30 Days of Plight. Stephen Dare goes JTA every day.

[stephElf]

So I looked at the R5 and the L7 bus schedules on the JTA website... neither one mention Emerson & Phillips
or St. Aug Road.

That is why their website stinks.

[gatorback]

How much money do the tax payers pay to support JTA?  Does anybody got a number?  Must be lowest in the nation with service like this, or is it highest in the nation with this "great" service?

[gatorback]

You can take a bus down Univ. then back up, like a big U turn and use up 2 more fares.  Gezz.

[stephendare]

L7, the route on www.jtafla.com

http://jtafla.com/services/lines/l7/l7.aspx

[stephElf]

L7, the route on www.jtafla.com

http://jtafla.com/services/lines/l7/l7.aspx

So If I am reading that correctly ... those are the stops right? There are 6?

I see phillips & university.. but no phillips & emerson ... I know for a fact there are 2 bus stops on emerson by the taco bell & mcdonalds (in between phillips and 95 - on emerson) ...

This stuff is just so non-user-friendly... seriously, after this, I feel bad for and am amazed by the people who actually NEED to ride the bus can freakin figure it out.  They must spend 4 hours of their day on the damn bus.

[stephendare]

The ways of the JTA are mysterious and epic.

[Doctor_K]

I see phillips & university.. but no phillips & emerson ... I know for a fact there are 2 bus stops on emerson by the taco bell & mcdonalds (in between phillips and 95 - on emerson) ...

StephElf - I have/had a similar problem with the L9 route.  I used to live off of Touchton between Southside and Belfort, and there were no less than three signs for stops along that road.  However, there were no listed stops on the JTA site (as of a couple of months ago - wouldn't doubt that they're still not listed as part of the route-proper).  So, the fact that those two stops on Emerson you mentioned for the L7 route that aren't listed on the JTA site surprises me not in the least. 

I agree with the other posters that the JTA site is uber-wretched.  Can't JTA hire someone or some firm to do a better website?  The site they have now isn't even good enough to be derided as 'amateur'.

[stephendare]

I see phillips & university.. but no phillips & emerson ... I know for a fact there are 2 bus stops on emerson by the taco bell & mcdonalds (in between phillips and 95 - on emerson) ...

StephElf - I have/had a similar problem with the L9 route.  I used to live off of Touchton between Southside and Belfort, and there were no less than three signs for stops along that road.  However, there were no listed stops on the JTA site (as of a couple of months ago - wouldn't doubt that they're still not listed as part of the route-proper).  So, the fact that those two stops on Emerson you mentioned for the L7 route that aren't listed on the JTA site surprises me not in the least. 

I agree with the other posters that the JTA site is uber-wretched.  Can't JTA hire someone or some firm to do a better website?  The site they have now isn't even good enough to be derided as 'amateur'.

http://www.jtafla.com/services/lines/l9/l9.aspx

[Doctor_K]

The ways of the JTA are mysterious and epic.

Gate Parkway West has been open to through-traffic for quite some time now.  A lot of new residential development (mid-density, I might add) has sprouted up along that thoroughfare.  Definitely much more ridership potential along that stretch than any I've ever seen along Touchton, down which the L9 route now travels.  I won't hold my breath for those residents to get their own route or for L9 to shift south.

[Doctor_K]

http://www.jtafla.com/services/lines/l9/l9.aspx

<Slaps forehead>  D'OH!!

[Coolyfett]

Its weird posting my own name in the third person.

Starting tomorrow, (actually I got started Thursday last week) I will be going 30 days without a car, relying totally on JTA transit in order to move around the city.  I will also be exploring the routes and seeing where they go and what they do.

Already the start has been rocky, and its clear that no one has ever had a discussion with many of the busdrivers as to what constitutes a customer friendly approach.

Anyways, get ready for a month of reports, whining, bitching complaining and insight on how to get around JTA.

First.   Must make sense of this cobweb of wildly named bus routes.

They have an almost 0 correlation to any part of town that they go through.

Will begin with explanation tomorrow.

I don't believe you are really about to attempt this!!! Ill think you'll back in your car by the 12th.

[gatorback]

Steph: if you are riding JTA you will first want to invest in a good pair of walkers. And not having to be on time might be a good thing to work out with you boss, family friends and your church trust me.

[thebrokenforum]

Steph: if you are riding JTA you will first want to invest in a good pair of walkers. And not having to be on time might be a good thing to work out with you boss, family friends and your church trust me.

I agree with gator. I have yet to hear a single good thing about the buses or bus drivers. I used to work with college students who had to ride the bus here and many of them were often late or absent to classes. Their reason? Buses showing up late or not showing up at all. The buses constantly break down. The drivers are often rude or extremely uninformed. And as you guys have already pointed out, their website is a joke!

As far as the website goes...they have a survey...lol. And you can email the web admin though I'm not sure what good that'll do. JTA needs a complete overhaul. Oil is predicted to hit $170 a barrel by next year. IF that happens you're going to see a lot of very pissed off and frustrated people trying to make sense of their website and trying to do something as simple as get from point A to point B and having a horrible time doing it.

Peyton should have to ride the bus.

[BridgeTroll]

Steph: if you are riding JTA you will first want to invest in a good pair of walkers. And not having to be on time might be a good thing to work out with you boss, family friends and your church trust me.

Good point.  Most bosses can forgive an employee being late on occasion but very few will tolerate a pattern of tardiness which appears to be what people may be setting themselves up for when using the bus to get to work.  Mass transit MUST be reliable and consistantly on time for it to work.

[stephendare]

Day T-2 (the saturday before the official 30 days)

The JTA shenanigans are a little too egregious to deal with.

There are only two conclusions to be drawn from today's first experience.  Either something is seriously wrong with me, or JTA is hiring their bus drivers solely from a pool of ex corrections officers, who largely need psychiatric attention.

From the shady corner of 6th and Main, I caught the E5.

After brutally offending the bus driver with a question so insulting that I felt lucky to have escaped a public flogging----, i.e. "How close do you get to Forsythe and Main?", I fumbled for the newfound wonder of my 40 dollar Month Pass.

"Here is my pass" I flashed it at him, hoping perhaps to curry back the favor I had already lost with my first question. 

"You have to swipe it." he said rolling his eyes.

This was a bit of a surprise.  No one had really mentioned swiping the damned thing.  I looked around for somewhere to do the swiping.  There is a little hotel door key looking slot thing on the pay tower.   

"There?"

The Busdriver, and it was not my imagination, began staring holes through me, in an attempt to drill straight through my heathen soul.  He waited until I got the card completely out of its little plastic protector and was about to attempt my first swipe.

"Is it July 1?" he asked venomously.

"No?" I responded wondering what the combination of venom and date question was about.

"Then why are you trying to use that pass?"

"Well I picked up the pass yesterday and they said it would be good for the busses"  Looking down at the pass, I did notice that the word 'July' was printed on it large as life.

"You cannot use that pass and they didnt tell you it would be good."

This last line was delivered in such a way as to question either my competence or manhood.  I decided to ignore it.

"Well what do I do?"

Apparently cash was the only option.  I grubbed around in pocket, produced bills, managed about 70 bucks in 10s and 20s.

"All I have is 10s and 20s, do you have change?"

"No."

I looked around imploringly at the, by now riveted, passengers.  With no disrespect, none of the people on the bus were likely to have change for a 10, except one pleasant woman near the front.  She didnt.

The bus slammed to a wrenching sudden stop, nearly catapulting me into the windshield and causing the pleasant looking woman to grab a panic bar to keep in her seat.

"Sir you will have to get off the bus."

This seemed a little unreasonable to me, and I interjected.  Look, I obviously have a 40 dollar month pass and plenty of cash, its clear Im not trying to defraud the JTA of a hard earned dollar.  Cant I just stay on until we get to the station?

Silence.  The driver opened the bus door.

By now the bus had travelled to the east side of springfield down 1st street.   On a Saturday Morning, there isnt an open business to get change for what seems like miles.  The bus driver knew this.  Dropping me off so far from civilization was a deliberate fuck you.

So I asked him his name.

"What do you need my name for?!"

Just curious.

"You don't need my name.!"

"Actually you are supposed to give me your name"  I peered around to look at his badge.  He manuevered his body so that I would have had to climb into his lap to see it.

"What do you need it for, then I'll tell you my name"

"Well actually Im going to make a voodoo doll for the JTA, and it helps during the burning ceremony if I can chant your name over it."

Clearly he knew a smartass when he saw one.  (By now the pleasant looking woman was shaking her head ruefully)

"You tell whoever you want to.  My name is (unintelligible) Brinson."

I got off and walked the additional 12 or so blocks, cursing the name of JTA to the skies.

I wonder how many people have had a similar experience where the customer loyalty or positive experience was tossed to the maws of the transit hellhounds for the sake of that stupid dollar?