Perth is delusional if it believes it's helpful and properly signposted.
Arriving at East Perth coach terminal yesterday, and having to go to the WACA for my connecting bus. East Perth being a gross generalisation of connecting services, apparently.
The signs available were espousing the wonder of transport maps, and wayfinder signboards. But, I was asking too much and there was no way to realise the 34 bus came nowhere near the station.
Me being super-capable, and the German backpacker being super-capable, meant we had planned plenty of time to work it out for ourselves. (Him going to Karratha). But, nowhere was there anyone saying: I will help. Or, even an accurate geographical map to expose discrepancies in the system.
And it's the little things that were causing issues. How do you pay on a Perth bus? Or, when they signpost station, what kind of station do they mean? Or, what if my device gives out and I don't have a backup information source? For sake of mind, just telling me where East Perth connecting buses actually run? (The answer was nowhere because they don't approach a terminal)
In the end I walked into the city to hitch a ride with family.
This is how every trip to Perth feels too. It's a unnecessarily difficult sprawling city that's designed for and by insiders. I haven't used a form of transport here that gives me satisfaction due to good planning. (Don't start me on the walking issues.)
At least the people I met along the way were nice people!
#PerthWA #PublicTransport #FuckCars