manus manum lavat [translation]

I have a plan.

I ride Caltrain to work, so I shell out a lotta bucks for a monthly pass. When I recently found out about the pilot "GO Pass" program, I was pretty excited. From the Caltrain FAQ:

What is the Caltrain GO Pass?

The Caltrain GO Pass offers unlimited rides on Caltrain for a full calendar year for a low price of $79.50 per employee, with every eligible employee required to participate.

Employees benefit because they are provided with a great commute alternative that won't result in any additional taxes. Per Internal Revenue Service regulations, up to $100 per month is excludable from the gross income of an employee for transportation with transit passes provided by an employer.

To participate in the pilot Caltrain GO Program, interested companies must enter into a written agreement with Caltrain. The company must also:

• Provide Employee Verification stating how many full-time employees (working more than 20 hours per week) are employed by the company at each participating location.
• Pay $79.50 per each full-time employee or a minimum of $5,565 per company, whichever is greater, before receiving the passes.
• Have a photo badge for each employee, to which the company will adhere the GO Pass sticker.

Interested companies can call Caltrain at 650.508.6292.

Start up my own company! From my perusal of the rules so far, the primary requirement is that the passes are only for full-time employees, defined as working more than 20 hours per week. This seemed a little difficult to work around, but then I realized I could "hire" people to sleep, then offer them a Caltrain annual pass at a reasonable rate. Since most people sleep at least 40 hours each week, it'd be a full-time gig, and by allowing people to work at home all the time, I might even be able to get some grants for telecommuting studies or something.

I'm still working out some of the kinks, so you venture capitalists just hold off for now, okay? You'll all have your chance to woo me, I promise.

Last updated by eric Fri Oct 21 21:20 2005 | thought | link