I could spend hours venting on this, but I will try to keep it to a minimum.
Thursday night I re-loaded my metrocard with $90.00. I used that night for the train and then the bus.
Friday morning, I was able to use this metro card to take the express bus and then the local bus.
Friday night, I run to the train station to try to catch my 6:30 bus.
I try to swipe my metrocard multiple times. It wasn't working. I go to the agent. Explained the issue.
I told him, I have over $60 on my card. I just used it this morning.
He responds " I could see you have $61.25, but you can't use it because it's corrupt".
Me: Can you please transfer the balance to a new cerd".
Agent: No, I can't since is not swiping
Me: If it was swiping, I wouldn't be speaking to you on this issue.
Agent: You need to get a new card. Here's an envelope. You need to MAIL that one in.
Issues:
1. Why can't the agent not have ability to reload the balance to a new metrocard ?
2. Would have been nice for the agent to at least let me in and reduce the balance from my card.
3. Now I needed to spend more money loading a card.
4. Wait, even do this is a problem with the metrocard, I had to pay the $1 fee to get a new one.
A dollar might seem meaningless, when you think of this as an isolated issue, but how many people have this happen to them? How much money is the city making?
It looks to me, that creating a more efficient system is not in the MTA favor, as they will lose out on the fees of getting a new card.
5. I also now need to buy a stamp.
Which is money and time.
The MTA is also banking on this, because probably customers that have low balances on their card, won't mail it in.
That is free money for the MTA.
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