"WTF?" re THE NYC MTA AND ITS GREAT PUBLIC SERVICE...

Hi Friends:

Today's "WTF?" © stevenn beck

The MTA prides itself on its devotion to public service and customer welfare. (And often fails miserably…much like a certain federal government agency that promises the same and similarly often fails.)

Here's a good and current example:

Some of the subway lines - at least in Manhattan - have electronic signs on the platforms which inform riders regarding the waiting time for the next train. (A few - the 1/2/3 lines for example even supplement the information on the sign with periodic real-time easily understood announcements.) I must admit - all this is good customer service. At one point the MTA indicated that the electronic signs would be rolled out to all the subway lines in Manhattan - and then the outer boroughs. Here's a friendly tip: don't hold your breath. Instead the MTA has begun installing more modern, touch-screen information centers.

These new information centers are now being installed in Manhattan, including on the platforms that ALREADY have the older electronic signs. Obviously the electronic signs - which are very helpful - will be "phased out" instead of being "rolled out". And the MTA promises to install the new touch screen centers in every station in the system - even in the outer boroughs. The MTA is very very proud of its new creation. Very proud of its high level of public service, very proud of its ability to satisfy the public's need for information.

The MTA can go suck an egg.

1. The new screens are touch screen. TOUCH screen. In addition to information about train arrivals you can use it to determine your travel route by touching the subway map which comes up in a rotation. Thousands of people touching the screens each week. I don't know about you - I'm not touching it.

2. The new screens stand upright on the platform (as opposed to the existing electronic signs which hang from the ceiling and can be seen up and down the platform.) To access these touch-screen centers you have to stand right there of course. And - there aren't many per train platform, you have to push through the crowds to find one. IF you can.

3. The new information centers contain advertisements so that the necessary information regarding train status is not always immediately available as the screen rotates through its programmed material (and of course the ads are the reason why the MTA chose this particular technology over the expansion of the electronic sign system). Well- somebody's gotta pay for the astronomical salaries of the MTA's brain trust…right? (I mean, besides increasing the cost of the metro card.)

MTA = public service?

WTF?

Till next time….be safe….Stevenn