ST. CHARLES STREETCAR

St. Charles Streetcar : New Orleans experience starts here

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This is a page with lots words, but read it!
You can choose one topic you're most concerned,
then read the rest of the page later if you like.

Getting Onto | In the Streetcar | Getting Off | Other Concerns

When you get in the Streetcar

• Before you get on the streetcar, you need to prepare a buck and a quarter for a ride. With a dollar and a coin (or coins) in your hand, get into the streetcar from the front door. A dollar goes into the money-eating machine, which a buck picture is painted on. Slid your bill into the mouth of the box. You can use all sorts of the US coins as well as a dollar bill. If you'd like to have a transfer ticket, pay 25 sents more, and your driver will give you a transfer ticket. The transfer ticket will be valid in a couple of hours. The bus lines which you can use with the transfer ticket are printed on the ticket. You can't use the ticket for coming back by the same line you're first on, of course.
• If you don't want to pay a dollar and a quarter each time you take the streetcar (yeah, it got more inconvenient when the new fares started on 9/18/99), you can purchase a RTA pass. There're three types of the passes, two VisiTour Passes for a short visit and TransPass, a monthly pass. Refer to the Other New Orleans Info page for more information.



• It's very easy to find the carstops. Usually, there's a simple stop sign with a small yellow rectangular plate saying "Car Stop." (See the photo left) On the St. Cherles Ave., the streetcar runs in the middle of the road, so you barely miss its stops.
• When you're standing in a line to get the car, someone may take long to figure out where the fare goes in, but be patient. If you're about to use lots of coins, they should be into the funnel-shaped equipment. However, you should be aware that its mouth isn't big enough to drain all the coins you're pouring at once, so pour them bit by bit, or it would be "a clogged drain." If you get confused how much coins you've already paid, you can ask a driver and he/she tells you. If you prefer a dollar bill, maybe so does everybody, it goes into the slid-mouth with a fake buck picture painted on it.

When you're inside the Streetcar

• Seats of the streetcar are made by wood, so your butt may get asleep if sitting for a long time. If you're traveling with three fellows, and you're getting along well with them, it's good to make the seats face to face. Just push the back of the seat towards the opposite direction. With a crash, now you and your buddys get an exclusive compartment!
• The view from window is beautiful in both sides of the street, but I recomend you to sit down the right side of the car in order to avoid disturbance from the other streetcar. Don't come and go and come and go from one side to the other. YOU will be a disturbance of the public. Just settle down, and plan to get the seat where you can see the other side next time.
• Don't put your dirty feet on the seat. It's stupid enough to let others know you're stupid. You may think you're so cool that the deed makes you much cooler. No! Take off your foot, and think twice. Sometimes you are scolded by a driver, and sorry, you get mad. Protect your wonderful vacation by yourself! Use your common sense if you have any.

When you're getting off the Streetcar

• When you get off the streetcar, use a plastic-coated wire (string?) above the window. Pull it and you'll hear the noisy buzzer sound. But notice! If you pull the trigger less than a second, the driver may fail to recognize the fact you're letting him/her know you're about to get off. Two or three seconds should be appropriate. If somebody's already buzzed, you don't need to do it again to annoy the others. The sound isn't very pleasant to the ear. If you're standing near the rear door, you'll find an old-fashioned black button on the left side of the door. Push it, and you'll hear the same noisy sound. If you're not sure where to get off, ask your driver and he/she tells you unless the car's really stuffed.
• You can use both the front door and the rear door to get off. Especially, at Canal Street, you'd better use the rear door because many people're waiting for a car to rush into. Attention, people!! The rear door is hand-powered!! Carefully stare at the small green light fixture above the rear door. When the light turns on, the door is ready to be opened by your hands. If the light isn't on, scream 'Back Dooooooorrrr' to let the driver know that you desperately need it. Push the door firmly outwards. The door may hesitate to be opened by your skinny arms. Push hard!! Don't forget the door is always manually operated, so once you successfully get out of the car, don't release it immediately or the person behind you get stuck, or worse, you'll hit his/her pretty face with the stubborn door. Hold the door until the next person surely recognizes he/she should hold the door as hard as possible. Always think behind.
• If you're getting off from the front door, get out of the right side of the door. People getting in use the left side to pay a fare. It's practical.
• Recently, I realized some people try to get off the streetcar from the door never opened. This means the left side door couldn't be used for both off and in. Some peaceful people wait in front of the invalid door until someone helps them or the car starts moving ahead. Some elated people yell. Use the right door, meaning by that, the door located the right side of the car, and if you choose it, you're right. You may think who's the hell such a stupid jerk, but you could be such a jerk unless you keep my warning in your mind.

Other concerns

• Keep in mind these two things.
  
  1. St. Charles Streetcar has the official departure and arrival stops. One is at Canal Street, the other at Carrolton Avenue. At each stop, passengers're supposed to get off the car. It depends on the situation, so I'm not gonna say about it anymore.
  2. This is very important!! No food and drinks're allowed in the car! If you just bought a cup of strawberry Daiquiri on Bourbon Street and don't want to throw it away, put the lid on the cup, and remove a straw from the lid. If your driver says no, just take a time to enjoy the drink until the next car comes. Don't rush to swallow it up. It makes a passerby feel suffocated. If you're rich enough to throw it away and buy one later again, just put it into the trash can.
• If you're waiting for the streetcar really long, but it hasn't come, there should be some accident. Take a cab or wait until the car would come. BUT the car may not come in 5 hours or more. It depends on the situation. Good luck!
• If you want to get to the Audubon Zoo, you need to get off the streetcar in front of Tulane University (see the photo above right). It is the white building next to Loyola University, built of red bricks (see the upper photo). You will find a gate of the Audubon Park, so you wait over there, and a white Audubon Zoo shuttle bus will pick you up for free. The shuttle will come every 15 minutes or so. However, you can walk through the park to the zoo, and it'll be nice. It may take 20 or more minutes, though.
• The streetca's power sorce is ELECTRICITY. So, if thunder comes, and lighting hits the power line, the car may be unable to move without its power supply. If you're in the car, you can enjoy the thunder inside the car. But if you're waiting for the car, watch out! You may see a bus coming towards you in St. Charles Avenue. Not only when the power line is broken, but when some accident happens to prevent the car from running, the St.Charles Avenue bus would be dispatched. If you're waitng for a long time, and see a bus coming, move to the sidewalk and wait there. The bus should stop to pick you up.
• More coming soon......... maybe.........

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