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Tuesday, January 16, 2007

The New Template is the Old Template 

Yep, we're back to the tried-and-trusted 2004 vintage template, by popular request of blog visitors who liked the features made possible by the three column format, specifically things like "tosser of our times" and "pictures of pretty girls". I still plan to update it somehow, and at some time in the unspecified future.

Wouldn't mid having a Mohammad Yousuf (2006 test avg 99.33) or even a Ricky Ponting (2006 test avg 60.78) in the Black Caps at the moment. I don't care to mention KP Pietersen (2006 test avg 65.28) just because the Poms are so, well, goddam awful really. For the record, SP Fleming scored the most runs for NZ in test cricket in '06 (570) and had the best average (47.50). Astle, Fulton, McCullum, Oram & Cumming etc. all averaged in the 20s. Styris and Vettori were in the 30s. A certain H. Marshall averaged 13.80.

Meanwhile, looks like there could be some fun at the Australian Open tennis today. As one local Serb told the SMH:
"We hate those Croat c----, we want to smash their heads in after the game," he said. "We knew they were coming, tomorrow there will be more. There'll be 200 Croats, but that doesn't matter, we'll bring shanks and stab every one of them."
Quiet please. Game on!

That quote certainly caught my attention, but so did these in the NZH about the senseless increases in public transport prices (which weren't low to start with!!). There will always be an excuse for hiking the fares it seems - even when fuel prices are falling.

Renee Hodder, Massey:
If it goes up any higher it's not going to be worth it, really. It's getting pretty expensive. It was $120 a month for me; now it's closer to $140.

Paul Ryan, Newmarket:
It might get to the point where it's easier to bring my car in every day. It costs me $3.60 a day for the train and I probably wouldn't use that in gas. Plus I have free parking at work.

Deepal Singh, Blockhouse Bay:
I think it's too much really. Six months ago it increased and now it has increased again so it's become quite expensive. If it gets any more expensive I might start bringing my car in.

Well said citizenry of greater Auckland. ARTA are in danger of pricing people out of public transport, and back into their cars.

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Comments:
What they don't seem to get is that if public transport isn't getting to people to work any faster (and you have to include walks to bus and train stops + waits and walks to work in the equation) then the only possible advantage that public transport has is the cost being less than what it is to run a car (gas, warrant, maintenance, registration and insurance).

So if the price of petrol goes up you have a chance to aggressively go after the possible market by advertising your prices as being better or take a bold step and drop your prices a touch. If you move them up along with petrol price increases and the population density doesn't increase much then in 100 years we will be siting round with the same level of patronage, same timetables and same fucking arguments.

Hard using Korea as an example given the massive population here and they are all stacked on top of each other but petrol prices are about 1.80-2.00 a litre but your average bus ticket across town is in the region of 1.10-1.50 Buses are standing room only most of the time and run constantly. they don't even have timetables. You just rock up to the stop and wait 10 minutes max.
 

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