ding-dong, ding-dong

[spatch]

Here's a handy Red Line translation: "ding-dong, ding-dong, bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt" coming from a busted-ass PA does not mean "This train will be standing in the station for 10 minutes for schedule adjustment."

It means "This train will be standing in the station for 10 minutes with the doors wide open so that all the nice cold air can come in and replace the limited amounts of warm air that the half-broken heater was trying to pump out. For schedule adjustment."

And we all know what 'schedule adjustment' means, anyway: the 9:20 train is so late, we're gonna just pretend it was the 9:35 train all along.

Oh, and hey, good luck installing those Charlie Card turnstiles in South Station, guys. The new turnstiles are all being put on one side of the lobby concourse (to the left if you're coming up from the subway platforms.) The regular turnstiles are still on the right. There's gonna be a lot of confused people being redirected all the way across the concourse.



Unrelated PS: Is anybody still playing Puzzle Pirates on the Midnight ocean anymore? Would your crew enjoy the company of a dude dressed all in green with a turban who just happens to be a superstar bilger? I have a sword. And a house and I bought a piece of driftwood for my house.

Comments

[spatch]

Yeah, the Charlie Card is the new rechargable card system which will eventually do away with tokens, like NYC's Metrocard or DC's whatever-they-call-it system (which they've had for like, how many decades now?)

The cards won't be tied to any personally identifiable information (unless you pay with a credit card, I guess) so presumably they can be interchangable. I've never gotten any shit for letting someone else use my anonymously-purchased monthly pass, for instance, even though it's "signed" with a scribble on the back. YES THIS IS MR MMMLMMMLMM. JUNIOR. NOW LET ME THROUGH THE TURNSTILES.

As far as resale, well -- some in NYC find discarded Metrocards with a little value left on them, and "sell" swipes to people. They'll stand by the turnstiles and take people's money directly, then swiping the card they found. I do believe that the law doesn't exactly smile upon that enterprising application. PS they're not fare collectors

[jimmystagger.livejournal.com]

A friend of mine who works as a token collector says fare evasion is going to triple because the people in the booths (who will apparently now be "customer service reps" or some such aren't gonna look at the cards.

[jmspencer.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but even NOW you can't swipe your pass twice, at least not in the stations where I've tried it/seen it tried. The second time through, even at a different turnstyle, just fails to work. One assumes that the new turnstyles will do the same thing with the CharlieCards (or CharlieTickets, until the cards come out)

Also, from what I can tell, the CharlieCards will ONLY be purchasable by credit card. The only ones that you will get that won't be tied to personal info will be the single-purchase CharlieTickets. Of course, I may be wrong.

[jimmystagger.livejournal.com]

I'm still gonna dump 50 cents in the coin thing and walk through the turnstile, hoping the person in the booth doesn't notice.

[spatch]

When lines get long, South Station opens the handicap gate and posts someone by a large open box who says EXACT CHANGE COME RIGHT THRU, DOLLAH AND A QUARTAH, TWO PEOPLE TWO-FIFTY.

A coupla nickels sound just like five quarters, you know.

[allicat42.livejournal.com]

yeah, see, these new breeze card thingies - the one time use or whatevers - the nice MARTA customer service people told us to hold on to them cuz that's how you get the gate to open when you leave the station. Then you can throw it away.

Rrrright. Let's just say that when I got off at the airport, the silly looking gate things were open and people were streaming out. What's keeping people from streaming in? etc.

[vanguardcdk.livejournal.com]

Actually that's how the ticket/pass system works on the London Subway. You buy your tickets, hop on the ride and then use your ticket/pass to open the gates to let you out.
(which conjures up all sorts of mental images of losing your ticket on the train and being stuck in the London Tube forever...probably end up in a Neil Gaimen story)

[seph.livejournal.com]

Having only ridden the metro in the D.C. area, I thought that's how it always worked, you know, universally. You have to put your ticket in the machine to unlock the turnstile on your way out. Didn't know it worked otherwise.

Thanks a lot for not paying your fares

[(Anonymous)]

Hey everyone, thanks for not paying your fares. That's really awfully considerate to the rest of us. And you wonder why the trains don't run on time. You know it does take a bit of money to maintain the system. And none of you are helping by cheating. What makes you think that you have a god-given right to pay less than everybody else? Ignorance is bliss, huh?

Re: Thanks a lot for not paying your fares

[spatch]

Hi, Mr. Grabauskas. Your subway needs work!

PS: I haven't dropped a coin in any receptacle since 2004. I do a lot of pass-swiping, though.

[granuaile.livejournal.com]

The new Chicago Cards have a passback 'feature'. IIRC, you can pass it back for someone else to use it right after you, and they only charge you a $10 (monthly) fee for the priviledge!

[metahacker.livejournal.com]

I was able to pass the same Charliecard/ticket through the same turnstile four times in quick succession on the Blue Line, to get my family through. This was in full sight and at the offering of the station manager, who was explaining why he couldn't take my tokens; the machine told me I could buy the cards with either plastic, cash, or old tokens.

The card then became a souveneir. Since cards cost $0, I don't see them as being effective people-trackers; just drop your spent card on the ground, like people do in NYC, and pick up a new one whenever you feel like it.

My major complaints involve the ergonomics. I don't want to let go of the card; and the turnstiles are weird, slow, and make you break stride as you pass through. Gonna lead to some long lines during rush. Also, it is ridiculously easy to crowd 3-5 people through one opening cycle; probably more if you're friendly.

[jmspencer.livejournal.com]

What I was talking about was the difference between the CharlieCard and the CharlieTicket. The Card, which is not yet released, is rechargable, trackable, and does not become a souvenir. However, should you recharge it, I'm sure it WOULD be able to be swiped in succession. If, however, you have a monthly pass stored on it, as I will, I believe it will do the same as if you try to swipe a pass in quick succession now. Similarly, with the CharlieTickets now... as you experienced, when you put fare money on one, you can swipe it again and again until it is empty. However, I have found that you can't do it when you have a monthly pass stored on it instead of a set amount.

[bedfull-o-books.livejournal.com]

Currently I get my pass through work (yay for pre-tax dollars). I am wondering how they are going to work it once they go from Ticket to Card.

I wonder who I ask about that....

[jmspencer.livejournal.com]

i'm in the same boat. My guess is that they'll still send out tickets as passes, but I'm not sure.

[metahacker.livejournal.com]

Ah. Hmm. Well, it's a problem with the transit passes now, but it makes sense; I think it's inherent in offering "unlimited" swipes, which isn't what they want (they want unlimited travel by one person). Perhaps your "unlimited" pass could also have some "guest money" on it so you could bring along extra people, at one swipe per (first swipe per 10 minutes is free). My college dining cards work this way; you get three meals free every day, plus some guest allowance.

[spatch]

The turnstiles also really suck at the Airport stop if you're coming thru with luggage and stuff. There's a way to slide your bags through but it's not of decent size.

[buymeaclue.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I've seen people go through different turnstiles and I think I've done it myself.

I like it when I swipe my card and hit the turnstile full speed and go, "Oof!" because hey, it's a new month.