Received from the Muqata Mailbag (from a loyal reader)...
Instead of spending 2 hours each morning sitting in bumper to bumper traffic trying to get into Tel Aviv I have recently started to take the train on a daily basis. Among the thousands of commuters who have "seen the light" one usually sees the same familiar faces, standing around the station each morning taking the 8:11 AM train into "town."
Yesterday, the station master, a young man with payot & a kippah sruga approached me as I was standing on the platform awaiting the train. This fellow sees tens of thousands of people a day pass through his station who buy tickets from him.
He said; "You usually buy a Chofshei chodshei (monthly Pass) don't you? I answered in the affirmative. He said, "I just want to point out to you that next month April, coinsides exactly with Chodesh Nissan. There aren't many work days in the month due to Pesach, Chol Hamoed, Yom Hazicaron &Yom Haatzmaut so I suggest you buy a daily, or weekly pass only -- save yourself some money and buy your wife something nice for the chag." I thanked him and smiles to myself.....only in Israel.
Come may, I bet the vice president of ticket sales won't understand why the Month of April saw a drastic drop in monthly pass purchases. If only the CEO of Israel railroad knew his train masters were giving his customers insider information......only in Israel
Instead of spending 2 hours each morning sitting in bumper to bumper traffic trying to get into Tel Aviv I have recently started to take the train on a daily basis. Among the thousands of commuters who have "seen the light" one usually sees the same familiar faces, standing around the station each morning taking the 8:11 AM train into "town."
Yesterday, the station master, a young man with payot & a kippah sruga approached me as I was standing on the platform awaiting the train. This fellow sees tens of thousands of people a day pass through his station who buy tickets from him.
He said; "You usually buy a Chofshei chodshei (monthly Pass) don't you? I answered in the affirmative. He said, "I just want to point out to you that next month April, coinsides exactly with Chodesh Nissan. There aren't many work days in the month due to Pesach, Chol Hamoed, Yom Hazicaron &Yom Haatzmaut so I suggest you buy a daily, or weekly pass only -- save yourself some money and buy your wife something nice for the chag." I thanked him and smiles to myself.....only in Israel.
Come may, I bet the vice president of ticket sales won't understand why the Month of April saw a drastic drop in monthly pass purchases. If only the CEO of Israel railroad knew his train masters were giving his customers insider information......only in Israel
Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael
Living in Shiloh, and using at least 3 Jerusalem buses daily, I have a Chofshi-Chodshi for town and the special Kartisiya for the ride out to Shiloh. Why?
ReplyDeleteWell a few months ago, the lady at the Egged bus station where I buy the tickets with my credit card told me that if I use at least 3 city bus rides daily (which I realized I do as I go to the shuk a lot or somewhere else), it would be cheaper for me in the long run to purchase a Chodshi-Chofshi-Merchavi which meant that it was if I was paying until the Psagot gas station with the city bus pass and then from there to Shiloh with the other. She, too, is a shing example of serving the customer rather than the company.
Btw, Tel Tziyon residents, who live up above the gas station, pay only 3.20 NIS whereas in town, the ride is 5.50. Amazing what these Chareidim can do.
It's nice to hear that they can look out for the customer in that way. Maybe there is some hope for us after all. :)
ReplyDeleteOH YEA!!!!!!!
ReplyDeletethanks jameel/reader for sharin this!
nice :) thanks for the story.
ReplyDeleteThat's really great that he went out of the way to point this out to you. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Jameel and his loyal reader! Great story. Yisrael - remember that the chareidim are MAJOR Egged customers. Amazing what buying power can do. :)
ReplyDeleteI want Egged to create a "family pass". We are two parents and five kids. Even a bus gets expensive and we don't have a car. I'd love to buy a family ticket for a set fee for families of 4 or more kids (4 being the number that defines a family as "bruchat yeladim" blessed with kids, and big enough for certain benefits).
i think the ceo of israel railways has bigger problems than tickets right now!
ReplyDeleteI love when I can ask the salesman what part of a kitchen appliance has to be tovelled.
ReplyDelete