Comments on: A statistic from Dublin

By: David Bowie

David Bowie — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 17:37:58 +0000

“What bewilders me is why they don’t let people use those refund tickets in lieu of fare money on their next bus journeys.”

Stellar idea. Makes too much sense for Dublin Bus to consider it though.

By: cw

cw — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 17:22:57 +0000

The grants thing is quite good.

An organisation I’m involved in has applied for them in the past, and I think we managed to recently pay for new windows on the premises due to the grant.

It’s in a disadvantaged area so any help from sources like this is always welcome.

By: 73man

73man — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 17:01:40 +0000

@Dan: screw that charity box idea. I decide when I give money to charity.

Giving them to homeless guys is like saying “I travel on buses, do you homeless man, do you?!” Goading him with your bus travelling abilities.

By: Steve K

Steve K — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:48:05 +0000

It’s like my Da always said, many people in Dublin still believe that C.I.E. is run for the benefit of the public.

By: Dan Sullivan

Dan Sullivan — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:14:58 +0000

Err…because they’re not printed on money quality paper. We’ve all seen the state of the €5 note and that is much better quality paper and printing that the receipt thingy. Can you imagine the state of them when they would be brought back to the station?

A good idea might be a charity box on the bus that you could put them in. With rotating charities benefiting.

I used to collect myself and when I had enough head into town to redeem them and pay for lunch of a Saturday.

By: Catherine

Catherine — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:05:04 +0000

I’ve taken to giving my change tickets to beggars! That’s when I even get them… since the base fare went up to €1.05 drivers won’t give out change tickets if you hand over €1.10 or €1.20 unless you stand there giving them filthies.

By: Gwen

Gwen — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 15:57:24 +0000

I have a special pocket in my backpack for them. Every few months I make the effort and bring them in for refund. The last few times I’ve got at least 20 euro back. Last time was 32! That being said, I agree with everything said above.

By: 73man

73man — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 15:19:19 +0000

Not sure if charities still take them en masse because of the Community Grants scheme they’ve got going. In any case, the change ticket is a daft idea when you cannot use them against the value of the next fare. Why doesn’t the driver just take them back on the next bus you get, it’s just money.!

By: Justin

Justin — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:45:57 +0000

oh btw — party political broadcast — one of the Labour election promises was to replace all this cack with a flat-rate 1-euron rate everywhere, to encourage more people to use the buses:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2007/0415/breaking39.htm

By: Justin

Justin — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:42:26 +0000

The best bit: you can’t find out how much a trip will cost until you’re standing in front of the driver, attempting to figure out your spare change while people in the queue tut-tut behind you.

I’m born and bred in Dublin and this still regularly stumps me. God only knows how the tourists cope…