SEPTA Signage

File this one in the category of: "Is this how you spend our hard earned money?" SEPTA, my local public transit 'authority' (and I use that term loosely), is spending lots of moola to reprint schedules, signs, maps etc. because they are Changing the Names of the regional rail lines.

Why, you might ask? To lessen the "confusion and travel inconvenience for new riders and visitors and tourists." Hmmm. When was the last time you saw a visitor or tourist use a regional rail train - other than the R1 Airport line? As for those new riders, give 'em time and they'd get used to the system like we all do.

As for the Inconvenience part of the statement, don't get me started on how SEPTA could lessen the inconveniences we riders actually experience on a regular basis: train delays due to "signal problems," "slippery rail season," and Amtrak controlling the tracks; having to pay extra to purchase a ticket on the train (they couldn't just have automated ticketing machines at stations? or would the Union doth complain too much?); having huge evening time gaps for evening trains - mine's 1 hour + - on most lines (but not the Main Line's R5!).

Here's an example the G.M. uses to explain The Changes: "Have you ever overheard a conversation at one of our Center City Regional Rail Stations that went something like this... 'Customer: Can you tell me where I can find the R2?' Transportation Manager: 'Where do you want to go?'"

Um . . . honestly? . . . NO! A new/visitor/tourist Customer would ask "How can I get to Elkins Park / Mt. Airy / Bryn Mawr etc..."

And another: "Or have you ever been on your train when the person sitting a few seats away discovers, just a bit too late, that they're on a train heading for West Trenton when they wanted the train to Elwyn?"

Um . . . honestly? . . . ABSOLUTELY! I agree, the Regional Rail line system takes a bit of getting used to. LIke D.C.'s Metro - which, by the way, uses Colors (Red Line! Green Line!) to name the lines (and hundreds of thousands of visitors and tourists there seem to be able to manage the system!), Regional Rail lines begin at one station (Chestnut Hill West) and terminate at a different station (Fox Chase); the key is: you Need to Know Which Way You Are Headed!

But, that's a story for another day (I promise!). For now, suffice it to say: Changing the Names of rail stations: this what SEPTA is spending our money (our fare increases? oh, lordy, I hope not) on? Really?!!!!!