Here’s a weekend look at even more ongoing failure. More than a few people have e-mailed me a recent offer from The Kansas City Strip that offers a great glimpse at their impending failure.
D-bags in the comments can offer semantics but by and large, discounts ALMOST ALWAYS signal desperation from a struggling business. It’s basic economics, when something is in high demand there’s no need to give it away.
From the outset of the Kansas City Trolley that took a loan from this Cowtown for half a million dollars, there were complaints about the cost. Now an Internet special signals that the architects of the local failure have taken those considerations to heart.
Unfortunately, it’s probably too late.
These discounts don’t solve the very simple problems with this transportation scheme:
People would rather use their cars and stay mobile.
There was never any demand for a pub crawl EVERY weekend in Kansas City.
There are too many “deadspots,” i.e. “sucky clubs” on the KC Strip Route.
So, I expect some complaints that the situation isn’t all doom and gloom for yet another local mass transit fail. But if people were lining up for this thing then there wouldn’t be any need for a discount. And don’t give me that silly Internet trend excuse: Because Groupon really hasn’t powered that much biz no matter which local hack social media “expert” wants to offer a quote for TV along with his or her thin resume.
I suspect we’ll hear arguments that the Strip really is successful right up until the very end. But I would not advice people to hold their breath waiting for Kansas City to get their money back on this completely (obviously) doomed deal.
Tony Botello
Kyle Rohde
Groupon doesn’t work? Ask Blanc, who sold something like 7,000 coupons in 24 hours, if all that extra traffic drove sales. Tony, you’re right about the Trolley being an abject failure but,as usual, your over-the-top comments overshadow the truths in yiur writing.
bobv
Agree with Kyle!
craig glazer
Tony you need to give some credit to Nigro for making a monster effort to turn mid town around.
He worked on this for a couple years and ran into this entertainment deprssion. Not Bill’s fault. Tony Bill makes zero for doing this, so lets be fair, he is a good guy trying to make our city better.
bschloz
I got a coupon from Proctor and Gamble today…are they desperate? Also saved a few bucks from a Hen House coupon…are they going out of business?
I’m sure they are trying to find their way with this project…I don’t know ins and outs of the financing..just know its better for KC to have these Trolley’s cruising around than not.
Hell Tony maybe $5 is the magic #…maybe they can tweak the route don’t know. Only costs Labor, gas, ins. Hope they make it work.