Re: Re: Exessive fandom at any cost - including safe public transport?

Well Said Bruce,

One other thing I forgot to mention that our systems are now saddled with,
an out moded and failure prone ticketing system, one where it actually
encourages people to avoid paying, no note changing and no day tickets on
the trams with huge fare dodging, but that's another matter.

Greg

--- In TramsDownUnder@y..., Bill Bolton <billbolton@c...> wrote:

On Wed, 12 Sep 2001 10:45:24 -0000, Bruce G wrote:

I don't know that Melbourne for example is greatly different now

to

what it was in the early 80s when the W2s were withdrawn

Any resemblance between the post-Kennet Melbourne of today and the
pre-Kennet Melbourne of the "early 1980s" is purely cosmetic,
everything of substance has changed. If you can't see that, its no
wonder you think unadorned W2s are a sustainable transit vehicle!

I wasn't thinking of straying into the arcane world of Australian
politics - that is all about fashionable mindsets too. No, my comment
about Melbourne related to the technical essentials of the operating
environment, including levels of traffic etc.

And can I suggest that you point your comments at the arguments
rather than at at personal level?

And some cold hard facts that justify that opinion are?

1. The practical inability to be configured for safe operation with
the current ticket system is a complete show stopper to start with.

Perhaps you are accepting uncritically what you are told about safe
operation? And the "current ticket system": why are you also
accepting this as a given?

2. The low performance compared to contemporary road vehicles,
including other more recent Melbourne trams, is a very serious
impediment to their use in normal street traffic.

I was suggesting that the excessive preoccupation with safety and
attampts to relieve people of responsibility for their own safety is
a mindset which is beggaring most systems at present.

If you wish to raise the question of vehicle kinematics I'll happily
argue that with you too. Given the timetables they need to keep, the
W2 equipment is adequate. But, there again trying to get to work 6
milliseconds sooner, is another preoccupation the world may not need.

3. A very primative low level of passenger comfort factors compared
to other competitive transport modes.

Perhaps not for everyone, but many are quite happy. More mindset
stuff I'm afraid.

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