Grinds My Gears: Public Transportation Edition

After living in the city of Philadelphia for the past decade, I've come to develop a love/hate relationship with the public transit system known as SEPTA. Many native Philadelphians share the same sentiment and for good reason; the unions usually strike every year or at least once every three years, there's always mechanical problems, the trains are unkempt, and if there's a Phils or Eagles game you should avoid going south of City Hall.

Over the past year, SEPTA has been desperately trying to make upgrades to its archaic trans pass system. Philly is one of the few major cities that still use tokens, and is the ONLY city to label their weekly and monthly passes with a "m" sticker for Male and "f" sticker for Female (a practice that has come under much scrutiny, and makes no sense in my opinion). What Grinds My Gears about SEPTA, besides the the trains and buses being consistently late, is the fact that you can't get change....ANYWHERE! In March of this year SEPTA decided that their change machines would no longer give quarters, nickels or dimes, but rather the dreaded Sacajawea dollar coins. Why is this such an issue?

1. If you have a Cross County pass, you only need 50 cents to ride the El and Subway lines during the week

2. The booth operators at the stations DO NOT give change

See the dilemma? So as a concerned citizen I wrote to SEPTA and this was the response:

All SEPTA change machines were switched to dollar coins only in March 2011 to reduce/eliminate outside vendors (e.g. newspaper vendors, etc...) from utilizing SEPTA change machines for their own banking business using all of the change in the machines and causing them to go out of service...

Really SEPTA?! Have you EVER gone to a business and gone in and asked for change for a dollar without purchasing something? Or tried to ask for change from a Sacajawea coin?! Shop owners look at you like you're trying to trade Canadian money! The unions strike two years in a row and I can't even get change for a dollar?! I don't understand why the booth operators or the turnstiles can't give me change for a dollar! That other 50 cents is much needed laundry money.

And that's what Grinds My Gears.

What Really Grinds My Gears...a week in review

*First off I want to thank my sans Eric Cortes for the inspiration for this blog....as well as the pic...that I "borrowed", lol.*

Even though its ONLY Wednesday, below is a Top Ten list of things that have "Grinded My Gears" this week:

1. The replacement of the washing and drying machines in my building laundry room. Yes the machines are nicer and much more efficent, but its now a $1.65 to wash and dry! a 15 cent increase. This is the 2nd increase in less than a year.....oh and there was no warning or announcement made to the residents....way to go!

2. SEPTA. *sigh* where to I begin?! Trains/buses come when they want (I swear I thought the schedule for the 55 route changed before I realized the bus was just late for a whole week, thus making me late for work, HENCE, an extra hour wait for the R7), the train lines and bus lines don't sink up at all, and to top it off, there might be a strike! Seriously?! Now, there seems to be a needle scare on the Market East Line. I am saving up a down payment for my Jetta as we speak!

3. Co-workers quick to harp on/blame me for my customers shortcomings. Ok, no one's perfect. I'll admit I make mistakes, but I learn from them. But to tease and rag on me EVERYTIME something isn't perfect....get over it and over yourselves.

4. Co-workers/people in general who feel the need to fill silence with ramblings, noises, anecdotes, misplaced laughter, or asinine conversation. Silence is Golden.

5. No more Conan O'Brien on Late Night. I thought he was taking over for Leno? Yet Leno still comes on at 11:30pm <---confused :(

6. Twitter moving slow @ work. What's the deal?!

7. People who can't take no for an answer

8. Spring weather. Yes, I am grateful to be relieved of 20 degree temperatures, with ice on the ground and biting winds, but when they turn the heat down in anticipation of Spring it might as well be 20 degrees out! My apt is no longer the steamy oasis it used to be :(

9. American Idol. People still watch this show?! I'll give $10 to someone who can find me a decent show to watch Wednesday nights at 9pm because there is nothing on!

10. Last but not least....being bored at work. I swear sometimes I can finish a week's worth of work in 4 hours but I am mandated to a desk for 9hrs a day (they say we get 1hr for lunch, but when you work through it everyday....I think they should just pay you for the 9 and give a 3 day weekend....I'm just saying). Thank goodness I have my peeps to get me through the day!

.....And that's what really Grinds My Gears.