Life is crazy at the moment - you know, being the march towards Christmas. As much as I try to blog from the train, the signal is crap through many stretches and I get frustrated and give up.
I'm working on the mother of all footrider stories and I want those who have taken the time to send me pictures over the past several months to know that I do not purposely ignore your photos. I collect them and then post them randomly. Even I would get tired of seeing footriders all the time on my site.
I know it makes some folks bang their keyboards in frustration when I don't post content everyday - just let me believe this as truth, I have blogs that are part of my daily distraction routine and I get disappointed when there hasn't been an update in more than a day. This blog has been delayed with no communication as to what's wrong.
A bit hypocritical of me, I know.
I bet at the Metrolinx office right now, a few of the folks in Communications are probably pointing at the monitor, jumping up and down, and screaming, "In your face, bitch!" a la Jessie Pinkman.
Sit your asses back down. Apparently there's this huge PRESTO upgrade happening in January. I've learned that for many customers, the autoload feature is kaput. Will this be addressed in the upgrade?
Speaking of PRESTO, Frank E. Futor's recent Crazy Train contribution, in which Mr. Futor also emailed his concerns to GO Transit, with respect to the insidious travel window, received a reply.
| |||||||
| date: | Wed, Dec 18, 2013 at 1:57 PM | ||||||
| subject: | GO Transit, A Division of Metrolinx |
Reference No. 201306XXXXX
I certainly understand how crucial it
is that our representatives provide the correct information to our
customers. Unfortunately, our social media agent
was mistaken when he mentioned that the 3 hour PRESTO travel window
extends every time the PRESTO card is tapped.
The
PRESTO travel window is a single 3 hour period which starts when a
customer initially taps on to the GO system. It does not extend when
customers tap again to transfer. The agent that
tweeted this information has been addressed and we have provided him
with the appropriate coaching.
I’ve also investigated your December 8th
transactions, detailed in the attachment that you sent. When you
tapped your PRESTO card on the bus at Burlington to start the next leg
of your journey, this opened a new trip. Normally, you would tap off at
your destination, the system would recognize that you took this trip
within the transfer window and a transfer credit would be applied.
Unfortunately,
when the Station Attendant loaded your $80.00 after you had tapped on
the bus, it closed this trip since the PRESTO system cannot load funds
to the card when there is an open
trip. Since this trip technically closed without receiving a tap off,
an underpayment of $6.65 was charged.
Because
of this, your tap off at St. Catharines was considered a tap on and
another new trip was opened. You were charged $4.85 for the base fare
and the next time you tap your card on the
GO system, an additional $0.30 will be charged for this underpayment. A
trip from the Mimico GO Station to St. Catharines with a transfer at
Burlington should have only have cost $11.99 on a PRESTO card. Due to
these two underpayments, you were charged a sum
of $24.31 for this trip and so, overcharged by a total of $12.32.
If
you could provide me with your mailing address, I would be more than
happy to send you a coupon for the amount that you’ve been overcharged.
Please let me know at your earliest convenience.
Sincerely,
MH
Customer Service Representative
Cc. Greg Percy, President, GO Transit
MH
Customer Service Representative
Cc. Greg Percy, President, GO Transit
21 comments:
Why do they need to send a coupon? Why can't they just refund the money like they do for the service guarantee?
The cynical part of me thinks this is just a ploy to keep the money and MH will never see it again.
Seems ridiculous to me that in an electronic fare payment system, that PRESTO still uses vouchers and coupons instead of just putting the credit balance right on the fucking card. It's electronic. A credit card can apply a credit to the account; they don't need the cardholder physically present. Why is PRESTO so different?
You where only gone for 2 days. Nobody really cares. Btw is your cat still dead?
Apparently you do, because you counted.
And yes, because I have 27 comments in the trash from you asking me about him, Howie is still dead.
^ Ding, fries are done!
PS. Don't feed the trolls!
@C.J. - sorry for your loss.
We look forward to knowing who your new lawyer will be. Perhaps you could test out your new legal beagle with your Presto issue of being deducted an additional penny per GO Train trip.
I'm personally looking foward to the twelve days of footriders that I'm sure you have up your sleeve.
Keep it Courtice! er...courteous
Thank you Michael. Howie died this past January of cancer. Georgie had since been promoted to senior lawyer cat. My resident troll who, 107 total comments in counting, sits in his/her home somewhere near Manning Ave in Toronto reading this blog, sometimes hitting it several times a day, and writes uninspiring comments, often calling me a loser, all in the hopes I will publish one.
I have to admire her or him for their tireless devotion. He or she is my number one fan.
CJ everyone needs a best friend. ;)
Or a stalker, whatever the case may be.
That made me laugh out loud. Thank you George!
@C.J. at least we know you are in good hands...er...furry paws legally.
As for your fan on Manning Avenue, Toronto, I believe you have some furry bandit friends down there to take care of the issue. The bandit posse may take care of the issue with a gift of 12 days of holiday strewn garbage. What more could a best friend ask for?
A reasonable response from GO. It's a shame that this is the exception. It should be the norm.
Please make it so, Michael!
Will wake up Hulk Go Transit and get the bandit posse on it.
Which colour of green eggs do you prefer: Presto or GO Transit? The bandits are asking.
Your a better blogger than a detective. Manning ave. your way off. Any hoo.
Happy holidays
You're a smarter 12 year old than I presumed. Happy Holidays to you too.
.... and now I confused about the travel window thing once more. Damnit.
Travel window: I do know why there's confusion.... there are two time limnits (1) time-to-complete-your-GO-trip and (2) time-to-tap-on-with-local-transit.
If (1) expires, then your next tap on with GO will treated as a new trip, and charged as such. (Example: GO bus from Stouffville to Union, then GO train from Union to Aldershot. If you spend six hours in Toronto between them, then it should/will be charged as two trips. If you spend 20 minutes on the platform, then it should/will be chraged as one trip).
If (2) expires, then you'll not longer get the co-fare discount when you tap onto a local transit service.
Now, the confusion is as follows: Does "Travel window" refer to (1) or (2)? Also, does the "time remaining" shown when you tap refer to (1) or (2)?
I think "travel window" is (1) (three hours), and "time remaining" is (2) (two hours).... but I'm not sure.
Awww, look at you guys. So cute. getting along and stuff...
What - me and TomW?
C.J. Manning did seem a little off to me.
Your troll must live on "Fairy Princess" street.
Ya, that sounds better.
TomW, Why not submit Chapter 26 of the Presto Chronicles on that aspect of the Travel Window?
CJ, I overheard my son cursing Presto this morning, as he was preparing to GO to K/W. I'll investigate and report back if there's a story.
I'll give Metrolinx a Christmas break, but Customer Relations' response raised just as many questions as it answered. I'll be back in the new year.
I wish to thank you for allowing us to contribute to your blog. I am continually amazed at how you manage not only this site, but also everything else that goes on in your life, and your willingness to share it with us.
I'd like to wish you and all your followers a very Merry Christmas and continued success in 2014!
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