Fare Increases

This is an issue that C-Tran has been wrestling with for the past couple of years and I see that it's coming up for Tri-Met now.

I notice a lot of the same complaints from citizens who use both agencies. You have the low income folks who even an extra $5 a month for a bus pass really is a lot of money. Then you have the people who just don't want a fare increase period.

I notice the people who don't want a fare increase period people inevitably complain about the bad attitudes of the drivers who never smile or say hello, snap off at passengers who dare to ask a simple question (this sounds like my blonde buddy-Psycho Tinkerbell at C-Tran :-) ) and that instead of raising fares the agency needs to add service.

A couple of things come to mind-do these people realize that the agency is raising fares because revenues are down, which leads to cuts in service? C-Tran has gotten into a financial bind for some different reasons than Tri-Met but the results are the same. Maybe the drivers are grumpy towards you (Psycho Tinkerbell being an exception-she's always cranky and thinks everyone is out to get her) because this attitude you give them is like you come off when you post on a news website, Facebook, etc.

I've seen some of these folks get on the bus, they are the ones who complain everytime they put their money in the fare box. If you had to sit on that bus driving it all day and had people complaining about the fare, the fact the bus doesn't do this or that or go here or there-8 hours a day, 5 days a week of that-who among us wouldn't be cranky?!?!?

As for the low income folks-I wish the decision makers with the transit agencies would remember for even 5 minutes that there are people out there whose incomes are so fixed that even the slightest .40 cent a ride fare increase is a lot of money.

My advice to the whiners-if you don't like the bus drivers attitude, consider your own attitude and demeanor towards the driver. And if you are unfortunate enough to get on a bus driven by Psycho Tinkerbell you have my sympathies. When it comes to fare increases-Tri-Met riders make yourselves heard loud and clear, don't let them piggyback fixing their financial woes on the backs of the fixed income users of the system. For those of you in C-Tran country-the entire Board of Directors are Clark County area elected officials.