Disgruntled Translink Commuters, Unite!

[RacingMetro92]

Originally Posted by InvisibleSoul

I hate the people who refuse to move to the back of the bus, even after repeated requests. They clog up the front and middle of the bus, while the back is completely empty, sometimes even preventing the bus from picking up more passengers because of it.

THIS. Some people act as if there's a freaking barrier where the step to go up to the back is. When a bus goes by me and I see that the area past the step still has standing room...

[Vansterdam]

i been on buses a few occasions where it is so packed that im literally standing right beside the bus driver / front windshield / door which is preety cool because usually your suppose to be behind the red line behind the driver and the bus driver obviously is trying to fit as much people as he can

i've also encountered many dick drivers as well who pass you when the bus dosent even look as-full

cant let a few bad bunch ruin it for all of em

translink still sucks.

[CL typeS]

Originally Posted by tonyzoomzoom

We need to fire all the blood sucking executives and seniors managers in Translink. They don't give a fuck about transit riders, road users, etc. They don't give a fuck about whether they get additional funding or not. If they don't get the funds, they just cut services. The only thing they do care about is their own fucking salaries, bonuses, and pensions.

didnt browse through the whole thread to see if this was posted, but check this out. I remember seeing this on the news and i was pissed

As transit fares jump, so do TransLink salaries | CTV British Columbia

[twitchyzero]

^ 77% salary increase over a year

Originally Posted by Everymans

Why all the hate for bus drivers? Bus drivers have a pretty stressful job and they earn their pay.
1.An average bus is roughly the same width and size as an 18 wheeler. Just as difficult to turn and drive as well.
2.Bus drivers have to deal with their routes being blocked by accidents, trying to change lanes when people don't care, and squeezing into tight spots and turning corners. All of which can take some skill as a driver to pull off without ddestruction.
3.They have to deal with all sorts of annoying customers. Drunks, vandals, fist fights, verbal fights, technical issues etc..
4.I'm not sure if the drivers drive the same route all day but if they do I'd imagine it would get really boring and tiresome seeing the same street over and over. I drive along marine almost every day and It's always such a boring trip. If I had to drive along that stretch for 8 hours I'd be bored senseless.
I have a lot of respect for bus drivers and I've rarely encountered a shitty or annoying one. Although the speed up then slam on the brakes method is really dangerous for the passengers.

i agree with the first 3 points, it's no easy job..but point 4...i mean c'mon..drivers know what they signed up for...just because your job is mundane doesn't mean you can treat riders with little respect. Most drivers I've encountered are nice, but the ones that have attitude ruins your day.

[GGnoRE]

Its usually the bus drivers driving the B-lines that are cranky or pissed (i.e. 99B).

All of the C-# shuttle drivers that I've encountered in my town were friendly and nice.

[GLOW]

Originally Posted by GGnoRE

Its usually the bus drivers driving the B-lines that are cranky or pissed (i.e. 99B).

THIS

[A$AProcky]

Originally Posted by CL typeS

didnt browse through the whole thread to see if this was posted, but check this out. I remember seeing this on the news and i was pissed

As transit fares jump, so do TransLink salaries | CTV British Columbia

Wait so even though I dont EVER use translink money comes out of my pocket at the pump, and riders have to pay higher fares because they lack "funding" and these douches get a 77%, 91%, and a 100% increase in salary? WHAT THE FUCK. Why does this bitch even deserve almost $400,000 a year I'm so mad right now

[rsx]

I always yield to bus drivers when they're pulling out, sometimes even braking a bit harder so they can get into my lane. The one fucking time, I needed to switch to a bus' lane, this bus driver blasts his horn and shakes his fist at me. Bus 401. :wtf

[Spoon]

The skytrain really needs to look at how the interior of HK's MTRs are designed.

1) instead of two seats on a side, use more benches. it's easier to get in and out (especially when you're taking the inside seat) and you can fit more people.

2) stainless steel instead of fabric seats so when the local bum goes on transit, the smell/stains etc. doesn't get attached. way easier to clean too.

[Geoc]

I don't understand, how can privatized corporation like Translink be given the authority of the government? (taxing us)

Since this is the case why isn't there a third party auditing the shit out of them??

[Vansterdam]

how about extended skytrain hours?

skytrain ending at 130am is a joke

and you expect people not to drink and drive lawlz

[westopher]

honestly the whole sky train debate could solve so many problems. It would also help with the population density as with my job (often getting off of work at 130 or 2am) and so many others in the same boat could actually work downtown and still live in burnaby or really anywhere along any of the sky train lines. Obviously it would help with drunk driving. The added stress of figuring that out though would mean the translink execs would need a 240% salary increase and then it would cost more money for gas.

[tgill]

Originally Posted by Spoon

The skytrain really needs to look at how the interior of HK's MTRs are designed.

1) instead of two seats on a side, use more benches. it's easier to get in and out (especially when you're taking the inside seat) and you can fit more people.

2) stainless steel instead of fabric seats so when the local bum goes on transit, the smell/stains etc. doesn't get attached. way easier to clean too.

There is a reason the MK1 cars have benches, and the MK2 and MK2.5 Skytrain/Rotem Canada Line cars don't, people in North America, in general, get extremely uncomfortable having to look at other strangers.

[Jassanova]

Originally Posted by Vansterdam

how about extended skytrain hours?

skytrain ending at 130am is a joke

and you expect people not to drink and drive lawlz

Yeah this is my only gripe about the skytrain. I take the Canada line in to work everyday and its a great system, the only thing that annoys me is having to make sure if I'm out late one night, that I'm back before 1:17 or whatever the last train is.

[Gt-R R34]

Originally Posted by Jassanova

Yeah this is my only gripe about the skytrain. I take the Canada line in to work everyday and its a great system, the only thing that annoys me is having to make sure if I'm out late one night, that I'm back before 1:17 or whatever the last train is.

A lot of places in the world closes around that time.

What Vancouver problems is AFTER that fact, our taxi system and bus system afterwards is utterly completely retarded.

Plus other places in the world on holidays that know parties are gonna happen extend the hours to 3-4am or some places even 24 (HKG comes to mind), where Vancouver goes to like 2am MAX.

But more then anything, it's our taxi/bus system it's terrible for parties. Where as if I went to NYC, taxies - no problem, HKG? No problem, London (even at stupid prices) no problem.

Vancouver - call *taxi and wait 3 days, it will show up or look for one on the street. Try 2 hours.

[willystyle]

Due to maintenance reasons, the skytrain can never be extended past 2AM. They should've thought of that when they built this system in the 80's. Now it's biting us in the ass because our options are limited.

[Purely]

I really hate taking the 20 bus sometimes. The delays for this bus just happens WAY too often. They are always behind schedule, and either two, three, or even four buses come at a time .

[nns]

Originally Posted by Geoc

I don't understand, how can privatized corporation like Translink be given the authority of the government? (taxing us)

Since this is the case why isn't there a third party auditing the shit out of them??

I don't think Translink is entirely a private organization. Where it begins and ends is something I would be interested to know as well.

[gars]

Originally Posted by Gt-R R34

A lot of places in the world closes around that time.

What Vancouver problems is AFTER that fact, our taxi system and bus system afterwards is utterly completely retarded.

Plus other places in the world on holidays that know parties are gonna happen extend the hours to 3-4am or some places even 24 (HKG comes to mind), where Vancouver goes to like 2am MAX.

But more then anything, it's our taxi/bus system it's terrible for parties. Where as if I went to NYC, taxies - no problem, HKG? No problem, London (even at stupid prices) no problem.

Vancouver - call *taxi and wait 3 days, it will show up or look for one on the street. Try 2 hours.

In a way, I actually feel bad for taxi drivers. Our city is so much of a driver's city that not many people take taxis during the day. Our airport is situated quite central as well, and now that the Canada Line has been built, far less people take the taxi to and from the airport.

I talked to a taxi driver the other night, and he told me that he used to get the vast majority of his income from rides to and from the Airport. Now he has to rely on a few hours a night on Fri/Sat to try to make up for it. People wonder why we don't have more taxis, it's because it's so hard to make a living being a taxi driver here.

That said, I still curse at them on the road when they do all the dumb shit they do.

[Vansterdam]

http://thisisourstop.com/

just saw this site on the news

you enter your bus stop number and write/see what other people have to say about that stop

[Gridlock]

Originally Posted by nns

I don't think Translink is entirely a private organization. Where it begins and ends is something I would be interested to know as well.

It's a public organization.

TransLink (British Columbia) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mayors’ Council
The Mayors’ Council is composed of the 21 mayors of Metro Vancouver municipalities, who represent the interests of citizens of the region. The Mayors’ Council appoints the Board of Directors for TransLink and the Regional Transportation Commissioner. It approves plans prepared by TransLink, including the transportation plan, regional funding, and borrowing limits.

TransLink Board of Directors
The TransLink board is made up of individuals selected based on their skills and expertise, who must act in the best interests of TransLink. They do not represent any other interests or constituencies. They are responsible for hiring, compensating, and monitoring the performance of the CEO and for providing oversight of TransLink’s strategic planning, finances, major capital projects, and operations.

Board members are in three groups, serving one-, two-, and three-year terms.

So its accountable to the people very indirectly through your mayor.

Before the re-org in '07 it was more directly run by the mayors themselves.

[Tapioca]

The people who whine about how Translink isn't providing 5 minute service at 3 in the morning are somewhat narrow.

The 20-somethings who hit the Granville Strip are a fairly small percentage of Translink's overall ridership that it doesn't make sense, from a business perspective, to have the same levels of service during the wee hours of the morning as in the day. Now, if bar and restaurant owners started complaining about a lack of business as a result of poor transit service, then something at the political level would be done, but as far as I can see, the bar and restaurant owners downtown seem to be doing enough business with the current level of service.

Besides, I'm sure that the residents in the downtown core don't need more trash to start fights, throw up and piss in alleys, and leave cigarette butts and gum on the street.

[Death2Theft]

Thats what happens when you have too much government and they chose to "selectively" enforce their powers.

Originally Posted by Geoc

I don't understand, how can privatized corporation like Translink be given the authority of the government? (taxing us)

Since this is the case why isn't there a third party auditing the shit out of them??

[yray]

Originally Posted by willystyle

Due to maintenance reasons, the skytrain can never be extended past 2AM. They should've thought of that when they built this system in the 80's. Now it's biting us in the ass because our options are limited.

Noise, those linear induction motors can sure piss off a lot of people. I am sure they can run 24/7 albeit limited capacity for maintenance purposes. Back in the 80s, skytrain was a balling system with no drivers, it operates on principles similar to maglev, except instead of floating it uses the middle rail and current to drag the train across the track. This gives the benefit of a driver less system but at a cost of increase maintenance. I believe the old lines use AC power. Canada line uses a regular DC since Automatic train systems are more compact and doesn't require a mainframe computer.

Originally Posted by tgill

There is a reason the MK1 cars have benches, and the MK2 and MK2.5 Skytrain/Rotem Canada Line cars don't, people in North America, in general, get extremely uncomfortable having to look at other strangers.

Tell that to BART and MTA .

[Everymans]

Originally Posted by gars

In a way, I actually feel bad for taxi drivers. Our city is so much of a driver's city that not many people take taxis during the day. Our airport is situated quite central as well, and now that the Canada Line has been built, far less people take the taxi to and from the airport.

I talked to a taxi driver the other night, and he told me that he used to get the vast majority of his income from rides to and from the Airport. Now he has to rely on a few hours a night on Fri/Sat to try to make up for it. People wonder why we don't have more taxis, it's because it's so hard to make a living being a taxi driver here.

That said, I still curse at them on the road when they do all the dumb shit they do.

I accidently went to the cab area at the airport because I was trying to deliver a package to the wrong address. It's like a parking lot full of cabbies smoking, playing checkers, and reading foreign language magazines. The phone to contact the dispatcher had 3 different languages on it. And English was the most difficult one to make out for some reason.

The only time I've taken a cab from the airport is when I blacked out on the skytrain and ended up at the airport and for some odd reason told the security that I wanted to stay there. Woke up and it was like 3 a.m. 40$ cab ride home. Never taking 12 free shots ever again.