Topic 'Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently' in forum 'Canadian Chat' - dslreports.com

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 20:08:26 EDT

Gone posted : There is no more human intervention required for a machine to insert the right validation sticker into an envelope, print the label and drop it into a bin that Canada Post picks up once a day to send to you than there is for the machine to spit it out into your hand. In both cases, the only human intervention required will be to refill the machines with new stickers or to fix the machine when it breaks. The difference is that with online fulfillment you have one machine at one location somewhere in the province versus the 60 or 100 or whatever number of kiosks they had all over the province. Online fulfillment, as a result, will be a *lot* cheaper, especially since you've already got farms of Ontario IS&T servers serving up web pages flogging the government of the day's programs to keep Ontarians happy.

One should also remember that they charged a $1 "convenience fee" to use the Service Ontario kiosks, and one would assume those fees were used to cover the costs of their deployment, maintenance (e.g. refilling the validation stickers and the heat paper) and to send out a unionized repair guy anytime some kid at a mall decides to take out some anger by breaking it.

When one considers this and the fact that online fulfillment will require even less human intervention (not to mention the fact you won't have some punk breaking the machines) it's easy to see that they simply cost too much and that it makes sense to get rid of them. It would just be nice if they were upfront about it rather than using security as an excuse.

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 20:03:35 EDT

kingb71 posted :

said by LazMan:

I always found the ServiceOntario kiosk's to be incredibly handy and effective. No wonder the gov't wanted to kill them off...

The level of security required is compariable to an ATM; and less then doing the transaction online - I can't think of any possible reason why the system couldn't be brought back online.

Likely because the Gov't hitched their cart to antiquated technology. They can't handle chip cards and card numbers were getting skimmed by thieves who installed something on the machines.

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 19:45:58 EDT

Wolfie00 posted : A valid point. However, the purpose of taxpayer dollars is to provide services for the public. The kiosks provided a great convenience, and the costs could not have been that great even considering the bloated bureaucracy that they probably had to support them. Nor is ordering through the web in any way "free" -- it's not just the website, but the whole bureaucracy of order fulfillment. At the kiosk, the whole thing was done with no human intervention at all.

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 08:59:54 EDT

Gone posted : Money. Providing these services online through a website they already have rather than those kiosks is, by comparison, is free.

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 08:11:37 EDT

LazMan posted : I always found the ServiceOntario kiosk's to be incredibly handy and effective. No wonder the gov't wanted to kill them off...

The level of security required is compariable to an ATM; and less then doing the transaction online - I can't think of any possible reason why the system couldn't be brought back online.

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 07:59:26 EDT

peterboro posted :

said by FaxCaps :

said by fast4ward:

show to the popo as part of the process.

What the heck is the popo?

Slang for police in urban hip hop culture. What you not watch quality television. :)

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 07:57:28 EDT

anon posted :

said by fast4ward:

show to the popo as part of the process.

What the heck is the popo?

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 07:27:29 EDT

TLS2000 posted : Obviously he was standing over it and bent down in such a way that the plates looked right side up from his perspective. lol
--
Tom

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 06:46:52 EDT

Bob Anderson posted : I moved recently so yesterday I went to city hall to the Service Ontario desk for an address change for my car license, registration and OHIP. Took all of 10 minutes. Previously I tried doing it online but their site was flakey and I couldn't complete the process.

A funny thing: last summer I saw an elderly man's old Buick with both his front and rear plates on upside down. I can't fathom how anyone could make that mistake.

-Bob

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 06:35:04 EDT

MichelR posted :

said by donoreo:

Bummer. I always get my sticker from them.

I renewed online last year and got the sticker in the mail a few days (less than a week) later. So that works pretty well.

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 06:34:00 EDT

MichelR posted :

said by One plate :

said by TLS2000:

there's not really any need for the validation sticker at all.

How many prov's still use stickers? I haven't seen that in ages.

Also, how many prov's still require 2 plates? Another thing I haven seen in decades.

Lots of jurisdictions have two plates. That's much better as far as I'm concerned. If cops are looking for a car (stolen, stuff like that) and driving in the opposite direction they can see it right away. Stickers are indeed a pain (I hate trying to put it on right), but as somebody else pointed out it's a quick way to see expired plates.

Lots of things your seemingly haven't seen. Get out more, maybe. :p

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 23:26:52 EDT

peterboro posted :

said by Wolfie00:

Since I'm in a new suburban area it might appear in the "superbox" down the street which I visit maybe once a month, because all my bills and correspondence are handled over the Internet,...

I guess visiting more often when one is expecting something is out of the question then...on the other hand people with dogs tend to walk them and perhaps going to the superbox might kill two birds with one trip...or you could walk the other direction I suppose.

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 22:09:53 EDT

fast4ward posted :

said by Gone:

said by TLS2000:

Considering police cars are capable of running every plate that comes into view on their cameras these days, there's not really any need for the validation sticker at all.

Running a plate requires a cop to type in every single license plate into the computer as they're driving, versus the cop just seeing the colour of a sticker and knowing it's expired.

The other day noticed a SUV in front of me still had MAR 2012 sticker :huh:
PS I'm not a cop

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 20:20:50 EDT

CanadianRip posted :

said by bt:

They've been down since June after credit/debit security violations were reported to the Government, and now the government is pulling them completely.

As far as I can tell there's no need for these things anymore anyhow. It seems to me every purpose they once served can now be done and then some online.

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 19:49:51 EDT

Gone posted :

said by BGB:

There is technology that exists that can read plates and tell you if there is an issue. That's one way certain states knows which cars owe outstanding parking tickets so they can boot them. It's also the way the 407 tells if you enter their toll road.

The 407's APNR is a bit different than what they use for vehicles on the road, but either way its not cheap. Peel Regional has a few cars equipped with it, so does Buffalo. A few cars is one thing. Equipping *every* car with something that costs a lot of money to buy is another.

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 19:46:20 EDT

anon posted :

said by TLS2000:

there's not really any need for the validation sticker at all.

How many prov's still use stickers? I haven't seen that in ages.

Also, how many prov's still require 2 plates? Another thing I haven seen in decades.

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 19:40:58 EDT

BGB posted :

said by Gone:

said by TLS2000:

Considering police cars are capable of running every plate that comes into view on their cameras these days, there's not really any need for the validation sticker at all.

Running a plate requires a cop to type in every single license plate into the computer as they're driving, versus the cop just seeing the colour of a sticker and knowing it's expired.

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 19:34:26 EDT

Gone posted :

said by TLS2000:

Considering police cars are capable of running every plate that comes into view on their cameras these days, there's not really any need for the validation sticker at all.

Running a plate requires a cop to type in every single license plate into the computer as they're driving, versus the cop just seeing the colour of a sticker and knowing it's expired.

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 19:19:17 EDT

TLS2000 posted :

said by Gone:

Haha.

When one thinks about it, there's really no need for validation stickers at all. The only reason they exist is to generate revenue by allowing cops to quickly glance at a sticker and see it's expired without running the plate.

Considering police cars are capable of running every plate that comes into view on their cameras these days, there's not really any need for the validation sticker at all.

What's retarded is I have a friend with three cars. He has to go get insurance on one of them just to get the sticker even though he hasn't driven it in over a year.
--
Tom

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 19:04:48 EDT

elwoodblues posted : Do it online, they mail it to you and it doesn't cost extra

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 18:51:39 EDT

urbanriot posted : I didn't even know these existed or what they'd do for me.

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 18:43:42 EDT

fast4ward posted : Was on the Ontario website today and happened to notice you can now order them online as late as the last day before your birthday. As long as you have an six digit etest pass number if necessary ,credit card and odometer reading, the sticker will arrive in the snail mail. I guess they must provide a letter you can print and show to the popo as part of the process.

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 18:34:24 EDT

Gone posted : Haha.

When one thinks about it, there's really no need for validation stickers at all. The only reason they exist is to generate revenue by allowing cops to quickly glance at a sticker and see it's expired without running the plate.

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 18:16:50 EDT

Wolfie00 posted :

said by Gone:

said by Wolfie00:

But as for "doing it all online," I don't see the little slot in my computer where the license sticker would come out. Is it part of the coffee-cup holder that slides out when I press the little button? :D

Assuming you don't have the little slot on your door, it'll magically appear inside a box mounted to the side of your house in 3-5 days. :p

Since I'm in a new suburban area it might appear in the "superbox" down the street which I visit maybe once a month, because all my bills and correspondence are handled over the Internet, and when I do my monthly visit to the physical mailbox it's generally so packed with junk mail that I have to pry it out with a crowbar and throw it en masse into the recycling. :)

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 17:25:25 EDT

Gone posted :

said by Wolfie00:

Assuming you don't have the little slot on your door, it'll magically appear inside a box mounted to the side of your house in 3-5 days. :p

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 17:06:57 EDT

Thane_Bitter posted : It's and old joke but still relevant:
The Ontario Government - "we are closed to better server you!" :D

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 17:04:45 EDT
Wolfie00 posted :
said by Gone:
because everything you used to do with them can now be done online...

I agree that sending the message that this was "temporary" was indicative of yet more incompetence.

But as for "doing it all online," I don't see the little slot in my computer where the license sticker would come out. Is it part of the coffee-cup holder that slides out when I press the little button? :D

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:58:51 EDT
Gone posted : I wish they would have just come out and said they're shutting them down because everything you used to do with them can now be done online, rather than making up excuses like this.

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:54:09 EDT
Wolfie00 posted : Typical McGuinty knuckle-dragging imbecilic incompetents! :mad:

I can manage my finances including making cash or cheque deposits, payments, or withdrawing cash at any bank ATM with no security concerns -- but there's no way to get a license plate sticker from a government kiosk without all hell breaking loose!

The problem is easily solved by firing the incompetents responsible and fixing the system using mature and readily available technologies. Instead, higher-level incompetents are covering for lower-level incompetents by abandoning the entire investment (hey, it's only taxpayer dollars, it's not like it's real money) and scuttling any pretext of public service. What a bunch of totally useless imbeciles! :p

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:51:26 EDT
puzz1ed posted : Seems easy enough to just require chip & pin cards. The industry is moving to that already.

Re: Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:41:09 EDT
donoreo posted : Bummer. I always get my sticker from them.

Service Ontario Kiosks being shut down permanently

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:30:42 EDT
bt posted : They've been down since June after credit/debit security violations were reported to the Government, and now the government is pulling them completely.

»www.theglobeandmail.com/news/nat···4958645/