When Come Back, Bring

[spatch]

1. New working Charlie Card. Mine came down with the dreaded NOT ENOUGH VALUE Farty Disease. I don't understand what's wrong, as people have been reporting dead cards at all around the same time, but we all didn't seem to get our cards at the same time. This may indicate that some of the cards have a specific lifespan, but I got mine a week before January 1, plumtreeblossom got hers a few days ago, and I don't know when Charlie on the MTA got his card, but we're just three of many who are experiencing the same problem. That's all I'm going to say about that because my blood pressure is high enough as it is.
   
   Also, if it hadn't been confirmed already, the 2-for-1 Sunday rides are no more (scroll down to read the "Operations Training Bulletin 06-03"; Charlie has helpfully bolded the important parts for you.) I can understand the reasons behind eliminating free outbound aboveground service on the Green Line, as that might help with the revenue, but the two-fers on Sunday couldn't have been making that much of an impact on their bottom line. Well, either that or they just couldn't teach the card readers what day is Sunday, and considering their current technological woes, I bet it's all a matter of implementation over being a big bunch of meanies.



2. Foaming Pipe Snake. I realize I have many choices when it comes to drain unclogging solutions, but I always opt to go with the most obscene name possible. Take that, Liquid Plum'r!



3. Ice cream sandwiches. I haven't had an ice cream sandwich in ages. Clearly this needs to be fixed.

Comments

[annilita.livejournal.com]

Your card died from the embarassment of being used via the butt swipe method.

[bedfull-o-books.livejournal.com]

*snerk*

[scout1222.livejournal.com]

That Foaming Pipe Snake works wonders, too. That's the one I always get, but not because of the name. It's just an added bonus.

[fancycwabs.livejournal.com]

My wife's ex-husband is a substantially solid plum'r, and she told me the he used to pour baking soda and vinegar down his customers' drains and claim it was a special mix of chemicals a la foaming pipe snake, then charge them seventy-five bucks. I told her that pouring baking soda and vinegar down a pipe caused foaming buncha nothin' but she still insists that he wasn't ripping people off and that foaming pipe snake is a big bottle of fraud.

Of course, she has ice cream sandwich vending machines (with the spirals and racks and racks of sandwiches, not with a pachydermic hose beast), and I can only get fritos and zingers and shit in mine.

In any case, if I ever ride the MBTA, I'm bringing a couple extra bucks for a token. Charlie card my ass swipe.

[spatch]

They stopped selling tokens at the end of the year, unfortunately. Tokens can still be used, but you have to put them in the machine and get a single-fare CharlieTickets in exchange.

I wish I could charge people for pouring baking soda and vinegar down their pipes. Especially if they've got crappy old composite pipes. Then I wish I could disappear with the money, twirl my mustache, and cackle.

[fancycwabs.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm sure that in exchange for being able to occasionally charge people for pouring baking soda and vinegar down their pipes, he occasionally had to handle human excrement. So it's probably a wash.

[ruthling.livejournal.com]

So it's probably a wash.

I sure hope so! :)

[phonemonkey.livejournal.com]

I've used many, many metro systems in my life, but during the Boston Gerald last year, the MBTA had me almost crying in frustration.

At the bus station, large signs advised us that tokens were not for sale, and Charlie Cards must be bought. We subsequently found out that Charlie Cards were not accepted at the stations where we needed to go, and we had to buy tokens. Then there was a token machine that only took bills and gave change in coins, and refused any bill with the tiniest wrinkle in it. Oh, and if you took more than 5 seconds to put the second bill in (i.e. for purchases of multiple tokens), it assumed the transaction was over and spat out one token and a handful of useless change.

Steve tells me that we were just unlucky to visit Boston during the changeover period (because nobody EVER visits Boston on Memorial Day weekend do they?) and it's better now.

3.

[jadasc.livejournal.com]

We sell ice cream sandwiches at the game store, so I don't crave them. What I miss are Flying Saucers.

[manda-x.livejournal.com]

Plum'r? I hardly know 'er.

[wellstar.livejournal.com]

Pipe down over there!

[lno.livejournal.com]

Damnit, I keep seeing that icon and thinking you're my wife, and I get halfway through entries before catching myself.