Randon Thought On Metro Cards and How the MTA Might Be making a lot of Money!

[I Run Trains]

I was looking in another forum and something came to my mind that the

is probably making a lot more money than they are telling us and we might giving them more help than we think! why i say this! With the extra rides added on for every $10 card etc when you get under 2.25, a lot of people will throw their card away instead of refilling it. i know i found a lot of 5 10 25 50 cent cards or even hear people say i only have like 10 cents on my card and trashed it.. i noticed its mainly when you have less that 1.00 on you card and we are basicly giving the petty cash but it adds up to a lot of money each day!

 

do ya'll understand what im trying to say or see my point or and i just rambling?!?!

[Grand Concourse]

If there's a person in the booth, you could have the amounts from maybe 5 cards and consolodate them into one card.

[I Run Trains]

If there's a person in the booth, you could have the amounts from maybe 5 cards and consolodate them into one card.

true indeed but a lot of people dont know that!

we do because we are into the system!

[Grand Concourse]

Heh, more power to us! If you see a card on the ground and no one is around, pick it up and see if there's anything left Easy pickings.

[I Run Trains]

but do you understand what im trying to say in this post. i hope im making sense!

[Grand Concourse]

Oh of course, the average person is basically throwing away money because it is a pita to calculate the exact number to get to $0 balance.

[B35 via Church]

the average person is basically throwing away money because it is a pita to calculate the exact number to get to $0 balance.

That's another good point.

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Yeah, people throw away their money, and the MTA benefits from it (in this case)...

 

If people (try to) use their metrocard, and they come to find out the amount on the card is less than the actual fare, they consider that card null & void... and opt to purchase a new metrocard.....

 

They're not thinking that each time they chuck their metro's, that still has a few cents on it, over time, it adds up.... it's like taking 50 cents here, 75 cents there out of your pocket, and tossing it on to the street every week (or however often people buy metrocards)......

[Grand Concourse]

Agreed. Fortunately there's some cards with distinct 'ads' on the back, so I'd generally would keep the cards anyway. I don't bother with trying to calculate the balance. So if I have 5 cards left, I'm just going to pool them into one card.

[Lennyj17]

I blame the MTA for not better educating people to REFILL their cards instead of getting new ones when the METROCARD was first released. Now it's an Old Habit that wont be broken until the smartcards are here.

 

I've used a Metrocard for its entire Vaild time before (close to a year) most of the time I need to replace after 6 months because the stripe will start acting up at the turnstyles. that "Please Swipe Again" is so annoying and always happen when the train is right in your face with the doors open.

 

 

That also leads me to question why Unlimiteds could never be refilled in some type of way. This also leads people to throw PPR cards away instead of refilling them, because you have no choice but to throw an Unlimited away when its time runs out.

[NX Express]

I blame the MTA for not better educating people to REFILL their cards instead of getting new ones when the METROCARD was first released. Now it's an Old Habit that wont be broken until the smartcards are here.

 

They don't do it just for one reason: They need the $$$.

[gash22]

I think most folks know you can consolidate old metro Metro Cards, they just don't care, it takes more time and energy than it is worth for many people. I really don't know why people throw them out at all, they can be refilled, just keep it in your wallet and keep refilling it. Its really their loss, the MTA provides two ways to use the value on the card.

 

It would be nice to be able to refill unlimited cards; it would definitely be good for the environment, and would probably save the MTA a couple of bucks on replacement Metro Cards, I'm sure that adds up....

[Grand Concourse]

The cards are just so flimsy. It would be nice if they were made of slightly better material and didn't have a set time limit [ex: card expires on 3/31/11] so people would just refill their cards than to just buy a new card.

[Joe]

Why would anyone in their right mind pick something up off of the floor?

[Grand Concourse]

Someone who doesn't fear the cooties?

[Lennyj17]

It would be nice to be able to refill unlimited cards; it would definitely be good for the environment, and would probably save the MTA a couple of bucks on replacement Metro Cards, I'm sure that adds up....

 

Reduced Fare Unlimteds can be refilled, and at the MVM....Which further my confusion on why regular Unlimited cannot be refilled.

[gash22]

The cards are just so flimsy. It would be nice if they were made of slightly better material and didn't have a set time limit [ex: card expires on 3/31/11] so people would just refill their cards than to just buy a new card.

 

MTA's cards are as durable as any I've ever seen, many systems use a paperboard card. Its probably a balance between cost and durability, and I think the MTA stuck a good balance. You want a stupid card system, try Paris, they are paperboard and tiny, like the size of a raffle ticket.

[checkmatechamp13]

This reminds me of a time when I went on a trip with the YMCA. The person who was bringing us to a meeting put one fare too few on the card, and when I swiped it, it wouldn't let me through. He gave me another card that he had bought and I went ot the token booth clerk and she said that the new card had only 40 cents (20 cents on each card). Luckily, somebody in my group had a card of their own and swiped me in as the train came through. I repaid the favor by telling them to transfer to the 2 train across the Platform at Times Square (we were getting on at 50th Street), which allowed us to make it to the 3:30 Staten Island Ferry, as opposed to missing it by staying on the 1 train.

In the end, I ended up combining the 40 cents onto a card that was 40 cents short of the next ride. This was one full ride that was obtained through the little hassle of combining the card I had with the 40 cent card.

I can see why people throw out cards with spare change on them. If you end up missing a train because you couldn't get through the turnstile, that is proabably worth the extra 25 cents to the person. I don't agree with this logic, but I can understand it.

Hey, more money on my MetroCard