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  1. #1

    RFID Tickets

    I have been to many areas that have this technology - it works great.



    I just read that Wachusett now has it. http://www.telegram.com/sports/20170...ectronic-rides

    I wonder why Sugarbush has not invested in this system. Is the initial investment too much?

  2. #2
    I am not a fan of rfid systems. Ticket scanners make the resort feel more human. To me it seems like this societies stupid obsession with wireless, kinda electronics with the slow inefficient wireless chargers and bluetooth for earbuds.

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Benski View Post
    I am not a fan of rfid systems. Ticket scanners make the resort feel more human. To me it seems like this societies stupid obsession with wireless, kinda electronics with the slow inefficient wireless chargers and bluetooth for earbuds.

    I have yet to visit a resort with an RFID system. My last trip off the mountain to ride in the past 2 years has been to Black, Loon, and Mt Snow, and all still employed ticket checkers.

    The number of "gates" that would be required at Sugarbush for such a system would be pretty high. You'd need to cover all your "bases": Valley House, Bravo, Gate House, GMX, Sunny D, and Inverness, and possibly the Village Double. And also you'd have to hit Slide Brook on the Ellen side as well, since the Mt Ellen only passes would stop you there. And you'd also have to, I assume, staff at least one person at the gate to get those invalids out of the line somehow. I'm not sure how it all works, to be honest.

    The point of the resort feeling more human is also a part of it. The ticket checkers are your first line of defense for such questions as "where's the best snow?" "is heaven's gate open?" "how do i get to Mt Ellen?" "Is there any beginner terrain off the top of Castlerock?" etc etc. I've always liked that about Sugarbush.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Benski View Post
    I am not a fan of rfid systems. Ticket scanners make the resort feel more human. To me it seems like this societies stupid obsession with wireless, kinda electronics with the slow inefficient wireless chargers and bluetooth for earbuds.
    Personally - I like technology that makes things more efficient. I like my fast lane pass,... I do not miss the toll booths on the Mass Pike. I like my Iphone and Ipad - I don't miss going to the library. I could go on and on,.... I do enjoy to say hello to the ticket checkers,... my kids love Bogo - But it is a minor annoyance when the scanners don't work and you see empty chairs going up. I have been to other areas - and they work really well. As far as the investment - I have no idea what the cost is. But maybe they would not need to install gates at ALL chairs. They could install on just the busy ones. Some of the others chairs could be staffed by manual ticket checkers with a gun. Any investment in the hardware would be returned over time,... AND any money saved could be used to invest in more snow making.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Benski View Post
    I am not a fan of rfid systems. Ticket scanners make the resort feel more human. To me it seems like this societies stupid obsession with wireless, kinda electronics with the slow inefficient wireless chargers and bluetooth for earbuds.
    Regarding the human element, you still have a person monitoring the RFID gate, standing there talking to you, asking you how your day is going... iin fact that person is often more freed up to be human and engaging because he/she is not struggling to find your bar code and scan it. If all is going smoothly through the gate I always see those people right there at the gate talking and joking with everyone at stowe and when i went to jay.

  6. #6
    Scanning is a nuisance. You have to fish out your pass to present it, the scan guns usually take a few tries to read the barcode, and the scan personnel gum up the lines (and mostly add no particular warmth or friendliness to the place). It annoys me EVERY time I have my ticket scanned and I think paying scanners is possibly the dumbest possible use of SB resources.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Orca View Post
    Scanning is a nuisance. You have to fish out your pass to present it, the scan guns usually take a few tries to read the barcode, and the scan personnel gum up the lines (and mostly add no particular warmth or friendliness to the place). It annoys me EVERY time I have my ticket scanned and I think paying scanners is possibly the dumbest possible use of SB resources.
    With the amount of criticism that you voice Orca, this may not be the mountain for you. Stowe may indeed be a place you might enjoy more.

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by winjr View Post
    With the amount of criticism that you voice Orca, this may not be the mountain for you. Stowe may indeed be a place you might enjoy more.
    Wow. Maybe try counting to ten next time.

  9. #9
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    I missed this. LOLOLOLOLOL Seriously dude that is your opinion? Over the last 3 weeks I have been at all resorts with RFID and it is seriously way easier and better. What it does is gets people verified prior to lining up to get on the lift. You never see empty chairs or empty seats. My sugarbush pass never works. I can't tell you how many times my group has to wait for me in line. I am going to try new media again to see if it gets fixed. Hey even the lifties say those scanners suck.

    Quote Originally Posted by Benski View Post
    I am not a fan of rfid systems. Ticket scanners make the resort feel more human. To me it seems like this societies stupid obsession with wireless, kinda electronics with the slow inefficient wireless chargers and bluetooth for earbuds.
    Trouble with you is the trouble with me,
    Got two good eyes but we still don’t see!

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Hawk View Post
    My sugarbush pass never works. I can't tell you how many times my group has to wait for me in line. I am going to try new media again to see if it gets fixed. Hey even the lifties say those scanners suck.
    This happens to me all the time. The lift attendant tries scanning and after about 10 seconds, I say "Beep!" and they let me go through. Probably 25% of the time.

    I also don't think that the pass office is too keen on giving out a new pass card to see if that works. I could be wrong. Here's my experience with them. I lost a pass on a run through the woods a couple of years ago. It broke off. When I went to the pass office to get a new one, I felt like I was getting a hassle about it. It was unreasonable for me to trace my tracks back up through the woods to find it and going to the pass office was my only option. Not too sure why I got such a hassle or if that's standard practice to try to make people more responsible about caring for their pass. Now I am afraid of the people in the pass office

    I also agree that the team at HG are always very personable.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by BarkingDog View Post
    I also don't think that the pass office is too keen on giving out a new pass card to see if that works. I could be wrong. Here's my experience with them. I lost a pass on a run through the woods a couple of years ago. It broke off. When I went to the pass office to get a new one, I felt like I was getting a hassle about it. It was unreasonable for me to trace my tracks back up through the woods to find it and going to the pass office was my only option. Not too sure why I got such a hassle or if that's standard practice to try to make people more responsible about caring for their pass. Now I am afraid of the people in the pass office
    My experience when I lost my pass (happened at ME last year) was extremely smooth. They gave me a new pass no questions asked. I don't know why, but I was actually expecting it to be more of a hassle.

  12. #12
    The initial investment would be high but would pay off in several years with savings on some ticket checkers salary and burden. Still need someone to man the gates and deal with issues. My issue with the scanners is when one pass won't scan and they hold up the line and empty chairs start going up. After a couple seconds just look at the pass and verify it like the old days

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Dblshot View Post
    The initial investment would be high but would pay off in several years with savings on some ticket checkers salary and burden. Still need someone to man the gates and deal with issues. My issue with the scanners is when one pass won't scan and they hold up the line and empty chairs start going up. After a couple seconds just look at the pass and verify it like the old days
    Just looking at a pass and verifying it only works for the paper tickets. It doesn't tell you if a pass is inactive, hotlisted, etc. For instance, I have a collection of passes. I seem to get a different one each year as an employee. Just one of them is active. But you'd never know it until you scan them as they have no years listed on them. For someone else who may have had a pass from a previous year and doesn't this year, they could in theory put that pass on their jacket and if they don't get scanned, the ticket checker would never know that's a bad pass- if going by the look only.

    When I used to check tickets (and still do, on occasion), if I got a bad pass, I'd try scanning it a couple times, then ask them to move outside the line for further instructions. I agree, we don't want to send empty chairs up, but at the same time, you can't let someone with an invalid pass get past the base of Bravo (or Valley House or Gate House or GMX). The old "I'll get it taken care of next time" doesn't work as they can easily disappear on the upper mtn, enjoying HG or the Rock all day for free, knowing they got past the base. That's just not fair to those who purchase passes or tickets.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by shadyjay View Post
    Just looking at a pass and verifying it only works for the paper tickets. It doesn't tell you if a pass is inactive, hotlisted, etc. For instance, I have a collection of passes. I seem to get a different one each year as an employee. Just one of them is active. But you'd never know it until you scan them as they have no years listed on them. For someone else who may have had a pass from a previous year and doesn't this year, they could in theory put that pass on their jacket and if they don't get scanned, the ticket checker would never know that's a bad pass- if going by the look only.
    Very valid. I technically have 2 passes, but only one is active. Last year I fell on FIS and lost my pass (didn't realize it until I was going into the Glen House for a break). Once I realized it I figured there was little chance of finding it as I didn't even know exactly where I lost it (and there was a lot of powder on the bumps that day so figured it was buried anyway). Went down to the base and got a replacement. A little while later I'm loading on summit chair and see my pass sitting on the control panel. Someone found it and gave it to the lifities. I picked it up next time around as it still had the retractable pass holder attached (and in tact). Looking at the passes you wouldn't know one is valid and the other isn't.

    Although fwiw, I've had several times where my pass wouldn't scan and the person just waves me through (not sure if that is because I've been through the line already a few times and they recognize me or if that person just does that anytime they have problems scanning).
    Last edited by cdskier; 01-27-2017 at 11:47 AM.

  15. #15
    I am also not sure mountains save money with RFID since the Chips cost more than paper tickets. Stowe charges you $5 for there RFID tickets presumable so people reuse there chips.

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