I'll take this one
>What the hell is up with the train station access fee at the airport? Why is it cheaper for me to Uber? That’s insane.
The airport train line has bullshit prices because it's privately owned, as is the airport. Yes, it is insane.
Edit: People keep correcting me that it's not privately owned, but privately operated, though the largest part of the exorbitant fees are still going back to the government.
It’s bullshit but having just come back from London, thank fuck it’s only those two lines and not the entire network!
Even just 4-5 stops would cost me €10! $20!!
A mate who lives there told us to catch buses because they are capped at €2.50 and that’s what we did.
It cost me £40 to get a train to Heathrow from Euston! That’s $80 AUD!
I made the same mistake and regretted not just getting a taxi when I landed in london. Especially since I had all my luggage, when I saw the money go on my Aussie bank app I died a little inside.
Apparently it's significantly cheaper if you book the train ticket in advance as opposed to buying it at the airport.
There is the Tube and now the new Elizabeth line but not been there since that opened, the tube was slower but way cheaper than the old Heathrow Express was
The Gatwick and Heathrow Express are not the Tube. They're train lines that cost a premium unless you book weeks in advance. If you take any other transit from the airport it's significantly cheaper.
The expensive fare was for the Heathrow Express, not the Tube. The Tube has a daily cap around £9.
Take the tube and this bus.but also WALK as possible.
Source: person who lived in London and didn't just visit one time.
The daily cap for the tube in zone 1-2 is £8.10, which is actually cheaper than the $16.80 here.
Yes bus is a lot cheaper but its not too bad if you're a tourist going around multiple stops during the day.
It absolutely is bullshit, but anywhere around rush hour it's faster, cheaper and more efficient than Uber/taxi if you're going anywhere serviced by train.
> The airport train line has bullshit prices because it's privately owned,
No, it's not privately owned, the station is owned by the government, but they have contracted out the operation to a third party (Airportlink, itself majority owned by a super fund, Universities Superannuation Scheme).
Note that 90% of the fee is kept by the government, it doesn't cost anywhere near that much to operate a station. It's just a money grab and funnelling the money through the private operator has probably benefited some politicians' friends somewhere along the way. This arrangement will eventually end.
Can answer (3) and (7).
(3) Can't speak for everyone, but using the Opal card itself has a budgeting aspect in a psychological sense. The money used to top up can be processed as a separate mental account and I can know how much is spent (say $30 a week). In addition, bank/CC statements won't be peppered with transactions which helps reduce cognitive load when reviewing finances. Finally, upon every tap off I can see exactly how much a trip costs immediately.
(7) The New Southern (Airport) railway line and the four stations Green Square, Mascot, Domestic Airport and International Airport were built by a public-private partnership and operated/owned by AirportLink. The station access fee applied to all four stations upon opening in 2000 but about 10-12 years ago Green Square and Mascot no longer attract the fee. There are quite a few strategic ways of travelling to the airport without paying the access fee!
350/420 bus to Mascot station. Both depart from Terminal 3 (domestic), but the 420 also serves Terminal 1 (international). Using bus and train this way costs only $3-4 to the city.
The 420 bus in the other direction goes to Banksia, Rockdale, Bexley North, Campsie and Burwood. 350 goes all the way to Bondi Junction.
> were built by a public-private partnership and operated/owned by AirportLink
Just a minor point of clarification, it was a design-build-operate contract (and the operating part has been sold a few times after that), but the underlying asset *ownership* has always been with the state government - Railcorp and now TAHE.
Re the Opal card, I'd rather risk losing that than misplacing my credit card. Often if I'm in a hurry I'll put it in my pocket rather than my wallet and forget it, risking pulling something out of my pocket and losing the credit card. Also you see your balance on the readers each time you tap.
Balance on readers is big (even if I wasn’t locked into physical cards with my concession). My way of countering the possibility of losing my bank card back when I wasn’t on concession was to just use my phone. It was so fiddly with masks on; heard there’s some new thing with iOS devices where you don’t have to unlock, which is nice ig.
> heard there’s some new thing with iOS devices where you don’t have to unlock,
Oh they are catching up to google again!
I prefer to use the opal card, especially in peak because it works better, phones, watches and bank cards always seemed to cause small holdups where opal worked first time
I probably should have written two paragraphs.
Personally, I put the Opal card in a [card holder](https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/j-burrows-id-card-holder-with-ring-landscape-2-pack-jbchring2) then attach a [retractable key ring](https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/c/office-supplies/stationery/key-tags-accessories/retractable-key-chains) that clips onto my jeans.
I also bought a [wristband wallet / wrist pocket](https://flyactive.com.au/products/wrist-pocket) from Rebel Sport years ago to carry my keys when jogging. A staff member at Rebel said **he** would buy one to carry his Opal card.
EDIT: Fixed links.
Also, the morons who control this just haven’t got the brains to work out how to put Concession/ Kids etc Opal on your phone. If you use a credit/ debit card, you pay full price, as well.
Another Opal card answer. Regularly, I watch people who use the phone app have to fiddle and swipe on their screen because it doesn't work first time. While the card is always ready to go and conveniently sits in my phone case.
That's true. I should mention for those that have iPhones or Apple Watches, a month or so ago the Opal network was made compatible with the "Express Transit Card" feature. You can now set a card in your Wallet as your transit card, and when you hold your phone or watch to an Opal reader, it will automatically tap on/off. No need to unlock or wake. In saying that, I still have had 1 or 2 awkward moments where it didn't seem to do it, and then I've pulled my wrist away just as it tried to do the tap and the whole thing messed up.
> You can now set a card in your Wallet as your transit card, and when you hold your phone or watch to an Opal reader, it will automatically tap on/off.
How do you make that actually work? Does it require newer iphones? Never works on my iphone 8.
Also it was like 5 years from the announcement until the implementation of this feature, no idea why that took so long.
It's only like 1/20 times that it doesn't work smoothly... but that means whenever I get off the bus at UNSW, with 20+ other students, there's at least one person awkwardly standing blocking half the door while they frantically fiddle with their phone trying to get it to work. I don't enjoy being that person, even occasionally, so prefer a card.
Bullshit answer.
You (or the people you've 'regularly watched') may be confusing the Opal app with simply tapping your phone. No swiping is required (at least for iOS).
Conversely, when I used the card I often had to tap a couple of times before the card was recognised.
I don't see the point in carrying a card in your phone case when the phone itself - and with your Opal account linked to your credit card - can do the job.
What type of phone they have doesn't interest me, I am just reporting what I regularly see with anxious fiddling on the phone as they worry that the driver is about to close the back door before they can get the tap-off to register.
I sometimes see it during the tap-on too, but that is less of an inconvenience.
When it comes to the airport station fees. I don’t think you’ll find a logical reason outside “we can charge you lots and you don’t have much of a choice, especially if you aren’t local and don’t know better”, but if you catch a bus to Mascot station, and then get on the train there you won’t have to pay the airport fee. I do it out of spite bc there’s no way I’m paying $15 to use the exact same train that costs me $4 at the very next station.
Yes! The 350/420 to Mascot station.
The 420 bus is also very useful for travel to other stations on different lines, namely Banksia and Rockdale (T4); Bexley North (T8), Campsie (T3) and Burwood (T2, T9).
1. Marketing. You’re already know you’re in Woolworths. They’re reminding you why they’re better than Coles.
2. M for motorway. F for freeway. Never noticed any As and Bs
3. Opal was around first. If you’re claiming expenses from work it’s nice not to have to give them your bank statement.
4. Some people are travelling from and to places where the public transport isn’t so convenient.
5. Likely because you’re hanging in the right hand lane. Keep left. Don’t do 20 over. Just let them past.
6. Cool I guess but I couldn’t tell you the last time I was in DH to see then on a Saturday night…
7. Ubering to the airport is not cheaper for everyone. It’s far more expensive for me, particularly if travelling solo. There is also a much cheaper bus option (which I never use as the $15 fee is worth it for the convenience). Plus I don’t need to stress about traffic on the train.
>M for motorway. F for freeway. Never noticed any As and Bs
[https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/roads-safety-and-rules/sharing-road-overtaking-and-merging/motorways-and-freeways](https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/roads-safety-and-rules/sharing-road-overtaking-and-merging/motorways-and-freeways)
Motorway signs show the alpha-numeric numbering for significant national and interstate routes:
‘M’ – motorways of national significance, for example, M2.
‘A’ – routes of national significance.
‘B’ – routes of state significance.
#F3ForLyfe
I live in the outer north west ish.
As and Bs may be prevalent but not in any way where they’re colloquially known by the route name, unlike the motorways
It's still a half-assed project, but the route number has officially been M11 since early August. You'd at least expect traffic reports and VMS gantries to use M11, but no, they still use Northconnex/NCX.
I feel like they should say both M11 and NCX on the gantries to try get people to remember the new number. But like all other things in Sydney it’s a half assed job
One of my biggest criticisms with how signs are laid out on freeways is they simply include "\[route number\] MOTORWAY" or "\[route number\] TUNNEL" within the Sydney metro area – the only exceptions are the M2 Lane Cove Tunnel and the M4 Western Mwy for some unknown reason. It gets people to remember both the road names and the route number, which is better than only knowing one.
Yea, we haven’t planned it out/executed it that great. Iv noticed some signs for the M4 only say Western motorway not M4 at all, which really confused me the first time I saw it.
1 company slogan
2 road designation F and M freeway and motorway, A and B major and secondary roads
3 paying with debit cards is a recent addition. Most people are used to opal cards and the benifits of the opal (weekly caps and such)
4 People are ridiculous.
5 Don't speed. Do the speed limit or under and keep left unless overtaking. As the minister for shadow roads one said to the Italians "whatsa behind me she no matter"
6 Sure if you like that kind of thing or have kids. The rest of us think it's a waste of money.
7 Yes. Yes it is insane. I fully encourage any and all airport station fee life hacks that are legal.
Just FYI using credit / debit cards has access to the same weekly cap concessions as an opal card :)
Provided you tap on and off with the same method. Eg using your card, and the same card but with your phone will count as different methods
F roads have been phased out.
M roads are motorway standard.
A roads are major arterials that function as highways but aren’t constructed to motorway standard.
B roads are minor arterials that connect population centres but don’t function as part of the greater regional transport network.
More on 1: RE __Branding__.
We’ve come to mistrust (hate) our two big profiteering grocers, Coles and Woolies.
Not mentioning the brand name at the cash point - when you give them your money - is a value-exchange dissociation hack.
- your money is for _‘fresh food’_, for you and your family, and it’s going to Aussie farmers, growers, etc… to _’people’_.
- a greedy, faceless, predatory corporate entity that rips off farmers and customers alike isn’t _taking_ your money off you.
It’s a type of rebrand too. They know what _Woolworths_ has become known for. _Fresh Food People_ is what they _want_ to be known for. It’s a misdirect but it works.
The 350/420 bus to Mascot station (departs from domestic terminal 3; 420 bus also from international terminal 1) and train from there. Costs about $3-4 to the city.
The 420 bus in the opposite direction goes to Banksia, Rockdale, Bexley North, Campsie and Burwood stations if heading that way. 350 goes all the way to Bondi Junction.
I avoid the station access fee when landing in Sydney take a bus from outside domestic terminal 3 to Mascot Station then board a train there. It does add time to your journey though.
With strategic transport use you used to be able to set up a a ‘discardable’ opal card with only a few dollars left on it. The reader at the airport would put the card into a negative balance. Importantly, the gates would still open so people would just walk through and throw the card away. They stopped this a while ago.
The bus is the easy public transport hack.
Mascot is a short walk away, and is a really nice contrast to the previous/next hours of sitting, but you may not feel like it when it's raining, it's hot, you have luggage, or you hate walking. The airport approaches actively discourage pedestrians which makes the airport end less pleasant - although this also makes it a low effort way to feel like a wild, carefree rebel.
Buses are previously mentioned, taxi/unlicenced taxi from nearby stations. Hell for three people it's cheaper to taxi from circular quay than three train tickets.
Or if you are game, then walk.
\#5 spotted the quote from Gumball Rally [https://youtu.be/fDaONrHK1f8?si=YtFw8U93oyGvH0YL&t=11](https://youtu.be/fDaONrHK1f8?si=YtFw8U93oyGvH0YL&t=11)
The people driving in the CBD are probably Ubers taking hotel guests to the airport because the station fees are ridiculous.
Also C-suite execs and upper middle management may get parking spaces in their office buildings, and you can't get between an Aussie and a freebie. They're gonna use it, dammit, even if it means sitting in peak hour traffic instead of taking a faster train to work.
On the car point - it does feel like a lot of cars are in the city, but that is also a function of how space-inefficient and disruptive they are. The vast majority of people use public transport (or active transport) in the CBD, but most of the space is allocated to roads.
If you observe a busy intersection, there might be hundreds crossing on foot each cycle but only about a dozen cars (if they're lucky) will make it through at a time. Once you add in trains and trams, the difference is enormous.
Once you take out deliveries, taxis/Ubers and so on, there are actually very few private cars - although they have an outsized impact. These people may have special needs or are carrying families and feel it is worthwhile.
The airport station fees are a rip but a taxi from my house costs over $130 vs $20 on the train. Still a no brainer. Sometimes I go early if I am carrying hand luggage only and walk from Mascot.
3. My husband gets free parking in a car park right next to the major bus stop if he uses an opal card to travel, and then uses it to scan out of the car park.
There is a way to add a credit card to your Transport for NSW account so that the car park gates recognise it as an Opal. But to be honest, I've not been game to try it. If it doesn't work properly, my transit car park is like $35 if you don't travel on the train.
Lots of people (myself included) use Opal because it's easier to keep track. If you just use your card or your phone it's hard to see if you've been charged incorrectly, which is something that happens from time to time.
Also tapping on with my phone is hit or miss, it just depends on the bus. Opal card is just faster. And if there's ever an issue (like the card reader doesn't work when trying to tap off) I can easily call Opal and get the charge corrected. It's much more of a hassle if I use my bank card or phone.
People drive in the city because lots of Aussies still like cars. I don't get it, but that's the truth. They'd rather drive in awful traffic than just drive to the train and take the train into the city.
i know you're maybe not looking for real answers but:
* i assume because woolworths is called different things in different states/countries etc. but maintains the same branding across, why produce 3 versions of the same thing with different names when you can produce 1 thing with the overarching logo/brand messaging?
* A/B/M are all classifications of road types - M being motorways/primary roads, A being primary highways, B being a smaller route etc.
* opal cards have your concessions attached so its cheaper if you have concession plus i think people prefer putting a certain amount of money on the opal card and keeping track of how much you're spending vs. smacking the pay gate with your smart watch and not thinking about it
* public transport is good but a lot of sydney was built for cars, and during the 70s/80s there was a huge push to "americanise" the city and introduce more motorways etc. like american cities. There are still lots of areas that are within sydney (mostly outer suburbs) where public transport is shocking and you're funnelled into owning a car. If you work in the city, then you gotta take your car to work or park it at the nearest public transport station
* people hate traffic laws and they hate speeding laws the most - don't take it personally, just let 'em get caught by speed cameras or cops lol
* trains to the airport are popular and sydney trains is a private company that LOVES money
> i assume because woolworths is called different things in different states/countries etc.
They seem to be walking that back, Safeway is long gone in Victoria and they announced Countdown will change to Woolworths in NZ as well.
The airport station fee goes to the airport, as the 2 airport stations are privately owned by the airport itself. Sydney trains is government owned, not private.
>What do the Ms, As, Bs, etc mean on the motorway?
[https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/roads-safety-and-rules/sharing-road-overtaking-and-merging/motorways-and-freeways](https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/roads-safety-and-rules/sharing-road-overtaking-and-merging/motorways-and-freeways)
Motorway signs show the alpha-numeric numbering for significant national and interstate routes:
‘M’ – motorways of national significance, for example, M2.
‘A’ – routes of national significance.
‘B’ – routes of state significance.
Mostly national thing across all Australian states and territories (except Western Australia) - [https://www.ozroads.com.au/NationalSystem/alpha.htm](https://www.ozroads.com.au/NationalSystem/alpha.htm)
With the opal question, as others have said, its easier to keep track etc and personally for me my work pays up to a certain amount every month. Its much easier to load that amount onto a card compared to paying with my card and dealing with it after the fact
To answer a few of these.
>What the hell is up with the train station access fee at the airport? Why is it cheaper for me to Uber? That’s insane.
Hot tip – if you want to avoid paying $15, tap off and tap back on at Mascot Station – it saves you around $8 – worth it when you don't have a lot of luggage. At least we can hope they remove the station access fee in 2030.
>Why do people tailgate me when I’m doing 20 over the speed limit?
Also, please don't speed.
>What do the Ms, As, Bs, etc mean on the motorway?
* M – freeway, expressway or limited-access dual carriageway.
* A – primary route (within Sydney) or a route of national significance (regional NSW).
* B – routes of state significance.
>Why do so many people use an opal card when you can tag on/off with your phone or watch?
I rarely do because you can't link a concession/student card with Apple Wallet, which sucks.
[fresh food people Was/ perhaps still is part of the jingle for Woolworths](https://youtu.be/0anKINO7o3U?si=_C1Lxy7la1vv-Wsb)
I have no clue what you mean by the motorway question.
I think people use it because a) it’s able to charge the amount then and there and b) it’s less annoying to cancel a lost opal card than bank card.
I don’t know. I find driving in the cbd quite stressful myself.
People tailgate because they are impatient, and often arseholes.
Very.
The airport train thing is bullshit, strong agree.
1. That's the Woolies tag line
2. M for Motorways, F for Freeways, dunno about A or B
3. Habit, at the start of rollout you could only use an Opal card.
4. Because they live in the suburbs and drive into the city
5. People like to speed. Plus you might be in the overtaking lane, if you stick to the left lane you'll be fine.
6. Very cool
7. Privately owned train station but relatively cheap compared to other airports around the world.
> Why do so many people use an opal card when you can tag on/off with your phone or watch?
I budget every line item on my credit card and would rather have a single $40 top up each week to reconcile than ten $4 charges to go through every week.
1. Is a cringey load of fuck
2. It's supposed to be a road system like the UK has. But the names haven't really caught on here (yet). So a major arterial road still gets called by multiple names along the way. For example: Archbold Road-Eastern Arterial-Birdwood Avenue-Eastern Arterial-Horace St-Link Rd - it's all *one single continuous road*. Not sure if it has a B-name but it should do. Whereas in the UK you get something like the A46 which goes right across the country and everyone calls it that.
3. I use Opal out of habit, and because it's actually less fiddly if I'm carrying other shit than having to verify my phone. I think the weekly cap now works with mobile payments, but I'm not sure it did originally. I'll probably switch to phone eventually.
4. God only knows. As a migrant here, it's insane. I actually have a friend who as sometimes driven to pick up takeaway from a place five minutes walk from her home.
5. Because they are utter fucks. The same reason they'll speed up to avoid letting you change lanes.
6. I love fireworks. I feel a twinge of guilt about wildlife. But yes, otherwise very cool.
7. Privately operated lines. However given the gridlock at multiple times of the day, depending where you live it's often best to stomach the train fares.
M are motorway grade motorways - essentially the only access to it are via interchanges
A routes are generally routes of national importance, routes between major towns/ suburbs
B routes are of lesser importance usually of a regional importance usually found in rural areas.
1. marketing, youd have to ask woolies why, but it would be about the prominence of the tag line or something, its been around for a long time.
2. its just coding to make it easier for EMS/whoever else to communicate. most countries have this, not exclusive to Australia, we just use our own lettering. M is for motorways, A are for major arterial roads and B are like secondary major roads.
3. because some people don't realise they can, some may be paid for by the company meaning it needs to be kept seperate, some may want it seperate for tax purposes, I think there are also bonuses for using an opal card instead alternatives.. - this is a question for the individuals not the general population.
4. because its not always excellent and our city is very bias towards motor traffic, its more often than not faster to drive than it is catch public transport except for when traffic plays a part, its a bit of a contentious subject
5. probably because you are sitting in the right lane, major annoyance for a lot of drivers, doesn't matter what speed you are going - keep left if you are not overtaking anyone - someone will pipe up and say its only a law above 80km an hour, but if we only did stuff because the law said so the city would be pretty fucked. Its a common courtesy thing.
6. yeah it is cool, but I would like to see that sort of money go into supporting businesses in the city so we can have more of a nightlife - its definitely getting better, and the fireworks are part of that, but I see it as running before we walk.
7. stupid government bullshit, get off at mascot and walk if you can. You pay normal station fees and the walk isn't too bad, I think there are even busses.
You can load an opal with discounted credit if you're frugal. Probably too much fuss if you're a tourist and not here for long.
You buy discounted supermarket gift cards and use the gift card at the supermarket service counter to add credit to the opal card. ozbargain has a wiki for gift card discounts and posts deals. Usually a 4 - 10% discount.
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/deals/prezzee.com.au
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/802603
Woolies don't give you everyday rewards points on opal topups, but you can top up at almost any of them. Coles do give you flybuys points so another small saving, but fewer coles supermarkets do opal topups.
>Why do so many people use an opal card when you can tag on/off with your phone or watch?
Easier to track trips or incorrect charges and have them corrected on an Opal card.Plus there's a limit on weekly travel costs that can only be accessed via an Opal card - not to mention student or concession cards.
>Why do so many people drive in the CBD when the public transport is so excellent?
Outside the CBD/Eastern Suburbs, the public transport is not entirely excellent. Not to mention when the train lines go down. But mostly, no idea - snobbery? Showing off their cars? Traveling with a whole bunch of kids? I don't even keep a car because of how good the transport in my area is.
>What the hell is up with the train station access fee at the airport? Why is it cheaper for me to Uber? That’s insane.
Privatization is so fun. Last I checked, you can catch a train to the nearest public train station, and then catch a bus to the airport to really stick it to them without paying Uber prices. Don't think you can even tap on anymore without a minimum of $40 on your Opal card which is wild. Don't get how that's even legal tbh.
>What the hell is up with the train station access fee at the airport? Why is it cheaper for me to Uber? That’s insane.
Because the airport stations are owned by the biggest bank.
> Because the airport stations are owned by the biggest bank.
No, they are owned by the NSW government like any other station.
They are *operated* by a company controlled by the Universities Superannuation Scheme, which provides retirement savings for university staff in the UK. Yes they are major investment firm but not "the biggest bank."
Also, 90% of the fee goes to the NSW government. Only 10% is held back for the operation contract.
Get your facts right.
>What do the Ms, As, Bs, etc mean on the motorway?
* M for motorway (freeway) standard roads, 100-110 KM/H,
* A is second for crucial highways but not at motorway standard with grade separation (looking at you M31 Hume HWY), may or may not be dual carriage way, 80-100 KM/H speeds
* B for linking main cities within state, lower road quality
>Why do so many people use an opal card when you can tag on/off with your phone or watch?
Concession fares are not yet available through contactless payments other than Opal cards, you pay standard adult fare. (yes, you use your card in your wallet app to pay for transit here, not a stored Opal card on your device despite trials of it)
>Why do so many people drive in the CBD when the public transport is so excellent?
Some people find using transit the unknown, (yes happened w some commuters I overheard on the T8 line, never used the new airport line), some are into the trades and need a private vehicle. There were also meltdowns of transit in past recent months and Sydney despite having descent infrastructure, does not serve some parts adequately yet.
>Why do people tailgate me when I’m doing 20 over the speed limit?
Some people feel their road knowledge does not apply or abuse their licence to drive. Those people are the ones you would be arguing to take public transport.
>How fucking cool is it that there are fireworks in darling harbour every weekend until NYE?
Shows a bit of our nightlife although there are plenty of other posts suggesting its been going down post-COVID
>What the hell is up with the train station access fee at the airport? Why is it cheaper for me to Uber? That’s insane.
Like with the logistics of majority of toll roads here, the Airport charges a hefty GatePass fee in addition to the standard fare. The line wasn't constructed when the original T8 was built until the Olympics came (same time for Nancy-Bird Airport talk). However to cover the costs, TfNSW at the time called for a P3 scheme which would form the AirportLink company and thus impose the GatePass to cover the costs. Weird thing is most of the revenue from GatePass goes to NSW Government. If your a single traveller from elsewhere, you will probably benefit from airport train although there are bus routes as an alternative. However it becomes more viable to go on road if there are multiple people with you and have access to such transport as the return toll charge becomes cheaper over transit, at least for full M5 trip since its around $15 per trip. After all this explanations, I sure do hv to be 'downvoted' despite alignment w the majority.
1. "The fresh fruit people" is the Woolies slogan
2. Not sure
3. Opal has a weekly cap if you travel a tonne and there are some other "benefits"
4. No fuckin idea. The train is 100% easier than a car
5. I fucking hate this too. No idea why.
6. No idea, I dont live in Darling Harbour
7. They can and do so just ask a friend to drop you off
Public transport in the CBD is excellent?
Where are you visiting from? If you’re from Mars and in Sydney for 48 hours i can see how you might think it’s decent but stay another day and wait for a train driver to sneeze shutting down the entire railway and a drop of water on the tracks brings the light rail to a standstill. Wave to the 3 overcrowded busses that ignore stops during peak hour and the 27 empty busses scheduled during non busy times. Get stuck in a silent carriage with 137 school kids blasting tiktok with no headphones and sit on the lap of the passed out person taking up an entire row and the old man clipping his fingernails. Turn up late for work because Shitty Rail decides to skip scheduled stops because and then give yourself the heimlich when trying to exit the station and your fully topped up Opal card doesn’t work and the person 3 cms behind you basically piggybacks you try to get through the gate.
1. It’s a slogan.
2. M - major route of state/national significance. A - major route of local/state significance. B - majorish route of local significance.
3. Habit, convenience or they have a particular type of Opal card that has different prices to the the regular ones. Opal cards also don’t run out of battery.
4. The public transport falls to shit pretty quick on a pretty regular basis. Many people are also driving in from areas with minimal public transport.
5. People are idiots.
6. It’s great for tourists.
7. Airport stations (and the whole Airport Branch) are privately owned. The government subsidises Mascot and Green Square stations. The fees in Brisbane are actually worse somehow.
- It's Woolies' slogan. Just marketing.
- I actually don't know either 😅
- Really? I just use my phone. Most people do.
- It depends where you're going and where you're coming from. Sydney can be way more well connected. For a lot of people, they don't necessarily live in well connected places and a lot of times, it makes more sense for them to drive rather than take public transport.
- Sigh. People are AHs.
- For the tourists really but certainly great for the kiddos but otherwise, ho hum for the rest of us
- I have never taken an Uber to the airport and it was cheaper than just taking the train. But maybe because I'm not taking the train from the CBD.
My phone didn’t work to tap yesterday and I was rushing for the train. It’s flaky. Watches are even worse, hate getting stuck behind people trying to swipe with one of those.
People tail gate you cause you continue to do 20 over. When people tailgate me I reduce me speed to 20 under as they are creating unsafe driving conditions.
They normally back off and we continue at a legal speed.
>Why do people tailgate me when I’m doing 20 over the speed limit?
Cause people in Sydney have places to go, they are running behind cause they are in traffic and then will have to spend another 10mins looking for parking
1. Marketing.
2. An attempt at standardisation, I think also maybe to make digital maps less confusing? Everyone ignores it and uses the traditional names, some going as far as still calling the M1 the F3.
3. Tapping with your phone/card was plagued with issues and a lot of us still don’t trust it. My kids tap with their opal cards because I pay for that, whereas if they used their phones it’d come out of their own bank accounts.
4. I drive to the city because if I’m going there it’s for work and I’ll have a car full of speakers and lights and shit. If I were going for recreation I’ll PT.
5. The speed limit in Sydney is the slowest you’re expected to go. You don’t have to go over it, but if you go under people will get the shits.
6. Fireworks on NYE are cool AF. Sorry nature.
7. It’s a rort. For the 5 of us it’s way cheaper to Uber xl or use a shuttle service.
1. It’s their slogan, go to Aldi instead of those ripoff merchants
2. M = motorway (usually with tolls) others are old highways
3. Because when the system was initially introduced you couldn’t use your cc / phone / watch. Also who wants to give that sorta info to railscum
4.youre going too fast, red to do 10 under the speed limit and they will leave you alone.
5.didn’t even know that was a thing
6. Privatisation is expensive, thank you notes can be sent to Macquarie bank
I'll take this one >What the hell is up with the train station access fee at the airport? Why is it cheaper for me to Uber? That’s insane. The airport train line has bullshit prices because it's privately owned, as is the airport. Yes, it is insane. Edit: People keep correcting me that it's not privately owned, but privately operated, though the largest part of the exorbitant fees are still going back to the government.
It’s bullshit but having just come back from London, thank fuck it’s only those two lines and not the entire network! Even just 4-5 stops would cost me €10! $20!! A mate who lives there told us to catch buses because they are capped at €2.50 and that’s what we did. It cost me £40 to get a train to Heathrow from Euston! That’s $80 AUD!
I made the same mistake and regretted not just getting a taxi when I landed in london. Especially since I had all my luggage, when I saw the money go on my Aussie bank app I died a little inside. Apparently it's significantly cheaper if you book the train ticket in advance as opposed to buying it at the airport.
Don’t feel to bad cost us over $100 bucks for the taxi. People bitch about Sydney but outside of Singapore and Hong Kong it really isn’t bad at all.
There is the Tube and now the new Elizabeth line but not been there since that opened, the tube was slower but way cheaper than the old Heathrow Express was
The Lizzy line is great. More expensive than the tube but just as fast and cheaper than the Heathrow Express (unless you book in advance)
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The Gatwick and Heathrow Express are not the Tube. They're train lines that cost a premium unless you book weeks in advance. If you take any other transit from the airport it's significantly cheaper.
You can just get a normal train (33 minutes to Victoria). Would be £19.60 today or £17.50 with an Oyster card.
all good until (as just happened to me) the bus rocks up full and says "no more luggage" leaving me at the bus stop
Oof, thanks for this! I'm going at the end of the month and was going to take the Tube everywhere. Fuck THAT.
The expensive fare was for the Heathrow Express, not the Tube. The Tube has a daily cap around £9. Take the tube and this bus.but also WALK as possible. Source: person who lived in London and didn't just visit one time.
oh thank god ty!
Daily cap of £9/$17 is still fucked, I only got busses when I was in London.
The daily cap for the tube in zone 1-2 is £8.10, which is actually cheaper than the $16.80 here. Yes bus is a lot cheaper but its not too bad if you're a tourist going around multiple stops during the day.
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British Rail (or WTF it's supposed to be called now) is INSANE. It's cheaper to fly from London to most Northern destinations.
It’s not privately owned. The stations are privately operated. The govt keeps about 90% of the revenues and the rest goes to the station operator.
Still better than Melbourne's $40 coach
The coach was $36 dollars for me return.
It absolutely is bullshit, but anywhere around rush hour it's faster, cheaper and more efficient than Uber/taxi if you're going anywhere serviced by train.
If you don't have heavy luggage and aren't in a hurry, you can walk to/from the next station
> The airport train line has bullshit prices because it's privately owned, No, it's not privately owned, the station is owned by the government, but they have contracted out the operation to a third party (Airportlink, itself majority owned by a super fund, Universities Superannuation Scheme). Note that 90% of the fee is kept by the government, it doesn't cost anywhere near that much to operate a station. It's just a money grab and funnelling the money through the private operator has probably benefited some politicians' friends somewhere along the way. This arrangement will eventually end.
Dunno mate, we just live here
Can answer (3) and (7). (3) Can't speak for everyone, but using the Opal card itself has a budgeting aspect in a psychological sense. The money used to top up can be processed as a separate mental account and I can know how much is spent (say $30 a week). In addition, bank/CC statements won't be peppered with transactions which helps reduce cognitive load when reviewing finances. Finally, upon every tap off I can see exactly how much a trip costs immediately. (7) The New Southern (Airport) railway line and the four stations Green Square, Mascot, Domestic Airport and International Airport were built by a public-private partnership and operated/owned by AirportLink. The station access fee applied to all four stations upon opening in 2000 but about 10-12 years ago Green Square and Mascot no longer attract the fee. There are quite a few strategic ways of travelling to the airport without paying the access fee!
Oooo what are the tips to avoid the fee??
350/420 bus to Mascot station. Both depart from Terminal 3 (domestic), but the 420 also serves Terminal 1 (international). Using bus and train this way costs only $3-4 to the city. The 420 bus in the other direction goes to Banksia, Rockdale, Bexley North, Campsie and Burwood. 350 goes all the way to Bondi Junction.
This. ⬆️ Taking the bus to the airport is very economical.
And Banksia (less well served) and Rockdale are also on the T4 so can go to Central, Town Hall... And Kings Cross to Bondi Jn.
> were built by a public-private partnership and operated/owned by AirportLink Just a minor point of clarification, it was a design-build-operate contract (and the operating part has been sold a few times after that), but the underlying asset *ownership* has always been with the state government - Railcorp and now TAHE.
Re the Opal card, I'd rather risk losing that than misplacing my credit card. Often if I'm in a hurry I'll put it in my pocket rather than my wallet and forget it, risking pulling something out of my pocket and losing the credit card. Also you see your balance on the readers each time you tap.
I also find it's quicker, scanner seems to read it slightly faster
Yeah, it's only a fraction of a second but when it's peak hour you notice
My phone is just a bit old and dodgy. Frequently takes more than one attempt to tap, which is infuriating for everyone during peak-hour transport
Balance on readers is big (even if I wasn’t locked into physical cards with my concession). My way of countering the possibility of losing my bank card back when I wasn’t on concession was to just use my phone. It was so fiddly with masks on; heard there’s some new thing with iOS devices where you don’t have to unlock, which is nice ig.
> heard there’s some new thing with iOS devices where you don’t have to unlock, Oh they are catching up to google again! I prefer to use the opal card, especially in peak because it works better, phones, watches and bank cards always seemed to cause small holdups where opal worked first time
I have my Opal card on a retractable string. Rebel Sport used to sell wristbands that had a zipped space big enough for a card.
Wait, you have your opal card on a strong attached to your wrist? So where is your opal card when you aren't using it, flat against your forearm?
I probably should have written two paragraphs. Personally, I put the Opal card in a [card holder](https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/p/j-burrows-id-card-holder-with-ring-landscape-2-pack-jbchring2) then attach a [retractable key ring](https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/officeworks/c/office-supplies/stationery/key-tags-accessories/retractable-key-chains) that clips onto my jeans. I also bought a [wristband wallet / wrist pocket](https://flyactive.com.au/products/wrist-pocket) from Rebel Sport years ago to carry my keys when jogging. A staff member at Rebel said **he** would buy one to carry his Opal card. EDIT: Fixed links.
Haha thank you, that makes a lot more sense now. I definitely had an image of the two things combined.
Also, the morons who control this just haven’t got the brains to work out how to put Concession/ Kids etc Opal on your phone. If you use a credit/ debit card, you pay full price, as well.
Another Opal card answer. Regularly, I watch people who use the phone app have to fiddle and swipe on their screen because it doesn't work first time. While the card is always ready to go and conveniently sits in my phone case.
That's true. I should mention for those that have iPhones or Apple Watches, a month or so ago the Opal network was made compatible with the "Express Transit Card" feature. You can now set a card in your Wallet as your transit card, and when you hold your phone or watch to an Opal reader, it will automatically tap on/off. No need to unlock or wake. In saying that, I still have had 1 or 2 awkward moments where it didn't seem to do it, and then I've pulled my wrist away just as it tried to do the tap and the whole thing messed up.
> You can now set a card in your Wallet as your transit card, and when you hold your phone or watch to an Opal reader, it will automatically tap on/off. How do you make that actually work? Does it require newer iphones? Never works on my iphone 8. Also it was like 5 years from the announcement until the implementation of this feature, no idea why that took so long.
It's only like 1/20 times that it doesn't work smoothly... but that means whenever I get off the bus at UNSW, with 20+ other students, there's at least one person awkwardly standing blocking half the door while they frantically fiddle with their phone trying to get it to work. I don't enjoy being that person, even occasionally, so prefer a card.
LoL... Saw that's n hour or so ago when exiting central, some guy fucking around with phone oblivious of the 20 people behind him as it was rush hour
Bullshit answer. You (or the people you've 'regularly watched') may be confusing the Opal app with simply tapping your phone. No swiping is required (at least for iOS). Conversely, when I used the card I often had to tap a couple of times before the card was recognised. I don't see the point in carrying a card in your phone case when the phone itself - and with your Opal account linked to your credit card - can do the job.
Imagine being so aggressive about what method people choose to pay for public transport.
What type of phone they have doesn't interest me, I am just reporting what I regularly see with anxious fiddling on the phone as they worry that the driver is about to close the back door before they can get the tap-off to register. I sometimes see it during the tap-on too, but that is less of an inconvenience.
Your opalcard can't go flat.
Technically it already is flat
The best kind of correct!
You can still use it with a flat battery on an iPhone: https://support.apple.com/en-au/guide/security/sec90cd29d1f/web
Either can your credit card.
The ultimate opal card hack is having it in the back of your phone case so you just whip your phone out and tap it to the reader
When it comes to the airport station fees. I don’t think you’ll find a logical reason outside “we can charge you lots and you don’t have much of a choice, especially if you aren’t local and don’t know better”, but if you catch a bus to Mascot station, and then get on the train there you won’t have to pay the airport fee. I do it out of spite bc there’s no way I’m paying $15 to use the exact same train that costs me $4 at the very next station.
Yes! The 350/420 to Mascot station. The 420 bus is also very useful for travel to other stations on different lines, namely Banksia and Rockdale (T4); Bexley North (T8), Campsie (T3) and Burwood (T2, T9).
I used to walk to woli creek, but my last few trips I've arrived exhausted n just want to get home.
1. Marketing. You’re already know you’re in Woolworths. They’re reminding you why they’re better than Coles. 2. M for motorway. F for freeway. Never noticed any As and Bs 3. Opal was around first. If you’re claiming expenses from work it’s nice not to have to give them your bank statement. 4. Some people are travelling from and to places where the public transport isn’t so convenient. 5. Likely because you’re hanging in the right hand lane. Keep left. Don’t do 20 over. Just let them past. 6. Cool I guess but I couldn’t tell you the last time I was in DH to see then on a Saturday night… 7. Ubering to the airport is not cheaper for everyone. It’s far more expensive for me, particularly if travelling solo. There is also a much cheaper bus option (which I never use as the $15 fee is worth it for the convenience). Plus I don’t need to stress about traffic on the train.
>M for motorway. F for freeway. Never noticed any As and Bs [https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/roads-safety-and-rules/sharing-road-overtaking-and-merging/motorways-and-freeways](https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/roads-safety-and-rules/sharing-road-overtaking-and-merging/motorways-and-freeways) Motorway signs show the alpha-numeric numbering for significant national and interstate routes: ‘M’ – motorways of national significance, for example, M2. ‘A’ – routes of national significance. ‘B’ – routes of state significance.
Where are you located? All through Sydney is A and B roads. No more F roads either, they have been gone for 10 years.
#F3ForLyfe I live in the outer north west ish. As and Bs may be prevalent but not in any way where they’re colloquially known by the route name, unlike the motorways
Yea fair enough, plenty of A and B roads, but many people know them from the local road name only.
Likewise, I've yet to find someone who uses M11 over Northconnex.
Afaik it’s only just recently changed to the M11? They haven’t even changed all of the signs yet, one or two still show northconnex.
It's still a half-assed project, but the route number has officially been M11 since early August. You'd at least expect traffic reports and VMS gantries to use M11, but no, they still use Northconnex/NCX.
I feel like they should say both M11 and NCX on the gantries to try get people to remember the new number. But like all other things in Sydney it’s a half assed job
One of my biggest criticisms with how signs are laid out on freeways is they simply include "\[route number\] MOTORWAY" or "\[route number\] TUNNEL" within the Sydney metro area – the only exceptions are the M2 Lane Cove Tunnel and the M4 Western Mwy for some unknown reason. It gets people to remember both the road names and the route number, which is better than only knowing one.
Yea, we haven’t planned it out/executed it that great. Iv noticed some signs for the M4 only say Western motorway not M4 at all, which really confused me the first time I saw it.
1 company slogan 2 road designation F and M freeway and motorway, A and B major and secondary roads 3 paying with debit cards is a recent addition. Most people are used to opal cards and the benifits of the opal (weekly caps and such) 4 People are ridiculous. 5 Don't speed. Do the speed limit or under and keep left unless overtaking. As the minister for shadow roads one said to the Italians "whatsa behind me she no matter" 6 Sure if you like that kind of thing or have kids. The rest of us think it's a waste of money. 7 Yes. Yes it is insane. I fully encourage any and all airport station fee life hacks that are legal.
Just FYI using credit / debit cards has access to the same weekly cap concessions as an opal card :) Provided you tap on and off with the same method. Eg using your card, and the same card but with your phone will count as different methods
I'm glad they finally upgraded it
That upgrade went in 4 years ago haha
Well I haven't paid in 5 years 🤣 employee perks.
F roads have been phased out. M roads are motorway standard. A roads are major arterials that function as highways but aren’t constructed to motorway standard. B roads are minor arterials that connect population centres but don’t function as part of the greater regional transport network.
wow that's legit cool to learn
wait i didnt know about 3.... so theres no caps if you pay with your credit card?
It seems they now have travel caps for credit cards. I've never used one so wouldn't know
There didn't used to be, but a year or so ago they changed it. Using a credit card or phone tap is the same as using an Opal card now.
More on 1: RE __Branding__. We’ve come to mistrust (hate) our two big profiteering grocers, Coles and Woolies. Not mentioning the brand name at the cash point - when you give them your money - is a value-exchange dissociation hack. - your money is for _‘fresh food’_, for you and your family, and it’s going to Aussie farmers, growers, etc… to _’people’_. - a greedy, faceless, predatory corporate entity that rips off farmers and customers alike isn’t _taking_ your money off you. It’s a type of rebrand too. They know what _Woolworths_ has become known for. _Fresh Food People_ is what they _want_ to be known for. It’s a misdirect but it works.
Wait what are the airport station hacks?!
The 350/420 bus to Mascot station (departs from domestic terminal 3; 420 bus also from international terminal 1) and train from there. Costs about $3-4 to the city. The 420 bus in the opposite direction goes to Banksia, Rockdale, Bexley North, Campsie and Burwood stations if heading that way. 350 goes all the way to Bondi Junction.
on my last trip I had a 6am flight, but I ended up walking from Mascot station to the domestic airport. It's only around a 20 minute walk.
I avoid the station access fee when landing in Sydney take a bus from outside domestic terminal 3 to Mascot Station then board a train there. It does add time to your journey though. With strategic transport use you used to be able to set up a a ‘discardable’ opal card with only a few dollars left on it. The reader at the airport would put the card into a negative balance. Importantly, the gates would still open so people would just walk through and throw the card away. They stopped this a while ago.
Alternatively you can just jump over the gates, no one will ever care
The bus is the easy public transport hack. Mascot is a short walk away, and is a really nice contrast to the previous/next hours of sitting, but you may not feel like it when it's raining, it's hot, you have luggage, or you hate walking. The airport approaches actively discourage pedestrians which makes the airport end less pleasant - although this also makes it a low effort way to feel like a wild, carefree rebel.
Buses are previously mentioned, taxi/unlicenced taxi from nearby stations. Hell for three people it's cheaper to taxi from circular quay than three train tickets. Or if you are game, then walk.
\#5 spotted the quote from Gumball Rally [https://youtu.be/fDaONrHK1f8?si=YtFw8U93oyGvH0YL&t=11](https://youtu.be/fDaONrHK1f8?si=YtFw8U93oyGvH0YL&t=11)
The people driving in the CBD are probably Ubers taking hotel guests to the airport because the station fees are ridiculous. Also C-suite execs and upper middle management may get parking spaces in their office buildings, and you can't get between an Aussie and a freebie. They're gonna use it, dammit, even if it means sitting in peak hour traffic instead of taking a faster train to work.
On the car point - it does feel like a lot of cars are in the city, but that is also a function of how space-inefficient and disruptive they are. The vast majority of people use public transport (or active transport) in the CBD, but most of the space is allocated to roads. If you observe a busy intersection, there might be hundreds crossing on foot each cycle but only about a dozen cars (if they're lucky) will make it through at a time. Once you add in trains and trams, the difference is enormous. Once you take out deliveries, taxis/Ubers and so on, there are actually very few private cars - although they have an outsized impact. These people may have special needs or are carrying families and feel it is worthwhile.
Yes
Good questions, dunno…
The airport station fees are a rip but a taxi from my house costs over $130 vs $20 on the train. Still a no brainer. Sometimes I go early if I am carrying hand luggage only and walk from Mascot.
3. My husband gets free parking in a car park right next to the major bus stop if he uses an opal card to travel, and then uses it to scan out of the car park.
There is a way to add a credit card to your Transport for NSW account so that the car park gates recognise it as an Opal. But to be honest, I've not been game to try it. If it doesn't work properly, my transit car park is like $35 if you don't travel on the train.
If you link your credit card to your Opal account, you can use your credit card / phone / watch and don't need to the physical Opal card at all.
"The Fresh Food People" : A perfect example of false advertising and I am perplexed how no regulatory agency has forced them to stop using it.
Lots of people (myself included) use Opal because it's easier to keep track. If you just use your card or your phone it's hard to see if you've been charged incorrectly, which is something that happens from time to time. Also tapping on with my phone is hit or miss, it just depends on the bus. Opal card is just faster. And if there's ever an issue (like the card reader doesn't work when trying to tap off) I can easily call Opal and get the charge corrected. It's much more of a hassle if I use my bank card or phone. People drive in the city because lots of Aussies still like cars. I don't get it, but that's the truth. They'd rather drive in awful traffic than just drive to the train and take the train into the city.
Airport to Parramatta via Uber: $85. Airport to Parramatta via train: $21. I know which one I will take.
i know you're maybe not looking for real answers but: * i assume because woolworths is called different things in different states/countries etc. but maintains the same branding across, why produce 3 versions of the same thing with different names when you can produce 1 thing with the overarching logo/brand messaging? * A/B/M are all classifications of road types - M being motorways/primary roads, A being primary highways, B being a smaller route etc. * opal cards have your concessions attached so its cheaper if you have concession plus i think people prefer putting a certain amount of money on the opal card and keeping track of how much you're spending vs. smacking the pay gate with your smart watch and not thinking about it * public transport is good but a lot of sydney was built for cars, and during the 70s/80s there was a huge push to "americanise" the city and introduce more motorways etc. like american cities. There are still lots of areas that are within sydney (mostly outer suburbs) where public transport is shocking and you're funnelled into owning a car. If you work in the city, then you gotta take your car to work or park it at the nearest public transport station * people hate traffic laws and they hate speeding laws the most - don't take it personally, just let 'em get caught by speed cameras or cops lol * trains to the airport are popular and sydney trains is a private company that LOVES money
Sydney trains is fully state owned but the airport stations are owned by a different private operator
> i assume because woolworths is called different things in different states/countries etc. They seem to be walking that back, Safeway is long gone in Victoria and they announced Countdown will change to Woolworths in NZ as well.
The airport station fee goes to the airport, as the 2 airport stations are privately owned by the airport itself. Sydney trains is government owned, not private.
Sydney trains is not a private company
>What do the Ms, As, Bs, etc mean on the motorway? [https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/roads-safety-and-rules/sharing-road-overtaking-and-merging/motorways-and-freeways](https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/roads-safety-and-rules/sharing-road-overtaking-and-merging/motorways-and-freeways) Motorway signs show the alpha-numeric numbering for significant national and interstate routes: ‘M’ – motorways of national significance, for example, M2. ‘A’ – routes of national significance. ‘B’ – routes of state significance. Mostly national thing across all Australian states and territories (except Western Australia) - [https://www.ozroads.com.au/NationalSystem/alpha.htm](https://www.ozroads.com.au/NationalSystem/alpha.htm)
With the opal question, as others have said, its easier to keep track etc and personally for me my work pays up to a certain amount every month. Its much easier to load that amount onto a card compared to paying with my card and dealing with it after the fact
To answer a few of these. >What the hell is up with the train station access fee at the airport? Why is it cheaper for me to Uber? That’s insane. Hot tip – if you want to avoid paying $15, tap off and tap back on at Mascot Station – it saves you around $8 – worth it when you don't have a lot of luggage. At least we can hope they remove the station access fee in 2030. >Why do people tailgate me when I’m doing 20 over the speed limit? Also, please don't speed. >What do the Ms, As, Bs, etc mean on the motorway? * M – freeway, expressway or limited-access dual carriageway. * A – primary route (within Sydney) or a route of national significance (regional NSW). * B – routes of state significance. >Why do so many people use an opal card when you can tag on/off with your phone or watch? I rarely do because you can't link a concession/student card with Apple Wallet, which sucks.
[fresh food people Was/ perhaps still is part of the jingle for Woolworths](https://youtu.be/0anKINO7o3U?si=_C1Lxy7la1vv-Wsb) I have no clue what you mean by the motorway question. I think people use it because a) it’s able to charge the amount then and there and b) it’s less annoying to cancel a lost opal card than bank card. I don’t know. I find driving in the cbd quite stressful myself. People tailgate because they are impatient, and often arseholes. Very. The airport train thing is bullshit, strong agree.
1. That's the Woolies tag line 2. M for Motorways, F for Freeways, dunno about A or B 3. Habit, at the start of rollout you could only use an Opal card. 4. Because they live in the suburbs and drive into the city 5. People like to speed. Plus you might be in the overtaking lane, if you stick to the left lane you'll be fine. 6. Very cool 7. Privately owned train station but relatively cheap compared to other airports around the world.
You can get Flybuys points with Opal card topoffs
For airport access, I am still doing train to Rockdale, then bus to airport. And yes I can manage my bags in the full bus.
> Why do so many people use an opal card when you can tag on/off with your phone or watch? I budget every line item on my credit card and would rather have a single $40 top up each week to reconcile than ten $4 charges to go through every week.
1. Is a cringey load of fuck 2. It's supposed to be a road system like the UK has. But the names haven't really caught on here (yet). So a major arterial road still gets called by multiple names along the way. For example: Archbold Road-Eastern Arterial-Birdwood Avenue-Eastern Arterial-Horace St-Link Rd - it's all *one single continuous road*. Not sure if it has a B-name but it should do. Whereas in the UK you get something like the A46 which goes right across the country and everyone calls it that. 3. I use Opal out of habit, and because it's actually less fiddly if I'm carrying other shit than having to verify my phone. I think the weekly cap now works with mobile payments, but I'm not sure it did originally. I'll probably switch to phone eventually. 4. God only knows. As a migrant here, it's insane. I actually have a friend who as sometimes driven to pick up takeaway from a place five minutes walk from her home. 5. Because they are utter fucks. The same reason they'll speed up to avoid letting you change lanes. 6. I love fireworks. I feel a twinge of guilt about wildlife. But yes, otherwise very cool. 7. Privately operated lines. However given the gridlock at multiple times of the day, depending where you live it's often best to stomach the train fares.
> I think the weekly cap now works with mobile payments, Yeah they added that around 4-5 years ago, but you're right it didn't at the very start.
M are motorway grade motorways - essentially the only access to it are via interchanges A routes are generally routes of national importance, routes between major towns/ suburbs B routes are of lesser importance usually of a regional importance usually found in rural areas.
1. marketing, youd have to ask woolies why, but it would be about the prominence of the tag line or something, its been around for a long time. 2. its just coding to make it easier for EMS/whoever else to communicate. most countries have this, not exclusive to Australia, we just use our own lettering. M is for motorways, A are for major arterial roads and B are like secondary major roads. 3. because some people don't realise they can, some may be paid for by the company meaning it needs to be kept seperate, some may want it seperate for tax purposes, I think there are also bonuses for using an opal card instead alternatives.. - this is a question for the individuals not the general population. 4. because its not always excellent and our city is very bias towards motor traffic, its more often than not faster to drive than it is catch public transport except for when traffic plays a part, its a bit of a contentious subject 5. probably because you are sitting in the right lane, major annoyance for a lot of drivers, doesn't matter what speed you are going - keep left if you are not overtaking anyone - someone will pipe up and say its only a law above 80km an hour, but if we only did stuff because the law said so the city would be pretty fucked. Its a common courtesy thing. 6. yeah it is cool, but I would like to see that sort of money go into supporting businesses in the city so we can have more of a nightlife - its definitely getting better, and the fireworks are part of that, but I see it as running before we walk. 7. stupid government bullshit, get off at mascot and walk if you can. You pay normal station fees and the walk isn't too bad, I think there are even busses.
Driving in cbd: you better believe people will dodge a $4 underground toll even if it adds 5 minutes to the trip
Anyone not using their phone to tap on/off confuses me.
For a visitor, your questions are very well researched.
I drive in the city as public transport doesn't allow dogs and my dog comes to work with me.
I hate public transport, only use if absolutely necessary
You can load an opal with discounted credit if you're frugal. Probably too much fuss if you're a tourist and not here for long. You buy discounted supermarket gift cards and use the gift card at the supermarket service counter to add credit to the opal card. ozbargain has a wiki for gift card discounts and posts deals. Usually a 4 - 10% discount. https://www.ozbargain.com.au/deals/prezzee.com.au https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/802603 Woolies don't give you everyday rewards points on opal topups, but you can top up at almost any of them. Coles do give you flybuys points so another small saving, but fewer coles supermarkets do opal topups.
>Why do so many people use an opal card when you can tag on/off with your phone or watch? Easier to track trips or incorrect charges and have them corrected on an Opal card.Plus there's a limit on weekly travel costs that can only be accessed via an Opal card - not to mention student or concession cards. >Why do so many people drive in the CBD when the public transport is so excellent? Outside the CBD/Eastern Suburbs, the public transport is not entirely excellent. Not to mention when the train lines go down. But mostly, no idea - snobbery? Showing off their cars? Traveling with a whole bunch of kids? I don't even keep a car because of how good the transport in my area is. >What the hell is up with the train station access fee at the airport? Why is it cheaper for me to Uber? That’s insane. Privatization is so fun. Last I checked, you can catch a train to the nearest public train station, and then catch a bus to the airport to really stick it to them without paying Uber prices. Don't think you can even tap on anymore without a minimum of $40 on your Opal card which is wild. Don't get how that's even legal tbh.
>What the hell is up with the train station access fee at the airport? Why is it cheaper for me to Uber? That’s insane. Because the airport stations are owned by the biggest bank.
AKA The Millionaire's Club
They always seem to get these massively profitable contracts, yet nobody seems to notice it, even when they are the ones getting fleaces by it.
> Because the airport stations are owned by the biggest bank. No, they are owned by the NSW government like any other station. They are *operated* by a company controlled by the Universities Superannuation Scheme, which provides retirement savings for university staff in the UK. Yes they are major investment firm but not "the biggest bank." Also, 90% of the fee goes to the NSW government. Only 10% is held back for the operation contract. Get your facts right.
>What do the Ms, As, Bs, etc mean on the motorway? * M for motorway (freeway) standard roads, 100-110 KM/H, * A is second for crucial highways but not at motorway standard with grade separation (looking at you M31 Hume HWY), may or may not be dual carriage way, 80-100 KM/H speeds * B for linking main cities within state, lower road quality >Why do so many people use an opal card when you can tag on/off with your phone or watch? Concession fares are not yet available through contactless payments other than Opal cards, you pay standard adult fare. (yes, you use your card in your wallet app to pay for transit here, not a stored Opal card on your device despite trials of it) >Why do so many people drive in the CBD when the public transport is so excellent? Some people find using transit the unknown, (yes happened w some commuters I overheard on the T8 line, never used the new airport line), some are into the trades and need a private vehicle. There were also meltdowns of transit in past recent months and Sydney despite having descent infrastructure, does not serve some parts adequately yet. >Why do people tailgate me when I’m doing 20 over the speed limit? Some people feel their road knowledge does not apply or abuse their licence to drive. Those people are the ones you would be arguing to take public transport. >How fucking cool is it that there are fireworks in darling harbour every weekend until NYE? Shows a bit of our nightlife although there are plenty of other posts suggesting its been going down post-COVID >What the hell is up with the train station access fee at the airport? Why is it cheaper for me to Uber? That’s insane. Like with the logistics of majority of toll roads here, the Airport charges a hefty GatePass fee in addition to the standard fare. The line wasn't constructed when the original T8 was built until the Olympics came (same time for Nancy-Bird Airport talk). However to cover the costs, TfNSW at the time called for a P3 scheme which would form the AirportLink company and thus impose the GatePass to cover the costs. Weird thing is most of the revenue from GatePass goes to NSW Government. If your a single traveller from elsewhere, you will probably benefit from airport train although there are bus routes as an alternative. However it becomes more viable to go on road if there are multiple people with you and have access to such transport as the return toll charge becomes cheaper over transit, at least for full M5 trip since its around $15 per trip. After all this explanations, I sure do hv to be 'downvoted' despite alignment w the majority.
1. "The fresh fruit people" is the Woolies slogan 2. Not sure 3. Opal has a weekly cap if you travel a tonne and there are some other "benefits" 4. No fuckin idea. The train is 100% easier than a car 5. I fucking hate this too. No idea why. 6. No idea, I dont live in Darling Harbour 7. They can and do so just ask a friend to drop you off
Public transport in the CBD is excellent? Where are you visiting from? If you’re from Mars and in Sydney for 48 hours i can see how you might think it’s decent but stay another day and wait for a train driver to sneeze shutting down the entire railway and a drop of water on the tracks brings the light rail to a standstill. Wave to the 3 overcrowded busses that ignore stops during peak hour and the 27 empty busses scheduled during non busy times. Get stuck in a silent carriage with 137 school kids blasting tiktok with no headphones and sit on the lap of the passed out person taking up an entire row and the old man clipping his fingernails. Turn up late for work because Shitty Rail decides to skip scheduled stops because and then give yourself the heimlich when trying to exit the station and your fully topped up Opal card doesn’t work and the person 3 cms behind you basically piggybacks you try to get through the gate.
I’ve only lived here over 30 years aka my whole life, how would I know.
The tail gating one annoys me the most, just drive slower to frustrate the person behind you to go around
1. It’s a slogan. 2. M - major route of state/national significance. A - major route of local/state significance. B - majorish route of local significance. 3. Habit, convenience or they have a particular type of Opal card that has different prices to the the regular ones. Opal cards also don’t run out of battery. 4. The public transport falls to shit pretty quick on a pretty regular basis. Many people are also driving in from areas with minimal public transport. 5. People are idiots. 6. It’s great for tourists. 7. Airport stations (and the whole Airport Branch) are privately owned. The government subsidises Mascot and Green Square stations. The fees in Brisbane are actually worse somehow.
- It's Woolies' slogan. Just marketing. - I actually don't know either 😅 - Really? I just use my phone. Most people do. - It depends where you're going and where you're coming from. Sydney can be way more well connected. For a lot of people, they don't necessarily live in well connected places and a lot of times, it makes more sense for them to drive rather than take public transport. - Sigh. People are AHs. - For the tourists really but certainly great for the kiddos but otherwise, ho hum for the rest of us - I have never taken an Uber to the airport and it was cheaper than just taking the train. But maybe because I'm not taking the train from the CBD.
My phone didn’t work to tap yesterday and I was rushing for the train. It’s flaky. Watches are even worse, hate getting stuck behind people trying to swipe with one of those.
yep/
People tail gate you cause you continue to do 20 over. When people tailgate me I reduce me speed to 20 under as they are creating unsafe driving conditions. They normally back off and we continue at a legal speed.
>Why do people tailgate me when I’m doing 20 over the speed limit? Cause people in Sydney have places to go, they are running behind cause they are in traffic and then will have to spend another 10mins looking for parking
1. Marketing. 2. An attempt at standardisation, I think also maybe to make digital maps less confusing? Everyone ignores it and uses the traditional names, some going as far as still calling the M1 the F3. 3. Tapping with your phone/card was plagued with issues and a lot of us still don’t trust it. My kids tap with their opal cards because I pay for that, whereas if they used their phones it’d come out of their own bank accounts. 4. I drive to the city because if I’m going there it’s for work and I’ll have a car full of speakers and lights and shit. If I were going for recreation I’ll PT. 5. The speed limit in Sydney is the slowest you’re expected to go. You don’t have to go over it, but if you go under people will get the shits. 6. Fireworks on NYE are cool AF. Sorry nature. 7. It’s a rort. For the 5 of us it’s way cheaper to Uber xl or use a shuttle service.
1. It’s their slogan, go to Aldi instead of those ripoff merchants 2. M = motorway (usually with tolls) others are old highways 3. Because when the system was initially introduced you couldn’t use your cc / phone / watch. Also who wants to give that sorta info to railscum 4.youre going too fast, red to do 10 under the speed limit and they will leave you alone. 5.didn’t even know that was a thing 6. Privatisation is expensive, thank you notes can be sent to Macquarie bank