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SFist Tonight
If you're a subway rider, you've probably already noticed that Muni's running on manual today. Their signaling system -- the one that run on OS/2 -- is, as always, experiencing problems. They're waving the trains through the tunnel by hand. And the delays aren't too awful -- as it turns out, having no system at all isn't all that much worse than using Alcatel's dreadful ATCS.
But here's where we slap our foreheads: Muni's posting updates to the situation on their website. But they're posting the updates in Microsoft Word format. Oh, Muni.
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Oh noes. Karma in reverse? I saw an outbound T announced as a T-Sunnydale by the overhead signs at Van Ness the other day. Too bad all the other Ts were running off ATCS.
Don't forget the latest update:
www.sfmta.com/cms/home/documents/METROInfo_001.doc
Or the next fake question time:
www.sfmta.com/cms/home/documents/June30TransportationPolicyForumInvite_English_000.pdf
These people really ought not to be let around technology.
Well the metadata in the .doc file says the author is "JYuen". This is Janis Yuen, Muni spokesperson.
I guess Muni doesn't know spell check for its updates!
oh man, i thought it was just me bringing bad karma to the j church today (normally i walk to/from bart). in the morning we all had to leave and take market trains thanks to some back-up in the tunnel. then this afternoon, coming home sick and thus early, it was a 30+ minute wait at embarcadero for a J while at least 4 or 5 double N's went through, plus a few double Ms, some Ls and Ks. but no Js for 30 minutes, and then a single car J. grrrrrr.....
i had multiple incoming insanity on the muni today...if I had time I would have posted a missive but I just got back on the computer now...
this is why I take the 6 parnassus more amd more..which is really not saying much.
on a positive note, when I took said 6 parnassus there were a couple of folks with 25 kids in like , day camp or something and they were so well behaved! I was totally like "who are these people and how did they teach these kids manners? they rock."
It would also help if MUNI used proper punctuation and grammar in their Word documents. Oh, and announcements in all caps? What are we in, grade school?
The joke goes that OS/2 is half an operating system. Does this make Metro half a transit system?
What do you think the chances are that the community at large could get their hands on a copy of ATCS? Or the source code? I'm sure there are a thousand hackers in the bay area that would love to tweak that code.
Finally, someone needs to make some LOLMUNI macros. I'm imagining a photo of Mr. Ford with the caption "im in ur subway delayin ur trainz".
I just got back from NYC, Hoboken NJ and DC
My god do we have bad transit here. Sometimes you need to go to another town to be reminded
Muni is a welfare agency for local jobs
This City needs a law and order mayor so badly on so many levels
Eh, better OS/2 than what's replaced OS/2 (VxWorks, Windows). ATCS doesn't work well because it's crap, because Alcatel did a half-assed job at best, and because the floating block design has some inherent flaws... not because OS/2 sucks.
Meanwhile, the inbound trip I took was nice and smooth until the ATCS kicked in. Wish I could say the same for the outbound portion of the trip. I think that, really, trying to put these beasts back on automatic control just made everything worse.
The latest update:
www.sfmta.com/cms/home/documents/METROInfo_002.doc
Still in caps, still in a proprietary format, and still incorrect (ATCS was inop from West Portal to Van Ness around 4:30p).
Didn't we as voters pass a law some years ago [6?] that requires our elected officials to use MUNI?
Does anyone remember it? We should pressure our city leaders to suffer MUNI every day as we do.
Hi
I think before thrashing OS/2 you should see if the problem is not the application running on it. OS/2 has a history to be solid and more stable than Windows. OS/2 was way better than Windows 95/98/me on its time.
If the application is the problem no matter on which OS it is running it will hang. No matter if it is Windows, Linux or a Mainframe (z/OS), if the app suck, the service will be interrupted.
Muni!! don't switch OS/2 to another propietary software !!! It is better than Windows and IBM will not sue your ass for CAL lincense.
Hi all,
when talking about switching OS/2 or not, one has to keep in mind that there is no more support from IBM neither professional level support as by a company. There *are* lots of individuals who have the skills but they cannot provide "enterprise level" support in matters of manpower.
I don't know which flavour of OS/2 Muni is running but they should consider "upgrading" the machines to eComStation because otherwise it might turn out to be impossible to find replacement machines that run OS/2 out of the box nowadays (ACPI, S-ATA, USB, not to mention graphics chipsets and NICs...). I'm pretty sure that if they talk to the eComStation company "Serenity Systems" directly, chances are they will get a support contract that fits the needs.
On the other hand, I can't tell if they have special types of adapters to handle to signal communication (if any) which might use "outdated" stuff like ISA slots...? Who nows? You see: Muni either needs someone that takes a look at it or dump the whole stuff and start from scratch once for good...
Regards,
yours kindly anonymous coward from Germany