Reader Mail: A Caution to Those Using Translink for Monthly Passes! Read Now!

Hope everyone out there had a nice holiday season. There were a few things I wanted to write about, but I really wanted to take a break from posting and focused on other things. However, I got this email from Reader Gary, who wanted to alert anyone who uses TransLink for their monthly pass. Read what he discovered as he made plans to renew for January:
Hello,

Not sure if this is of interest to your readers… if you think it is:
We all know the new Muni Fast Pass will go up to $60, or $70 with BART next month.
I contacted Translink to see which pass would “autoload” onto my Translink card next month: will it cost me $60 or $70? I was on pins and needles. Turns out it will be $70. Since I don’t want this feature, I had to cancel my Muni Fast Pass autoload and then set up a new one with Muni only.
FYI.
Gary
Translink email snippet:
Thank you for you interest in our translink card program:
As of January your card will continue to be loaded with the same pass you currently have at this time which will be the Muni Fast Pass with Bart there will be a change in the price you are charged for that same pass as of January 2010, $70.00 for that pass. If you are wanting the Muni Only pass, You will need to go into your my translink account and modify your autoload changing your pass to the Muni Only for $ 60.00..

This is rather significant. Many people aren’t even aware of the cost changes (thanks to the incompetence of many at City Hall), but this was the first I’d heard about the Translink Fastpass option, and this is rather significant. The MTC is too busy spending a million dollars on “rebranding” to actually, you know, tell people about what’s up with their monthly passes. Of course, none of this would have been necessary if so many people at City Hall were so opposed to Muni in the first place and supported de-funding the system.
BTW, you’ll be glad to know that every single Muni operator, regardless of competence, just got a nice $3000 bonus today. Wouldn’t it have been awesome if the really good drivers, the ones who make your day a little better, got a bonus, and the ones that lollygag around acting like jerks didn’t? Or even better, if the overpaid executives didn’t get more raises and bonuses, and instead decided to act like public servants, not entitled people who think they government owes them a big paycheck?