TTC Math must be done with a bugged Pentium chip
Okay,
So I found a steady job that pays decently and I start on Wednesday with decent hours. However, even though I start late I was considering getting a Metropass for convience purposes. Once upon a time Metropasses used to be under $80 dollars (I believe this was just before the Mike Harris Era), but at the time I write this, they are going for $98.75, which is almost a chocolate bar away from $100. An interesting sidepoint: When I was waiting at a bus stop of a lesser-known route, I noticed a sticker on the post saying "No Late evening and Weekend service effective Feb 18th, 1996", which is around the same time the TTC lost is provincal funding.
Granted I used to get Metropasses when I went to school. I would go to class for a few hours, TTC it for lunch at the Eaton Centre, come back for class and get home, or shop or see people on my days off. However even then it really wasn't that great of a deal.
This month, not including the Thansgiving Day weekend I will be going to work 17 times. That equates to 34 trips. Since tokens/adult tickets go for 10 for $19.00 (or $1.90 per trip), that equates to approximently $64.60 (Assuming I buy the tokens in bulk). Even if I go out 5 more times, which is another $19, that's only $84. I'd still save a good $15 by buying tokens.
In November, there's no holidays and as such there's only 22 work days. That comes out to 44 trips, or $83.60. Adding another 6 trips (it's colder as it approaches Winter), and it comes up to an even 50 tickets/tokens or $95. Don't get me started with the days off in December for the holidays, how they manage to sell Metropasses in December is beyond me.
Now granted, if I did go out more, I probably would exceed the 52 trip threshold (52 x $1.90 = $98.80). However like I said, winter makes going out a chore (although it also makes walking between destinations less desirable).
Wouldn't it make more sense if the TTC made the passes cheaper, and thus more attractive to riders? You'd get your funding in a bulk amount (at the beginning of the month), and make more money by making the price more attractive to those who think the current prices are overpriced. If you made it the price of 42 trips (21 working days - $79.80 at the bulk rate), you'd have people considering paying an additional $4-5 for the option of unlimited travel and thus buy a metropass. The current price isn't attractive and even with the discount plan, it's $88 and change, (also essentially forcing you to buy for the entire year, or you pay the difference), which is 4 more trips than the 21 working days a month threshold at the bulk price. How many extra trips from this average would I have to take to make a Metropass worthwhile? I'd have to make 10 more trips or go to someone's place and back 5 times to start saving money. That's insane and still $19 more than the cheaper token/ticket method. The TTC should take a lesson from McDonalds and Wendy's in that upgrading your meal to super-size is only $0.39 or $0.49, not $1.29 or more (because that's when it becomes too much for a person to make an impulse buy for something they really don't need but may impulse buy upon).
I think they're shooting themselves in the foot with the pricing and the constant threat of raising fares even more. It seems no matter how foolish their spending is (i.e. the Sheppard Subway Line) they hold the City and riders hostage by constantly threatening fare hikes so they can try and get more money. Granted the provincal government did slash funding, but they slashed funding elsewhere too and it's a reality now. In a sense, they remind me of how the RIAA operates. Instead of making their product/service look attractive to those that aren't buying, they instead stick it to those that do use the service/product or have no choice.
So I found a steady job that pays decently and I start on Wednesday with decent hours. However, even though I start late I was considering getting a Metropass for convience purposes. Once upon a time Metropasses used to be under $80 dollars (I believe this was just before the Mike Harris Era), but at the time I write this, they are going for $98.75, which is almost a chocolate bar away from $100. An interesting sidepoint: When I was waiting at a bus stop of a lesser-known route, I noticed a sticker on the post saying "No Late evening and Weekend service effective Feb 18th, 1996", which is around the same time the TTC lost is provincal funding.
Granted I used to get Metropasses when I went to school. I would go to class for a few hours, TTC it for lunch at the Eaton Centre, come back for class and get home, or shop or see people on my days off. However even then it really wasn't that great of a deal.
This month, not including the Thansgiving Day weekend I will be going to work 17 times. That equates to 34 trips. Since tokens/adult tickets go for 10 for $19.00 (or $1.90 per trip), that equates to approximently $64.60 (Assuming I buy the tokens in bulk). Even if I go out 5 more times, which is another $19, that's only $84. I'd still save a good $15 by buying tokens.
In November, there's no holidays and as such there's only 22 work days. That comes out to 44 trips, or $83.60. Adding another 6 trips (it's colder as it approaches Winter), and it comes up to an even 50 tickets/tokens or $95. Don't get me started with the days off in December for the holidays, how they manage to sell Metropasses in December is beyond me.
Now granted, if I did go out more, I probably would exceed the 52 trip threshold (52 x $1.90 = $98.80). However like I said, winter makes going out a chore (although it also makes walking between destinations less desirable).
Wouldn't it make more sense if the TTC made the passes cheaper, and thus more attractive to riders? You'd get your funding in a bulk amount (at the beginning of the month), and make more money by making the price more attractive to those who think the current prices are overpriced. If you made it the price of 42 trips (21 working days - $79.80 at the bulk rate), you'd have people considering paying an additional $4-5 for the option of unlimited travel and thus buy a metropass. The current price isn't attractive and even with the discount plan, it's $88 and change, (also essentially forcing you to buy for the entire year, or you pay the difference), which is 4 more trips than the 21 working days a month threshold at the bulk price. How many extra trips from this average would I have to take to make a Metropass worthwhile? I'd have to make 10 more trips or go to someone's place and back 5 times to start saving money. That's insane and still $19 more than the cheaper token/ticket method. The TTC should take a lesson from McDonalds and Wendy's in that upgrading your meal to super-size is only $0.39 or $0.49, not $1.29 or more (because that's when it becomes too much for a person to make an impulse buy for something they really don't need but may impulse buy upon).
I think they're shooting themselves in the foot with the pricing and the constant threat of raising fares even more. It seems no matter how foolish their spending is (i.e. the Sheppard Subway Line) they hold the City and riders hostage by constantly threatening fare hikes so they can try and get more money. Granted the provincal government did slash funding, but they slashed funding elsewhere too and it's a reality now. In a sense, they remind me of how the RIAA operates. Instead of making their product/service look attractive to those that aren't buying, they instead stick it to those that do use the service/product or have no choice.