Rider Rant: Len

I've never thought twice about the lack of announcements at subway stations. I had always assumed that there was a PA system, but I guess not. Rider Len writes...

Last week, there was a problem on MFL and the trains were running at 15 minute headway (or longer) in the peak period obviously creating a major crowding effect at the stations and trains. Well, when we got off the Route 15 trolley at Girard Ave, the trolley operator didn’t say anything, the booth person didn’t say anything, and we didn’t even know whether the trains were even running until 15 minutes later one arrived and we could not even get in waiting for two more trains. So, I sent a complaint to SEPTA. See the ridiculousness of the response below:

Thank you for contacting us. The adjusted headways on Monday morning were required due to emergency track work that needed to be completed. Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience that you were caused as a result of this incident.

Press Relations was made aware of this well before it started for the purpose of informing our customers via the news media (KYW, local news channels).

Cashiers do not have the ability to make PA announcements throughout the station and it's near impossible to tell each customer entering the station.

And, there is my response back:

I am sorry to say but this is really a poor excuse: first, obviously I would not expect that the booth staff would tell every person about what's going on, but you could have very easily posted a sign outside. There is only one station entrance making it so easy.

Secondly, why don't booth attendants have abilities to make announcements at every station?? It sounds ridiculous that the only representatives of SEPTA at your train stations cannot have the ability to communicate what is going on to its patrons.

Thirdly, when we got off Route 15 trolley, the trolley operator did not make any announcements either.

And finally, you cannot possibly expect that all of your patrons are going to be listening to the radio in expectation of SEPTA having emergency work being done? PARTICULARLY, when you are on the Route 15 trolley going to work???

I would really appreciate this issue being escalated. Unfortunately, this seems to happen every time when there is any emergency work - SEPTA has traditionally been very poor in terms of its communication to its customers and something should really be done.

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