[Nfbmo] The bus Saga Continues.
David Andrews
dandrews at visi.com
Sun Feb 17 04:51:20 UTC 2013
Bryan:
I was not taking an untruthful shot at you. Granted, I probably
shouldn't have done it on the list, and for that I apologize, but
below is a message from you where you hijack a thread on
transportation monopolies to accuse the blind agency of
something. That was not six months ago.
Dave
At 10:14 PM 2/16/2013, you wrote:
>hi,
>
>i'm happy as a new season of racing has begun.
>some enjoy taking shots no matter the truth.
>Bryan Schulz
>
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Matt Sievert" <matt.sievert at gmail.com>
>To: "NFB of Missouri Mailing List" <nfbmo at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2013 9:21 PM
>Subject: Re: [Nfbmo] The bus Saga Continues.
>
>
>>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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