Originally Posted by
Chris at PHL
It really is a shame the SEPTA Airport Line isn't better leveraged. Not many airports have rail lines that are so convenient: get on literally a few feet from the terminal and off right downtown in 15-20 minutes. I live in Center City so taking the train makes sense for me, but I really noticed last night riding home from the airport how poor a job the airport and SEPTA do in making it an attractive option (especially for visitors). There are no ticket machines at the stations and passengers must pay with cash on board. I heard a conductor barking at a German man who was trying to pay with a credit card (I know I certainly don't have a wad of Euros in my wallet the minute I get off the plane in Germany; I'm sure he didn't have any dollars yet either). 20 minute head ways and ticket machines at the stations would do wonders, I think.
So true. It really is a shame. I'm a long-time SEPTA rider, very pro-public transit and, yes, pro-union (or at least not anti-union); but, all that said, it's a shame the way that SEPTA is managed and the way that the employees treat the riders. More could/should be done given the existing infrastructure to make it desirable for riders, including visitors not inured to the deprivations and depradations of SEPTA ....