Ken Hardie is Arthur Dent?

I was browsing the comments made to the CBC news site on the article about Cracks found in SkyTrain bridge when I noticed several comments made by one Arthur Dent.

This Arthur Dent further identifies himself as Ken Hardie, TransLink spokesperson.

It’s a little disconcerting to see the hapless protagonist from the series The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy posting as a TransLink spokesperson, especially when that fictional character escapes the destruction of the Earth as it is demolished to make way for a hyperspace bypass. What exactly is Ken trying to tell us here?

I’m in favour of anonymity or fictional names when one is posting comments to a website, but not when one is speaking in a professional capacity as TransLink spokesperson! C’mon Ken, please post informative TransLink comments as Ken Hardie, and leave your alter ego for non-TransLink commentary. 

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New blog by TransLink Media Relations folks

Just discovered a new blog called “Vancouver On The Lines“, subtitled Notes, observations and occasional rebuttals from the TransLink Media Relations types. There’s no “about” page on this blog to tell us more about the authors, but the four posts have been penned by Drew Snider, spokesman for TransLink, in June 2008.

The majority of the posts have been on the perceived lack of accuracy and the media bias when reporting on transit-related issues. In a post called “Accuracy in Media“, Drew provides an email that was circulated widely to TransLink staff following reporting by local media on several recent SkyTrain incidents in which the story as reported was not backed up by TransLink data on the incident. The email notes that:

These are matters that impact public confidence in TransLink, they unduly raise fear and apprehension in the community and they serve to obscure the reality of safety and security issues. [Vancouver on the Lines]

It’s no secret that the media are often guilty of fear-mongering depending on what and how they chose to report a story, and I’m glad to hear that Drew has a blog in which he can address these and other transit issues in a less formal environment. [Thanks, Drew!] However, as the spokesman for TransLink Drew is not an unbiased observer, and we’ll be reading the blog with that key fact in mind.

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Win a Free FareCard!

The latest issue of The Buzzer, Translink’s free publication, has a contest to win a 1, 2, or 3-zone FareCard. Just email thebuzzer@translink.bc.ca with the answer to this question:

When the Golden Ears Bridge opens in 2009, it will connect  two communities on its north side with two on the south. What are the names of all four communities? 

Enter by Mon June 16 at 9am, and remember to include your full name, daytime phone number, and where you picked up the Buzzer. 

 

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New Translink ads to encourage cycling and carpooling – but not transit

In a tacit admission of failure to provide enough transit capacity for the region, the new Translink ads encourage the public to carpool or to telecommute or to cycle – but  not to take public transit. In an article in the Georgia Straight, TransLink spokesperson Ken Hardie asks us to envision a store owner selling a product:

“Picture yourself running a department store and you have a very popular item in stock,” Hardie said by phone. “Would you go out and advertise heavily for people to come and buy the item when you don’t have enough of it to sell? This is the issue that we have found ourselves in on many of the transit lines. The capacity is limited and we have had to be very careful about generating demand for a product that we could not fulfill.”

Indeed. But to continue the absurd analogy, a competent store owner would make sure to have enough product in stock. It’s a proven seller! The bottom  line is, Translink has failed to provide a viable public transport system.

 

Resources: 

TransLink ads “frustrating” by Matthew Burrows. Georgia Straight, May 22. 2008. 
http://www.straight.com/article-146508/translink-ads-quotfrustratingquot

TransLink encourages public to carpool, telecommute, cycle: New advertising not intended to draw more customers to transit by Gerry Bellett. Vancouver Sun, May 14, 2008.
 http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=e64c883a-aa07-4127-9e4c-53c796abbd5c
  

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