If you did not understand, I need to fart my boat. To make a flow of milk. To eat committee of technological innovation for supper. Brief I'm cursed against the very new and not very reliable system for obtaining monthly fare cards on the OPUS card of the Société de transport de Montréal.
OPUS I acquired my card in an exchange of tickets this summer. I like the principle of the RFID chip. It must still be careful because of horror stories kind of missing titles between purchase and first use are, without being common, fairly common. So far, on this point, I'm very lucky. By cons, to $ 68.50, subway stops and frequent service bus schedules in my corner to cut to free the vehicle and obtained elsewhere to reduce the time of passage of another line already very efficient from 10 to 8 minutes ( as we pass a bus every half hour to an hour for the bus route that serves only in an east-west residential area ), I wonder if the transaction is the purchase painlessly as possible.
Is that too much to ask?
It seems so to STM. It is very difficult to reload the card in the same subway system.
Obviously, this summer, points of purchase were not numerous. You had to go in some stations equipped to do so, until gradually the other service points are open. Finally, in September, they came to connect the dispenser to my station. I was also told that the points of sale in shops would soon be equipped, without being able to give me dates. The last time I asked my usual point of sale, either in late October he was still waiting System for loading. So I resigned myself to not buy my fill passages in a subway station when I passed. Apart from two occasions when the machine was useless at my station entrance ( I could buy at the outlet ), I had no real problems until January.
In January, I experienced the sweetness of failures of equipment. In late December, I went to my subway station to charge my card in the very beautiful and big orange and blue machine in front of the very beautiful and glass houses changer. Usually, I used my card flow. But this December day, I had to withdraw cash, and rather than make then a second transaction to the subway, I withdrew the cash amount for my ticket. What I did not know is that, given there, yet the brand new $ 5 and $ 20 brand new also have stubbornly refused to enter the "swallower of money." This gave them me spit out consistently, even after two, three, five, ten, fifteen attempts.
Then, as I tried to retype the tiny crease in one corner of the tickets, the transaction was canceled. I slightly panicked at the idea behind mega "TRANSACTION CANCELLED" on the screen hiding MY $ 40 ... until kecling keclang kecling keclang ... my 40 dollars landed in beautiful container receipts and currency ... twenty beautiful $ 2 coins dropped "lousse. My eyes were as round as each piece, it goes without saying. I was boiling inside, so try with two grocery bags full well, gloves and purses open twenty pieces to pick up without an escape and counting them, then go with the all the houses located in contrast to the position of the big machine rotten. Boil like that, I could whistle like a good old "Kettle".
Finally, after 10 attempts changer ( poor man, not given to everyone to be comfortable with computers and Gossage in menus, so imagine when your boss that you care about tool between the teeth) and then recounting a count of money, I got my title on my card. Arriving home, I called the STM to understand what was happening. Imagine, then, that it is normal that the tickets do not come always in the system "gobage" which is the same as the machines to make change. A little too old, a trick, anything can ensure that the ticket is dismissed. What is the answer, "I requested. Use the debit card, though here too the system can fail, Madam, or go directly to the lodge changer ... Uh ... it's me or the machine would REDUCE the job changer and make purchasing more efficient? Yes, ma'am. Really.
This month, I decided that I will not make a fuss. I did not have to withdraw money, then I go to the old system throughput. Short walk to my station, I arrived at the beautiful and gigantic machine ... a very "Sorry, out of use" is inscribed on the blue screen painfully recalling "Blue Screen of Death." Ben coudon ... we'll go see the beautiful throne Changeux in the box. Travelling distance, doubt assails me. And it is confirmed: the question "do you Interac?", 100% of the interviewed Changeux gave "No" answer. His solution to my displeasure? "Bah there, look, there is a stop just behind Mrs." ... Yeah, it's safe and sure I'll use a nice ATM to give me $ 80 (for strong tickets windows that are still only $ 20 bills ), I extort $ 2 to 5 $ cost ( part of which goes directly to the farmer renting the machine ) while providing my bank to withdraw an amount almost equivalent for services rendered.
Do I want my ticket cost me almost $ 80 more than the fact that the surplus of $ 11.50 will not be in my bank account when will my pre-authorized payments? Nah! So I took the road to the next station, crossing their fingers that the beautiful and big machine will be functional. It was. Result of the operation: a matter of 20 minutes plus 5 minutes walk transaction will take 20 minutes of waiting and travel underground since, obviously, subway passes you on the nose always in moments of intense ferment against their ESTIF system, in both directions. Check
home, call the service OPUS card. I was told to complain that I need to call the other line ... which of course leads to a nice message "Please note that Saturday and Sunday our offices are not open." Grrrr. Reminder Service OPUS, omitting the word complaint. I explained the problem and asked why the boxes have not Interac. The friendly lady who seems to have said that his trip is because the boxes have never been Interac. Wow, great reason, I thought, saying, actually, before they enter the operating system and the machines they have, I can understand. But now it takes only connect the wire and Interac (on behalf of the STM) already entering the station's box, why did not they, especially the intelligence service on OPUS said that the flow was the best way to get the refill? It makes me as an answer to call customer service. I told him that it was closed on weekends, what she said I could write a review on the site of the OPUS card and you meet me. This answer made me react: eeeeuh ... and people of the Internet site information OPUS will, themselves, can answer me here with you over the phone? Yes. Ah well ... coudon. Cheers efficiency! Thank you, Madam!
Grrrrr ...
Certainly call Monday ( if I find time ) to complain of their ineffectiveness. Meanwhile, there is hope for the coming months. In a flash of genius, I recalled my point of sale, a nice pharmacy. I then heard from the lips of a pretty ( tone of voice, she is young and pretty good! ) and friendly cashier they had the system to recharge the cards and that everything is not paid on One of the finest machines in the STM, but on their fund sympathetic to them!
live humans at the controls!
Long live the STM buying the mega system second hand and wholesale prices does not even get a reliable service thereof to its customers in its own network!
