Just got this email, so don't plan to ride Divvy home today:
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Divvy | 711 SE Grand | Portland | OR | 97214 |
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Carrie, every time Comcast cable goes down I call and get a few days credit. A dollar is a dollar and I'm going to call Divvy tomorrow and get the scoop.
No kidding. Over the next few years Divvy will get city-wide coverage including places that don't have good CTA coverage. Those same places tend to have almost no cabs. I'd hate to see people get stranded for no good reason.
Thomas Bruzan said:but I'd sure hate to get off the train and stare at a locked up bike.
At least someone read that post.
Michael B said:
Really. You're either one or the other you can't use a bike for utility and be a sport cyclist. I'm glad your world is so black & white.
h' 1.0 said:Relative to this gem of a "discussion," I see two reasons:
1) The Chainlink has both "utility" and recreational/sport cyclists under its tent.
The latter "have" to hang their bikes in the garage for the winter. It's no secret that athletes get depressed and cranky when they're less active.
2) Again, The Chainlink has both "utility" and recreational/sport cyclists under its roof.
The latter group does not understand the struggle of the former to have their mode of transportation recognized as being important enough to warrant government investment and resources. To them, it's just a "sport" and anyone speaking up for elevated status is "entitled."
They are in a different universe than we are.
Please whine extra loud for all the cyclists who think bike advocacy is silly, since we have to carry them on our backs.
Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) said:Why is it that every time someone raises an issue here that they have with something, someone steps in and accuses them of being "entitled"? Such comments only serve to stifle healthy discussion.
It sounds to me like you're viewing Divvy more as a recreational service to be enjoyed on nice days than a dedicated means of transportation on which people can rely to commute to and from work, school, the doctor, or other essential activities. I've grown quite used to being able to rely on Divvy so that's why my opinions are quite strong. But hey, I live by the lake and so I've got the red line, busses, cabs, Lyft, iGo (Enterprise), Zipcar, "bruh, hook it up with a ride," etc and the means to use any of them at will. That's not always true for everyone if you go a few miles west. That's all I'm trying to say.
Carrie Hirsch said:
Agreed. But extreme weather conditions may lead one to think ...yeah, maybe I need a back up plan...because sometimes stuff happens?
Tom Dworzanski said:No kidding. Over the next few years Divvy will get city-wide coverage including places that don't have good CTA coverage. Those same places tend to have almost no cabs. I'd hate to see people get stranded for no good reason.
Thomas Bruzan said:but I'd sure hate to get off the train and stare at a locked up bike.
So what was the actual mechanism here-- they remotely disabled new check-outs? Was there some sort of notification at the kiosk for those who didn't get the notice in time?
So what was the actual mechanism here-- they remotely disabled new check-outs? Was there some sort of notification at the kiosk for those who didn't get the notice in time?
You guys must have cabin fever with all of this posting. Adam shut up, you whine about everything. Get a thicker skin. It's winter for damn sake. Winter disadvantages everyone!
That's kinda ghetto.
Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) said:
There was no notification at the kiosk — just the docks did not authorize a checkout when swiping your keyfob.
h' 1.0 said:So what was the actual mechanism here-- they remotely disabled new check-outs? Was there some sort of notification at the kiosk for those who didn't get the notice in time?
In early February 2010 or '11 (possibly the same blizzard week you are describing), I witnessed this scene: Union Station packed to the brim with unhappy commuters and travelers. My Amtrak train southbound had been cancelled entirely.
Fortunately, my business downstate was not a matter of life-and-death, so I simply went home. :)
Jennifer on the lake said:
I'm trying to remember... Was it during the blizzard of '11, or the bitter cold snap immediately afterward? Or possibly a different winter weather event entirely, but I can't think of another one during my unemployment that was as bad. Anyway, Metra tried valiantly to run all the trains on time, but equipment was freezing faster than the crews could thaw everything, and most of them had already been working nearly nonstop outside on insanely long shifts in hellish weather. So Metra, or Union Pacific, or BNSF, or whoever it was, or perhaps all of them, finally just threw in the towel, and there were delays upon delays and not a few outright cancellations. Union Station at PM rush was full of grumbly commuters, many with monthly passes and probably paying through the nose for parking as well, many who usually car-commuted but opted for Metra as Plan B that particular day because the roadways were such a snarled mess. Every single one of us had paid to board a train at a designated time and disembark at a destination at another designated time, but what could be done?
I'm sure Divvy will face a similar situation, if they haven't already, and it won't have anything to do with recreation vs. utility, or Chicago vs. Miami, or whether or not the annual members consider the weather to be suitable for bike riding, or whatever. It will just be the realities of running a transportation system.
203 members
118 members
262 members
269 members
63 members