There’s a common term in the software development industry: “Eating your own dog food.” It refers to software development companies using their own products in-house.

One would think that a company like Translink would follow a similar principle. As the provider of transit for the entire Greater Vancouver Regional District, Translink should be encouraging they executives to take transit – or at least taxis – when they need to get around the city on business, right?

Wrong!

Last year Translink executives racked up over $154,000 in car expenses (CBC article). Translink CEO Patricia Jacobsen was the worst offender with over $14,000 in expenses, including a car lease!

“It’s a claimable deductions so it isn’t all of their expenses, but they need to have the mobility of having both transit and car driving,” she said.

Jacobson said the unfortunate reality is that people can’t get everywhere they need to go in the Lower Mainland by transit.

Unfortunate reality my ass. Maybe if Translink’s executives were forced to experience the awful service in some parts of the Lower Mainland, they’d actually do something to improve it