Caltrain

Background

As far back as 2001, the Translink pilot program was launched. This program entails a single smartcard (much like the Oyster card in London) that you can use to pay fare at all of the different public transit agencies in the SF Bay Area. The pilot took place at select BART, MUNI, Caltrain, Golden Gate Transit, AC Transit, and VTA routes/stations. The pilot ended officially ended in 2006; BART and MUNI turned off their card readers sometime in the middle of the year, whereas Caltrain and VTA turned off (or were supposed to, in the case of Caltrain) their readers in October of 2006. It was also around this time that AC Transit and Golden Gate Transit fully launched Translink on all their routes and vehicles, meaning that anyone with a Translink card could now pay for fare on their routes with the card. Caltrain sent out a letter to all card members in November 2006 informing them that the card readers were no longer functional and that it was no longer possible to pay for Caltrain fares using Translink. People who have joined Translink since aren't told anything with regard to the matter.

I don't know what happened with VTA, since I never use it. BART did in fact turn off their readers – tagging your card on them results in a "see station agent" red error message at the faregate. MUNI readers simply refuse to recognize the card, though apparently original pilot users can still use their cards. Caltrain apparently turned off some readers, but not others. For example, the reader on the passenger overpass at Millbrae does indeed say "Out of service" and doesn't let you do anything. The story is different in Palo Alto, however. One of the two readers on the southbound platform is turned off but the other one isn't, and at least one of the readers on the northbound platforms is functional as well (don't know about the other one).

Officially, the Translink website says that you can use Translink on AC Transit and Golden Gate Transit and that BART, MUNI, and Caltrain are "coming in 2007." Knowing how out-of-date these sites can be, one could reasonably assume that the readers at Palo Alto were part of this "coming" stage, especially since we're almost halfway through 2007 anyway.

I got my card pretty much as soon as Translink became available to the general public, though I don't have an exact date unfortunately. I must have gotten it around the end of November, since I definitely never got the famed Caltrain letter (not that it makes much of a difference, but still). I successfully used it for the first time in January 2007 after boarding an AC Transit bus with an expired Berkeley Class Pass from the fall semester and having to pay for the bus.

Previous Translink usage on Caltrain

When I went to the Facebook Tech Tasting on February 21, 2007, I was really excited about going on Caltrain for the first time. I'd never been on it before, and being a bit of transit geek, the experience of just taking it was fairly exciting. I remember being bummed at the fact that I couldn't use Translink at Millbrae but went on. On the way back, I was much overjoyed to find out that I could use my card to come home. I gleefully selected my destination zone, tapped my card, and watched the updated balance on the screen. At the time, I remember being a bit troubled by the fact that there was absolutely no record of the transaction, save for my visual memory. About halfway to Millbrae, a fare inspector came on board and asked for tickets. I showed him my Translink card, at which he looked carefully, then turned it over to see if there was anything on the back (there's an optional "Name" field there, but it was blank), and went on. Cool, I thought to myself. And that's all there was to it.

"Fare evader" incident

The story was much different on Saturday, May 19, 2007. The situation was the same – the reader at Millbrae was still non-functional, and the reader at Palo Alto still happily deducted money from my account. It's funny that at the time, it had crossed my mind that I should probably take a picture of the "new balance" screen on the Translink reader, but I didn't have my camera on me so I quickly dismissed the idea.

I got on train 439 at 4.31p in Palo Alto. At approximately the same point as during the previous trip, fare inspectors came on board and asked for tickets. Just like the last time, I showed my Translink card. However, this time, the fare inspector, Sarah, was not satisfied. She said that since "all Translink readers are turned off," I have not paid my fare and could consequently either:

• give her some form of ID and have her write a citation for not paying my fare
• get off the train, buy a ticket on the platform, and get on the next train

Neither of these options seemed particularly fair or appealing. Getting a citation for a violation which I didn't commit seemed rather ludicrous. Getting off the train wasn't really an option either since Caltrain service on weekends is hourly, and I was supposed to meet people in Berkeley at 7.

She gave me some time to "think about" what I wanted to do. I'm not really sure what exactly she was thinking when she said this, but there wasn't much to think about. I had paid my fare. Since Translink is designed by the great folks at ERG, there wasn't a number that I could call that would tell me (for example) the last transaction on my account (what's worse, the balance provided over the phone isn't up-to-date either, but the closing balance for the previous day), and since I didn't have a camera, there wasn't a picture that I could show her demonstrating that the readers were clearly functional (and deducted money off my account!). She threatened to call the cops, and I told her to go right ahead, also asking her to call someone at the Palo Alto station and have them take a look at the card readers. Obviously, she didn't give a flying fuck about what I wanted and just wanted to show who was the boss, so she simply called the cops and considered her job done.

By this time, we had reached Belmont station. Passengers got on and off. There was a passenger in our car that apparently didn't have a ticket and went for the citation. In the meantime, the train was held up while we were waiting for the cops to arrive. According to the Belmont PD, they received the call at 4.56. While we were waiting, I struck up conversation with the woman in the seat behind me and explained to her what the Translink program was. Someone from the middle of the car told me to be considerate of other passengers and just get off; I told them to complain to Caltrain customer service. While I'm all about being altruistic and considerate, my time is worth something too, damnit. Why the hell do I have to wait an hour because Caltrain can't get their fare collection system together?

Sarah then proceeded to go on the PA system and announce that the train was being held up due to a "fare evader." This was pretty low, since not only did I pay my fare, but also because she had no basis to shift the blame on me. In retrospect, given Caltrain's response to this, I'm not surprised in the behavior, but it was a bit of a shock to me at the time. Then, a hispanic man told me that it was in my best interest to get off the train before the cops came because when they did, I'd get a citation anyway. This actually freaked me out a little, since I had no idea what the cops were going to do and realized that they would do things first and ask questions later.

I stepped off the train, the doors in my car closed, and the train pulled out of the station. Some guy from the front half of my car jumped to the door and flipped me the bird. I turned my back to the train; someone else knocked on the window, but I didn't bother looking to see what they had to show me. I began dialing 511 on my cell to get in touch with Caltrain customer service at 4.59 when two cops came up the stairs onto the station platform. I noticed that they were both wearing K-9 uniforms; I couldn't be happier to know that I was getting a a K-9 unit dispatched to harass me. I explained to them what had happened; they contacted the train to make sure that the matter had been resolved to Caltrain's satisfaction, told me that they would not take any sides in the matter and were simply Caltrain's enforcement agents, and left.

I called 511 at 5.02 and filed a complaint. The woman on the phone apologized and suggested that I take a samTrans bus to Millbrae so that I could arrive there about 10 minutes earlier than the next train. Being pissed off at Caltrain in general and not feeling like waiting for nearly an hour, I went down to the street level and got on the bus. While waiting for it, I noticed another police car pull up with an actual dog in the back seat. Wow, they were really serious about this, eh?

I arrived at Millbrae 50 minutes later than if I had been allowed to stay on the train, missing 3 BART trains. I finally left Millbrae on the 6.11 train, though I did find it interesting that the Caltrain that was supposed to arrive at 6.08 never actually did, making taking the bus the right choice.

I arrived at my final destination in Berkeley around 7.30, half an hour late for my meeting. The funny thing is that when I set up the time from Palo Alto, I figured two and half hours would suffice for getting me to Berkeley. Apparently I was wrong.

Caltrain's follow-up

When I filed my complaint, I provided my email address so that Caltrain could get back in touch with me. It took them a whopping three business days to get back to me, and the answer was so canned and typical, it was almost like salt on the wound. As I mentioned above, they shifted the blame to the Translink operator instead of taking responsibility for their actions. Here's their response:

“	Thank you for contacting Caltrain concerning a problem with TransLink in Palo Alto. We're sorry that you had difficulty with your trip. The Translink units, however, were placed entirely by the TransLink agency; Caltrain has no control over the units. Complaints about the units being operational should be addressed to TransLink directly. See https://www.translink.org/contactUs.do for contact information for them. In November of 2006, card holders were sent letters from TransLink explaining that the test program with Caltrain was over and cards were no longer valid for use at Caltrain stations. We're sorry if you did not receive this notification. To correct your balance, you will need to call TransLink directly. Caltrain will be rejoining the TransLink program sometime at the end of 2007. In the meantime, please see http://www.translink.org/useTranslinkWhereToUse.do for information about locations where TransLink is accepted. Again, our apologies for the inconvenience this caused you. Cordially, Leigh Ann Hildebrand Caltrain/SamTrans Customer Service hildebrandl@samtrans.net	”
—Leigh Ann Hildebrand, in an email dated Wed, 23 May 2007 17:29:15 -0700

Well, well...how nice of them to take care of the problem and making sure I was happy. Of course, the thing I've wanted to know all along was that it's not their fault and that it's my job to go calling up Translink and trying to get my money back (not that this was ever about the money anyway, but that's beside the point). I'm also curious what this "TransLink agency" she speaks of is exactly, considering the fact that it doesn't actually exist.

I responded to her immediately. I haven't heard back from her yet, and to be honest, I don't really expect much out of them. It's too bad I won't be using them – it was nice knowing you, Caltrain. Here's my response:

“	Hello Leigh, While I appreciate you getting back to me on this matter (a prompt three days later), it seems too perfect to shift the blame on someone else. While Caltrain might not have "any control" over the units, it is your responsibility to make sure that the units are in fact no longer functional if your fare policy dictates that they be so. I became a Translink member after November 2006, and consequently never got the letter. New transit users are joining Translink every day, and will never be receiving this letter. If you think some letter (whose delivery isn't guaranteed anyway) is enough to free yourself from all responsibility, you could not be more wrong. Imagine if one day Caltrain decided to stop accepting cash and didn't turn off their TVMs - what would happen? This situation is exactly the same. To correct my balance, you need to contact Translink directly and tell them exactly what happened. Why would they believe me when I will tell them that I got kicked off the train? All they know is that my fare was deducted from my account. The way I was treated that day was completely unacceptable; the fact that I have to do anything at all to rectify the situation is absolutely despicable, never mind the countless number of people who were delayed as the train was being held up for the police to arrive. I would like to also mention that the fare inspector on my train took the liberty of informing the passengers that the train was being held up due to a "fare evader," resulting in people flipping me the bird after I got off the train. Let me remind you of one crucial fact: I actually paid my fare. People who beta test new technology are usually given some sort of reward. In the case of Caltrain, I was punished and am now being told that the matter isn't even your fault and that it's up to me to resolve the situation. I was expecting better than this. FYI, I will not be riding on Caltrain any longer until you get your fare collection policies in order and take responsibility for your actions.	”
—Paul Borokhov

My response to Caltrain was then taken up by a different representative, maybe because Leigh thought she was too cool to actually take care of riders. Here's what I got back from Astrid, a "specialist":

“	Mr. Bokhorov: Thank you for your comments. If you became a member after November 2006, you should have been advised which transit systems the card was valid on; at that time Caltrain was not included. ERG, the project manager for the MTC, apparently had some problems with their software which is why some TransLink equipment became reactivated after initially having been turned off. The Caltrain TransLink coordinator has therefore at times had to manually turn off the equipment at some stations. That some equipment remained active has not presented a problem, however, since the relatively few individuals that participated in the Caltrain pilot program were aware of that it had been terminated. I am not sure how you obtained your card, but if you got it through the TransLink web site http://www.translink.org/index.do, you would have seen that the card currently only is valid on AC Transit, Golden Gate Transit and Ferry, and Dumbarton Express. If you have any further questions or comments concerning your TransLink card, please contact their Customer Service Center at 1-877-878-8883.	”
—Astrid Lindell, Caltrain Customer Relations Specialist, Sat, 26 May 2007 14:02:06 -0700

Wow, they really don't get it. It doesn't matter what the website says. What matters is that there's a reader that's deducting money off people's accounts, and they refuse to honor that. Notice, by the way, that they still can't spell my name – shit, copy and paste was created for a reason. I responded to her as follows:

“	Hello Astrid, I am amazed that while no matter who gets in touch with me from your side of the story, no one seems to see anything wrong with the situation. This is in stark contrast to essentially every single person that I've relayed the information to, including people in the Bay Area. Not one person from either Caltrain or Translink has offered to give me a refund to this day. If, as you say, the machines cannot be used for paying the fare, then I'm owed a refund on not only this transaction, but also another one that happened earlier this year. Perhaps we should just cut to the chase and I can donate the rest of my Translink balance to Caltrain to make life easier for all of us. To be honest, I couldn't care less whose fault it is that the machines are malfunctioning. What I do care about is that it is your responsibility to be aware of the malfunctions, and deal with them accordingly. I'm amazed by the customer service you are providing – you are asking me, the consumer that got screwed by a malfunctioning machine, to accept the results given by these malfunctioning machines. If all your VTMs [oops, that's supposed to be TVMs] counted only half the cash that you put into them, whose fault would that be? The point isn't what some website says. The point is that the machines are not working properly, and I have suffered (and wasted uncountable hours) as a result. The fact that neither Caltrain nor Translink has done anything to resolve this over a week later is absolutely unbelievable.	”
—Paul Borokhov, Sat, 26 May 2007 19:03:56 -0700

Funny thing was, she responded back immediately...with an out-of-office reply. lol. I heard back from her for real on Wednesday morning finally, with this amazingly insightful text:

“	Please advise how and from where you obtained your TransLink card. This is apparently when you received the incorrect information concerning its usage. You could not have received the card from Caltrain, since we no longer were participating in the program at the time you obtained your card. I am also not certain why you are requesting a refund. I assume that you only used the Caltrain machines when taking the train, in which case payment was due.	”
—Astrid Lindell, Caltrain Customer Relations Specialist, Wed, 30 May 2007 10:23:12 -0700

Damnit, are they really that dull, or am I really that bad at articulating my point? Is it possibly both? That's a killer potion right there...anyway, unfortunately I didn't get her message until Wed night, so I couldn't get an immediate response from her, but here's what I wrote:

An active Translink reader enticing you to "Select destination zone"...com'on, you know you want to do it!

Error creating thumbnail: File missing

...it even shows you how much money it will gladly take off your account!

“	Hello Astrid, I am amazed at the incompetence of your organization. You see, it doesn't matter where or how I obtained my card. What does matter is that when I arrived on the platform, I saw that there was a functional Translink reader. I don't know about you, but every reasonable person that I know would assume that since The reader was on the platform and functional, and The reader deducted the fare from my card it was a valid method of payment. You see, payment was not due since I was kicked off the train. If that didn't happen, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. Let me know if there are any other obvious points that I missed. Just in case you think I'm making this stuff up, I'm attaching some pictures that I took yesterday that still show the readers being active. Paul	”
—Wed, 30 May 2007 21:40:34 -0700

I've inserted the images that I attached into this section (click on them for full versions), so now everyone can see what I'm talking about.

It took them an entire week to come up with a response to that, and it wasn't that pretty...

“	Thank you for your comments. Only one card was tagged at the Palo Alto station during the afternoon of May 19th. This card was purchased through the Web link at http://www.translink.org. Since you mention that a fare was deducted from you card that day, it would appear that the above card may belong to you and that it was obtained via the TransLink web site, where it clearly states on which agencies the card is valid, Caltrain not being among them. It is not clear why an attempt was made to pay a Caltrain fare with a TransLink card, given that the cards are being sold for use only on the specified agencies. Under these circumstances it should be irrelevant whether the Caltrain card readers are turned on or off. If you have any further comments concerning a possible refund, the TransLink card or the card readers, please contact the TransLink Customer Service Center at 1-877-878-8883	”
—Astrid Lindell, Caltrain Customer Relations Specialist, Thu, 7 Jun 2007 09:35:49 -0700

I also just realized that they gave up on trying to write my name correctly, lol. Here's what I sent back to her...

“	Astrid, This is the main point of contention I have with you. It is not irrelevant whether the readers are turned on or off. Websites, especially of public transit agencies, have been notoriously out of date and inaccurate. Just because the website doesn't explicitly state that the card is usable on Caltrain doesn't mean that your liability ends right there. Again, I cannot understand what is so hard about getting this. The readers are on. Fare inspectors say that they are off. That is all that matters. The problem is not with what some website says; it is with the fact that there is a disconnect on the enforcement side between rules and reality. How many times do I have to explain this before you guys finally get it? Can you tell me how hard it is to simply shut off power to the readers and be done with it? Looks like I won't be using Caltrain for a while.	”
—Paul, Thu, 7 Jun 2007 10:05:37 -0700

She responded fairly swiftly, and to the point. Namely,

“	We have no further comments on this matter.	”
—Astrid Lindell, Caltrain Customer Relations Specialist, Thu, 7 Jun 2007 12:19:59 -0700

Cool.

Translink's response

Not surprisingly, Translink wasn't exactly forthcoming in taking blame either. Their response:

“	Dear PAVEL BOROCHOV, Thank you for using TransLink and for your e-mail. We really appreciate your feedback and notification but please be reminded that, until end of 2007, TransLink is not active on the Caltrain network. Notifications were sent out to Caltrain riders few months ago to inform them of the change and Caltrain personnel has been informing their riders that, starting on late 2006, the system could not be used anymore. Please be informed also that your complain is now logged in our system and therefore visible for Caltrain and MTC management so that appropriate steps can be taken to reduce the inconveniences for the patrons who ride our system. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the TransLink Customer Service Center at 1-877-878-8883 (TDD/TTY 711 or 1-800-735-2929). Sincerely, TransLink Customer Service Center	”
—Translink Customer Service

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. My short response to them was

“	Hello, Please be reminded that this message was sent out only once and only to those that were members in November of last year. Those who have enrolled in Translink since have not received any notices. I'm also not sure what you mean by your statement that the service is "not active" since the readers on some stations are very much active and will deduct money from your account without thinking twice. Perhaps you would at least lift a finger to look into my transaction history and notice that this was indeed the case. I appreciate your offer to adjust the balance on my account.	”
—Paul Borokhov, Thu, 24 May 2007 09:18:00 -0700

They come back with this gem. Note that they are still acting like they aren't at fault here.

“	Dear Mr. BOROCHOV, We are very sorry for the inconvenience that you have experienced and, as stated, we are escalating the issue with Caltrain and MTC management in order for them to take the appropriate steps in order to fix these issues regarding devices who are still turned on. We checked our records and verififed that you did order your card on 11/06/06 via our website and, also that on the above mentioned website is clearly stated that the project was exclusively rolling out in GGB-GGF and ACTransit. The Caltrain network, although was part of the project during the Pilot Phase, was never included in this phase of the project nor mentioned in the TransLink documentation available for you on the internet or sent to you in a paper version. If any of the Caltrain staff has provided you with incorrect information please let us know so that we can pass that information to Caltrain. Thank you for using TransLink, Best Regards, TransLink Customer Service Supervisor	”
—anonymous TransLink Customer Service Supervisor, Thu, 24 May 2007 10:34:13 -0700

My follow-up:

“	Hello, Regardless of the what the website says, the readers are turned on. For example, when I go on BART, it is physically impossible for me to use my card, because when I try to tag it, the BART reader gives an error. Caltrain readers, on the other hand, simply deduct money from the account and give no warning; then, Caltrain fare inspectors refuse to acknowledge that something like that could happen. I'd also like to ask you when it became a prerequisite to visit some website before riding on public transit? I do all my planing by phone through 511. In addition, public transit sites are notorious for having extremely out-of-date information, so why would Translink be any different? Paul Borokhov PS. I'd appreciate it if you spelled my name correctly as well.	”
—Thu, 24 May 2007 10:43:17 -0700

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.

May 30, 10.23 am

Astrid responds yet again, desiring to find out what devilish soul told me that I could use my card on Caltrain as well as why exactly I deserved a refund.

–, 9.40 pm

I respond, stating the obvious, and attach some pictures I took recently at the station showing the Translink readers in action.

June 7, 9.35 am

Astrid responds over a week later, saying that it is not clear to her why I used my card "given that the cards are being sold for use only on the specified agencies." I'm not really sure where she got that they were being sold for use only on the specified agencies, but then again, I should have known better.

–, 10.05 am

I respond, with a bit of a bitter closing statement.

–, 12.19 am

Astrid decides to end the conversation by stating curtly, "We have no further comments on this matter."

to be continued...?