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Public transport rant
Oct. 7th, 2002 04:39 pmMy car is not happy. The clutch started doing "really funny" things yesterday, as distinct from the "funny" things it was doing for the past couple of months. Basically it's dropping out and failing to engage - not good. What's worse is that it was serviced two weeks ago, and the guy replaced all the clutch fluid, so it's not something easy like that. *sigh*
The upshot is I caught a tram, train and bus to work this morning. It took me from 7.30am to 9.15am to get to work. It's the connections (particularly the bloody bus) that slow you down. I want a railway station at Monash. I really, really, really want a railway station at Monash. I have dreamt that there was a station here (for those of you who know Monash at all it was under the sports centre. No, I don't know why there either. There were also three tram lines under the sports centre as well.) I feel guilty driving a 5 seat vehicle with only me in it to and from work - but it takes me 30-40 minutes. I would ride my bike but I doubt I can do 35km in a reasonable time. Actually I don't doubt it, I know I can't do 35km in a reasonable time.
I can't understand how a university can have such piss poor public transport - there are only buses and they're half-assed in Melbourne at best. Why they built the university in what was then the middle of nowhere, miles away from the train station I'll never know. *sigh*
Still. I actually enjoyed the tram/train trips - it's just a pain that the train was a "stopping all stations" one, and so took a fairly long time to travel the distance. It doesn't help that according to today's paper trains only go at 40kph in Melbourne. For God's sake peoples! Get some bloody trains that _move_ and you might actually increase your customer base.
So might returning conductors to trams, manning train stations and putting more buses on, but that's only my suggestion.
I think my problem is that I live in an area with two major tram lines, a train line and three bus lines that I can think of offhand and I consider that to be baseline. I also spent quite a long time at Melbourne Uni, which is accessible by public transport from pretty much anywhere in Melbourne - so again, baseline.
And now I have to get home again and get the car to the garage. *sigh*
The upshot is I caught a tram, train and bus to work this morning. It took me from 7.30am to 9.15am to get to work. It's the connections (particularly the bloody bus) that slow you down. I want a railway station at Monash. I really, really, really want a railway station at Monash. I have dreamt that there was a station here (for those of you who know Monash at all it was under the sports centre. No, I don't know why there either. There were also three tram lines under the sports centre as well.) I feel guilty driving a 5 seat vehicle with only me in it to and from work - but it takes me 30-40 minutes. I would ride my bike but I doubt I can do 35km in a reasonable time. Actually I don't doubt it, I know I can't do 35km in a reasonable time.
I can't understand how a university can have such piss poor public transport - there are only buses and they're half-assed in Melbourne at best. Why they built the university in what was then the middle of nowhere, miles away from the train station I'll never know. *sigh*
Still. I actually enjoyed the tram/train trips - it's just a pain that the train was a "stopping all stations" one, and so took a fairly long time to travel the distance. It doesn't help that according to today's paper trains only go at 40kph in Melbourne. For God's sake peoples! Get some bloody trains that _move_ and you might actually increase your customer base.
So might returning conductors to trams, manning train stations and putting more buses on, but that's only my suggestion.
I think my problem is that I live in an area with two major tram lines, a train line and three bus lines that I can think of offhand and I consider that to be baseline. I also spent quite a long time at Melbourne Uni, which is accessible by public transport from pretty much anywhere in Melbourne - so again, baseline.
And now I have to get home again and get the car to the garage. *sigh*
