Passenger Trains > South Shore Line ticket offices closing

South Shore Railroad Ticket Offices Closing
April 17, 2024

(Michigan City, IN) - Change is coming for riders of South Shore Railroad commuter trains, as officials have stated that the ticket offices at the Carroll Avenue station in Michigan City and Millennium Station in Chicago will be closing permanently on April 26th.

After that, people can go to any train station vending machine or use the South Shore mobile app to obtain tickets.

Railroad officials explained that the decision to close those ticket offices was made because nearly 85 percent of ticket purchases nowadays are digital.

https://hometownnewsnow.com/local-news/738836

Go Figure!
I'm an old guy and really hate the digital trend but it is what it is. I've been in the electronics industry for 57 years. I'm a little surprised that the South Shore still had actual ticket offices.
I live near Philadelphia and I no longer have any idea of how to pay for a SEPTA ride into the city. Surfed their website many times.
Also I wanted to visit my sister in Phoenix, Az. She had terminal cancer but the Amtrak website was totally useless to arrange travel there in time before her passing. So much for today's passenger railroad offerings. In my opinion it is beyond totally useless or in another's words, "It is all crap now".
I have a hardcopy Pennsylvania's Senior Citizen Discount Card, I was able to present it and one American Greenback and ride anything, anywhere on SEPTA. I guess now I need to take along a so called smartphone and a software engineer to figure out how to pay for a simple train, trolley or bus ride? As far as I understand SEPTA no longer has tickets or ticket machines. They have had several iterations of unsuccessful electronic ticketing schemes. I'm not surprised, even a little. Maybe something called a wallet is the scheme today? Not sure what that is? Something else about "tap" or something. Whatever my wallet is leather and has credit cards and real American money that still buys groceries every week. 
I'm thinking at this point I'll just board a train and play "stupid old person" and let the Conductor figure it out. What to do when I present my "Senior Citizen Discount Card" and a dollar bill. Their problem, not mine.
Maybe the next weekday I'm not working (Yes, I am still full time employed at 78 years of age) and I'll do just that. Will they shoot me? Probably not. What will thye do, Don't know, don't care.Too old to give a rat's a**. Get off and ride the next train back. Wash, Rinse. Repeat...
It should be an interesting adventure my long gone railfan friend, Dr Dick, would have enjoyed being part of this  let's say would have very, very have enjoyed!!
I miss you Dr. Dick!
Gonut
 

Senior citizens ride for free on SEPTA.   Go to 1234 Market St.in center city.  Get your picture taken and get a senior card. Tap the card on the device at the station platform or turnstile before boarding, show it to the conductor on the train, tap the card on the device or turnstile after getting off.  The senior  card is good for a few years. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/18/24 04:22 by birdman.

Why should Gonut have to "Go to 1234 Market St.in center city.  Get your picture taken and get a senior card." when he already has what he has used for years to ride.  Sounds like a trip to the DMV, how much of his remaining life does he have to spend taking care of crap like this. Let me rant a bit. Recently stopped at Micky Ds for a couple of burgers. In case you don't know they like their Kiosks to order and pay. I don't want to use a credit card for a $15 purchase. Had to yell at somebody running around behind the counter to get them to take my and some other people's orders. About 25 years ago we took our son to Philly on a day trip to see a couple of museums. Arrived at 30th street station after riding Amtrak to Philly and then tried to figure out how to use Septa to get to the museum area. The lady in the booth looked at us like we were from outer space when we had to ask how to pay. No instructions posted anywhere. Glad when we got back home.
CR

On any other railroad, you flash your Medicare card upon request, or for a fare card, e-mail or snail-mail a photo and the application.
What SEPTA is doing is barely legal. It also means they don't want your business. 

As for their already obsolete "Key System",

• it did not increase revenue or ridership
• it did not lower operating costs
• it did not lower fares
• it did not increase service.
• it put up barriers to use the system to buy transportation when a simple TVM would do like a parking box
• it irritates RR customers with having to tap in and tap out everywhere without any benefit to them

It gave a huge contract to a vendor, then bragging rights about their technology.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/24 06:19 by joemvcnj.

Thank you WM1977! As a 76 year old college graduate I second your rant!

WM1977 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why should Gonut have to "Go to 1234 Market St.in
> center city.  Get your picture taken and get a
> senior card." when he already has what he has used
> for years to ride.  Sounds like a trip to the
> DMV, how much of his remaining life does he have
> to spend taking care of crap like this. Let me
> rant a bit. Recently stopped at Micky Ds for a
> couple of burgers. In case you don't know they
> like their Kiosks to order and pay. I don't want
> to use a credit card for a $15 purchase. Had to
> yell at somebody running around behind the counter
> to get them to take my and some other people's
> orders. About 25 years ago we took our son to
> Philly on a day trip to see a couple of museums.
> Arrived at 30th street station after riding Amtrak
> to Philly and then tried to figure out how to use
> Septa to get to the museum area. The lady in the
> booth looked at us like we were from outer space
> when we had to ask how to pay. No instructions
> posted anywhere. Glad when we got back home.
> CR

Older TO members yelling at clouds... the archetypical thread!  I'm 65 and this stuff makes me feel years younger.

The whole point of providing transit is to make travel--whether several blocks or many miles--easy and convenient.  Every time some clumsy protocol is instituted, this is giving a middle finger to riders.  Make it easy!    Even my godson who works in tech has a physical transit card rather than storing fares on his phone--the card never has dead batteries.. 

For its trial of free rides for seniors, SMART only requires a government-issued ID that identifies senior status. No ticket, no Clipper card swipe.

One nice thing about the Netherlands is that all public transport uses the OV-chipkaart. Once you have the card it is good anywhere in the country. All you have to do is tap in or tap out.

If you don't have one you can still ride by purchasing a paper ticket from a vending machine or a bus driver. Some of the busiest tram lines even have a ticket counter inside the streetcar.

And if you don't want to deal with paper tickets just tap your credit card. The system calculates your fare and you're on your way.