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+timeline section
Oh yeah, congrats to them for being unable to spell my name correctly even though they had it ''written in an email'' in front of them. lol. I really appreciate their offer to, say, adjust the balance on my account though. Shows that they really care about their customers.
{{/Translink}}
==Concise chronology of events==
To put everything into context, especially the Caltrain/Translink responses, here's a timeline of events.
;Late 2001
:Translink pilot program launched to select commuters. BART, MUNI, VTA, Caltrain, AC Transit, and Golden Gate Transit participate and install card readers at some of their stations/vehicles.
;Middle 2006
:BART and MUNI turn off their readers in anticipation of the pilot's conclusion
;October-November 2006
:VTA turns off their readers. Caltrain is supposed to turn off theirs, but leaves some on. AC Transit and Golden Gate Transit launch Translink to the public at large.
;November 6, 2006
:I order a Translink card through the Translink website
;January 2007
:I use my card for the first time, without problems, on an AC Transit bus
;February 21, 2007
:I use my card to "buy" a ticket from the Palo Alto train station to Millbrae. A fare inspector onboard looks at my card and walks on, leading me to believe that this is an acceptable way of paying for my fare.
;May 19, 2007, around 4.15 pm
:As previously, I tag my card at the Palo Alto station on my way to Millbrae.
;–, around 4.45 pm
:Fare inspector Sarah asks for tickets. I present my Translink card and am informed that this is not an acceptable method of payment.
;–, 4.56 pm
:As a result of confrontation and my refusal to get off the train, Belmont PD receives a call from Sarah to have me taken off the train.
;–, 4.59 pm
:Unwilling to pay a citation and unsure of what will happen when the police arrives, I get off the train and begin calling 511. Police arrive within seconds of me deboarding.
;–, 5.02 pm
:After the police leaves, I call 511 to file a complaint. A few minutes later, I take a bus instead of waiting for the next train.
;May 23, 2007, 5.29 pm
:Caltrain's first response to my complaint, from Leigh Ann Hildebrand, in which she says that it is Translink, and not Caltrain, who is at fault. I respond immediately.
;May 24, 2007, 1.48 am
:As per Caltrain's suggestion, I write an email to Translink detailing my ordeal.
;–, 5.32 am
:Translink responds (providing no name) with a reminder that officially, Translink can't be used on the Caltrain system until later this year. I respond at 9.18 am.
;–, 10.34 am
:A Translink "supervisor" (still nameless) informs me that the matter is being escalated and reminds me that paying for Caltrain is not an option in the Translink system. I respond, letting them know that they are still missing the point.
;May 26, 2007 2.02 pm
:A different Caltrain customer service rep, Astrid Lindell, responds, informing me that the fact that some equipment has intermittently been turned back on "has not presented a problem." A week after the incident, not one offer for a refund has yet been made.
;to be continued...?
==Notes==
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