rootofnewt | Bus schmus.

I'm rather irritated by the new bus fee schedule.

The bus currently costs $0.75 cents a ride. Two-hour free transfers are available, but they can only be used at certain transfer spots and you can't use them for a round-trip. Fair enough, though annoying after DC's awesome transfer system.

Books of bus tickets were also available. Each ticket cost about $0.60 and one ticket worked for a ride (or ride + transfer). I bought ticket books because they meant I didn't have to have exact change on hand.

They're phasing out the ticket books altogether. And transfers. Now a bus ride will be $0.75 and a day pass will be $1.50. If you want a transfer, you have to buy a day pass. So no more free transfers.

Now I get they need to raise cash somehow, but my typical bus fare just more than doubled. I rarely take more than two buses a day. When I do, I might use a transfer. But I rarely get back on for a round trip. I either walk one direction and ride the other, or I get on the bus with Ronan for fun. Or I'm too tired to walk back home after wandering all day. I know that I'm not a typical user, but that doesn't make me any less disgruntled.

I can live without the free transfers and I wouldn't complain too much about a moderate fare increase, but I want the damn tickets to stay. If they don't want to print tickets, they can introduce a token system. Whatever. I won't take the bus at all if I have to have cash on hand. It just won't happen. I don't plan ahead that way. And since this town still has plenty of free parking options, I'll be yet one more person causing parking congestion here and there.