Comment by simoncion

> Buses have a long tradition of user-hostile design. "Exact change only"...

On every pay-in-cabin bus I've ever ridden, this is synonymous with "No change given". The machines are quite happy to accept more money than is needed for a single ticket, and the reason for that is pretty obvious.

> It has always baffled me why they make it so hard for first-time users in particular.

The SFMTA (the San Francisco bus/train operator) provides a document that addresses almost everything you brought up. [0] The "unhelpful and condescending and impatient drivers" thing isn't addressed, but I've never run into a Muni driver that was anything but helpful. [3] As an added bonus, the most useful information about fares is posted on the paybox inside the bus.

[0] <https://www.sfmta.com/getting-around/muni/how-ride-muni-quic...> (via [1])

[1] <https://www.sfmta.com/visitors> (via [2])

[2] <https://www.sfmta.com>

[3] Granted, sometimes that help is "I don't know where that is, but I know you can't get to it on this line.".