Update 2015:
The Opal Card certainly fixed this problem in Sydney. It doesn't actually stop the people described below being fuckwits, but does remove one avenue for them to impose their fuckwittery on the rest of us.
Original Article:
Don’t you just want to bash people who use a credit card to buy their train ticket when there is a queue of twenty people behind them?
The queue is long, but it’s moving smoothly as everyone just forks over the cash and takes their ticket until … dickwad asks for a weekly ticket and pays by card. Usually said dickwad takes double the time of a competent person to complete this task as well.
It’s even worse when there are separate queues for two ticket windows and some cretin who hasn’t heard of the internet is holding up the other one with a dozen inane questions about which ticket does what.
What is so difficult about buying your train ticket with cash? It’s not like these people try to go through the barrier and then realize their ticket is out of date: they know beforehand they need to buy a new ticket that morning. I can understand a few people genuinely forgetting until they were walking down the escalator, but for most of these selfish pricks, it’s a conscious choice, which is why bashing them should be legal.
What are they buying? Almost always a weekly or fortnightly. Is it too much to expect someone to have the foresight and consideration to withdraw $50 from the ATM the day before? Who walks around with fuck all money in their wallet anyway, except for kids and losers?
Why do you need to use a card?
“It’s for the points”. Really? What’s that worth to you? 30c? Battler.
“I didn’t bother to go to the ATM. I’ll just use EFTPOS”. So you have the money in your account, you just couldn’t be bothered getting it out yesterday, even though you’ll need to get money out today because there’s none in your wallet? Ignorant fuckwit.
“I only have enough cash for necessities like lunch until pay day, so I’m putting everything else on my card”. Are you fucking serious? How old are you? 18?
Ironically, most of these people probably whinge about government services, queues in banks, traffic jams and any number of other logistical problems which are caused by the same behaviour and could be vastly ameliorated by punishing the selfish and stupid.
At many of the larger stations, there is a barrier system, with a single queue approaching multiple windows, like at the airport or a bank. This largely solves the problem as long as there are at least three open ticket windows; there is a significant chance of a pair of fuckwits holding up both of two windows, but little chance of getting three such people all at once.
However, this system is only used in peak hour, the barriers removed too early and almost always as one ticket window is shut. Why not leave at least one row permanently in place? It’s not like it’s getting in the way of something incredibly important.
More useful to the public would be a more effective deterrent to the dickheads: a cash or Paypass only window, where lengthy enquiries were not allowed.
Put big signs up: Card payments and enquiries these windows only. Cash and Paypass only at this window. Strictly enforce the enquiries rule ie. people can ask simple questions: “What ticket do I need for a weekly which will take me to Parramatta but also let me catch buses?”, but anything more complex is directed to the enquiries window.
If the person trying to ask ten questions in the cash queue abuses the ticket seller for directing them to the enquiries counter, I’ll bet the ticket seller will get some vocal support from the queue behind.
Put a system like this in place and watch the decrease in card use and consequent decrease in waiting times as the self absorbed arseholes become the only ones having their time stolen, by other self absorbed arseholes.
If you public transport employees want respect and more than a 2.5% pay rise, then show some understanding of the needs of the public your job it is to serve and start making some sensible decisions.
Update:
Some stupid bitch bought a $7 ticket with a card the other day, while holding a $10 note in her hand!
She was of course right in front of me in the only queue. She took out the $10 note, then asked the ticket seller if she could use a card. He told her the ticket was only $7 (Yes, good, just give her the ticket), then said: "But you can use your card." (Gaahhh! You fucking cretin!)
"Don't", I said.
She just turned around and looked at me, then used her card.
As she was getting her ticket, I said: "That's right love, it's all about you isn't it? You just hold everyone else up."
She pulled the type of really stupid face only someone with a double digit IQ could pull and said: "Have a nice day", to which I replied: "Fuck off, you stupid, selfish, ignorant bitch."
She didn't have much of a response to that. I heard a small intake of breath behind me, but I wasn't interested.
I said to the ticket guy: "Mate, she had the cash in her hand. Don't tell her she can use a card and take five times as long." He actually apologised.
You may think I was a bit aggressive, or even misogynist because it was a woman.
As if I wouldn't have said the same thing to a man.
Selfish, ignorant people need to be told. She probably won't do it again.
