This bus service is an operational nightmare in a unique way. The bus drivers can't handle change, and each bus has an automatic ticket ATM. However, the driver controls which type of ticket gets printed after you put your money in, and if he/she "fat fingers" the button where the ticket is printed, he/she can't fix the problem without a manager coming from a remote location.
So, on a trip I put $24 dollars into the bus machine for 2 3day passes (cause the ATM only accepts exact change). The driver pushes a "one day pass" button by accident (which only costs $7) and continues to let me feed more money into the machine. He informs me he has to radio a manager, and that it could take a while to fix this. So I proceed on my stop, come back again, he still can't get a pass or a manager. He then sends me to the administrative office, and they can't help, so they radio a manger and have me meet him at the Greenhound, and he kindly takes care of it.
Its incredible to have a system like this without a failsafe. It's not the driver's fault; people make mistakes, it's human nature. But either make the system entirely automatic, or give the driver some power in the event of a mistake. Or if the driver could fix it, then he needs a driver re-education program, cause he was confused
My gripe isn't about possibly losing $5 bucks, or even wasting an entire day of my vacation trying to get a replacement bus ticket. It's that Nantucket encourages everyone to leave their car at home due to the congestion. Based on this experience, next time I'm bringing my car instead. read more