Is This A Reflection Of West Texas? (Abilene, San Angelo: transfer, cost)

[dakota79]

Recently, I have experienced some awkward phone conversations with the transit systems in San Angelo and Abilene, and wondered if these are reflections of the entire cities.

I travel all the time for my job, and use public transit when visiting. While most transit systems have web sites, you usually have to shrink the maps so small to print that you cannot read them clearly. And they are in color, and since I don't have a colored printer, they print in black and white which is hard to depict too. So, usually I call the transit service a few weeks in advance to have a map and schedule sent. Almost always, they are happy to help me out when I explan my situation.

When I called the San Angelo transit system, the lady refused to send me a schedule. She said "that is not something we do", and when I told her my situation, she said "well, that's you're problem" She said the only way to get a schedule was to come to the office once I was there.

When I called the Abilene transit system, the first lady said "no we can't" when I ask to have a schedule sent. She directed me to the website, but I told her the problem with that, and she transferred me to another lady who might be able to help. The next lady said "well, our schedules cost 50 cents, and I will not make any exceptions" She said I would need to mail them two quarters taped to a request letter, and then she would send it.

I have never had such trouble getting a bus schedule sent. I find it odd that it has happened with two cities so close to each other.

Is this a reflection of West Texas? Are people this unhelpful and lack sincere understanding for individuals? Does this "you're nobody to me" attitude persist, or have these just been some unfortuante bad experiences that are not true of most in West Texas?

[garxhap]

If you mail THEM something, theyll mail YOU something. Sounds like a fair exchange to me.

[elan]

I don't know of any transit system's that use snail mail. I'd take them up on the 50 cent offer.

[dakota79]

No other city in the entire US has ever asked for money to send a schedule, so this is far from normal. If a company wants you to use their service, they typically are happy to provide you with the information needed to do so.

And San Angelo wouldn't even send me a schedule at all.

[theloneranger]

West Texas is not particularly public-transit friendly. Everybody drives, usually a pickup.

[Westerner92]

Yikes, I'm so sorry that happened to you. I really am shocked to read about this. Maybe you just had bad luck with disgruntled city employees. I never have run into the "that's your problem" attitude out here when someone is in genuine need of help. To be honest, your experience is probably a reflection of the incompetency of the public-transit systems rather than the people. I bet if you called the chambers of commerce, they would scramble to get a map and schedule to you for free.

[debzkidz]

I'm sorry that happened to you. No it is not a reflection of the area. Most people in west Texas are very helpful and kind. My guess is that you were probably the first person that ever called "from somewhere else" and asked for such a thing. They probably thought you were just messing with them. As theloneranger said, West Texas, as well as most areas outside the major metropolitan areas in Texas have very limited mass transit, and it is not something widely used by anyone other very few locals. I cannot speak for Abilene or San Angelo specifically, but can tell you that mass transit in other areas of West Texas is extemely limited both in areas served and times of service, and typically used by only a very small subset of the population. It is not something typically used by business people.

[GayleTX]

Call the Chamber of Commerce offices.....you'll be taken care of.

[dakota79]

Originally Posted by GayleTX

Call the Chamber of Commerce offices.....you'll be taken care of.

Thank you all for some reassuring comments that it is likely more about the transit systems themselves and not about the cities.

I called both the San Angelo and Abilene Chambers of Commerce today, but neither had route maps or schedules.

I then called the visitors bureaus. In San Angelo, the map they had was from 2004, and they said "maybe we should look into getting an up-to-date one".

In Abilene, they did not have a schedule either, but did try and help me as best they could. When I explained that I could not read the map when I downsized it to print from the website, she offered to send me a large, detailed street map to mark the routes I would be using.

[feufoma]

It's West Texas. You aren't that surprised are you?