UPDATE #1
According to an article in the Toronto Star, if the system is down and GO is well aware of the problem in advance, train CSAs, bus operators and station attendants will be advised to tell passengers who boarded, or need to board, or who complained about not being able to tap, that they can board trains without fear of paying a penalty or receiving a warning.
UPDATE #2
If all the machines are down and there is no "system-wide advisory announcement" and you need to get on the train but you don't want to feel like a felon, because let's face it, those who ride everyday aren't fare jumpers and we don't plan to be, it would be up to the CSA to phone into "control" to advise GO Transit of technical problems.
This is their job. You've done the right thing by telling them and they should do the right thing by respecting your honesty and accepting the mistake of their employer for not having better due diligence to ensure that Presto holds up their end of the contract and better maintains their equipment.
Why should the responsibility always lie with the customer?
If a Presto machine is out of service or there's no operating Presto machine at your station, do you ride for free? According to GO, it's a big fat no.
"We advise our customers to purchase a ticket using another method of fare either by buying through an attendant at the station, paying cash (if on a GO bus) or using an automated ticket vending machine," said the GO Transit lady in the crossing guard vest to me in the Union Station Concourse this morning.
I asked because I was texted and tweeted by some of you who told me there were problems at Burlington, Mimico and Ajax.
If a Transit Officer or GO Safety Officer does a fare check and your card taps as unpaid, you will receive a warning, provided it's your first fare offence.
But what if the only thing you have on you is a Presto card? No cash. No credit card. No debit card. You can board but if you get checked, you're considered a "fare jumper".
This is interesting to hear because two weeks ago, the Presto card reader was down at Union Station at the turnstile for the TTC. Anyone with a Presto card was given free passage. Apparently this was at the discretion of the transit operator, not Presto.
The nice customer service lady this morning told me that if it's a case where machines are down, you have to get to work, you have no other method of paying and all other methods of purchasing a fare are closed, broken, or out of service, you can explain your case to GO at their customer service office and ask that any warning you received be re-considered. If you're fined, you can dispute it.
All this does is make a stronger argument for GO to keep the reliable, paper-based, monthly pass option. Of course, if you forget your pass or lose it, you're on the hook but in the event of a system-wide Presto fare failure, you've got nothing to worry about.
17 comments:
This happened to me 2 weeks ago at Union Station. I went to 3 different Presto machines and they were all out of order. On my last attempt at a Presto machine there was a GO Attendent, she advised me to board my train, and let the C.A know.
Why the different standards GO?
That's a good point, anon.
The CSAs are your best bet if you're stuck.
If all the machines are down and you need to get on the train but you don't want to feel like a felon, because let's face it, those who ride everyday aren't fare jumpers and we don't plan to be, it would be up to the CSA to phone into control to advise of the technical issue. This is their job. You've done the right thing by telling them and they should do the right thing by respecting your honesty and accepting the mistake of their employer for not having better due diligence to ensure that Presto holds up their end of the contract and better maintains their equipment.
Why should the responsibility always lie with the customer?
We were advised by the CSA at Mimico to get on the train and ride free. There were 3 broken Presto card readers today. They had plastic bags over them, so clearly they were aware of the problem. At least a dozen Presto users were in the same situation. With less than 5 minutes until the train, there was no way everyone was going to be able to purchase a paper ticket even assuming we all had cash/debit/credit card on us.
Frankly, I feel my responsibility ends with having cash available on my card and showing up early enough to 'tap' on. If they can't get the machines up and running, it shouldn't be on me to a) anticipate a technical failure and b) arrive at the station every morning with 15 minutes to spare 'just in case' I need to queue for a paper ticket at the booth or 1 ticket machine. That's just bollocks.
I can not accept GO's position based on the honour system they have adopted. If its my responsibilty to make arrangements for payment, it is GO's responsibilty to be available to accept payment from all the payment options they make available.
The alternative is to have a turnstile or ticket booth attendent that doesn't let you board without providing proof of payment.
so SUCK IT GO if Presto is down - your problem, not mine!
Agreed Angel. But I should point out, if they all go down at the end/beginning of the month you gotta add closer to a half hour at the busier stations.
And it is one of the many reasons I will go out with my paper pass kicking and screaming. I had a "Let Go Know" survey and told them basically the same thing. Until they get their act together and do something about the negative press, I ain't changing.
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1076741--presto-cards-out-of-order-at-all-go-train-stations?bn=1
This was just posted in the Star RE: Presto Services Disruptions this morning.
Thank you anon for the Toronto Star article. I have updated this post with that information.
I once had to catch the 81 bus, and the Presto machine was broken... and as that machine also issues regular ticket, no-one could buy anything. So, the operator just let every one board for free. Perfectly sensible.
As for buying a ticket instead: at the end of the month, each ride costs me nothing (because of the loyalty scheme). Why should I have to *pay* for a ticket?
If the system is down, GO should let people ride for free, and then bill Accenture (who run the system) for the lost income.
If the Presto machine is broken, I'm supposed to go buy a paper ticket which is a higher fare than my Presto fare? I think not. If they can't keep their shit together, it's their loss. I'm happy to fight them on the fine if they have the balls to give me one.
at Ajax this morning only one Presto machine worked. that was the first time I had seen this. I even saw a guy ahead of me tap a machine that wasnt working, and he just kept on going. I at least make sure the machine makes a beep noise before I continue on! If all the machines were down I would not have gone to purchase a cash fare. Screw that, I agree as stated above, that if all the machines are down, its Go's problem, not mine.
A week or so ago they were checking tickets on the train and the checker-person didnt have a presto thingy. She just said "just show me your card,that's fine" .
Presto has been down for me a couple of times so I rode for free, TOTALLY guilt-free!
I arrive at my station in the morning and at Union at nite always with a few minutes to spare. If I can't find an operational machine (and I'm not going HUNTING for one) there is no way I would line-up to buy a ticket and miss my train.
One of the Presto machines wasn't working at Whitby's south lot this morning (5:30ish) but the one next to it was. I didn't think much about it.
I have $8.36 left on my card. Hoping the next level of discount kicks in tonight otherwise, I'm paying more using Presto than I would if I used a paper monthly pass.
And I'm trying to decide if I go with Presto next month or go back to my paper pass.
Oh and if ALL machines are down and I can't tap... I'm riding free! Not my fault. I've paid my money to load my card, why should I pay again?
@ Bicky: You will never pay more using Presto thanyou do using a monthly pass.
@DF: Well I've done the math, and I did indeed pay more using PRESTO this month than if I had bought a monthly pass. Not by much, mind you, but I did pay more.
I'm back to paper monthly passes until I'm forced onto PRESTO.
Well then I would call Presto, because as I said you should never pay more than your monthly pass.
Adults:
With the built-in loyalty program, adults will receive fare discounts similar to the discounts currently offered with GO adult 10-ride tickets and monthly passes.
If you take the same GO trip each time you travel within a calendar month, your GO fare* will be:
• Rides 1 – 35, 7.5%** off the single adult GO fare
• Rides 36 – 40, 87.5%** off the single adult GO fare
• Rides 41+, 100% off the single adult GO fare
Hey DF, you are forgetting about the rounding.
When Presto figures the discount percentages, they deal with the remainders by rounding up. That is probably why Bicky is paying more per month.
While it is not a substantial difference for one person (less than 50 cents), across the system it does add up.
And to think, we are going to pay more come April, even with this cash cow of theirs.
The PRESTO is a joke.
It's already outdated and is poorly put together.
Did you know that at some stations you can not transfer on to a local bus and get the reduced fare (60c) if you have a Presto Card, but you can with a 10 ride & monthly pass.
PRESTO was suppose to make travel cheaper.
It's not.
They lied.
All they did was implement the old fare system they have (zone) and use it with Presto.
It was suppose to calculate the distance traveled.
It's a joke, a farce.
Even better is that on a lot of GO buses it constantly keeps breaking down.
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