Comments
Snapper Cards and Pedometers
I think the new ‘Snapper’ cards are a brilliant idea for Wellington transport.
I don’t know about the rest of the world, but Wellington has, up, until a month back, relied on paper clip tickets when using bus services. How cool is a swip on/swipe off service?
Except it still doesn’t seem to work.
Every time I sit on the bus, I grimice because as people try to get off, you hear this highly mechanical voice radiating out of the Snapper box, saying: “Sorry, I cannot read your card, please try again”.
Which leaves people in the horrible situation of either frantically re-swiping their card, pushing through all the standing passengers to another door to try another swipe spot, or just disembarking, knowing that their card is raking up fees for a phantom journey. (I’ve now seen all three options tried, and all three cause angry mumbles)
It seems to me that the technology is not that hard - I think it is an exact replicate of systems operating in other cities. This cool ‘new’ invention, combined with operators holding out a little on raising their prices to match petrol prices cold have done a lot for public transport usage in Wellington. As it stands, we seem to be back at square one.
However,I got a pedometer from Claire (who was giving them out in her research). It has changed my life. I think everyone should have one.
Why catch a bus when you could be raking up steps? For a largely lazy/busy nation, pedometers give you the information you need to KNOW that you are indeed just being a lazy sod. To hit 10,000 steps a day, you just need to walk a few kms. That can be done around the office, to and from work or after work in our dazzling sunshine.
But once you hit 10,000kms, you get a little competitive with yourself and up the limit. Journeys you would have once driven, you now walk, journeys you wouldn’t ahve taken (i.e going out for a stroll) you now DO.
It’s a shame that Mc Donalds is sponsoring cheap rubbish pedometers for our school kids (Where do they get off?). And its a shame that the little gizmos can me easily persuaded to give an artificial reading… But all in all, I’m catching onto the craze (like 4 years too late!)
September 15th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Shame to hear the snapper cards are a bit dodge.
I got one for 3 reasons:
1) it is red and shiny
2) it qualifies as a gadget
3) I only get the bus once or twice a week and have no clue what the fares are yet, and this means I don’t have to figure them out!
This is the cool looking pedometer I mentioned in the office the other day: http://www.fitbit.com/
Ronan (who has only taken about 1,000 steps today)
September 16th, 2008 at 11:07 am
Im already up at 2,500 from my walk to work! woopee!
Fitbit looks awesome! I suspect my current pedometer is a little dodgy on the results side so i take it off when I’m sitting so as to avoid sitting jiggles adding to my final score.
Also, Ronan, nice to have you in the office… Hope you didn’t want the rest of your chocolates back….?
September 16th, 2008 at 11:27 am
US$99 for a pedometer!!! That would pay for nearly half of an iPod Touch and then you can buy one of several pedometer programs for $2 or $3. And who knows you might find something else to do with the iPod as well (er .. music while you walk?) and only carry one gadget instead of a zillion.
September 16th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
H aha I think as an experienced pedometer user - that it’s best to go for accuracy. I like the compactness of the Fit Bit.
And Bruce, maybe compare it to the price of a gym membership or a personal trainer - which is how mine acts at the moment!
((Up to 3500 steps after walk to newworld for lunch)
September 16th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
I thought the snapper gizmo was a great idea when I heard about it and I know of a few people who have jumped on the gadget bandwagon.
Having never seen the little red devil in action it concerns me that they cant seem to get it right. How many different types of swipe cards/access readers do we have in this city and we cant get this right?
For shame!
As for the “sorry dave, I cant do that” voice. My GOD! 2001 a Space Odyssey called and they are all laughing at whoever had that idea. A beep would of done nicely.
September 16th, 2008 at 7:22 pm
“And Bruce, maybe compare it to the price of a gym membership or a personal trainer - which is how mine acts at the moment!”
I’ve been very bad over the winter but I’m happy to say I got out on my bicycle on Saturday and did 31 km from the Tawa shops past Porirua around the Pauahatanui inlet and back. And then I did it again on Sunday. Maybe this weekend I’ll start from home in J’ville instead (which makes it 45 km).
Roll on daylight savings and 7:30 pm sunsets in just two more weeks! (sunset today 6:13 … up from 4:55 in June)