Metrolinx: Presto Fare Card

[Jonny5]

If you're a Brampton Transit PRESTO user, you will have to travel all the way to Union just to fix a negative balance. I hope PRESTO opens up offices in ech city, so it wil be easier to resolve issues.

You can pay off the underpayment fee at any GO Station, including stations in Brampton, once it is online with PRESTO.
Oakville and Burlington Transit already have separate Presto offices at their main ticket agencies and I'm sure Brampton will as well.
You can use Presto without ever going to Union. People in Ottawa would be rather pissed if you had to go to Union for anything.

 

[The Mad Navigator]

Personally, I would much rather have a computer deal with it. I don't think the average transit operator is qualified to judge a passenger's character, nor should they be.

Consider myself:
When I'm in a suit I look pretty polished, if I do say so myself. If I haven't combed my hair, I look like a thug.
If I'm on my bike in a jersey and tights I look like a weekend warrior. If I'm in jeans and a hoody I wouldn't be surprised if someone thought I stole it.

Sure it is a pain to clear the negative balance, but I think it's better than the aternative of a ) having to walk or b ) playing fare roulette with the driver.

Well, maybe you should open your mouth more often. Just because you look like a thug, a tool, or a clown, doesn't mean you're actually ARE one. Come on man, this is Toronto. Lots of variety in terms or looks and fashion.

 

[Mapleson]

No offence, but most people are not afraid to talk to an operator, and say "Sorry, I'm a quarter short" Unlike computers, operators can be reasoned with, regardless of how you look, or your skin colour. I have yet to be denied by an operator, the few times I was short on a fare.
If you're a Brampton Transit PRESTO user, you will have to travel all the way to Union just to fix a negative balance. I hope PRESTO opens up offices in ech city, so it wil be easier to resolve issues.

For the record, I am West Indian, so by your logic, I should have been denied by operators for any fare issue.

From Burlington Transit Website PRESTO FAQ:
As of May 10, 2010 you can begin to purchase and perform other transactions with your PRESTO card at the Downtown Burlington Transit Terminal.

PRESTO devices called "Balance Checkers" are located at the Downtown Transit Terminal as well as at GO Rail Stations in Burlington.

 

[Justin10000]

You can pay off the underpayment fee at any GO Station, including stations in Brampton, once it is online with PRESTO.
Oakville and Burlington transit already have separate Presto offices as well. You can use Presto without ever going to Union.

Excellent. I plan on registering with PRESTO once Brampton Transit rolls out.

 

[TrickyRicky]

This thread is far too long to review in full and there are people here who are far more knowledgeable than me on this subject. I just wanted to add that I was in London UK recently and I found their Oyster Card system was very handy and easy to use.

 

[RedRocket191]

For the record, I am West Indian, so by your logic, I should have been denied by operators for any fare issue.

Wow. I cannot believe you would come to that conclusion based on my post. Seriously...

Well, maybe you should open your mouth more often. Just because you look like a thug, a tool, or a clown, doesn't mean you're actually ARE one. Come on man, this is Toronto. Lots of variety in terms or looks and fashion.

Clearly I can't use hypotheticals on this forum anymore...

 

[nfitz]

presto didn't make this decision, the transit agencies did. They wanted to ensure people weren't carrying around negative balances for extended periods.

Wouldn't being able to pay the $$$ on-line reduce the periods where people carry around negative balances?

 

[Mapleson]

This thread is far too long to review in full and there are people here who are far more knowledgeable than me on this subject. I just wanted to add that I was in London UK recently and I found their Oyster Card system was very handy and easy to use.

This is the 8th year of Oyster Card implementation/roll-out. It wasn't on London Underground for the first 5 years (2007) and it's now being extended to the national rail system (they set up national rail zones in 2007 to begin the costing roll-over process). In the first few years, it was a FUBAR that people didn't like because of all the stupidity, like you could only use it for bus-origin journeys. My favourite part of the system was implementing the riverboat payment. Oyster is a good example of how system improvement should be a gradual continual thing, not a starve-and-feast cycle of maintainance and repair.

 

[The Mad Navigator]

Clearly I can't use hypotheticals on this forum anymore...

I'm just telling it like it is.

What's so hard to understand about that?

 

[RedRocket191]

I'm just telling it like it is.

What's so hard to understand about that?

I made up a hypothetical situation to express my point - that people can have internal biases against how other people look, regardless of everyone's best efforts. As such, it's not an effective policy to ask the driver to excuse your underpayment. The driver making a judgement on how trustworthy you are is so subjective that it's a disaster waiting to happen.

Since this was a hypothetical situation that I made up, your comment that I should "open my mouth more often" (presumably to plead with the driver to excuse my inability to pay the fare) was not warranted. I am not being opressed, marginalized or labelled by anyone.

I thank you for your concern about my well being.

 

[Justin10000]

Wow. I cannot believe you would come to that conclusion based on my post. Seriously...

Assuming operators will judge riders based on their appearance is not far off the mark either. I cannot believe you would even bring up such a silly hypothetical situation

 

[Tuscani01]

Assuming operators will judge riders based on their appearance is not far off the mark either. I cannot believe you would even bring up such a silly hypothetical situation

In reality though, it happens... so its not simply a hypothetical situation.

He was simply trying to prove his point that having the card back you up in the case of being short change is 100% foolproof, whereas relying on the operator to let you in when you are short change depends on who you speak to. I have seen an old lady told to pay the fare or get off the bus before, at which point other riders got up to help the lady pay her fare. If she had Presto, the card would have stood up for her instead of her having to rely on other passengers.

What about it was so difficult for you people to understand?

 

[nfitz]

This is the 8th year of Oyster Card implementation/roll-out. It wasn't on London Underground for the first 5 years (2007) and it's now being extended to the national rail system (they set up national rail zones in 2007 to begin the costing roll-over process).

There seem to be several inaccuracies in this post.

It's only 7 years since roll-out of Oyster to the public started; and it was effectively completed last January, when all the remaining rail companies that were holding out were finally added.

I'm not sure why you are saying it wasn't on the Underground until 2007. It was on the Underground and DRL on Day 1 in 2003.

Certainly the commuter rail rollout has been slow (because of a lack of buy-in by private companies), but for buses and the Underground, it's been pretty static since 2004.

As for rail fare zones ... gosh, that must date back for decades ... 2007? Not sure what you are referring to here ...

 

[Justin10000]

In reality though, it happens... so its not simply a hypothetical situation.

He was simply trying to prove his point that having the card back you up in the case of being short change is 100% foolproof, whereas relying on the operator to let you in when you are short change depends on who you speak to. I have seen an old lady told to pay the fare or get off the bus before, at which point other riders got up to help the lady pay her fare. If she had Presto, the card would have stood up for her instead of her having to rely on other passengers.

What about it was so difficult for you people to understand?

Except the card is not 100% foolproof, since the card can only be used once for a negative balance, and re-activation requires a trip to a station, and a service charge. It's not that convenient, if you think about it. If that old lady had a card, the cost to her would be higher in the end. I am sure most riders would take the chance with getting away with an under-fare. The process is flawed, and needs to be fixed. We would not even be having this conversation, if you did not have to go through a tedious process just to get out of a negative balance.

 

[The Mad Navigator]

I made up a hypothetical situation to express my point - that people can have internal biases against how other people look, regardless of everyone's best efforts. As such, it's not an effective policy to ask the driver to excuse your underpayment. The driver making a judgement on how trustworthy you are is so subjective that it's a disaster waiting to happen.

You are right to a point, but that's when common sense would kick in (if he/she has a clue), and can usually read body language. Also helps to be street smart in this case too.

Since this was a hypothetical situation that I made up, your comment that I should "open my mouth more often" (presumably to plead with the driver to excuse my inability to pay the fare) was not warranted. I am not being opressed, marginalized or labelled by anyone.

Well, a hypothetical situation deserves a hypothetical response.

I thank you for your concern about my well being.

No problem! heh