[Nfbmo] The bus Saga Continues.
David Andrews
dandrews at visi.com
Sun Feb 17 01:03:05 UTC 2013
You are probably right that I shouldn't comment -- and I don't know
if services in Missouri are good or bad. But, I did comment because
the person in question has been doing this for years, on numerous NFB
lists. That goes beyond venting.
Dave
At 06:46 PM 2/16/2013, you wrote:
>Dave:
>
>Maybe people who don't know about Missouri shouldn't say whether or
>not Missouri's Rehab Services for the Blind is good or bad.
>
>I have never had a negative attitude in my life, and have ben
>through several life threatening diseases and other horrible
>events. Not to say others haven't I'm just saying.
>
>If people want to vent and complain then they should be allowed to do so.
>
>Missouri has never been known for good Rehab Services for the Blind,
>and I have been screwed myself more times then I can count.
>
>I'm just saying that people who don't know what's going on maybe
>shouldn't comment.
>
>Erin
>
> >>> David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com> 02/16/13 17:27 PM >>>
>
>
>
>
>Bryan:
>
>I for one am getting tired of your constant stream of messages, on
>many of our lists, about how the big bad rehab agency in Missouri
>favors others and picks on you. I am not from Missouri, so have no
>way of knowing what happened, but your harping about it here isn't
>going to change anything. Further, if you got a bum deal, maybe it
>is because of your constant negative attitude.
>
>Dave
>
>At 11:39 PM 2/15/2013, you wrote:
> >hi,
> >
> >if you want an example of a monopoly, a familiar state agency which
> >uses a certain vendor 90% of the time, has put other vendors out of
> >business, and sent one back to his original state is a monopoly!
> >Bryan Schulz
> >
> >
> >----- Original Message ----- From: <DanFlasar at aol.com>
> >To: <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
> >Sent: Friday, February 15, 2013 11:26 PM
> >Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] The bus Saga Continues.
> >
> >
> >>Strictly speaking, a municipal or state or federal public service is not
> >>a monopoly since these are not for-profit organizations. If all the
> >>airlines combined into one big private or publicly (in the sense of stock
> >>availability) -ownership, then that would be a monopoly. Or if
> >>Comcast finally
> >>owns all the cable networks, then they would be monopoly. Classically, a
> >>monopoly restricts competition. A government-managed utility or transit
> >>system is a different category. The big difference - we have a way to
> >>change or modify a government utility - we have no way to do so
> >>with a private
> >>company.
> >> And yes, this all gets very complicated and far from clear.
> >>Dan
> >>
> >>
> >>In a message dated 2/15/2013 5:18:59 P.M. Central Standard Time,
> >>dickmorris at netzero.net writes:
> >>
> >>Hi, Dan,
> >>
> >>As far as I know, most bus companies are monopolies. Even back in the day,
> >>although the Delaware Coach Company was privately owned, it had a
> >>franchise
> >>to run all bus service in Wilmington, Delaware. Another company had the
> >>franchise to run buses out where I lived. And of course, you couldn't
> >>transfer between bus lines (sigh). So even back then, bus service was a
> >>monopoly. Of course now Delaware has a transit authority: there was a
> >>three-month drivers' strike in 1967 (I don't recall the issue), and a year
> >>after it was settled, Delaware Coach pulled out, and the city created a
> >>transit authority which eventually became DART First State.
> >>
> >>I think you'd have to go back to the early streetcar era to find a
> >>situation
> >>in which multiple companies ran transit services in a particular city. I
> >>don't know if there's a book that covers bus transit deregulation in the
> >>way
> >>that Hard Landing did for airlines.
> >>
> >>I guess it's obvious that transit and transit marketing are two of my
> >>favorite subjects. And it's probably also obvious that I should let this
> >>subject die until there's more action in Springfield.
> >>
> >>Dick
> >>
> >>--------------------------------------------------
> >>From: <DanFlasar at aol.com>
> >>Sent: Friday, February 15, 2013 3:38 PM
> >>To: <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
> >>Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] The bus Saga Continues.
> >>
> >>So much for the idea that the Free Market solves all problems.
> >>
> >>Without intervention by the will of the people (ie, our government),
> >>free market capitalism leads inexorably to monopoly - which is why
> >>government has had to intervene so continuously over the years - which
> >>leads to too
> >>much regulation which leads to too much deregulation which leads to...
> >>You'd think we'd remember this.
> >>Dan
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>In a message dated 2/15/2013 3:25:42 P.M. Central Standard Time,
> >>dickmorris at netzero.net writes:
> >>
> >>Matt and Gary,
> >>
> >>At least Springfield and Columbia have bus stations in
> town! Matt, I don't
> >>know about where you are. But here in Tahlequah, the bus depot sits
> >>abandoned; I don't know when the last bus rolled through here, but it was
> >>before I came in 2004. Our closest bus station is
> Muskogee, about 25 miles
> >>away, and taking a bus from there is like flying out of Springfield, in
> >>that
> >>you'll go to a "hub" city like Tulsa or OKC and change there.
> And Tulsa is
> >>sixty miles from here.
> >>
> >>Isn't deregulation wonderful? Just for grins, if you want an analysis of
> >>what deregulation has done to the airline industry, read Thomas
> >>Petzinger's
> >>Hard Landing. Petzinger writes for the Wall Street Journal, and the book
> >>is
> >>both interesting and readable.
> >>
> >>Dick
> >>
> >>--------------------------------------------------
> >>From: "Matt Sievert" <matt.sievert at gmail.com>
> >>Sent: Friday, February 15, 2013 3:10 PM
> >>To: "NFB of Missouri Mailing List" <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
> >>Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] The bus Saga Continues.
> >>
> >>Now,
> >>
> >>Megabus and the michigan flyer have all been successes.
> >>
> >>Matt
> >>-----Original Message-----
> >>From: "Gary Wunder" <gwunder at earthlink.net>
> >>Sender: "Nfbmo" <nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org>
> >>Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2013 15:03:59
> >>To: 'NFB of Missouri Mailing List'<nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
> >>Reply-To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
> >>Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] The bus Saga Continues.
> >>
> >>When I sometimes ride the bus I get the impression they will run their
> >>busses until they run no more and then they'll stop serving us all
> >>together.
> >>It is not the service-oriented company I used to ride regularly.
> >>
> >>-----Original Message-----
> >>From: Nfbmo [mailto:nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Dick Morris
> >>Sent: Friday, February 15, 2013 12:59 PM
> >>To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List
> >>Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] The bus Saga Continues.
> >>
> >>Matt, the big problem with Greyhound is that they have had no real
> >>competition ever since they acquired Continental Trailways in the early
> >>90s,
> >>and thereby gutted the Trailways network. It reminds me of the
> old, before
> >>the breakup, AT&T commercial slogan, "We may be the only phone company in
> >>town, but we try not to act like it." Epic fail on the parts of both AT&T
> >>and Greyhound.
> >>
> >>Speaking of lack of competition, think of what air travel will be like
> >>once
> >>American and USAir complete their merger.
> >>
> >>Dick
> >>
> >>--------------------------------------------------
> >>From: "Matt Sievert" <matt.sievert at gmail.com>
> >>Sent: Friday, February 15, 2013 7:40 AM
> >>To: "NFB of Missouri Mailing List" <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
> >>Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] The bus Saga Continues.
> >>
> >>Dick,
> >>
> >>Thank you for correcting me. Mrs. Cruise did the best she could with the
> >>bus
> >>system. She even ran multiple buses on the same route during holiday
> >>weekends, because the mall was so backed up. I never used access express,
> >>because I didn't qualify, so I can't speak for that service.
> >>
> >>As for Norna Champion. She has a school and a park named after her.
> >>
> >>Greyhound is horrible for everyone. For blind people, for servicemen/women
> >>going to Fort Leonard, and everyone in between.
> >>
> >>Greyhound drives me to be a more successful person. So I can bypass that
> >>nastyness, by prtivate leased car trips or airline travel.
> >>
> >>I will NEVER advocate greyhound to anyone. They really don't care about
> >>their customers.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>-----Original Message-----
> >>From: "Dick Morris" <dickmorris at netzero.net>
> >>Sender: "Nfbmo" <nfbmo-bounces at nfbnet.org>
> >>Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2013 03:45:09
> >>To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List<nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
> >>Reply-To: NFB of Missouri Mailing List <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
> >>Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] The bus Saga Continues.
> >>
> >>Matt, her name is Carol Cruise, and she has retired--but she was always
> >>willing to listen to her customers. From what Gary tells me,
> the buses are
> >>full now, probably thanks to $3 gasoline.
> >>
> >>But...you are absolutely right about the "second class citizen" attitude.
> >>Maybe you remember Dr. Norma Champion. I had her in several classes at
> >>Evangel when I got my communications degree back in the dark ages. As a
> >>state senator, well...I was at a Jeff City seminar, I forget which year,
> >>and
> >>of course I met with her to push NFB issues. One was a transit issue, and
> >>her response was that public transit was for "someone like
> you". I think I
> >>bit my tongue till it bled. She was losing her vision due to macular
> >>degeneration, but I never could get her to see our side of things. Sad
> >>but
> >>true.
> >>
> >>And which Greyhound station were you referring to? The old one on St.
> >>Louis
> >>or the new one on East Kearney? My problems were more with rude Greyhound
> >>drivers than anything else, but the last time I rode the
> bus, about a year
> >>ago, I had a good experience--except for a bus that was three hours late.
> >>Oh, well...can't have everything.
> >>
> >>Dick
> >>--------------------------------------------------
> >>From: "Matt Sievert" <matt.sievert at gmail.com>
> >>Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2013 8:11 PM
> >>To: "NFB of Missouri Mailing List" <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
> >>Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] The bus Saga Continues.
> >>
> >>Sigh,
> >>
> >>I am glad I am not in Springfield.
> >>
> >>Public Transportation in Springfield, Missouri has always been a
> >>"second-class" citizen issue. "only poor people and the elderly ride the
> >>bus." is what I heard from most folks.
> >>
> >>Also seeing empty buses driving around town didn't help any either.
> >>
> >>Mary Cruse did a lot to help out the transit issue. I don't
> know where she
> >>went, but obviously by Gary's, account, things have not improved.
> >>
> >>The only thing worse in Springfield, Mo than the public transit
> system, is
> >>the Greyhound station.
> >>
> >>My primary means of transportation in Springfield, Mo was a cab or
> >>walking.
> >>Only when I worked at St. John's was the bus useful, that is because the
> >>#2
> >>S. National went past the hospital on weekdays, and the #5 went by on
> >>weekends. Besides that, the bus was a headache I did not want.
> >>
> >>Matt Sievert
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>On Thu, Feb 14, 2013 at 9:02 PM, Dick Morris <dickmorris at netzero.net>
> >>wrote:
> >>
> >>>Good job, Erin and Gary! I wish I were still in Springfield so I could
> >>be
> >>>part of this. You're dooing the right thing in trying to garner
> >>publicity;
> >>>sometimes the only way to get action is to embarrass somebody. Go for
> >>it!
> >>>
> >>>Dick
> >>>
> >>> --------------------------------------------------
> >>>From: "Magoon Erin" <magoone at gary-springfield-mo.net>
> >>>Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2013 6:11 PM
> >>>To: <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
> >>> Subject: [Nfbmo] The bus Saga Continues.
> >>>
> >>>The Bus Saga Continues.
> >>>
> >>> Gary and I went to the City Council meeting on Monday. He spoke about
> >>the
> >>>fixed route buses and I spoke about Access Express. Access is the
> >>>para-transit door to door service that I'm riding for now because of my
> >>>surgery last October.
> >>>
> >>>It is getting pretty rediculous trying to get a ride on Access. They
> >>will
> >>>only let you schedule a ride up to one week in advance and it's getting
> >>> difficult to do so. They also have a 20 minute window either side of
> >>your
> >>> pick-up to come and get you. I had a pickup at 6:00 pm and they didn't
> >>>have
> >>>the person come on duty who was going to get me until 5:55 so he didn't
> >>>arrive until 6:20.
> >>>
> >>>I had another person drop me off at the wrong entrance to my building
> >>in
> >>> my
> >>>apaartment complex. I couldn't get a ride home from my job developer
> >>until
> >>>two hours after the end of my appointment. I couldn't get a ride home
> >>>from
> >>>the gym at all, I could get there but not home. I also called one week
> >>in
> >>>advance of the City Council meeting to schedule my ride. I scheduled it
> >>> for
> >>>10:30 pm because I didn't know how long the meeting would go and they
> >>set
> >>>it
> >>> up. The lady called me back ten minutes later and said she looked at
> >>the
> >>>schedule wrong. "It's written in military time and I have trouble
> >>reading
> >>>and understanding it. The latest we can get you is 8:30 not 10:30."
> >>>
> >>>I told the Council most of what I've just told you and they sent the
> >>> following questions to City Utilities telling them they wanted answers
> >>by
> >>> Friday, February 22.
> >>>
> >>>1. Why did you make the bus route changes?
> >>>2. Why didn't you have the schedules and maps ready before the changes
> >>>took
> >>>effect?
> >>>3. Why didn't you hold a public hearing or have public comments before
> >>you
> >>>made the changes?
> >>>4. Why did the routes change 3 and 4 times after you made the original
> >>>changes?
> >>>5. Is it true that you didn't want the passengers to know the changes
> >>were
> >>>coming? If so, why not?
> >>>6. Why are people having so many difficulties scheduling an Access
> >>Express
> >>>ride 6 and 7 days in advance?
> >>>
> >>>I called the City Council yesterday to find out what was the next step,
> >>>that's when I got told those questions were sent to City Utilities and
> >>as
> >>>soon as they received a response they'd call me.
> >>>
> >>>Today a reporter from The Springfield Newsleader called. He talked to
> >>>both
> >>> me and Gary about what has been going on. I told him all about Access
> >>and
> >>>that some of the buses arrive downtown five minutes early now because of
> >>>the
> >>>new schedule, and the bus route that was added sits in the Social
> >>Security
> >>>parking lot for 15 minutes. No one has explained why this is.
> >>>
> >>>The paper got a report from City Utilities telling them that the number
> >>of
> >>>riders on Access has increased and that they have 5 buses. I told the
> >>>reporter that several people I have spoken to said they are taking
> >>Access
> >>>because of all the route changes.
> >>>
> >>>He said that City Utilities has responded to City Council and said: "We
> >>>should have had the bus maps and schedules available when we made the
> >>>route
> >>>changes, we will hold public hearings in the future for any change we
> >>want
> >>>to make whether it's small or big."
> >>>
> >>>I noticed that they didn't answer any of the questions City Council
> >>asked.
> >>>
> >>>The article is supposed to run in tomorrow's paper. I hope it makes a
> >>> difference.
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