trinityvixen (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
trinityvixen) wrote2003-09-05 02:07 am
trinityvixen) wrote2003-09-05 02:07 am
It's the journey, not the destination...
At our MUUC meeting last thursday (MUUC = Melbourne University Underwater Club), a girl gave us a ticket discount to see 28 Days Later so Carrie and I used it tonight after a day of thwarted plans (didn't get to rent a car). We had a good time, got to see the Underworld trailer (yes, Kate Beckinsale still very hot, this time Carrie even paid attention), and the 'second' ending for the movie. For those of you who didn't know and would care, 28 Days Later had a second possible ending, which was shown after the credits in the international release (or the second US release). Not really worth seeing the movie again for, but when it's cheap, eh, sure.
It was the getting to Crown that was interesting. Melbourne runs on a tram system. It's how people move around the city--their only other form of mass transit is a none-too-frequently seen bus system and a like six-stop subway. Trams cost about $1.80 AU for what's called a 'short trip' meaning like a one tram ride, I think. I guess you could switch trams, but I'm not positive. They have 2 hour tickets which cover longer and more frequent switching and also work for trains. Anyway, the point is that trams aren't free, but they basically are because there's not a mandatory ticket purchase required to get on the tram. You get on, you can either have a 10-pass or buy a ticket on the tram if you've got coins (and because there are no $1 or $2 bills, most people do), and you either buy one which is validated by the purchase or you validate it in these green boxes which check off how many rides you've used up. However, the tram operator isn't spying on you, and there's not a barrier to you getting on if you don't validate.
HOWEVER (you knew there was a 'but' coming) there are these people called tram inspectors. They're fairly spottable, but not nearly enough for me to ever be fully comfortable. They wear black suit jackets or long black coats with the "M-Tram" logo on the breast. The program director here claimed they wore stupid hats (like really stereotypical Aussie hats), but that just isn't so. Save for the logo and maybe their ticket book, they look like business people. And this is a problem. If they catch you without a ticket, it's a A$100 fine.
Needless to say, I take my chances with not validating most of the time and I've told Carrie to do the same. Tonight, it came closer to catching us than ever before. My first ever encounter on a tram with an inspector was with Carrie, but we were standing next to the buying machine, I gave her money while I validated my card and we were set. Tonight, on the other hand, we just sat. Guy in front of us one stop after we got on turns around and I'm staring at the M-Tram logo.
Uh-oh.
Well, we told him we'd only just got on, but this is after I'm like "Oh, whoops, forgot, was talking to her," and pulled my card right out. The bastard put his hand over the slot to validate it. I was under the impression that you could just get up and validate it if they got on or go buy a ticket. I guess that only applies if you get to the machine before they get to you. Of course, Carrie didn't have a ticket, but she was like "I'll go get one." He wasn't buying it. He took out his ticket book and was going to take both of our information. Meanwhile, I'm getting pissed because I was thinking that sure, fine the people who wantonly free-load, but I have bought a 10-pass, just make me use it and let Carrie go buy a ticket. Now I'm gonna get a fine? Sheesh.
Then the weirdest thing happens. Down the train by the ticket dispenser, there's a female tram inspector with her ticket book out (I guess a lot of people figured what we did at that these people work 9-5 and nighttimes were safe--no longer will I assume that) and further down there's another guy. Shortly after the guy about to write us up asks how far we're going (only a few blocks to Flinders St. Station), he looks down the train at the guy. Other tram inspector guy holds up two fingers as the tram stops at Bourke St. (only three blocks from my dorm) and he and the woman make to get off. The guy then doens't write us up but warns us not to try it again or something to that effect. He gets off, I validate my ticket anyway and Carrie buys one. Could probably have not done it, but we'd learned our lesson.
We are the luckiest people in the world. Wow. Through some miracle, we avoided a A$100 fine. Maybe it was Carrie playing dumb and going "Uh, I'm from New Zealand," and he figured he'd never collect or because it was such a short short trip. Whatever it was, WHEW. Carrie was shaken up, but I was like ready to skip and dance--we'd gotten out of a fine! I'll be paying for trams now and taking them less often (it'll encourage me not to be lazy, which is good), but whew!
Things that also happened today:
-reserved a car for a two-day trip tomorrow and saturday
-jumped off the sidewalk along the Yarra onto a pier--Carrie did it, too
-handed in an assignment--on time!
-read comic books
-played in the fountains at Crown Casino
-slept away the early afternoon
-typed this up
-let Carrie prove to herself that she destroys everything she touches (the list so far includes my corkscrew and my pocket etch-a-sketch and something else I can't remember)
It was the getting to Crown that was interesting. Melbourne runs on a tram system. It's how people move around the city--their only other form of mass transit is a none-too-frequently seen bus system and a like six-stop subway. Trams cost about $1.80 AU for what's called a 'short trip' meaning like a one tram ride, I think. I guess you could switch trams, but I'm not positive. They have 2 hour tickets which cover longer and more frequent switching and also work for trains. Anyway, the point is that trams aren't free, but they basically are because there's not a mandatory ticket purchase required to get on the tram. You get on, you can either have a 10-pass or buy a ticket on the tram if you've got coins (and because there are no $1 or $2 bills, most people do), and you either buy one which is validated by the purchase or you validate it in these green boxes which check off how many rides you've used up. However, the tram operator isn't spying on you, and there's not a barrier to you getting on if you don't validate.
HOWEVER (you knew there was a 'but' coming) there are these people called tram inspectors. They're fairly spottable, but not nearly enough for me to ever be fully comfortable. They wear black suit jackets or long black coats with the "M-Tram" logo on the breast. The program director here claimed they wore stupid hats (like really stereotypical Aussie hats), but that just isn't so. Save for the logo and maybe their ticket book, they look like business people. And this is a problem. If they catch you without a ticket, it's a A$100 fine.
Needless to say, I take my chances with not validating most of the time and I've told Carrie to do the same. Tonight, it came closer to catching us than ever before. My first ever encounter on a tram with an inspector was with Carrie, but we were standing next to the buying machine, I gave her money while I validated my card and we were set. Tonight, on the other hand, we just sat. Guy in front of us one stop after we got on turns around and I'm staring at the M-Tram logo.
Uh-oh.
Well, we told him we'd only just got on, but this is after I'm like "Oh, whoops, forgot, was talking to her," and pulled my card right out. The bastard put his hand over the slot to validate it. I was under the impression that you could just get up and validate it if they got on or go buy a ticket. I guess that only applies if you get to the machine before they get to you. Of course, Carrie didn't have a ticket, but she was like "I'll go get one." He wasn't buying it. He took out his ticket book and was going to take both of our information. Meanwhile, I'm getting pissed because I was thinking that sure, fine the people who wantonly free-load, but I have bought a 10-pass, just make me use it and let Carrie go buy a ticket. Now I'm gonna get a fine? Sheesh.
Then the weirdest thing happens. Down the train by the ticket dispenser, there's a female tram inspector with her ticket book out (I guess a lot of people figured what we did at that these people work 9-5 and nighttimes were safe--no longer will I assume that) and further down there's another guy. Shortly after the guy about to write us up asks how far we're going (only a few blocks to Flinders St. Station), he looks down the train at the guy. Other tram inspector guy holds up two fingers as the tram stops at Bourke St. (only three blocks from my dorm) and he and the woman make to get off. The guy then doens't write us up but warns us not to try it again or something to that effect. He gets off, I validate my ticket anyway and Carrie buys one. Could probably have not done it, but we'd learned our lesson.
We are the luckiest people in the world. Wow. Through some miracle, we avoided a A$100 fine. Maybe it was Carrie playing dumb and going "Uh, I'm from New Zealand," and he figured he'd never collect or because it was such a short short trip. Whatever it was, WHEW. Carrie was shaken up, but I was like ready to skip and dance--we'd gotten out of a fine! I'll be paying for trams now and taking them less often (it'll encourage me not to be lazy, which is good), but whew!
Things that also happened today:
-reserved a car for a two-day trip tomorrow and saturday
-jumped off the sidewalk along the Yarra onto a pier--Carrie did it, too
-handed in an assignment--on time!
-read comic books
-played in the fountains at Crown Casino
-slept away the early afternoon
-typed this up
-let Carrie prove to herself that she destroys everything she touches (the list so far includes my corkscrew and my pocket etch-a-sketch and something else I can't remember)
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