So what’s about the most basic information that a transit system could possibly be interested in? Ridership. And what is it that CATS is now saying that it might not have reliable data on? Ridership. If you don’t know how many people you’re actually carrying, how can make rational decisions about where to add or reduce service or how many buses to buy? You can’t. In most any other business, this sort of a problem will get people fired. Not in the wonderful world of government-run transit in general, and in Charlotte in particular, whether this issue rates less than 300 words in the Charlotte Observer. Pathetic.