RFID Lift Tickets

[gladerider]

Went to Courchevel in Les Trois Vallee in France this past Christmas week. They had RFID lift tickets. Way cool and fast !!
No one bar-coding you and slowing down. You just approach the turnstile and walk through. Just like EZ Pass.
It was just like a piece of paper credit card, just half as thin.

I hope this technology comes to the US soon.
I think the days of people walking around with 20 lift tickets dangling on their jackets are numbered....

Gladerider

 

[billski]

so what happens if you fail to pass? Turnstile locks and you block the line?

 

[gladerider]

People give you a nasty look. In fact, when I had the ipod and the lift ticket in the same pocket I had problems.
I had to move my lift card to my thigh pocket. This solved my problem.

Other than that, I did not see a failure once including other people.

 

[JimG.]

Went to Courchevel in Les Trois Vallee in France this past Christmas week. They had RFID lift tickets. Way cool and fast !!
No one bar-coding you and slowing down. You just approach the turnstile and walk through. Just like EZ Pass.
It was just like a piece of paper credit card, just half as thin.

I hope this technology comes to the US soon.
I think the days of people walking around with 20 lift tickets dangling on their jackets are numbered....

Gladerider

Bleech!! I hope it never comes here.

Where's the soul...going skiing to feel like you're in the subway. Horrible.

 

[thebigo]

Were the season passes also RFID?'

I imagine theft of services would be rampant.

 

[tcharron]

Went to Courchevel in Les Trois Vallee in France this past Christmas week. They had RFID lift tickets. Way cool and fast !!
No one bar-coding you and slowing down. You just approach the turnstile and walk through. Just like EZ Pass.
It was just like a piece of paper credit card, just half as thin.

I hope this technology comes to the US soon.
I think the days of people walking around with 20 lift tickets dangling on their jackets are numbered....

Gladerider

There's no reason why they can't make it smart enough to NOT need a turnstyle.

All they really need to do is have the readers read as you line up to get on the damned chair. Determine the number of riders, verify the tickets have that many, never stop unless someone fails, and then, pull em aside. Basically, someone needs to do an integration effort to make it part of the lift process. Many companies don't do this, and as a result, the process is bulky and awkward. Build the new process INTO the old one, instead of tacking it on.

A perfect example is the guys with the mobile barcode readers. There really is no reason for them to have to weave thru the line and barcode. It's inefficient and unreliable. I can crank out duplicate barcodes all day long with a 50$ printer in the car, and they're spending money to annoy people. Now, how can you make the identification of riders on a chairlift easier. Barcodes can be used, but only if you can 'corral' the riders thru, one at a time, which is annoying and inefficient. Spot checking with portables is the least invasive, but at the same time, feels like being questioned by the authorities. But unfortunately, there really isn't a good way to integrate it.

Proximity badges may work better, but are prohibitively expensive.

RFID presents the same capabilities, but if done right, can be integrated into the lift environment so no one can even tell they're there.

Better ideas?

 

[bvibert]

I can crank out duplicate barcodes all day long with a 50$ printer in the car...

You could, but only one of those tickets would work at a time. The scanners are setup to only accept the same bar-code every so many minutes (the minimum amount of time that a lift ride and run would take). At least that's the way the it's setup where I work. I really fail to see how the bar code scanning is that annoying. The only time it's bothersome is when the scanner holds up the line and causes empty chairs. If there is already a lift line then it doesn't really matter.

 

[JimG.]

You could, but only one of those tickets would work at a time. The scanners are setup to only accept the same bar-code every so many minutes (the minimum amount of time that a lift ride and run would take). At least that's the way the it's setup where I work. I really fail to see how the bar code scanning is that annoying. The only time it's bothersome is when the scanner holds up the line and causes empty chairs. If there is already a lift line then it doesn't really matter.

Pttthhhhhhhhhhhbbbbbbttttttt!! Hate those stupid scanners. The people who use them are often untrained. I've seen empty chairs even when it is busy. Pisses me off.

One day this past weekend I got scanned every time I went for the chair, yet my 2 sons weren't even checked for a pass or ticket once. What's the point? Are they keeping track of me? Sorry, I'm not that interesting.

The thought of turnstiles is sickening. I can just see the chaos and delays.

Note to Austin (awf170) and Steve (riverc0il): ideas like this would be the reason I start to join you guys on earned turns only (an approximation) status.

 

[tcharron]

You could, but only one of those tickets would work at a time. The scanners are setup to only accept the same bar-code every so many minutes (the minimum amount of time that a lift ride and run would take). At least that's the way the it's setup where I work. I really fail to see how the bar code scanning is that annoying. The only time it's bothersome is when the scanner holds up the line and causes empty chairs. If there is already a lift line then it doesn't really matter.

Because it makes one feel as if they're presenting their credentials to a military police officer in order to enter the country.

I'm skiing, I paid to be there. I want to ski down, get back on a lift, and not have to 're authenticate' my identity every single time I get into line. Yes, I know, it's only checking for valid barcodes, but I guess it feels like being pulled over by a police officer who wants to inspect my license plate every time I drive by. And in the end, it's an ineffective use of time and money.

 

[Greg]

At least that's the way the it's setup where I work. I really fail to see how the bar code scanning is that annoying. The only time it's bothersome is when the scanner holds up the line and causes empty chairs. If there is already a lift line then it doesn't really matter.

Perhaps as a liftie, you have a different and more tolerant perspective when you're skiing. I've seen a number of empty chairs at Sundown due to scanning issues. I've done what I can by cutting a hole in my pass holder arm band, but it still sometimes fails. I guess I can't blame the scanner. The kid is just doing his/her job, but the manager should inform them that keeping the line moving is priority one.

Now....after I type all that I realize that a missed chair, or two, or five is probably really not going to affect my ski day much overall. After all, I probably spend three times as much time fixing my boots at the summit. It's just annoying; that's all.

 

[wintersyndrome]

Where's the soul...going skiing to feel like you're in the subway. Horrible.

Theres 'soul' in removing trees from the earth to print our tickets on?

why not have refillable-reusable system like e-z pass, metrocard, we already have them with our season passes using RFID technology only keeps the gaper "ticket scanner" out of our hair...if the "turnstyle" was something like an airport metal detector (Open and not clunky) i really wouldnt care.

none of us were resistant to technology when releasing bindings and metal edges were used on skis, why be resistant to technology with lift-tickets?

<sarcasm>
Now if we really want to speed up the lifts What I propose be installed at the unloading station of the lifts is a mechanism similar to the one that clears all of the fallen bowling pins at the bowling alley. The purpose would be to clear the unloading slope of fallen children, gapers, soccer moms and anyone else who happens to spaz out getting off a chairlift, yes of course the mechanical arm would have some sort of foam padding to avoid bruising, but think of how fast people would learn to unload and move out of the way at the top...your thoughts </sarcsam>

 

[JimG.]

Theres 'soul' in removing trees from the earth to print our tickets on?

why not have refillable-reusable system like e-z pass, metrocard, we already have them with our season passes using RFID technology only keeps the gaper "ticket scanner" out of our hair...if the "turnstyle" was something like an airport metal detector (Open and not clunky) i really wouldnt care.

none of us were resistant to technology when releasing bindings and metal edges were used on skis, why be resistant to technology with lift-tickets?

<sarcasm>
Now if we really want to speed up the lifts What I propose be installed at the unloading station of the lifts is a mechanism similar to the one that clears all of the fallen bowling pins at the bowling alley. The purpose would be to clear the unloading slope of fallen children, gapers, soccer moms and anyone else who happens to spaz out getting off a chairlift, yes of course the mechanical arm would have some sort of foam padding to avoid bruising, but think of how fast people would learn to unload and move out of the way at the top...your thoughts </sarcsam>

I don't use no stinking paper tickets...I have a little plastic season pass. Not very soulful I admit, but certainly more tree friendly.

I'm not getting any soul from going through something that works like an airport metal detector either...is thinking I'm in the subway or the airport my only choices? If so, I'll pass.

However, thumbs up on the lift unloading idea.

So, where's the confetti?

 

[Grassi21]

Bleech!!

Pttthhhhhhhhhhhbbbbbbttttttt!!

Jim, you are starting to sound like a kermudgen. ;-)

 

[gladerider]

The turnstiles there were just like the NYC subway turnstiles.

There was a turnstile for each chair seat, so if the chair was a quad, there were 4 turnstiles. The lines moved really fast. This was the part I liked.

 

[mitchmac]

<sarcasm>
Now if we really want to speed up the lifts What I propose be installed at the unloading station of the lifts is a mechanism similar to the one that clears all of the fallen bowling pins at the bowling alley. The purpose would be to clear the unloading slope of fallen children, gapers, soccer moms and anyone else who happens to spaz out getting off a chairlift, yes of course the mechanical arm would have some sort of foam padding to avoid bruising, but think of how fast people would learn to unload and move out of the way at the top...your thoughts </sarcsam>

Take that one step further. If your RFID doesn't check out OK when you get off the lift...wham!!...mechanical arm slams you on the side of the head! No lift line issues, no corrals, no bar code checkers, etc.....

 

[bvibert]

I'm skiing, I paid to be there. I want to ski down, get back on a lift, and not have to 're authenticate' my identity every single time I get into line. Yes, I know, it's only checking for valid barcodes, but I guess it feels like being pulled over by a police officer who wants to inspect my license plate every time I drive by. And in the end, it's an ineffective use of time and money.

They don't know you've paid to be there until they scan your ticket, that's the point. Sure the liftie might be able to remember you've already been scanned, but there's a lot of people that move by him in a given day, it's tough to keep track of. That's not to mention the real reason to scan every time, if they only scanned you once then there's nothing stopping you from giving your ticket to someone else after that initial scan so they too can ride the lift. It would be nice if everyone would just pay for their ticket before loading the lift, then we wouldn't need all these elaborate schemes. Believe me, neither the management nor the lifties like having to scan you every time and listen to your non-stop complaining on the issue. It's the way it is, get used to it. Just have your freaking ticket ready and line will go faster, that's your proof of purchase...

 

[bvibert]

Perhaps as a liftie, you have a different and more tolerant perspective when you're skiing. I've seen a number of empty chairs at Sundown due to scanning issues. I've done what I can by cutting a hole in my pass holder arm band, but it still sometimes fails. I guess I can't blame the scanner. The kid is just doing his/her job, but the manager should inform them that keeping the line moving is priority one.

Keeping the line moving is priority, and the scanners are told so. As Jim said though, they are often untrained.

 

[wintersyndrome]

Take that one step further. If your RFID doesn't check out OK when you get off the lift...wham!!...mechanical arm slams you on the side of the head! No lift line issues, no corrals, no bar code checkers, etc.....

Full contact lift service...it'll keep the whimps off the mountain

 

[JimG.]

They don't know you've paid to be there until they scan your ticket, that's the point. Sure the liftie might be able to remember you've already been scanned, but there's a lot of people that move by him in a given day, it's tough to keep track of. That's not to mention the real reason to scan every time, if they only scanned you once then there's nothing stopping you from giving your ticket to someone else after that initial scan so they too can ride the lift. It would be nice if everyone would just pay for their ticket before loading the lift, then we wouldn't need all these elaborate schemes. Believe me, neither the management nor the lifties like having to scan you every time and listen to your non-stop complaining on the issue. It's the way it is, get used to it. Just have your freaking ticket ready and line will go faster, that's your proof of purchase...

Comedy...here's the funny part:

the best way to make everyone happy, especially the ski area who wants to make sure everyone paid, is to permanently attach little paper tickets in plain view to each skier.

Oh, wait, that's what everyone is trying to replace with these schemes as you call them.

 

[tcharron]

Comedy...here's the funny part:

the best way to make everyone happy, especially the ski area who wants to make sure everyone paid, is to permanently attach little paper tickets in plain view to each skier.

Oh, wait, that's what everyone is trying to replace with these schemes as you call them.

Bah, RFID & Tazers. Don't stop people from getting on the lift. Have the lift tazer them all the way up if they don't have a ticket.

Combine that with the unload removal system to unload the poor bumblings electrocuted foolz, and....

No lines, no waiting!