This Blog Has Moved!

My blog has moved. Check out my new blog at realfreemarket.org.



Your Ad Here

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Lazy And Incompetent MTA Employee

Here's another example of lazy and unqualified State employees.

I had a scratched MetroCard. It still had $30 on it.

With MetroCards, the value of the card is stored both on the card and on the server. That's a fraud-prevention technique.

If a MetroCard gets scratched, you can give it to a token clerk. He's supposed to transfer the remaining value onto a new card, and give you a replacement card.

The clerk didn't know how to process the transaction. He said in an authoritative-sounding voice "You have to mail it to the MTA for a refund." He was wrong. I left in disgust.

I found another token clerk who wasn't unqualified, and got a replacement card.

The vending machines and token clerks have more-sensitive card readers. There are cards that don't work in the turnstyles but will work for the token clerk and vending machine.

Alternatively, I could have found a vending machine that was able to read the card, added some money, and it would have given me a new MetroCard. Any MetroCard with less than 6 months to expiration will be auto-replaced if you put it in a vending machine and add value. Also, damaged MetroCards are sometimes auto-replaced.

It was pretty offensive, that the token clerk didn't know how to process the transaction.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

In London, UK we have Oyster cards for use on both buses and London Underground trains and probably some overground train services as well.

I lost my Oyster card a few months ago. It had about 20 pounds on it.

It was registered to my name and address.

I got hold of a replacement form and it said that an administrative fee of 20 pounds will be applied.

Needless to say I just purchased a brand new card.

This Blog Has Moved!

My blog has moved. Check out my new blog at realfreemarket.org.