From Angela B.
To cj@thiscrazytrain.com
Subject: Presto is a mess-oh
I am now convinced that Presto customer service agents are merely random people hired off the street using a $100 bill as incentive and some spa gift certificates as bait.
At least, this is how it feels after months of trying to get someone to explain to why, after tapping, I'm given two hours to complete my trip.
Is it two hours after every tap? Or from the first tap at the start of your journey?
For example, a few months ago, on a Thursday, I had to travel to Aldershot. I started out by bus (Tap 1) and then tapped off when I got to Oshawa station. I then tapped to board the train (Tap 2) pressing override so that I would be charged the base fare and the rest of the fare would be calculated when I tapped off at Union.
Here's where I got stuck. I tapped off at Union because I would be taking a different train on a totally different corridor. This is what the bus driver told me to do. I learned later at Customer Service this is not what I should have done.
So, to board the Aldershot train at Union, I had to pay cash because when I tried to tap again after tapping off, the machine kept flashing the "Already Tapped" message. Long story short, while trying to get this sorted out, I missed the train to Aldershot and had to wait 45 minutes for the next one.
But wait, it gets better. I had to pay cash to take the train to Aldershot because no one could fix the 'already tapped' issue and I had to wait for the 'reset'.
Honestly, it felt like no one knew what they were doing.
I heard a completely different story on the way home. I was told, when boarding at Aldershot, press override, tap and then take all the trains I needed and top off at Oshawa. Well I did this, only to have the Oshawa train be delayed. By the time I arrived in Oshawa, it had been more than two hours since I tapped on and I received a card error message when I tapped off.
I was so pissed, aggravated, fed up ... you name it.
I wanted to go home!!! I had to pay the bus driver with cash.
The next day, being a Friday, I boarded the bus and tapped, only to be told I owed $24 and change. The driver asked if I wanted to pay that out of my e-Purse. Sure, of course! Why didn't this happen the night before when I tapped on the bus and wound up paying cash for the bus ride home?
What I did learn is that if you do all the tapping I did for the journey at the beginning, two-hour windows work.
My question is, what is the correct way to use Presto for multiple trains, buses and different corridors? How many taps?
Why can't anyone give me a consistent, straight answer?
OK, putting Presto-expertise hat on
ReplyDelete1) If you are switching trains, you do NOT need to tap-off-and-on at Union. Tap-on at first station, tap-off at last station.
2) If you are transferring between bus and train, or be between buses, then you need to tap-on when you board each bus, and tap-off when you alight from each bus.
3) In order for a trip to be recognised as a transfer (either between GO services or between GO and local services), then you need to tap-on within 2.5 hours of your trip *starting*. (So if you get off at Oshawa, you need to board DRT or GO buses within 2.5 hours of getting on the train at Aldershot)
4) GO has several services that take just over two hours from end to end (bus #94, some Lakeshore trains). That 2.5 should really be 3 to allow for delays etc. (Actually, buses should be set "doesn't matter, providing you're tapping-off on the same vehicle you tapped on with", and trains should be set "doesn't matter, provided it's a train station where you tapped on and off". Then set the transfer window as 2 hours from tapping *off*).
Just a few things to add to what TomW said:
ReplyDelete1. If transferring from bus to train and you forget to tap off the bus, don’t panic. You can tap at a machine at the train station; just remember to tap again to pay for your train trip. I did this at Burlington station.
2. St. Catharines to Pickering is 3 hours, and Niagara Falls to Oshawa is an eternity, so no DRT co-fare discount with PRESTO; carry $0.65 cash for the home stretch.
3. If your regular trips involve train travel between the SAME STATIONS plus bus travel, consider setting a default trip for the rail portion of your trips. You’ll eliminate the need to tap off the train.
Angela,
ReplyDeleteI suggest you e-mail the events of your trip to CustomerRelations@gotransit.com and ask for a complete analysis and financial accounting of what happened on your trip. Just submit the facts; leave out any emotion. Ask many questions. I did this after my very first PRESTO trip on which I got burned by the 2.5 hr. travel window. HTH.
I heard someone somewhere once mention that publicly, it was the best thing since sliced bread. Privately, it was a giant expensive flustercuck. But we'll probably not get any official Metrolinx internal opinions.
ReplyDeleteAnd I guess the Presto chief resigning from Metrolinx with nary a sound byte goodbye says something about the whole project too.
@Peter
ReplyDeleteI did speak to someone at GO. I was also told to speak to Presto. I am waiting on calls back re: a resolution.
@Angela
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like the person you talked to was passing the buck. Remember, you are a customer of GO Transit, not PRESTO. It is GO Transit’s responsibility to answer your questions, not the subcontractor they have partnered with. I believe if you write the email, as I suggested, and CC the president of GO Transit, you will get your answers. It works for me.
@Angela,
ReplyDeleteTake what the Presto people tell you with a huge grain of salt.
What I was told was not correct. I did one of my errands in Pickering last night (off and back on the train in about 20 mins) and was charged (Pickering) and refunded (Ajax) the 4.50 basic fare.
I say try what Tom suggests above before relying on Presto for correct information.
This isn't the proper place for this but Presto still hasn't gotten back to me so I need anyone very familiar with using Presto to tell me if I have this right. When you have a default trip set you tap on at your start station but do not tap off at your end station. Then when you return to that station you tap on but do not tap off when you return to your start station. When your going to a different end station you hit override then tap your card at your start station and then tap off at your end station. Then when you return to that station you hit override again and tap your card then tap off when you return to your start destination. Some help is needed and appreciated. I want to know if I have this correct or if this is wrong and doing it will drain my card.
ReplyDeleteHey Anon (10.06)
ReplyDeleteYou have it correct!
It is a messy system and it is not always explained in the right way.
Thanks Squiggles,
ReplyDeleteYes, it isn't. The way it's written in the guide would have me getting in trouble with a transit cop, if I followed it verbatim.
If there is a 2.5 hour window to tap off, then why do I get harassed by the ticket inspectors if I accidentally forget to tap off.
ReplyDelete- Tap on at Union. Take train to Burlington.
- Forget to tap off.
- Later the same day, more than 2.5 hours later, tap Presto card at Burlington. Presto card reader acts perfectly normal.
- On trip back to Union, get harassed by fare inspectors. Get asked for ID, given a "warning", say I will get a fine if I do it again ($85).
- Tap card at Union. I think that now the system thinks I did Union->Niagara Falls (or whatever the longest possible trip is on GO), Burlington->Union and I get an underpayment on my card because it doesn't have very much money on it. Go to customer service desk to clear underpayment.
GO Transit must be collecting a lot of $85 fines from people who have a bad habit of tapping out their Presto cards.
OK . . . so here's the point here! Are you listening GO Transit?
ReplyDeleteYour payment system is a failure. Maybe it works in Ottawa with their buses but it's NOT working here.
There are far too many twists and turns and ya-buts.
If you knew your demographic, commuters RUN. They frantically run to and from trains every day and the last thing they need is to try and wrap their heads around an extremely confusing and unforgiving payment system.
It was hard enough remembering to punch a paper ticket ONCE let alone tapping on, off, sideways, backwards, corrections, and overrides.
Furthermore, isn't technology supposed to make our lives EASIER?
GO clearly didn't do their homework here.
ok, here is what I do, when I went from Hamilton Mountain to Courtice, a lot!
ReplyDeleteTap ON, the HSR bus, tap OFF as I am getting off the FRONT door (do same for each HSR/local transit bus you use)..
tap ON the train meet GO Bus in Hamilton Downtown.. Tap OFF when getting off bus at Aldershot Station.
TAP ON at Aldershot, BEFORE you get on the train..
TAP OFF when getting off Train in OSHAWA.
Tap ON when getting on bus to Courtice, TAP OFF when getting OFF the bus..
I did this about 12 times, with no problems...
the ONE Time I screwed up the tap at Aldershot... GRRR!
Missed the tap ON to the train, so when I explained to the CSA, he asked me for my card at Oshawa, sprinted to a TAP point, tapped me on..
I'm so confused....
ReplyDelete