, i.e. no one from OPAL thinking this too risque, God bless their lives. Because they really need to listen to this. BADLY.
Well, see me tomorrow! Bye!
Edit: Expansion edited. Thanks Jon and Grayce at OPAL!
I was really excited to see in the Tribune front page strewn around the back of my line 14 bus that "TriMet's not letting bond measure failure slow them down." I was almost proud at first, because I thought "TriMet's really listening to people and taking something away from this!" Then I read the sneakily placed subtitle that said "Board proceeding with Milwaukie Light Rail Project." I almost ripped said article to shreds. In fact, I could imagine that said article got left on the bus in the first place when someone else read said article, got frustrated and threw it back down on the seat across from him.
I'm going to say this as straightforward as I can, because I'm sick of beating around the bush and because you're don't seem to get it. The Milawukie MAX Line IS NOT NECESSARY. It only benefits one part of the metro area, and half of the people there don't even want it. It may be a nice addition, but it is definitely
NOT worth its $1.6 billion price tag that all these sources like the Lottery and the City itself are putting towards with when it could be going to so many better sources,
namely improved bus service. The biggest problem is not the original investment or approval, it's continuing to throw money at a black hole, with no analysis justifying the increasing cost. When the federal government said they would provide only 50% match instead of 60%, that should have been a reason for smart people to pause and consider the opportunity cost of throwing more money at a problem. But TriMet seems to have viewed this as just another schoolbook challenge, without considering the consequences on real people. People are losing trust in you for this, including me.
Not only are you ignoring what people actually want, but you're doing it without good reason.
such as safety and education and helping people who truly need it, like the HOMELESS or the impoverished or the otherwise suffering, or a much easier way to help the environment than THIS. Instead, we're blowing all that money on a way that a few thousand people could save 10 minutes getting around instead of taking the 33, which will run at the same frequency as this MAX Line. It's POINTLESS. If this gets voted for, I may as well abandon all hope right now, and I'm darn well about to. This company is making a transition from a Transit Agency to a Development Agency. A Development Agency can be good and all, but here's the catch, if you become a Development Agency, THERE IS GOING TO BE NO TRANSIT AGENCY LEFT FOR THE CITY. Listen, I know you're good people. I have no doubt about it. But you really gotta understand that the MAX line is nothing more than a pet project by you guys and for you guys. I understand, I'm an Author, and It would be a dream for a book of mine to be published. But Draining a billion and a half out of the city and its people to see it completed is like me publishing a book of slander of everyone I know and love- It's going to hurt everyone involved, including you.
You've got to understand that not only SHOULDN'T vote for this, you CAN'T vote for this. It's going to be a huge blow to the city
and our future ability to take care of all our riders.
Because if you continue on your "development at all costs" approach, you will lose the confidence of your core riders, and there won't be any transit agency left.
From all of us in the city to you, do not vote for this. For once in your term, actually let what people are saying influence your vote, because if there were no people, there would be no TriMet.
Whew. I needed to get that out. BADLY.
So, there's my speech, and I really hope to make no edits to this, i.e. no one from OPAL thinking this too risque, God bless their lives. Because they really need to listen to this. BADLY.
Well, see me tomorrow! Bye!
Edit: Expansion edited. Thanks Jon and Grayce at OPAL!
Oh Yeah I Have A Transit Blog That's Right
Heh, I'm back. For those of you wondering where that kid with that weird transit blog went. Well, I went to the land of IF I LOOK AT ANOTHER TRANSIT RELATED THING I'M GONNA SCREAM which, shortened is called ABSOLUTE AND TOTAL BURNOUT.
Yeah, this TriMet agency wore me out. I needed to take some time to NOT be frustrated about the endeavors of this confused company and focus on happy things. Like War Video Games. And Writing. And that other stuff I do.
But fret not! I'm back! And if you thought I've gone soft, also fret not. Coming out of my burnout, I decided to take all my frustration and make a speech out of it. :D And the board of directors will be my lucky audience. This time, no abstract nice guy beating around the bush, I'm going to tell them exactly what's on my mind.
Ah, but you're gonna half to wait. Aw!
Till my next post that is. :)
See you there!
Yeah, this TriMet agency wore me out. I needed to take some time to NOT be frustrated about the endeavors of this confused company and focus on happy things. Like War Video Games. And Writing. And that other stuff I do.
But fret not! I'm back! And if you thought I've gone soft, also fret not. Coming out of my burnout, I decided to take all my frustration and make a speech out of it. :D And the board of directors will be my lucky audience. This time, no abstract nice guy beating around the bush, I'm going to tell them exactly what's on my mind.
Ah, but you're gonna half to wait. Aw!
Till my next post that is. :)
See you there!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
You Know What's BS?
Ticket Vending Machines. Sure, they're sorta helpful, but there's some major BS around it.
First off, has this ever happened to you? You're going to get a ticket outside the station and like a little bit down the way you see your train coming. You're drastically trying to mash buttons and throw your money in, and your ticket decides to take its sweet time coming out. You're muttering one expletive over and over in frustration and anxiety and finally you grab your ticket and run to the train, and it LEAVES right before you get there. Doesn't that just RUIN your day?
Or even worse, you're in the same situation and you're trying to get your old wrinkly dollar bill in, and it keeps jamming or coming back out. That just makes it 100 times worse. I mean, who's the sadistic guy who programmed those money scanner thingies to only accept your bill if it's in the right way, president facing west, right side up, unwrinkled, unfolded, and made in 2003 or sooner... Okay maybe not the last part, but that machine is sure discriminative.
Or how about when you are using loose change and you get up to the machine and it turns out you dropped a nickel along the way or didn't bring enough fare. And with the godforsaken $2.05/$2.30 fare here, I can't blame you. Now, you're up there, anywhere between a couple blocks or a mile away from home, your only choice is to go back home and get a nickel, missing a train or two while doing so, or you could always choose the DELIGHTFUL option of begging for a nickel. Now you may say "Can't that happen on a bus too?" Well, yeah if the driver is a bitter old man, but most of the time they'll be nice and let it slide. A ticket machine has no heart. It has no soul. It is unforgiving and uncaring. It comes from Satan. If you don't have that extra nickel, you're screwed. Now imagine that happens to you on the streetcar outside Fareless Square, where the ticket machines are INSIDE. You realize you lost a nickel and you're stuck IN the streetcar. You're pretty much SOL and although you rarely ever see a fare inspector there, you sure can't transfer without that dang nickel unless the bus operator is nice. So time to head back home. Which also sucks since there's little to no sidewalk on Moody in the mile between the South Waterfront and Riverfront.
Oh, and if a ticket machine is broken, that's always fun, right? Isn't that FUN? Sure, you may get a free ride out of the deal, but most likely you'll get off at the next station and get a ticket there, wasting time, or you'll get pulled over by a fare inspector and have to explain that the previous machine was broken. Yeah, that's convenient. Fun Fact: The chances that the fare inspector will believe you are really really low.
And last off, this is a small thing, but it really really really annoys the crap out of me. If you buy a Month ticket at the store, it looks really cool, like all decorative and stuff. If you buy it at the ticket machine, it comes out all bland, like a normal ticket, just a letter and a date. What, you couldn't think about easily sticking nice Monthly passes in the machine? And that's why Ticket Machines are BS.
First off, has this ever happened to you? You're going to get a ticket outside the station and like a little bit down the way you see your train coming. You're drastically trying to mash buttons and throw your money in, and your ticket decides to take its sweet time coming out. You're muttering one expletive over and over in frustration and anxiety and finally you grab your ticket and run to the train, and it LEAVES right before you get there. Doesn't that just RUIN your day?
Or even worse, you're in the same situation and you're trying to get your old wrinkly dollar bill in, and it keeps jamming or coming back out. That just makes it 100 times worse. I mean, who's the sadistic guy who programmed those money scanner thingies to only accept your bill if it's in the right way, president facing west, right side up, unwrinkled, unfolded, and made in 2003 or sooner... Okay maybe not the last part, but that machine is sure discriminative.
Or how about when you are using loose change and you get up to the machine and it turns out you dropped a nickel along the way or didn't bring enough fare. And with the godforsaken $2.05/$2.30 fare here, I can't blame you. Now, you're up there, anywhere between a couple blocks or a mile away from home, your only choice is to go back home and get a nickel, missing a train or two while doing so, or you could always choose the DELIGHTFUL option of begging for a nickel. Now you may say "Can't that happen on a bus too?" Well, yeah if the driver is a bitter old man, but most of the time they'll be nice and let it slide. A ticket machine has no heart. It has no soul. It is unforgiving and uncaring. It comes from Satan. If you don't have that extra nickel, you're screwed. Now imagine that happens to you on the streetcar outside Fareless Square, where the ticket machines are INSIDE. You realize you lost a nickel and you're stuck IN the streetcar. You're pretty much SOL and although you rarely ever see a fare inspector there, you sure can't transfer without that dang nickel unless the bus operator is nice. So time to head back home. Which also sucks since there's little to no sidewalk on Moody in the mile between the South Waterfront and Riverfront.
Oh, and if a ticket machine is broken, that's always fun, right? Isn't that FUN? Sure, you may get a free ride out of the deal, but most likely you'll get off at the next station and get a ticket there, wasting time, or you'll get pulled over by a fare inspector and have to explain that the previous machine was broken. Yeah, that's convenient. Fun Fact: The chances that the fare inspector will believe you are really really low.
And last off, this is a small thing, but it really really really annoys the crap out of me. If you buy a Month ticket at the store, it looks really cool, like all decorative and stuff. If you buy it at the ticket machine, it comes out all bland, like a normal ticket, just a letter and a date. What, you couldn't think about easily sticking nice Monthly passes in the machine? And that's why Ticket Machines are BS.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
New Name?
Yeah, I was just thinking, I am, in fact, a TriMet Ally.
But most of my stories are about TriMet Executives and their doings.
And I do NOT like TriMet Executives for the most part. -_- Which makes me look like I thrive off of planning the destruction of TriMet. Which I am TOTALLY NOT DOING! *kicks away battle plan sheet targeting 4012 SE 17th Ave* Hehe...
Anyway, methinks I need a new name. I was tossing around the name The Great Equalizer, to show I take the side of both TriMet and the public, and maybe something to show my humorous (or at least I hope so to God) styling of the blog, uhm... something, well, humorous!
So what ideas to you have? :D
Oh, and can you EVEN change the name of a blog? O_o
But most of my stories are about TriMet Executives and their doings.
And I do NOT like TriMet Executives for the most part. -_- Which makes me look like I thrive off of planning the destruction of TriMet. Which I am TOTALLY NOT DOING! *kicks away battle plan sheet targeting 4012 SE 17th Ave* Hehe...
Anyway, methinks I need a new name. I was tossing around the name The Great Equalizer, to show I take the side of both TriMet and the public, and maybe something to show my humorous (or at least I hope so to God) styling of the blog, uhm... something, well, humorous!
So what ideas to you have? :D
Oh, and can you EVEN change the name of a blog? O_o
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