Bus Riders Union of Austin, Texas | El Sindicato de Pasajeros

Its August 21, 2008, Thursday and Capital Metro is changing its Schedules on Sunday, August 24, there are no individual buss line schedules on any of the busses I have been on, at least two to four times a day over the last week, on at least 5 separate lines, including # 1, the most used of routes, nor at any of the libraries I been to. I was downtown today so I made a point of going over to the Capital Metro office to get some new schedule books, the only place I know you allowed to buy them. When I asked why there were no schedules on the buses the women answering the question freaked you would have thought I was going to attack her thought the bullet proof glass they surround themselves(I can now see why they need it). She then refused to answer my question, another Cap Met employee told me there are maps on the buses. I then asked did he expect me to stand at my stop based on a thirty minute frequency listed on the map. He seemed from his non answer that he did. Ok I work in the service industry and have been answering customer questions for 30 years, I have never been this rude to a person and let me tell you I have heard it all. There absolutely no reason for treating a tax paying customer like I was treated, unless you want to keep people from using your services. Look I cannot be the only person wanting pocket schedules three days before a major change, that Capital Metro does not even have an answer seems to me that simply do not care if any one actually rides the buses. With carte blanche on raising fares without any improvements in services or even a simple statement on what the new funds will be spent on it seems they have decided that the local bus rider were no longer of any concern of theirs (if we ever were). Let face it with a board with politicians who depend on contributions form and press paid for by the local car dealers what is the chance that they will in any way want to get people on public transportation? As the economy gets worse and oil starts running out the dealerships will get more and more desperate to keep people in cars, I am pessimistic by nature so maybe I am wrong but we will see.