[Nfbmo] The bus Saga Continues.
Matt Sievert
matt.sievert at gmail.com
Sun Feb 17 03:21:05 UTC 2013
Happy trees, let's all think about happy trees,
and talk to Bryan via his private email address.
On Sat, Feb 16, 2013 at 9:32 PM, Bryan Schulz <b.schulz at sbcglobal.net>wrote:
> fyi,
> i haven't said anything for at least 6 months so go rip on someone else.
> Bryan Schulz
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Andrews" <dandrews at visi.com>
>
> To: "NFB of Missouri Mailing List" <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2013 5:24 PM
>
> Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] The bus Saga Continues.
>
>
> 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<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<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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