RantWoman does not obsessively follow the evolution of things like bus fares. Well, RantWoman has been generally aware of budget problems and many kinds of questions and even knew bus fare increases were in the offing. In advance publicity, some categories of services and passes are kind of soft-pedaled, until one looks at the latest Fare Alert !
RantWoman has been putting her brain around the fact that the cost of a monthly Disabled Pass will go up 100% effective January 1, 2010. This is on top of an 89% increase the last time there was a fare increase. Simply in percentage terms, RantWoman could easily understand why many riders' heads would be spinning, especially riders who are on fixed incomes and not even getting cost-of-living increases in, say, Social Security. RantWoman is amused to note that the increase in price for passes is steeper than the per ride increase for disabled passengers. The current increase will be only 50% though the previous one was a 100% increase.
Conversation about this topic indicates that Seattle-area fares for disabled passenegers have historically been dramatically lower than for comparable services in other areas. RantWoman is not going to go check this thought out on other transit-agencies' websites, at least not right this minute. If that is the case, it would be really nice for local transit agencies to get the big percentage-wise increases out of their system so that people can settle down at least a little!
RantWoman does note that even with fare increases, for heavy bus users like RantWoman, the bus pass will still be a BARGAIN. RantWoman has previously noted how much easier it is for her to have a pass and not to have to fuss with change or transfers. RantWoman also notes other big changes available on links from the Fare Alert page above about the ORCA card replacing passes and other transfer esoterica. For the time being, RantWoman is at least going to TRY not immediately to get a headache! Well, RantWoman is going to try.
Friday, November 20, 2009
BUSTIME
Is RantWoman the only person on the planet who still uses BUSTIME, "Metro's automated stop lookup service?" RantWoman ADORES bustime because she can use a plain old ordinary phone or in RantWoman's case cellphone. RantWoman dials a number, listens to exhortations impractical to RantWoman to get the info she needs on the web, steps through some menus, and gets scheduled departure times for the next 3 buses at her bus stop. Well, that is what USED TO happen.
Here's the deal: the Rant family all finally got our cellphones migrated. RantWoman would most happily have gotten something with a camera, a QWERTY keyboard, talking menus, even full internet access. Unfortunately, RantWoman's budgetary sensibilities reared their ugly heads and RantWoman settled for a plain phone with nicely tactile buttons where RantWoman can actually most of the time read the menus and the text messages. Even though RantWoman MIGHT rather get her own dang info off the internet, RantWoman cannot do so and that is why she loves BUSTIME.
RantWoman uses BUSTIME,once or twice a month if she is traveling someplace she commonly goes but at a time she less commonly travels or if she is in a new area. RantWoman, if she presses her nose up to the schedule sign can some of the time read schedule information except that at stops where many buses come by, the route RantWoman needs can be predicted to have its schedule posted at about RantWoman's waistline, or even RantWoman's knees. This would be another case where RantWoman might use BUSTIME.
Problem is, since the September bus shakeup, RantWoman has had decidedly mixed success using BUSTIME even for routes close to where she lives. RantWoman knows that a big bus shakeup means data tables to maintain. RantWoman knows that if a caller has to step through menus, the phone system can be collecting data about what info is wanted. RantWoman knows that she could have just opted to get into the queue for a live human sooner. RantWoman was pleased with the info she finally got. RantWoman is even tolerant of guinea pig services if Metro is trying to figure out alternatives for new ages and new technological environments: RantWoman would love to be seduced by soemthing better than BUSTIME, but at this point a plain phone is what RantWoman has for accessing this info and RantWoman would really prefer to keep BUSTIME.
Here's the deal: the Rant family all finally got our cellphones migrated. RantWoman would most happily have gotten something with a camera, a QWERTY keyboard, talking menus, even full internet access. Unfortunately, RantWoman's budgetary sensibilities reared their ugly heads and RantWoman settled for a plain phone with nicely tactile buttons where RantWoman can actually most of the time read the menus and the text messages. Even though RantWoman MIGHT rather get her own dang info off the internet, RantWoman cannot do so and that is why she loves BUSTIME.
RantWoman uses BUSTIME,once or twice a month if she is traveling someplace she commonly goes but at a time she less commonly travels or if she is in a new area. RantWoman, if she presses her nose up to the schedule sign can some of the time read schedule information except that at stops where many buses come by, the route RantWoman needs can be predicted to have its schedule posted at about RantWoman's waistline, or even RantWoman's knees. This would be another case where RantWoman might use BUSTIME.
Problem is, since the September bus shakeup, RantWoman has had decidedly mixed success using BUSTIME even for routes close to where she lives. RantWoman knows that a big bus shakeup means data tables to maintain. RantWoman knows that if a caller has to step through menus, the phone system can be collecting data about what info is wanted. RantWoman knows that she could have just opted to get into the queue for a live human sooner. RantWoman was pleased with the info she finally got. RantWoman is even tolerant of guinea pig services if Metro is trying to figure out alternatives for new ages and new technological environments: RantWoman would love to be seduced by soemthing better than BUSTIME, but at this point a plain phone is what RantWoman has for accessing this info and RantWoman would really prefer to keep BUSTIME.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Excellent Accessibility PR
RantWoman feels duty bound to post the following link about the marvels of assistive technology:
http://www.microsoft.com/industry/healthcare/providers/businessvalue/housecalls/housecalls3_access.mspx
Full disclosure:
RantWoman would not be RantWoman without more to say about the topic. For just one example, all the nice accessibility products and features this article talks about are no darn good for vast pools of users who depend on computer access through libraries or community centers if the public user configurations bury these features so that people who might benefit cannot even get at them even if they know they are there!
RantWoman could with frightening ease go on for a good long time about related themes; readers are in luck because unfortunately RantWoman has other problems already in queue.
http://www.microsoft.com/industry/healthcare/providers/businessvalue/housecalls/housecalls3_access.mspx
Full disclosure:
RantWoman would not be RantWoman without more to say about the topic. For just one example, all the nice accessibility products and features this article talks about are no darn good for vast pools of users who depend on computer access through libraries or community centers if the public user configurations bury these features so that people who might benefit cannot even get at them even if they know they are there!
RantWoman could with frightening ease go on for a good long time about related themes; readers are in luck because unfortunately RantWoman has other problems already in queue.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Mumble Test
The Mumble Test is a language skills test used to evaluate language proficiency for language students and potential interpreters. Basically the idea is that the person being evaluated is supposed to decipher important information from some kind of bad audio, something with noise in the background, distortion, some kind of sonic effect that usually one would prefer to eliminate.
RantWoman thought of the mumble test Monday night trying to ride Link during the rush hour derailment. The regular, played all the time announcements are all clearly enunciated and pleasant to listen to--even when the cycle sometimes gets out of sync with the station the train is passing through. The various ad hoc announcements broadcast while RantWoman waited for her train were all pure mumble test.
RantWoman was riding Link to avoid rain. Well, RantWoman left her abode, thought of the bus. Then RantWoman decided she would get equally wet either walking or waiting for the bus so she set off on foot. RantWoman was not the least bit surprised when the bus passed her halfway between the next stops. RantWoman had further pedestrian delights in the form of a flood of runoff as she tried to cross the street. Next, RantWoman almost gave up on the train: it literally came as the elevator arrived so RantWoman could choose the more conventional bus route to her destination.
There were a couple more mumble test announcements as RantWoman's train made its way to downtown.RantWoman definitely noticed a spot with a lot of bright lights and people in dayglow jumpsuits working on the opposite tracks at one point, but RantWoman decided just to be glad her train was getting her where she needed to go.
RantWoman thought of the mumble test Monday night trying to ride Link during the rush hour derailment. The regular, played all the time announcements are all clearly enunciated and pleasant to listen to--even when the cycle sometimes gets out of sync with the station the train is passing through. The various ad hoc announcements broadcast while RantWoman waited for her train were all pure mumble test.
RantWoman was riding Link to avoid rain. Well, RantWoman left her abode, thought of the bus. Then RantWoman decided she would get equally wet either walking or waiting for the bus so she set off on foot. RantWoman was not the least bit surprised when the bus passed her halfway between the next stops. RantWoman had further pedestrian delights in the form of a flood of runoff as she tried to cross the street. Next, RantWoman almost gave up on the train: it literally came as the elevator arrived so RantWoman could choose the more conventional bus route to her destination.
There were a couple more mumble test announcements as RantWoman's train made its way to downtown.RantWoman definitely noticed a spot with a lot of bright lights and people in dayglow jumpsuits working on the opposite tracks at one point, but RantWoman decided just to be glad her train was getting her where she needed to go.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Dreamfly
Yesterday RantWoman briefly attended an event for a great cause, the Dreamfly foundation
http://www.thedreamfly.org/
Dreamfly mobilizes funds in the US and partners with local nonprofits to build and operate schools in Pakistan and now Afghanistan. RantWoman was utterly charmed by the effort and the people.
RantWoman was slightly not charmed by two points:
First, RantWoman saw a sign about the event at her house of worship. The sign was nearly all tiny print, not a darn thing RantWoman can read. RantWoman only knew about the event because someone announced it. Then someone else who had heard the announcement was asking RantWoman and we both found the barely readable sign.
On a similar note, the event was nicely done with questions to help everyone mingle and get acquainted. RantWoman found herself grumbling though: if one is going to use a whole sheet of paper with one's mingle questions, it would not be terrible to print the questions in, say, 14-point font.
It's not like curious legally blind visitors are necessarily vast pools of funds ourselves, but sometimes we do have friends who are!
http://www.thedreamfly.org/
Dreamfly mobilizes funds in the US and partners with local nonprofits to build and operate schools in Pakistan and now Afghanistan. RantWoman was utterly charmed by the effort and the people.
RantWoman was slightly not charmed by two points:
First, RantWoman saw a sign about the event at her house of worship. The sign was nearly all tiny print, not a darn thing RantWoman can read. RantWoman only knew about the event because someone announced it. Then someone else who had heard the announcement was asking RantWoman and we both found the barely readable sign.
On a similar note, the event was nicely done with questions to help everyone mingle and get acquainted. RantWoman found herself grumbling though: if one is going to use a whole sheet of paper with one's mingle questions, it would not be terrible to print the questions in, say, 14-point font.
It's not like curious legally blind visitors are necessarily vast pools of funds ourselves, but sometimes we do have friends who are!
United we Ride--Not so much
RantWoman opened this morning's email to comments from other people who tried to respond to the http://rantwoman.blogspot.com/2009/10/united-we-ride-interagency-information.html
information-gathering process.
RantWoman for a number of reasons was not in position to detect all the web accessibility problems with the data collection website. Even worse, the fact that a web-based information gathering process is completely inaccessible to a large percentage of heavy users of transit and paratransit went winging right by RantWoman, computer junkie that she is. Bear in mind, people who do not have access to or know how to use computers are people who might in fact have highly topical insights about how to make many parts of transit systems more efficient. RantWoman would further note that providing additional opportunities not limited to the web forms for email input at the last minute on the last day of data collection is a poor excuse for fuller accessibility throughout the full process.
In RantWoman's rich fantasy life, the voices of people who actually use the services would be included early enough in the design of the research to provide meaningful input. RantWoman is just saying....
information-gathering process.
RantWoman for a number of reasons was not in position to detect all the web accessibility problems with the data collection website. Even worse, the fact that a web-based information gathering process is completely inaccessible to a large percentage of heavy users of transit and paratransit went winging right by RantWoman, computer junkie that she is. Bear in mind, people who do not have access to or know how to use computers are people who might in fact have highly topical insights about how to make many parts of transit systems more efficient. RantWoman would further note that providing additional opportunities not limited to the web forms for email input at the last minute on the last day of data collection is a poor excuse for fuller accessibility throughout the full process.
In RantWoman's rich fantasy life, the voices of people who actually use the services would be included early enough in the design of the research to provide meaningful input. RantWoman is just saying....
Friday, November 13, 2009
Executive Decisions
RantWoman has an exalted title at the Friendly Neighborhood Center for Extreme Computing. RantWoman has this title because she opened her mouth at a key juncture and because no one has deposed her.
The upside of this title is being called on to make executive decisions. The downside of this exalted status is being called on to make executive decisions just as one is coming in from a dentist appointment.
RantWoman's two executive decisions while still under the influence of novacaine:
The Friendly Neighborhood Center... labored for months to get a mission statement that is both grammatical and representative. Despite the plainly obvious point that everyone who has anything to do with the place has either visible or hidden, acknowledged or unacknowledged disability, we decided we hated the word enough to leave it out. RantWoman finally after feedback about still really having to talk to the outside world changed a key phrase to "of widely varying abilities and disabilities."
The most recent version of our brochure needs a couple corrections. Originally it was printed with little graphic icons in color. RantWoman is unable explain why but she and at least one other person feel the result in color just looks like something the feline staff would throw up. Beware, there are certain intrinsic problems about assigning graphic design decisions to the legally blind anyway. Rantwoman happened to be looking over a version printed in bblack and white, though. The results were to RantWoman's view much more satisfactory than the color version.
Executive decision number 2: print it in black and white.
Stop! RantWoman is just not going to overdo the executive decisions!
The upside of this title is being called on to make executive decisions. The downside of this exalted status is being called on to make executive decisions just as one is coming in from a dentist appointment.
RantWoman's two executive decisions while still under the influence of novacaine:
The Friendly Neighborhood Center... labored for months to get a mission statement that is both grammatical and representative. Despite the plainly obvious point that everyone who has anything to do with the place has either visible or hidden, acknowledged or unacknowledged disability, we decided we hated the word enough to leave it out. RantWoman finally after feedback about still really having to talk to the outside world changed a key phrase to "of widely varying abilities and disabilities."
The most recent version of our brochure needs a couple corrections. Originally it was printed with little graphic icons in color. RantWoman is unable explain why but she and at least one other person feel the result in color just looks like something the feline staff would throw up. Beware, there are certain intrinsic problems about assigning graphic design decisions to the legally blind anyway. Rantwoman happened to be looking over a version printed in bblack and white, though. The results were to RantWoman's view much more satisfactory than the color version.
Executive decision number 2: print it in black and white.
Stop! RantWoman is just not going to overdo the executive decisions!
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