I got up today and headed out and about into the beautiful sunny weather of Portland.  Boarded the streetcar at 21st and Lovejoy.  I departed ways with the streetcar down on 11th and walked over to Stumptown Coffee at Ace Hotel.  With coffee in hand I walked a few more blocks toward the first ticket machines that I would try to purchase tickets from.

I arrived at Galleria and could see one stop down that a Red Line train was about to arrive.  With a slight bit of haste I attempted to purchase a ticket from the first Galleria Stop ticket machine I had walked up to (east side of the west bound stop).  My first credit card, a MasterCard, it refused and stated, "only accepts Visa, MasterCard, ..."  I thought immediately as the Red Line train bore down on the station a mere block away, "What hell, I just put a MasterCard in.  TriMet and their famous broken machines, I suppose I'll be getting on the next MAX"  But then I decided I would try a Visa Card real quick, I did.  Amazing, within a half second the machine responded by spitting out a receipt and my month pass I'd just bought.  $76.00 effectively used to purchase a MAX pass, by utilizing only ONE ticket machine!  That could make headline news for the Oregonian!

I was amazed that not only was a ticket purchased, but I walked onto the Red Line MAX just as the doors where closing.  Now this was a process that could have actually been in effect somewhere else where people actually move quickly.  Hats off to working ticket machines.

Picture Sessions

One of the main reasons I wanted to head out today, since it was sunny out, was to take some pictures of various transit related topics.  I have not frequented Beaverton in ages and wanted to take a few snaps of the new platform, the tracks, and street running sections while there is still a little construction equipment around.  They should make for some nice before and after pictures.  So stay tuned and I'll have the shots up in the next 48 hours.