On Time Guarantee
The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority has recently issued a commuter rail customer on time guarantee. It states that if your train is more than 30 minutes late, you get a free round trip pass. At first it might seem like a victory for the little guy, but the fine print is worth reading. No, the free round trip pass will not be issued by the conductor. You must obtain from a manned train station a card and document the 30 minute late ride (but is the stamp included?).
What is easy to overlook is that most commuters ride the train every weekday and buy a monthly pass good for all rides for an entire month. So a monthly pass rider will gain nothing, other than perhaps a little satisfaction, as they've already paid in advance for the round trip the free pass is supposedly providing them.
This on time guarantee falls under the heading of public relations and little else. If the MBTA really wants to do something for commuter rail riders, try just being on time!
3/14/01
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