Deliberation

Beautiful shot from Market East Station by flickr user mezone.

There's already been quite a bit of chatter about the delay in SEPTA's new smart-card fare system, but it's well worth deliberating a little over this. It's a lot of money and still a few years away. It's smart to take it slow since some of the necessary technologies are still evolving. Still, if these descriptions are accurate, it's going to be quite a convenience and a significant improvement over even NYC's beloved metro card:

The "smart card" system will replace the tokens, tickets, and magnetic-stripe cards that passengers now use on buses, subways, trains, and trolleys. Passengers will be able to wave a card at a sensor on a turnstile or fare box and be on their way.

SEPTA wants a system that will allow passengers to use credit cards, prepaid SEPTA cards, and even cell phones to pay for their trips.

Everything is Amazing, and Nobody's Happy

Okay, there are some things that aren't amazing. That's true. People on Twitter keep reminding me of pee on the subway, and I'll agree that that's not amazing. But it's not the worst thing either. And how does a transit system as large as SEPTA fix that anyway? Signage? Pee monitors? You want money from your fare to go to mop-jockeys on every train? One of the greatest things about Philadelphia is that it never lets us get quite far enough away from each other to forget that there are people who are troubled and pee in public. We may pelt Santa with snowballs or riot in the streets occasionally, but it's the forced proximity of urban places like SEPTA buses and train cars that delivers us from indifference. That pee smell is humanity, and don't you forget it.

"I like bus butts and I cannot lie"

I swear that I am not making these videos. I wish:

More from a loyal Bus Watcher

It's hard to imagine YouTube's lucky54man topping BusWizard's Theme, and this isn't the song to do it, but it's a little glimpse inside the mind and habits of a dedicated bus watcher and presumed SEPTA lover: