Subway Fare Sign is Unfriendly to Tourists

[BrooklynBus]

http://www.sheepsheadbites.com/2013/01/subway-fare-sign-is-unfriendly-to-tourists/

[Quill Depot]

Anything is unfriendly… tourists become absolute idiots when they visit the city

 

Edit: Unclear

[BrooklynBus]

What are you trying to say?

[CDTA]

What are you trying to say?

 

 

He's saying the tourists would find one way or another to be confused about it, regardless of how clear it is.

[LTA1992]

Which is true. Even simple things like the sliding doors on the SI Ferry are an enigma to them. And I'm not joking.

[BrooklynBus]

What about the comments from New Yorkers (in the comments section of the blog) which say they are also confused?

[FamousNYLover]

When PATH was $1.75 and when MTA was $2.00, when I was at 33rd St Station, there was one female lady was using PATH MetroCard Vending Machine thinking it was MTA Machine, and when I help her try to get Single Ride Ticket, she was confused when price showed $1.75.

 

Even with MetroCard Vending Machine says, "PATH" OR "AIRTRAIN" ONLY, still tourists get confused.

[B35 via Church]

On a couple occasions I have had random people ask me either:

 

1) what is a "MVM" (to answer this, I always point to the machine & smile/snicker)

2) "how do you use this / this machine"

2a) how much do I put in this machine to get a metrocard

3) *some question about single ride*

 

It's gotten to a point with #2, where I should be wearing that purplish vest those S/A's wear....

Anyway, I've even been offered a tip on a couple occasions for helping said people use the MVM's (usually a buck; one couple surprisingly offered a 5 spot... these people you can pretty much tell they're tourists.... a native NY-er will give you his/her ass to kiss before they'll give you money for helping them for something like using an MVM); I always wave my hand, as if to say keep your money.... No problem.

[checkmatechamp13]

A couple of questions about the MVMs: Usually, when I need to add money or combine cards, I go to a token booth clerk. Is there any way to do it using an MVM?

[B35 via Church]

A couple of questions about the MVMs: Usually, when I need to add money or combine cards, I go to a token booth clerk.

 

Is there any way to do it using an MVM?

 

Nope.... You either go up to the s/a or mail in your metrocards (I think there's a limit as to how much you can mail though)

 

You wouldn't see near as many MC's on the ground if you could combine MC's via the MVM....

[qjtransitmaster]

Want to know how dumb tourists really are look at the amount of them buying single ride tickets NUFF SAID!!!!

[Grand Concourse]

And I'm sure you know every system well enough before hand when using them,eh? "Sorry not everyone knows everything beforehand and it's best to laugh or insult them."

[LTA1992]

Not hard to read really.

[Fresh Pond]

The funniest one are the people using the SBS machines...people get so used to machines like that in the train stations, they think is a touch screen.

 

...kinda amusing watching them fail, without seeing the blue area that says "touch to start"

[NYCRailfan523]

Even for me as a New Yorker, this is confusing. They should have said better words on the poster and printed the letters not in fine print but in a bigger size.

[BrooklynBus]

Even for me as a New Yorker, this is confusing. They should have said better words on the poster and printed the letters not in fine print but in a bigger size.

 

 

It certainly is. Where can you change between the 2, C, J and Staten Island Ferry? (No nasty comments please)

[BrooklynBus]

A couple of questions about the MVMs: Usually, when I need to add money or combine cards, I go to a token booth clerk. Is there any way to do it using an MVM?

 

 

You should be able to add money at an MVM. Otherwise, it would be totally unfair to charge for a new card.

[Rick44]

I remember a time when I bought a brand new Metrocard at an MVM with $2.25 on it, about 5 months ago. I went to purchase a new Metrocard, it asked how much I wanted on it, I selected "Other Amounts", typed 2.25, and got a Metrocard, avoiding the extra 25 cents. Haven't tried that recently though.

Anyways, to the tourist thing, I've been asked questions similar to B35 via Church's post. I've felt like needing the purple vest too. I've even gotten to the point where if I see someone confused with the subway map, I ask them if they need any help to get where they're going. Sometimes they are still going to be confused, no matter how clear you make it. Could the MTA do better? Yes. Will it help in the long run? I don't know.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I personally think two things need to happen... People need to learn how to READ!! People in general not just tourists are extremely LAZY and would rather be spoon fed then take the time to figure it out themselves. Sad but true... The tourists are no better... The reason I say this is because I've used transit systems in Europe and in Canada that weren't in English and did just fine. Granted I speak Italian, Spanish and some French and German, but still. I just simply read... Another thing I did when traveling to other cities was I got a feel for their transit system in advance. It's only wise to do that. Takes a few minutes just to see how things work esp. since you know you're going to be traveling around using another system.

 

Now the only time I got screwed over was when I was returning from Pisa to Florence on an Inter-city train. I didn't know that I had to stamp my ticket before boarding the train. They had these yellow boxes at the end of each platform (usually) (sometimes I couldn't always find one) and I was fined 5€ as a result, even though I explained to the ticket collector that I was an Italian-American and that was only my second time using Trenitalia. The problem was that the first two times I had used the train and bought a ticket, the damn ticket collector never came to collect my ticket so I was under the impression that they collected the ticket and that was it... The thing is if you don't stamp the ticket then you can keep it for several months. Obviously with MetroNorth and the LIRR the ticket collector stamps your ticket for you, so I had to train myself to get into the groove to do the opposite... Then I realized that it's the same way with the buses too though with ATAF (main bus company in Florence) and the same system used by all bus systems throughout Italy unless it's a commuter bus.

 

In that case I can understand being confused, but what annoys me is that folks assume that the doors on the bus just automatically open when it says "Touch Tape to Open Door" right in front of them.

 

Now the isn't off the hook either. They need to start hiring people that can write properly and actually know the damn system because I get tried of reading about detours on the website that are totally inaccurate and just wrong. Have someone put up the detour directions, have them review them and then have another competent individual review the damn directions before posting them on the website.

 

---

On a side note, I'm really curious as to why you can't add odd amounts or combine amounts on to your MetroCard at a MVM?? I mentioned this a while back and it's quite annoying because you have to go to a token booth clerk, which means that you're basically out of luck if you lose the card because they have no way to trace the card, whereas if you use a MVM machine you can pay with a credit card or debit card (though personally I think it's wiser to use a credit card for reasons I've mentioned before) and you can get your money back should you lose the card.

[BrooklynBus]

 

In that case I can understand being confused, but what annoys me is that folks assume that the doors on the bus just automatically open when it says "Touch Tape to Open Door" right in front of them.

 

Not to say you are wrong, but I think people get confused due to the different exit doors. Not all the buses open automatically when you touch the tape, only the newer ones. On the older ones, you have to exert pressure by pushing the door a little to engage the hydraulics. Then many times, the hydraulics are broken and you have to use full pressure to open the doors. It's also impossible to tell the driver it is broken because you are already off the bus, and to tell him before, it is awkward to just yell when you know you can still get out. They really need to test those doors themselves periodically so fewer are broken in service because I have this problem about 30% of the time on the RTSs.

 

 

Now the isn't off the hook either. They need to start hiring people that can write properly and actually know the damn system because I get tried of reading about detours on the website that are totally inaccurate and just wrong. Have someone put up the detour directions, have them review them and then have another competent individual review the damn directions before posting them on the website.

 

I fully agree. I thought the same thing when they hired me and told me the first modern Brooklyn Bus Map was going to press that day in 1981. I asked to see a copy and found 96 errors. (I still missed 5) My boss stopped production to have them corrected. I couldn't understand how it could have been proofread and with so many errors not spotted. Who was doing the proofreading, I asked myself? Anyway, I don't even recall anyone even thanking me for saving them so much embarrassment.

[CDTA]

You can combine Metrocards in an MVM. Someone showed me how to do it awhile back.

[CDTA]

Also, regarding the rear door fiasco, in other TA's they open by themselves, and only a selct few buses have the "TOUCH YELLOW TAPE TO OPEN DOORS" sign, on the other ones \, thay have it, but it's very small, and could easliy be skipped over.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

You can combine Metrocards in an MVM. Someone showed me how to do it awhile back.

 

I don't see how if you can't add odd amounts to your card using an MVM...

[BrooklynBus]

You can combine Metrocards in an MVM. Someone showed me how to do it awhile back.

 

 

And therein lies the problem. the machine should have been self-explanatory. You should not have required help.

 

 

I don't see how if you can't add odd amounts to your card using an MVM...

 

 

According to Andrew (JC) you can add as little as a nickel to your card. I think you select "other amounts" and then type it in.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

According to Andrew (JC) you can add as little as a nickel to your card. I think you select "other amounts" and then type it in.

 

Yes a nickel but that's as low as you can go...You cannot add odd amounts... In other words, if my card has $3.82 on it I want to add $1.68 to make $5.50 for the express bus, it will not let me. It has to be an even amount (i.e. $1.65, $2.00, something with a round number that doesn't involve pennies) even if you're using your credit card, which is ridiculous. I can see them not wanting to take pennies but if you're using your credit card what do they care? That's what is annoying. They give you a bonus which leaves you with an odd amount on the card and then you can't get the full amount on the card without going to a token booth clerk and paying in cash which I stopped doing years ago. It only happens once in a blue moon, but occasionally I've misplaced my card and it was great not to have to shell out another $50.00 or whatever I put on the card since I used my credit card so they just reimburse you if you report it lost or stolen.

 

I actually have to go today to refill a few cards... I have a Pay-Per ride I've been using for the two previous weeks because of the long holidays and then I started a 7 Day Unlimited Express bus Plus card last week, so I'm going to refill both and see what happens, because I'm sure I have an odd amount on my Pay-Per-Ride and I want to use it for Thursday and Friday so that I can start the 7 Day again on the weekends like I usually do.