So I needed a second story for my online cycle at The Toronto Observer
Saturday night I was at Cathy Perry's 50th birthday party, when random dude mentioned myttc.ca.
It's a trip planning website, unaffiliated with the TTC.
Could it be a story?
So I started telling people about it, and excitement was building, until Vanessa burst my bubble by asking if it was like TTC's Trip Planner
Crap. I never knew TTC had a trip planner. I'm from the days when you would call a hotline, and a surly operator would tell you where to go. And where to stick it.
So I played with the sites. Starting point: home. Destination: work. A simple route, and one that I've taken numerous times. myttc.ca gave me my tried and true route, timing was pretty accurate and allowed for walking time. Perfect.
But what did the TTC have to say?
5 minutes.
Same route as myttc.ca (which would take 25 minutes total), however, I would only need 5 minutes according to the TTC.
I usually drive to work. And it has NEVER taken me 5 minutes. Maybe 7 minutes if I hit all the green lights, whiz 70 km/hr up Birchmount in a 50 zone, and had absolutely no traffic on the road...(ah...sweet Sunday mornings...)
If I can't do it in 5 minutes in my car, how does the TTC expect a rumbling bus to do it, and make the necessary stops in between?
OK. Let's try another experiment. Let's not get excited yet. Starting point: home. Destination: school.
Typed the exact same info into both planners. myttc.ca provided a logical route. TTC trip planner, on the other hand, told me that my school did not exist near any transit routes. Uhh...
TTC Directions to the Centre for Creative Communications:
From Broadview station, take the 62 Mortimer bus right to the campus (Carlaw/Mortimer).
From Pape station, take the 25 Don Mills or the 81 Thorncliffe Park bus to Mortimer and walk one block west to Carlaw Ave.
Otherwise, the campus is a 10 minute walk north from Pape station
NOW, I had a story.
Stay tuned to part deux... passive aggressive emails and technology malfunctions!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Harnessing the ellusive story
So I needed a second story for my online cycle at The Toronto Observer
Saturday night I was at Cathy Perry's 50th birthday party, when random dude mentioned myttc.ca.
It's a trip planning website, unaffiliated with the TTC.
Could it be a story?
So I started telling people about it, and excitement was building, until Vanessa burst my bubble by asking if it was like TTC's Trip Planner
Crap. I never knew TTC had a trip planner. I'm from the days when you would call a hotline, and a surly operator would tell you where to go. And where to stick it.
So I played with the sites. Starting point: home. Destination: work. A simple route, and one that I've taken numerous times. myttc.ca gave me my tried and true route, timing was pretty accurate and allowed for walking time. Perfect.
But what did the TTC have to say?
5 minutes.
Same route as myttc.ca (which would take 25 minutes total), however, I would only need 5 minutes according to the TTC.
I usually drive to work. And it has NEVER taken me 5 minutes. Maybe 7 minutes if I hit all the green lights, whiz 70 km/hr up Birchmount in a 50 zone, and had absolutely no traffic on the road...(ah...sweet Sunday mornings...)
If I can't do it in 5 minutes in my car, how does the TTC expect a rumbling bus to do it, and make the necessary stops in between?
OK. Let's try another experiment. Let's not get excited yet. Starting point: home. Destination: school.
Typed the exact same info into both planners. myttc.ca provided a logical route. TTC trip planner, on the other hand, told me that my school did not exist near any transit routes. Uhh...
TTC Directions to the Centre for Creative Communications:
From Broadview station, take the 62 Mortimer bus right to the campus (Carlaw/Mortimer).
From Pape station, take the 25 Don Mills or the 81 Thorncliffe Park bus to Mortimer and walk one block west to Carlaw Ave.
Otherwise, the campus is a 10 minute walk north from Pape station
NOW, I had a story.
Stay tuned to part deux... passive aggressive emails and technology malfunctions!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment