Hey BART: Why E-Cash Purchases Only on Your Ticketing Machines? Let People Buy Passes for Other Agencies

We all know the fact... the Clipper card empire keeps expanding to meet the needs of the public. While not every single agency is not participating, it's good to have all of BART's ticketing machines able to add Clipper card value.

There is one awkward quirk about BART's ticketing machines and Clipper...

Why can't it do more than just purchase e-cash value?

I use e-cash because it's universal and I can use it on any participating agency, but can't BART's ticketing machines be a little more flexible by letting passengers also purchase passes for other agencies?

A good example is the Millbrae station. Caltrain doesn't have Clipper add value machines at that station, so people can use BART's ticketing machines to add e-cash value. But the problem is that since BART shares that station with Caltrain, can't the machines also be able to purchase Caltrain's monthly passes and 8-rides?

Other stations like Daly City, Balboa Park, and Glen Park is also a transfer point for Muni, shouldn't the BART machines also be able to purchase Muni monthly passes too? BART stations in the East Bay are next to major AC Transit stops, why not allow AC Transit pass purchases too?

The point is: Clipper and BART, please make those machines flexible and allow passengers to purchase more than just e-cash. Muni metro ticketing machines and Clipper self-service machines can do it, why can't you?

An Open Letter to Muni's Union

Dear Muni's union,

Bite me, yeah you heard me correctly, bite me. You want to strike? I dare you to.

I'm shaking in fear... (sarcasm!)

Why am I encouraging you to strike? Because us citizens will live without Muni for a long time. We can sustain ourselves by organizing our own casual carpools, and jitney buses will magically pop-up and offer cheaper fares to ride to and from major points of interest.

We have a bad economy, and you want to strike? Gees, so grumpy about your pay and benefits? Be happy you even have a job in this crappy economy. I'm lucky I survived a furlough program where I lost 10.7% of my pay.

Here's a box of diapers, you'd better wear it because you'll be shitting in your pants in no time.

Respectfully,
Akit (and most of the rest of the city)

SFMTA's SFpark App - Low Memory Warning? Yeah, it SUCKS

Dear SFMTA,

I know you are all so happy about the SFpark program that your super boss, Nat Ford decided to attend the ceremonies to this new program while skipping on the Caltrain Board meeting.

I'd hate (love) to tell you, your new SFpark app just sucks.

Why in the hell do I keep getting this message saying I have a "low memory warning" and you throw me into a useless "light weight view" where I can't even see block by block what parking is available and the cost of parking?

I don't have low memory in my iPod, you fools. I have some games that uses tons more memory than this lame SFpark app, such as a 3D game where I hit home runs (and drains my battery).

Seriously, fix the damn app. Fix the low memory error by jacking-up the tolerance level.

Respectfully (and pissed off),
Akit

P.S. Muni still sucks. Someone caught another incident of a train door wide open in the subway.

MTC and Clipper Keeps Quiet About $2 Monthly Fee for Commuter Benefit Users

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission has been an advocate for Clipper card users to end the annoying $2 monthly fee for commuter benefit users who requests for direct monthly loading of passes, e-cash, and ridebooks (not vouchers and debit cards).

This $2 has been going on for many months with no news, but the MTC and Clipper folks have very quietly posted an update on April 11th about the situation.

Since the MTC and Clipper wants to be sneaky and not grab the attention of the public and mass media, I'm going to bang on the pots and pans to tell you what's going on.

The $2 monthly fee was imposed by Clipper (not MTC) to all commuter benefit companies if customers requested to the benefit company to have their pass, e-cash, or ridebooks loaded directly to their card, thereby there is no need for a plastic debit card or paper vouchers. It was up to the benefit companies if they wanted to absorb the costs or pass on the $2 to the customers.

The MTC (via Clipper's website) has quietly informed the public of an update, the policy WON'T CHANGE. That's right, the fee will still exist; this means, for some people, you may have an automatic $2 fee imposed against your commuter benefit account.

The alternatives to not being charged the fee is simple: Request a paper voucher that is valid at many in-person Clipper add value locations, or request a special debit card which is good at all Clipper automated machines, transit agency ticketing offices, ClipperCard.com, and Clipper's customer service centers at Embarcadero BART/Muni station and Bay Crossings at the Ferry Building.

For those who uses Clipper's own commuter benefits program, known as "Clipper Direct," they will not impose the $2 monthly fee.

--------------------

Akit's Opinion:

I thought the MTC was on our side (the card users) to kill off this incredibly stupid monthly fee. The most convenient way to have passes, e-cash, and ridebooks loaded to our Clipper card accounts from commuter benefit agencies, is now the most annoying way to do it because it now costs us $24 a year.

Okay, fine, we'll use the paper vouchers and debit cards to get around it (for free)... but that's not eco friendly. Paper vouchers costs money to produce by killing trees, and the labor it takes to cut the checks, stuff them, and pay for postage to mail it to customers. Debit cards are a little more eco friendly as they only send one card that's good for many years, but it's just another piece of plastic to carry around.

How low can the MTC go? Makes me sick.

Warm Fuzzy Feelings at the Cherry Blossom Festival

I'd like to give a big thanks to everyone attending the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival at SF's Japantown over the weekend. The weather was a little windy, but everyone had a great time with the parade and all the fun booths selling all kinds of goodies.

One thing I'm especially proud about is the people who generously donated to the earthquake and tsunami relief fund during the festival.

On Saturday, the Teriburger booth had one of those donation cans on their counter, but hardly received any donations. I thought to myself, why don't I solicit donations as part of my duties at the booth?

It worked out! I'm the street barker for Kimochi's Teriburger booth and I was advertising our burgers and also asking for donations by holding onto the donation can. Donations kept coming in, just within the first 30 minutes, I had several people drop their coins and dollar bills in the can. At other times, I had people feeding $20 bills. On multiple occasions, the can got so full, I had to push down the bills as far as I can just to accept more cash.

It's also nice to hear some of the great stories from people:

• A child donated all of her piggy bank savings.
• A second child sold baked goods in front of her home and donated all the proceeds.
• One said she already donated $80 and donated more out of kindness.

In the end, word has it the festival generated $200,000 in donations to help Japan. The Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California already received over $1,000,000 donations and the extra $200K will do great help.

Thanks for a great weekend!

Come on Down to the SF Cherry Blossom Festival This Weekend - Maybe Meet Akit In Person!

This weekend is the second weekend of the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco's Japantown. If you went to last weekend's, you'll notice this weekend will be more crowded and more popular...

Why? The big parade is this Sunday afternoon with approximately 45 groups marching in the parade from Civic Center to the heart of Japantown. Don't forget the Taru Mikoshi which is the exciting climax of the parade when 100 individuals carry a huge portable shrine down Post Street.

But as always, my personal favorite part of the festival is all the great food! Who can resist all the tasty temptations? There's so much for everyone's tastebuds: Japanese beer, shaved ice, udon noodle bowls, riblets, spam musubi, and the famous Teriburgers (there's plenty more than this short list).

Don't forget, all the food booths are for great causes. No, you are not feeding money into some for-profit company; each booth supports a great community non-profit organization, including childcare centers, senior services, cultural programs, Boy Scouting, churches, and for earthquake relief to those affected in Japan. To make it even sweeter, all the people working the booths are volunteers, including some of my family friends who have done it for over 30 and sometimes 40+ years.

Want to meet me at the festival? I'll be volunteering in the food booth area on both days for my favorite organization, Kimochi.

Naming the New 49ers Stadium - My Nomination Won!

If you read that blog entry title, you might have noticed I won the naming of the future 49ers Stadium in Santa Clara. Well... that's half-true. In fact, it was a hypothetical name that I suggested.

Last Wednesday, SFGate's 'City Insider' asked their commentators for their ideas to name the future 49ers Stadium in Santa Clara. Many suggested names that identifies how they feel about the team, such as making fun of the Yorks, to mentioning about the tech sector.

I said to myself, hell, why not take a punch at some fun names. I suggested:

1. Candlestick II (the roman numeral signifies two middle fingers)
2. SuperMegaTaxpayerDollarWaste Stadium

It turned out, suggestion number two got on the ballot and it was active over the weekend for everyone to vote.

Here was the choices SFGate posted for voting:

1. SuperMegaTaxpayerDollarWaste Stadium
2. York's Sports Suckplex
3. Fool's Gold Field
4. iPark
5. San Francisco 49ers of Anaheim Stadium
6. Field of Schemes
   
7. Field of Dashed Hopes and Broken Dreams
8. York's Dorks
9. "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" Stadium
10. Mike "I Want Winners" Singletary Memorial Field

The results (posted here) says, my nomination actually won! I had the most first place votes (250) and the most overall votes (562).

Yeah yeah... like the Niners are really going to pick my name. Maybe York is laughing his ass off right now saying... "It's all private funds! (Cough!)"

(Regarding the photo: Can Crazy Crab be a co-mascot for the 49ers?)