What Would Walt Do?

Disney’s customer service practices are legendary. One practice that sticks in my mind concerns upkeep of Disney theme park grounds. Imagine the horse-head hitching posts on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom getting a fresh coat of paint every night. That's what they say happens. Of course, it may be an exaggeration. But it makes the point that folks at Disney really care about atmospherics. Applying the concept to mass transit means keeping stops free of litter and clutter. Instead of taping up notices everywhere, they would be restricted to overhead panels. It means transforming interiors regularly with a fresh coat of paint, nightly scrubbing floors and seats, polishing metal and glass surfaces, and replacing rather than Duct-taping torn upholstery. Walt Disney once recalled his wife was skeptical at first about his plans to build Disneyland. Why would he want to build an amusement park, when "They're so dirty," she asked. "Mine won't be," Walt replied.