04.25.08

10AM service is a joke in LA!

Posted in Uncategorized at 10:48 am by shawnz

***UPDATE - the original post just criticized FedEx. Turns out my package is UPS. That makes two flaky overnight delivery services.

I want to warn you about UPS’s overnight 10 AM service. Just because it costs you 15 or 20 bucks for this express service does not mean that UPS actually delivers your package by 10 or 10 30 AM. Save your money or find another overnight service (maybe DHL deserves another look?)

As I sit here, at 11:45 AM, waiting for my guaranteed-delivery 10 AM Coachella tickets, I am reminded of a situation a year ago, when I was waiting for the delivery of an urgent medical product for work via FedEx. Rather than come at 10:30 AM, it came at 1:30 PM, despite my urgent calls to the local FedEx dispatch office. I even offered to meet the driver half way to no avail.

I have a friend who is single-handedly trying to destroy FedEx. They once lost his license to practice, and were never able to find it. It took him months to acquire it in the first place, at great personal expense, so he was pissed. As for me, I have no desire to knock FedEx or UPS out of business, but perhaps utilizing other services and bringing attention to the fact that EXPRESS DELIVERY IS A JOKE AT FEDEX AND UPS will kick some competitive dynamics into play and cause them to improve or drop their service.  DHL, this is your time to shine.

04.07.08

gas tax coming to LA?

Posted in mass transit in LA at 11:47 am by shawnz

The gas tax/fee is a straightforward way to place incentives on purchasing gas-efficient cars, taking public transit, and reducing overall car trips.  Thomas Friedman calls the idea a Patriot Tax because it results in a net decrease of power and influence by OPEC and Middle Eastern countries.

Such a tax/fee may finally come to LA, the city with the worst gridlock and oil-consumption habit in America. A recent report showed that LA loses 9 billion dollars a year from the inefficiencies that come with the constant gridlock.

The LA proposition amounts to a user fee.  If you use gas, you pay an extra 9 cents per gallon at the pump, or a one time $90 dollar fee through the DMV (either implementation results in a projected $400 million revenue per year).  This money would be used for the Metropolitan Transportation Association’s budget, to pay for current transit and expand services.  This second part, about expanding services, should be the key emphasis of the proposition.  The article does not cite increased rail lines or bus routes to come from the proposal, but the backers of this bill should encourage the new funds to be used to expand the public transit network so that folks will have more options to use transit.  As is stands, the networks in LA are uneven and are simply not practical for many people.  If the new revenues are only used to shore MTA’s shaky finances, the proposal will not be able to generate widespread support.  Regardless, I think the proposal is a step in the right direction and I’m pleasantly surprised to see the number of officials who are already on board, given that these proposals are inherently unpopular!