Indy Ski Pass

[rebel1916]

Must be a recent Bolton thing.

At least the last 3 years and it's annoying. They made me go inside and get my wife who was getting geared up with the kids to come out and sign.

 

[Smellytele]

At Black and Cannon they have the actual hand held scanners so no difference in employees than with paper tickets. Waterville also.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

The hand held scanners for the rfid card may be the dumbest shit out there

 

[Zand]

Magic has them also but I also noticed a few people with wicket tickets. Weird.

I thought the handheld scanners were just a Vail thing but guess not.

 

[jaytrem]

Magic has them also but I also noticed a few people with wicket tickets. Weird.

I thought the handheld scanners were just a Vail thing but guess not.

I had a wicket ticket there this year with my Indy redemption. They also sold me a rfid card (I didn't feel like arguing). My kids only needed the rfid. Something went wacky with the system for mine.

I've seen handheld scanners at a number of Entabeni places. Not sure if I've seen any gates though. Personally I hate the gates. When something goes wrong the whole line stops moving, and it sucks when your card stops working.

 

[AdironRider]

In the 90s, VT ski area GMs estimated 5-10% of guests were unpaid. In an industry with such tight margins, that's the difference between survival and closure.

For most areas that implement RFID, they find it to be higher than that.

RFID not working at a gate is 100% of the time the users fault. Either the can't follow instructions and place it next to their phone / not in the right pocket or they have another pass on them. Or, they are playing dumb but they really don't have a ticket for that day.

 

[deadheadskier]

For most areas that implement RFID, they find it to be higher than that.

RFID not working at a gate is 100% of the time the users fault. Either the can't follow instructions and place it next to their phone / not in the right pocket or they have another pass on them. Or, they are playing dumb but they really don't have a ticket for that day.

I would say this is true today because I think the gate scanning technology has improved. A few years back I can remember having some issues for me and my kids where I'd either have to crouch down to get it to read my pass in my chest pocket or lift my kids up for it to read theirs. Hasn't been an issue the past few years. The gates have made having the little pass pocket at the wrist on a jacket sleeve a feature I look for when buying a new jacket.

 

[jaytrem]

RFID not working at a gate is 100% of the time the users fault. Either the can't follow instructions and place it next to their phone / not in the right pocket or they have another pass on them. Or, they are playing dumb but they really don't have a ticket for that day.

High, but not 100%. I've had 3 card go bad on me over the years. 2 were when they were new technology, 1 more recent. All were issued that day. Same deal with the ones I use at work, every so often one turns out to be a lemon. But yes, 99.999% likely some idiots fault, very annoying when they (and family/friends) are holding up the whole line.

 

[ColdRain&Snow]

I would say this is true today because I think the gate scanning technology has improved. A few years back I can remember having some issues for me and my kids where I'd either have to crouch down to get it to read my pass in my chest pocket or lift my kids up for it to read theirs. Hasn't been an issue the past few years. The gates have made having the little pass pocket at the wrist on a jacket sleeve a feature I look for when buying a new jacket.

I’ve noticed a big difference at stratton last season vs this season. I assumed they can adjust the sensitivity. Much better this year.

 

[Edd]

I keep the RFID cards in a jacket chest pocket which works fine everywhere except Gunstock. It'll always deny me once or twice before begrudgingly opening. So there I've switched the card to a glove pocket (where hand warmers go) and it works fine. Had Gunstock check out the card and they say no issues. BW has the same brand gates at the gondy and it works slick in the jacket .

I wouldn't agree it's 100% user error when it doesn't work. Shit malfunctions constantly, it feels like my whole life at work.

 

[Smellytele]

Had issues this year at Loon north peak chair and one gate at Bolton (worked fine on the other 3 gates on the quad).
At least with the hand held ones they give up and just let you go most of the time especially when they have seen you before that same day.

 

[jimmywilson69]

I'm short the gates seem to be a crap shoot for me. Keep the pass in my pocket.

The vail scanners work perfectly fine, I don't get the hate? Other than its vail LOL

 

[thebigo]

Cannon was scanning at the Cannonball over the weekend. Said it was for safety, they would know which lift you last rode if you went missing. Complete and total BS, top of Cannonball leads to damn near every trail on the mountain.

Then I skiied cannon with my daughter all afternoon today before she realized she didn't have her pass. Apparently the scanners believe a 12 year old girl has the face of a 45 year old man?

I am convinced the human scanners exist only to intimidate pass sharers, they are clearly not looking at the picture, something morally different about tricking a machine than fooling an old lady, even if the result is the same.

 

[cdskier]

I wouldn't say it is 100% the user's fault...but certainly close to that. So many times I see people twisting and turning to the opposite side of their body at the gates and it just makes no sense to not put the pass on the proper side to begin with. There's ample signage. Or you see someone pull a stack of cards out of their pocket when it won't scan.

I know they always say to put the card in a jacket pocket, but I actually found for me personally it works better in the pocket in my ski pants. At Sugarbush I rarely had issues pre-Ikon when it was a Sugarbush-specific pass. Once it became Ikon, then I had sporadic issues (it either wouldn't scan or would say unsupported card and I'd then if I just back up slightly and try again it worked). Then a year or two ago I moved it to my pants pocket. Since then I'd say I get an error less than 1% of the time. Previously it was maybe 5% when it was in my jacket pocket. And even when it was in my jacket, it was still in a pocket by itself. Maybe it was too close to my cell phone even though my phone was in a different pocket?

 

[JimG.]

Sleeve jacket pockets down near the wrist are the way.

 

[Edd]

I wonder if a wallet with multiple credit cards in the normal front spot in ski pants can mess things up at a gate. Even if the pass is in a separate pocket.

 

[abc]

Why am I the only one who rarely have problem with the RF id?

I mean, I’m short. I put them on different pockets depending on which jacket I’m wearing. I even put them on my pant’s pockets.… they almost always scan fine and open the gate!

 

[kbroderick]

Sleeve jacket pockets down near the wrist are the way.

Agreed, but then one might think they'd be ubiquitous in uniform jackets, let alone ski jackets in general...but they aren't. They make it much easier if the alignment or height of the gate isn't ideal, as moving your arm is a lot better than trying to move a hip pocket. The latter can be a lot more amusing to watch, though.

 

[Edd]

Why am I the only one who rarely have problem with the RF id?

I mean, I’m short. I put them on different pockets depending on which jacket I’m wearing. I even put them on my pant’s pockets.… they almost always scan fine and open the gate!

You’re literally not the only one.

 

[deadheadskier]

Why am I the only one who rarely have problem with the RF id?

I mean, I’m short. I put them on different pockets depending on which jacket I’m wearing. I even put them on my pant’s pockets.… they almost always scan fine and open the gate!

I don't think anyone here would expect anything less than perfection from you.

What's your secret?