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Originally Posted by Ruckus
So do people play along at home? Or is it like watching poker on TSN? (also kind of odd...i dunno)
That's alarming to hear the handi-transit system is funded through bingos. Does the government not agree that it is an essential service?
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You buy the cards at Mac's and a few other stores for three bucks, and play along with the TV. You use bingo dabbers. If you win, you call the number and give them the card's ID and they tell you if it is a winner or not. Near the end of each episode you usually see one or two false Bingos before someone actually gets it.
Our Handi-transit system is run by an NGO, but the city provides most of their funding (it owns the vehicles but doesn't employ the drivers). The Bingo game is a supplement to the city's contribution, and I think most of the funds go to their supportive housing facility and a couple other programmes that they run, like a retreat for disabled people in the rural areas.
http://www.hagi.ca/
It was established in 1975, and I guess the city hasn't seen the need to take over the service since then. I don't think it has ever been mentioned. The city buses are 100% accessible, we were the first city in Canada to achieve that, so it isn't like accessible transit isn't a priority. If HAGI had trouble keeping it going I am sure the city would step in to save it.