Comment 35106

By Michelle Martin (registered) - website | Posted November 02, 2009 at 21:14:44

"While I agree with the premise that keeping transit affordable and accessible is a good thing, that only goes so far -- it needs to be efficient and pleasant as well." (Meredith,above)

Indeed- what seems to happen among the young people of my acquaintance is that they barely put up with the HSR as it is now, and then once they've got the means they get themselves access to a car as quickly as they can.

And, in some ways, who can blame them? I've had high school and university students in our own family using the HSR for almost 10 years now. They've had half-empty buses drive right by them while they waited at the bus stop numerous times (and no, they weren't the B-line- those buses were supposed to stop), and they've been late for school because the bus driver stopped the bus to go get himself a coffee (no, they weren't cutting it close by taking the last possible bus). Trying to do anything like get to a part-time job or study at the library on a Sunday afternoon can take over an hour. What happens? By the time they are in univerdsity, they are at a distinct disadvantage to those students who got a car for a high school graduation present. Sometimes, in their exasperation, the oldest ones cannot wait for the day when they can either buy a car or move back to Toronto.

You can see how the HSR loses riders. You might think they'd want to cultivate some loyalty among the younger generation-- but,no.

Or loyalty among all generations, really. Why have this attitude toward HSR users that they are some kind of aggravation, instead of valuable customers?

“Conviction without experience makes for harshness. ” Flannery O'Connor

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