Bloody PTV.

[red750]

You're probably wondering why Public Transport Victoria are copping a blast on this forum.

 

In a couple of weeks time, a major international event takes place - the Avalon International Airshow. Thousands of people travel to this event, many on the public display day, Sunday. If they want to visit the exhibits and walk around the static displays before the flying program, they need to be there by at least 9.00 o'clock. Traffic and parking are so horrendous, most travel by train and bus.

 

People from the eastern suburbs, the Ringwood, Caulfield and Sandringham lines, have to travel through Flinders St Station and then from Southern Cross (Spencer St), on the Geelong line to Lara, where they change to a bus for Avalon Airport. So they need to catch the train at Southern Cross by about 8.00 am.

 

But according to the PTV Trip Planner, in their infinite wisdom, there are no trains from Flinders Street to Southern Cross until 9.00 o'clock on a Sunday. Trip Advisor instructs to get off the train at Flinders Street, walk to Collins Street and catch a tram to Southern Cross. What a public relations stuffup. If we end up going it will be on Saturday.

 

However, the Avalon Airshow is not the only major international event affected by this ridiculous planning. The same applies to the F1 Grand Prix - on race day no less!

 

 

[Yenn]

I wish we had public transport, so that we could whinge about it. No buses, no trains. We used to have a railway station, but now the only thing that stops there is the cars at the crossing.

 

 

[Marty_d]

I went to Avalon last time - must have been 2017.

 

Flew into Avalon and got an Uber to Geelong, stayed there Friday night and the next morning caught the train to Lara where there were masses of buses prepared for the airshow crowd.  I remember thinking how good the public transport was.  Mind you I didn't have to face it from Melbourne.

 

 

[GraemeK]

I'll be flying in to YAVE, avoid the transport hassles (CASA ramp check a small price to pay).

 

 

[yampy]

I’ve been down to the Avalon show a few times flying down from SYD to MEL then bus, train and bus again to get to the show , and then at the end of the day do it all again . I always regarded the Melbourne public transport organisation and frequency of services to be far superior to Sydney . 

 

 

[Litespeed]

Yep, youse are all lucky buggers.

 

Sydney is a morgue at night. Friday I went to catch a trail from city to wentworthville. No service only a express train after 11.30 pm. Have to get off at black town for a return service which they announce will be along in 2 hours 45 min. The bus to cover track work, wait one hour. Three hours to get home on a Friday night. 

 

F##kin hopeless.

 

 

[SSCBD]

And why do we have a government at all?

 

Who is the head of transport in VIC and why are these people still in a job.

 

 

[red750]

Well, my daughter and I are off to Avalon tomorrow - we hope. Leave home around 6 am to arrive there around 9 am or thereabouts. In their infinite wisdom, PTV have replaced trains with buses between Camberwell and Richmond all weekend for track work, only announced two days ago. So it's train Mitcham to Camberwell, bus Camberwell to Richmond, train Richmond to Southern Cross, then V-Line train Southern Cross to Lara. The same stuffup in reverse to get home. And V-Line are running their trains at reduced speed due to possible buckling of tracks in the 39 deg heat. Might not get home till 10 pm.

 

This could possibly be my last Avalon. I read on Google that the chances of living beyond 5 years after the cancer operation when the disease had progressed to my stage is 35%. My 5th anniversary is on Wednesday, so who knows if I'll be around in two years, or if I will be able to handle something like Avalon. Tomorrow in this heat will be a feat in itself.

 

Anyone going to be on a stand there? Bernie Knight?

 

 

[spacesailor]

RED

 

Hang in there as the future has a habit of giving us Hopeful's a sudden Miracle.  Mine was Dr Flemming s Penicillin.

 

Before that the death rate for Osteomyelitis was 100%. OR amputation,

 

I  & for that matter "No-one " thought that I would make 2019" lasting well am I.

 

Hope I will be walking again,This year.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[pmccarthy]

Red I think my prognosis is 60% chance of no recurrence in five years. Not a great deal of difference, we just have to live for now and enjoy what we have I suppose. I went to Avalon on Thursday and attended the RAA meeting. No startling news there, but 11% growth in members in two years which sounds good to me. I wish I could get one of my daughters to go to an air show.

 

 

[red750]

Well, what an unmitigated disaster. To avoid the train/bus/train/walk/train mess, we drove to Northport Station on the Port Melbourne line and caught a tram to Southern Cross station. The PA announcement said "Next train to Lara Platform 15". To get to Platform 15, you have to go up to the first floor, walk over the metropolitan tracks and back to platform level. As I was using a walking frame, and my daughter had a wheeled buggy containing cameras, drinks, lunch, etc. we used lifts at both ends of the overpass. We come down the lift at platform 15, and while waiting for the glass doors to open we hear an announcement "Train now leaving, stand clear please." The train pulled out as the lift doors opened. Next announcement, "the next airshow train will depart from platform 1A. So back in the lift, up to the overpass, over the tracks, down to platform level, then walk the length of platform 1 to reach 1A. Finally we are on our way, and got to Lara OK. Catch the shuttle bus to the airport. A crowd bigger than Mecca waiting to go through security checks. Then multiple lines at the ticket windows longer than the line at a woman's convenience at a public event. Once you got the ticket, another Mecca crowd to get through the entry gates. From getting off the bus to getting into the airport, about 45 minutes.

 

Then there was the heat. The temp was predicted as 39 deg. But those predictions are for shade temp. There is no shade on the airfield. I am sure the onfield temp was at least 10 deg hotter, and there was a hot wind. Despite having a wide brimmed felt hat sensible clothing, plenty of sun cream and lots to drink, I suffered heat stress. I could not stand to take photos, or visit the airsport park. And there is always some giraffe who will come and stand in your way. So I did

 

not take many photos.

 

Now for the clincher.  They have volunteers driving golf buggies, providing lifts for sick, injured or disabled people. A volunteer saw me heading for the exit with my walking frame, and offered to drive me to the exit. He looked at me and said, Are you OK? There is a St John Ambulance tent with air conditioning and chilled water. I think you should go and cool down. He helped me off the golf buggy and said Go inside and get cool, I will bring in your things. I took his advice, and he brought in the walking frame, the chiller box we had our food in, and the folding chair my daughter had been using. When I went to leave, my digital camera was missing.I have left contact details and a description with the St Johns Ambulance ladies. Hopefully it will turn up.

 

No more for me. That is the last Avalon I will attend.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

labor aren't too keen to spend money on public transport

 

 

[Marty_d]

Well, what an unmitigated disaster. To avoid the train/bus/train/walk/train mess, we drove to Northport Station on the Port Melbourne line and caught a tram to Southern Cross station. The PA announcement said "Next train to Lara Platform 15". To get to Platform 15, you have to go up to the first floor, walk over the metropolitan tracks and back to platform level. As I was using a walking frame, and my daughter had a wheeled buggy containing cameras, drinks, lunch, etc. we used lifts at both ends of the overpass. We come down the lift at platform 15, and while waiting for the glass doors to open we hear an announcement "Train now leaving, stand clear please." The train pulled out as the lift doors opened. Next announcement, "the next airshow train will depart from platform 1A. So back in the lift, up to the overpass, over the tracks, down to platform level, then walk the length of platform 1 to reach 1A. Finally we are on our way, and got to Lara OK. Catch the shuttle bus to the airport. A crowd bigger than Mecca waiting to go through security checks. Then multiple lines at the ticket windows longer than the line at a woman's convenience at a public event. Once you got the ticket, another Mecca crowd to get through the entry gates. From getting off the bus to getting into the airport, about 45 minutes.

Then there was the heat. The temp was predicted as 39 deg. But those predictions are for shade temp. There is no shade on the airfield. I am sure the onfield temp was at least 10 deg hotter, and there was a hot wind. Despite having a wide brimmed felt hat sensible clothing, plenty of sun cream and lots to drink, I suffered heat stress. I could not stand to take photos, or visit the airsport park. And there is always some giraffe who will come and stand in your way. So I did

 

not take many photos.

 

Now for the clincher.  They have volunteers driving golf buggies, providing lifts for sick, injured or disabled people. A volunteer saw me heading for the exit with my walking frame, and offered to drive me to the exit. He looked at me and said, Are you OK? There is a St John Ambulance tent with air conditioning and chilled water. I think you should go and cool down. He helped me off the golf buggy and said Go inside and get cool, I will bring in your things. I took his advice, and he brought in the walking frame, the chiller box we had our food in, and the folding chair my daughter had been using. When I went to leave, my digital camera was missing.I have left contact details and a description with the St Johns Ambulance ladies. Hopefully it will turn up.

 

No more for me. That is the last Avalon I will attend.

Sorry you had such a terrible day Peter.

 

 

[turboplanner]

labor aren't too keen to spend money on public transport

Better stick to your pontifications about Wellcamp.

 

I'm not a Labor voter, but Victorian Labor have bought more trains year after year than any other government in Victoria's history.

 

The problem with Avalon is it's built out in the country where there's no requirement for public transport other than the few connectors for an airport about half the size of Coolangatta, and it's built on a windy plain, and it's developer would probably prefer to cover it in buildings like Essendon rather than trees.

 

Sorry about your day Red, it must have been a nightmare.

 

 

[old man emu]

You're lucky it wasn't a music event in NSW. You'd have had to line up to get your drugs sampled as well unless, of course, the Conservative government hadn't told the organisers to cancel the event in case someone took an illegal, untested substance and died.

 

 

[red750]

This will give you some idea of the crowd at the baggage security check. It's only part of the crowd in front of me, and the was a similar number behind me. From my iPhone. I've been told the crowd estimate was twice as many as attend an AFL Grand Final at the MCG. Many started leaving as soon as the F35 had flown its display, due to the heat. A US C-17 taxied out for its display and taxied back with some kind of fault. So did the F-18 that was meant to close the show.

 

[ATTACH]38276[/ATTACH]

 

 

 

[GraemeK]

I now understand why I go on trade days - what an awful experience Peter! I can't imagine what it must have been like in that crowd in that heat.

 

 

[Thruster88]

My last visit to Avalon was in 2005, we got in a queue for about 20 mins, not long except it was at 1000' above the werribee sewerage farm with 30 other aircraft. The controllers were landing about one a minute. I have never been so scared in an aircraft. If you got the call to land just as you started another lap in the holding pattern a waste of several minutes. I see now they have some concept of getting the aircraft in a stream, should adopt the whole Oshkosh deal, only the controllers are allowed to talk.   

 

 

[spacesailor]

On that last post.

 

Is "Oshkosh" any different for the Not so healthy. IE A lot of places (including airports ) put easier access for the disabled.

 

Voting day I am often singled out & brought to the polling booths past that loong line of people.

 

Just a thought for 2020. Or when ever.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[fly_tornado]

Better stick to your pontifications about Wellcamp.

I'm not a Labor voter, but Victorian Labor have bought more trains year after year than any other government in Victoria's history.

 

The problem with Avalon is it's built out in the country where there's no requirement for public transport other than the few connectors for an airport about half the size of Coolangatta, and it's built on a windy plain, and it's developer would probably prefer to cover it in buildings like Essendon rather than trees.

 

Sorry about your day Red, it must have been a nightmare.

the beauty about buses is you can drive them anywhere, you just need the will to do it.

 

trains are mostly romantic hype, their footprint rarely covers more than 10% of any city, leaving the other 90% to run on cars and buses

 

 

[spenaroo]

yeah,

 

even without public transport woes, I heard it wasn't that great.

 

my old man went with his boss - who passed out from the heat. sounds like I didn't miss much by not attending.

 

I just didn't attend because I feel like its not worth it by yourself. its an event that is made by having company to chat with.

 

would love to experience it as a group, especially flying in

 

 

[spacesailor]

NOW.

 

That would be a Dream.

 

" would love to experience it as a group, especially flying in".

 

When in "club's", I've never been up the social ladder enough, to get Away-trips with the "In-crowd". even when I suggest a trip somewhere.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[red750]

Well, it's surprising how things can change. No - none of the above has changed. And no - my camera hasn't been found. I guess I can write that off.

 

However, my wife was looking on Facebook Marketplace ( as she regularly does) and came across a camera, virtually a more recent model of my lost camera, for sale for $90.00. These cameras are usually around $450 new. The advertiser said it had belonged to his father, who had passed away. So I have a camera once more. One or two differences from my model to learn, but basically it's the same, but with a more powerful zoom lens.

 

 

[red750]

In para 2 of post #11, I refer to a giraffe. This is what I mean.

 

[ATTACH]38302[/ATTACH]