Crazy Bus passes

After all these years one thing has remained the same.......confusion about the Bus Passes. The same questions come up time and time again from newbies and folks turning to the buses for cost savings or convenience......and with good reasons. Just when you have it all figured out, they change the price, change the length of passes or both. They publish the rules and then tell yu about the exceptions. Folks 60 and over can get a reduced fare ID. They are available only at the Bonneville Transfer Center, and only take about 10 minutes to acquire. They are good for 5 years. They entitle you to purchase passes at half price at the BTC, Walgreens and in some machines.

I believe when using a reduced fare pass you are supposed show your pass but no one has ever seemed to care. So this year I used it only when I validated my pass and no time since; and...............no one seemed to care, and no one has asked for it. My guess is that the passes are not marked full or half fare electronically. There is nothing written on the ticket itself either.

Strip passes can be used on residential routes but residential tickets which are cheaper cannot be used on strip buses without local ID.When a WAX driver told me I could use the residential 24 hour pass that I purchased from him I asked about the ID. He said let me see yur reduced fare pass. He looked I over and said it is exactly the same as the local Reduced Fare Pass.

The 15 day Pass is not listed as an all access pass but we have been told countless times by many Rtc EMPLOYEES that it is.

I usually buy a pass before I leave for home so that on my next trip I can just validate the pass and start using my half price pass. Well, I bought 2 5 day passes which were all access. I had to cancel my trip and they did away with the 5 day pass. I called RTC and was told that the tickets were good until used up. I used the next one without a problem.

This year, I was reading the rules and it stated that all passes had an expiration date of 12 months after purchase. So this year I had 2 passes both at least 2 years old....one 3 Day and one 5 day pass. I was a bit apprehensive about using the 5 Day pass since I doubt that there are not too many around now and the driver would notice right away. They I figured I'd try it and if it didn't fly or the driver said anything, I'd have the 3 Day Pass for backup. I never seem to put the ticket in right for validation so that would be a problem I figured. I boarded the first bus this trip and put the ticket in correctly for validation and it popped up ok and I went to swipe it and he waved me on. It was validated and dated "good until mon 3-3-14.....5 days.

I have used it without a hitch sincee and never showed my reduced fare ID.

I have one question left. My Reduced Fare ID expires 2-21-15 and tho I would like to make a trip to LV in sept or oct I may only return the last week of fEB 2015 so my ID will be expired. I wonder if I have to wait for this one to expire to get it renewed or can stop and have a new one issued prior to then. I think I will take a ride down tomorrow.

Jimbo338

 

I just took the SDX down to the Bonneville Transfer Center and bought a new bus book. I will be updated and reprinted this fall but I PROBABLY won't be around for a year so this is what I have done for years. I asked the clerk if I could get a new reduced fare ID now, or if I had to wait til the old one expired. She said to wait til it expired. If I had to buy a ticket I could show the driver my medicare card for the discount. I asked if that would work at Walgreens as well and she answered that it would.

Jimbo38

 

My SO got his pass updated before the expiry date because we explained that it would be out of date before we returned, and we wanted to ride the WAX from the airport.

They are very flexible.

 

Nice.
I have been trying to lock down how the Medicare card works for a while now, Jimbo, and you seem to have it down pat. This would also be a great benefit if for some reason we lost our photo ID.

I may make it to Vegas before my RTC ID expires, but if I don't, it is fine to know that I could still get the discount, even after it has expired. Turtleman reminds us that few of the drivers do more than just glance at the card, so probably flashing an expired card would work fine.

Jimbo seems to have good luck at not being asked for an ID on the bus. I am asked perhaps one out of three times. I hate being asked with luggage because I have to get the luggage situated so that I can get my wallet out and fiddle for the card, and then put it back, all the while trying to stay upright with luggage in a lurching bus. I think before next trip I'll put my card on a necklace and wear it for easy access. That seems to work for the twenty something youngsters and their ID.

Pebbles seems to support that we might be able to renew a bit early if we asked. I like that too.

I've been wondering whether an expired card would still bring up the senior menu in the machines at SSTT. If either of you get where you can talk to a knowledgeable clerk, run that by them.
I can imagine arriving in Vegas with an expired ID and wanting to start my trip by staying on the strip. I would then take the 109 to the SSTT and use the machine there to get the 15 day pass, and then hop on the Deuce to head down the strip to my hotel. However, if the expired ID does not bring up the senior menu at the machine at SSTT, that would not be a fugal plan.

 

Just wanted to say hello and have a good trip.

 

thanks Jimbo, I turn 65 in July, so the info. might come in handy.