Organize to rid PACE of TVs

June 14, 2005 at 8:37 pm | In Uncategorized |

I ride PACE suburban bus service about one round trip per week up in Wilmette, either the 421 or the 422. This spring (it’s still spring, remember?) some of the busses had TVs installed. They alternate between silently showing headlines, stock quotes and current weather and loudly blasting advertising with sound included. Aparently PACE started doing this in early 2004 and are slowly phasing this in. I haven’t found anyone fighting this. If you have ideas about how to start a campaign, drop me a comment or trackback. Thanks.

Update: After I wrote this, I posted an item at the Chicago El blog. Quite a few commenters over there are agreeing. No one has volunteered any info about a PACE blog. From the number of commenters, there would seem to be an audience for such a thing. Maybe that would be the way to start.

4 Comments

  1. i read this today…
    Mitch Altman, a 48-year old inventor living in San Francisco, said that in the last three months he has sold about 30,000 of his key-chain-size zappers called TV-B-Gone, which can be used discreetly to switch off televisions in public places. “When you go to a restaurant to talk with friends, why should you have to deal with the distraction of a ceiling-mounted television?” Mr. Altman said

    Comment by amanda — June 15, 2005 #

  2. I’ve ridden exactly two PACE busses in my entire life–back and forth to jury duty in Rolling Meadows. Why on earth would they put a tv on a bus?

    Comment by Cheryl — June 15, 2005 #

  3. I have a TV-B-Gone. I bought it specifically for this problem but it doesn’t work on the bus. I’ve used it sucessfully at the bank and at the airport, but these TVs on the bus aren’t really TVs. They’re computer monitors or something. No access by remote.

    Why do they put them there? Money, I’d think.

    Comment by ted — June 16, 2005 #

  4. The problem is that Pace is actually paid for running the TV’s. It works out to something less than 1/2 cent per fare paid. Last year I complained to Pace chief TJ Ross, sent him 5 pennies as my share of the “cost” for ten quiet rides. He did respond though not helpfully.

    I decided to make notes of the advertisers, to complain to them with copies to Pace. But the ads I saw weren’t from national companies, but from firms unlikely to be responsive. For example, bankruptcy attorneys, real estate agents, local groceries located far from me.

    Nowadays my rare Pace rides are mostly on 215, which has mainly older, TV-free busses, at least so far. I guess by now I owe TJ some more pennies.

    Two other pieces of information, FWIW: I did once complain to a national firm that had CTA bus wraps, which made it impossible to see the rear-posted route number. They called me, and they withdrew the ad (though I don’t know whether it was in response to my complaint).

    I understand that Atlanta uses a different system on their rapid transit. Video is displayed but there are no speakers; if you want to hear the sound you use your own receiver. More info at http://www.itsmarta.com/vendor/buyads.htm#trn

    I am ignorant about methods of organizing, though letters with pennies can’t hurt. Anybody here been watching the ads? Are any from national companies, who likely will pay attention to reasonable complaints?

    Comment by taxpayer — June 19, 2005 #

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