HRM Transit Strike: An Epistolary Tale

On February 2, Metro Transit employees walked off the job. In the last 12 days, both the transit operators and HRM have demonstrated all the bargaining finesse of those padded mallets used in Whack-A-Mole. HRM has encouraged Haligonians to pitch in and help out by carpooling stranded Transit patrons. I have been driving one friend and several strangers to and from work--which now means putting up with increased traffic, and decreased parking availability. Last week, I got a ticket. What follows is the email exchange between me and HRM employees on the subject of this ticket. I don't intend to let this issue go any time soon, so I'll continue to update this post with the ongoing Transit Epistles.

Original message, sent via online submission form (https://www.halifax.ca/contactus/) 2/15/2012 10:56 am:
Thank you so much for the parking ticket I got for being parked too long in a 2-hour spot near Saint Mary's. It's such a joy to know that even when transit operators are on strike, other HRM employees are still hard at work. On a day on which buses are not operating, so I drove 1 employee and 1 student, both stranded by the strike, TO campus, and 2 other students home, and during a time when it is virtually impossible to find paid parking on campus, again because of the strike. It's really wonderful that you are continuing to be so vigilant about parking enforcement during this difficult time. Thank you.
Becca B--

Auto-reply from HRM, 2/15/2012 10:59 am (sent to my email):
Thank you for contacting Halifax Regional Municipality.
During snow events, HRM asks that residents please allow 12 hours after the end of the snowfall for crews to plow main roads and bus routes and allow 24 hours after the end of the snowfall for crews to plow residential and rural streets. For more information on HRM’s snow clearing operations please visit our website at: http://www.halifax.ca/snow/index.html
Once the snow service standards have expired, please phone in your snow clearing requests to the HRM Corporate Call Centre directly at (902)490-4000 or 1-800-835-6428 Toll Free (Nova Scotia only). Email requests may take up to 1 business day for review.
If you require immediate assistance, please contact the HRM Corporate Call Centre directly at (902)490-4000 or 1-800-835-6428 Toll Free (Nova Scotia only). Call Centre hours of operation are 7:00AM to 11:00PM seven days a week.
Thank you,
HRM Call Centre

My reply, sent 11:31 am:
Why on earth would I care about snow events? What relevance does this have on the message I sent you? Perhaps I'm a little slow on the uptake, but I fail to understand the connection. Please explain,using small words, and, if possible, helpful diagrams drawn in crayon.

Reply from HRM, sent 11:39 am:
Dear Becca,
Thank you for your concern with HRM. Unfortunately, parking regulations and enforcement are continuing to operate as normal during the strike. There was a proposal to change bus stops into temporary parking spots, to alleviate some of the parking stress, but this was recently rejected by Council. If you have any further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.
Sincerely,
Marc
HRM Corporate Call Centre
490-4000

A further reply, sent 11:50 am:
Dear Rebecca,
The response you received is an auto-response that is generated during the Winter due to the large volume of inquiries in regards to snow removal. It has been temporarily removed until the next snow event. We apologize if this has caused you any confusion.
If you have any further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.
Sincerely,
Marc
HRM Corporate Call Centre490-4000

My reply, sent 11:58 am:
Marc:
Congratulations on the budgetary savings of $1,000,000 to date (source: http://www.cbc.ca/ns/insidethenews/2012/02/the-transit-strike-lottery.html), while persuading citizens to offer transit services at our personal cost, and enforcing parking regulations so assiduously.
When will transit pass holders (including students, who pay for their transit passes as part of their tuition) be reimbursed for the portions of their passes that they could not use during the strike?
Regards, Becca B--
P.S. I am disappointed that you did not include the crayon diagram explaining the relevance of snow removal policies to my inquiry, which I requested in my last message.

HRM's auto-reply, sent 11:58 am (notice that it no longer contains a reference to snow events!):
Thank you for contacting Halifax Regional Municipality.
E-mails are responded to from 8:30AM to 4:30PM, Monday to Friday (excluding Holidays).
If you require immediate assistance, please contact the HRM Corporate Call Centre directly at (902)490-4000 or 1-800-835-6428 Toll Free (Nova Scotia only).
Call Centre hours of operation are 7:00AM to 11:00PM seven days a week.
Thank you,
HRM Call Centre

Marc from HRM's response, sent 12:10 pm:
Dear Becca,
Thank you for prompt response. Your concern with the cost savings, in lieu of Metro Transit service, has been sent to Metro Transit for review. Your reference number for this is 5174488. Unfortunately, we will not be entertaining your request for a crayon diagram of the relevance of snow removal policies. If you would like more information on snow removal polices, please feel free to check out the following link : http://www.halifax.ca/snow/index.html . Metro Transit will decide how they will be reimburse pass holders once the work stoppage is over, including compensation in regards to the U-Pass. If you have any further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.
Sincerely,
Marc
HRM Corporate Call Centre
490-4000

My response, sent 12:34 pm:
Dear Marc,
Thank you also for your very prompt response. While I am still lagging in understanding the connection between my inquiry, and HRM's initial response with information on snow removal, I thank you for considering my request for a crayon drawing, even though this document is sadly not available.
It is regrettable that HRM is unable to reconsider enforcing my parking ticket at this time; however, I certainly understand that one must hold fast to one's business practices, even in time of crisis. In that spirit, I am attaching an invoice for the transit services that I have provided since the beginning of the strike, and have arranged to provide for the remainder of the week. As you can see from the attached document, I have provided/will be providing 12 rides. At a rate of $2.25/ride (current Metro Transit fares), I am invoicing for a gross total of $27.00; less the $25.00 (the amount of the parking ticket in question), I am now owed $2.00. Please pay this amount within 30 days. I will, of course, submit a hard copy of this invoice, with the original parking ticket.
Warm regards,
Becca B--

Their response, sent 12:57 pm
Dear Becca,
Thank you for your response. Unfortunately, HRM/Metro Transit will not reimburse you for the invoice you have provided. If you have any further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.
Sincerely,
Marc
HRM Corporate Call Centre
490-4000

My response, sent 1:02 pm:
Dear Marc,
That is very understandable. I too, prefer not to write cheques for under $10. I will continue to log the rides I provide to Metro Transit patrons during the strike, and will re-submit this invoice once the total owing is in excess of $10.
Warmly,
Becca


Another response from Marc @ HRM, sent 2:05 pm:

Dear Becca,

Thank you again for your response. Unfortunately, HRM/Metro Transit is not reimbursing patrons for alternative transportation during the work stoppage. We hope this provides you with some clarification on the matter. We understand the frustration that people are facing during the work stoppage and hope that a resolve can be reached in the near future.

If you have any further inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact us at any time.
Sincerely,
Marc
HRM Corporate Call Centre
490-4000

My reply, sent at 3:57 pm:

Dear Marc,

Thank you also for your response. I see your point perfectly; it would be unseemly for private citizens to attempt to follow the example provided by the HRM (which is saving $89,000 per day during the strike, in addition to the $2000 per day in increased parking ticket revenues) and attempt to profit from the strike. Instead of invoicing the city for the rides that I am providing to stranded HRM patrons, I will continue to log these rides at $2.25 each (the Metro Transit rate) against this, and any future parking tickets that I incur as a result of the strike. Please be advised that I herewith withdraw my request that you pay the outstanding $2.00 within 30 days.

Thank you so much for your helpful advice.

Affectionately yours,

Becca

Thus far, I am triply disappointed: they will not reconsider the parking ticket, will not pay my invoice, and have refused my request for a crayon diagram. HRM: 1, Becca 0.

Awesome Is Not the Standard

I've been thinking a lot lately about the ways we accommodate people--the ways we look out for others' feelings, and respect differences of opinion, different perspectives, different ways of living, and different levels of ability. I think that we're living in a time where we are more willing than ever to make allowances, to respectfully disagree, to open ourselves up to newness, and I'm grateful. But I think that we're throwing out a lot of babies in our 21st century bathwater, and one of them is a respect for excellence, and a recognition of superior achievement, ability, and effort.

I recently had a conversation with a friend about illness, and the ways that a brave, "fighter" attitude is celebrated when we talk about illness. Of course, when you're sick--especially if you're seriously ill or injured, you may not feel up to adopting a plucky, I-Can-Beat-This demeanour. And that's okay. It doesn't mean that you're failing. Succumbing to illness is not "losing." But can we at least acknowledge that a person who faces serious hardships with a positive, determined attitude is worthy of our admiration? Because frankly, it must be hard to face a huge problem and decide to tackle it with strength and optimism.

Similarly, we're past the days (I hope) when weaker students are ridiculed in school. We acknowledge that there are a number of reasons (including learning disabilities) that some students have trouble succeeding, and we try to find ways to help them to learn. But we don't seem to be able to admit that not every student can succeed in every field. And when we shuffle students through courses and programs that they're not intellectually suited for, are we really doing them any favours? If dyslexic Becca asked for academic accommodations in order to complete an accounting program, would you want her doing your taxes? I should hope not. Similarly, when we accommodate every student through every program, we devalue those courses of study for the students who excel in them, and also for those who don't excel, but who work hard and obtain a passable skill level in them nonetheless. I don't think that it's an assault on your personhood to say, "Sorry, friend, but you don't have the skills to succeed here." I think it is, however, pretty insulting to everyone to pretend that everyone can be successful at everything. It's condescending, and it devalues the skills and abilities that each of us does have to pretend that they are on par with the skills we don't have, but that we can apparently succeed nonetheless in a field that is supposed to require those skills.

So let's admit it. Some of us are better at some things than others. Some of us suck at some stuff. That's okay. Let's not pretend that we don't. And let's not pretend that recognizing excellence is tantamount to devaluing the people who don't excel in that same particular moment, field, or achievement.