is there a reason it is called VENTra ????

OK - it's Friday (TGIF btw) and I am going to unload a M_A_J_O_R VENTra...I got my card in the mail; followed the instuctions to activate it (very poor btw) and received a message that 'my card is already activated' (wtf). OK - I'll play along. I do not know the access code (never set it up - do-h); cannot log in to retrieve it (two strikes for you), so I call the "toll free" number (what a joke); and to speak with someone about it I am told

(with a very cheery female voice (oh spare me honey) "your wait time will be approximately 26 minutes". yeah right. like I have NOTHING better to do than sit on hold

and listen to this nauseating music (good thing I collect barf bags from southwest airlines (now THERE is a company with awesome customer service btw - can you say capitalism with a KAPITAL SEE?????). VENTRA darling - you get a BIG FAT F- in my grade book. I am flushing this lovely little card down the toilet. Oh wait - i will use my handy dandy "pick puncher" and make some nice guitar picks out of you; it was nice knowing you. and why do I hate the CTA ??? let me count the ways. When I get even a B+ from my customers I have to meet with them to see what ever I can do to change that grade to an A+.

 

OK - I feel SO much better now...TGIF

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on April 3, 2014 at 10:36am

Similar for me.

David Barish said:

I look at it this way. There is a new system to do the same thing. There is zero chance I will use a Ventra card as a credit card. I don't know who feels otherwise. I load it with money I intend to use for transit and I use it for buses and trains. Now that its not new anymore its pretty much the same thing except it swipes differently.

Permalink Reply by Justin B Newman on April 3, 2014 at 11:12am

I was recently bitten when Ventra didn't bother to notify me that the auto-load CC I had loaded was expired. Or that they were unable to "top up." Instead of dealing with it pro-actively, I was there at the turnstile dealing with it. Progress as promised.

Permalink Reply by Matt M. 18.5KM on April 3, 2014 at 12:49pm

Agreed.  I had to reset my autoload, but now no worries.  Chicago has a bigger public transportation network than New York or Los Angeles, and that was part of the reason for the bumpy start....but that can't explain the rest of the problems.

Lisa Curcio 4.1 mi said:

My Ventra card has been working flawlessly for the past few months.  I hope this won't jinx us.

Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on April 3, 2014 at 4:32pm

Agreed.  I never considered using the card for anything other than transit.  And it does notify you when the funds are getting low so you can log in and load up again.



David Barish said:

I look at it this way. There is a new system to do the same thing. There is zero chance I will use a Ventra card as a credit card. I don't know who feels otherwise. I load it with money I intend to use for transit and I use it for buses and trains. Now that its not new anymore its pretty much the same thing except it swipes differently. I cut my Chicago Card a while ago. 


Permalink Reply by BruceBikes on April 4, 2014 at 3:18am

Is that true?!  I would have thought NYC, at least, had a way bigger system.

Edit: Daily weekday public transit ridership: NYC - 8.5mil, Chicago - 1.9mil (including Metra), LA - 1.5mil.  (Per Wikipedia)  I was just curious.  Carry on with the Ventra tales.

Matt M. 18.5KM said:

Chicago has a bigger public transportation network than New York or Los Angeles,....

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on April 4, 2014 at 8:15am

NYC has the biggest system in the U.S.

BruceBikes said:

Is that true?!  I would have thought NYC, at least, had a way bigger system.

Edit: Daily weekday public transit ridership: NYC - 8.5mil, Chicago - 1.9mil (including Metra), LA - 1.5mil.  (Per Wikipedia)  I was just curious.  Carry on with the Ventra tales.

Matt M. 18.5KM said:

Chicago has a bigger public transportation network than New York or Los Angeles,....

Permalink Reply by Lisa Curcio on April 4, 2014 at 12:26pm

I had to go look at my account.  At the bottom of the account summary page it shows "last 5 transactions". I used it today.  My morning ride was deducted.  My afternoon ride shows the station and the time and says "pending trip pricing" with $0.00 for the amount.  I know I have seen that before and it has always shown up as the right price a little later.  Does this address the question?

h' 1.0 said:

Question for you seasoned Ventra users---

I seemed to have no trouble using the card yesterday, and when I checked my account it seemed to have about the right amount subtracted from the balance-- but there doesn't seem to be any way to view charges by individual trip/swipe, just a dash where that info would be.  Is there some kind of lag before that appears, or is it just not part of the deal?

Permalink Reply by Matt M. 18.5KM on April 5, 2014 at 3:02am

Well....Penn Station DOES handle 600,000 passengers per day and the "biggest system" factoid was given to me by a Ventra rep....hehe... :-)

Anne Alt said:

NYC has the biggest system in the U.S.

BruceBikes said:

Is that true?!  I would have thought NYC, at least, had a way bigger system.

Edit: Daily weekday public transit ridership: NYC - 8.5mil, Chicago - 1.9mil (including Metra), LA - 1.5mil.  (Per Wikipedia)  I was just curious.  Carry on with the Ventra tales.

Matt M. 18.5KM said:

Chicago has a bigger public transportation network than New York or Los Angeles,....

Permalink Reply by Matt M. 18.5KM on April 5, 2014 at 3:08am

I haven't looked at my balance in months, much like I did with my Chicago Card.  It's a really mindless process handled by my credit card which I view on my monthly statements......After years of this (good? / bad?) habit I would now be flummoxed by actually paying at the station or using cash on the bus.

h' 1.0 said:

Yes, thanks-- the values are there now.

Lisa Curcio 4.1 mi said:

I had to go look at my account.  At the bottom of the account summary page it shows "last 5 transactions". I used it today.  My morning ride was deducted.  My afternoon ride shows the station and the time and says "pending trip pricing" with $0.00 for the amount.  I know I have seen that before and it has always shown up as the right price a little later.  Does this address the question?

h' 1.0 said:

Question for you seasoned Ventra users---

I seemed to have no trouble using the card yesterday, and when I checked my account it seemed to have about the right amount subtracted from the balance-- but there doesn't seem to be any way to view charges by individual trip/swipe, just a dash where that info would be.  Is there some kind of lag before that appears, or is it just not part of the deal?

Permalink Reply by S on April 5, 2014 at 4:52am

Maybe the largest transit system is referring to the area covered by the system.  NY Transit has a higher ridership but it might be that the geographical area covered by it is smaller than what the CTA covers.

Matt M. 18.5KM said:

Well....Penn Station DOES handle 600,000 passengers per day and the "biggest system" factoid was given to me by a Ventra rep....hehe... :-)

Anne Alt said:

NYC has the biggest system in the U.S.

BruceBikes said:

Is that true?!  I would have thought NYC, at least, had a way bigger system.

Edit: Daily weekday public transit ridership: NYC - 8.5mil, Chicago - 1.9mil (including Metra), LA - 1.5mil.  (Per Wikipedia)  I was just curious.  Carry on with the Ventra tales.

Matt M. 18.5KM said:

Chicago has a bigger public transportation network than New York or Los Angeles,....

Permalink Reply by Matt M. 18.5KM on April 5, 2014 at 5:01am


...which is totally f'd up and somehow more people wind up driving rather than taking a bus or train.


S said:

Maybe the largest transit system is referring to the area covered by the system.  NY Transit has a higher ridership but it might be that the geographical area covered by it is smaller than what the CTA covers.

Matt M. 18.5KM said:

Well....Penn Station DOES handle 600,000 passengers per day and the "biggest system" factoid was given to me by a Ventra rep....hehe... :-)

Anne Alt said:

NYC has the biggest system in the U.S.

BruceBikes said:

Is that true?!  I would have thought NYC, at least, had a way bigger system.

Edit: Daily weekday public transit ridership: NYC - 8.5mil, Chicago - 1.9mil (including Metra), LA - 1.5mil.  (Per Wikipedia)  I was just curious.  Carry on with the Ventra tales.

Matt M. 18.5KM said:

Chicago has a bigger public transportation network than New York or Los Angeles,....

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