CTA ticket scam?

[Vlad/Igor]

A few weeks ago, I was in Chicago and was buying a CTA fare ticket to be used early the next morning. On the vending platform (the Adams St. Station next to the Hilton) was a guy who kept putting a fare card in to the vending machine and checking the amount left. He offered to use the card to let me in, but I declined. I later saw him use the card to let a woman through the turnstile, in exchange for $2. Just after I got my card, he suggested I check the value of the card in the machine he had been playing with, and I declined. I though he might have been trying to transfer the money on my card to his. Has anyone else run across this? Is it possible to transfer money from one card to another using the card vending machines?

Vlad/Igor

[mbetter]

Transferring amounts between cards is not possible.

When he offered to swipe you on for $2, he probably had a transfer on his card so the fare deducted would only be $0.25 (I think, this might have gone up.) The $1.75 difference would be his profit.

[jnglmassiv]

Yes and he was probably checking the card in the machine repeatedly to make sure the transfer hadn't expired. They go away after 2 hours.

[Vlad/Igor]

I see. Thanks. My daughter was with me at the time; she'll be attending Columbia starting 2010-2011, so I'll let her know about that.

Chicago is starting to grow on me.

Vlad/Igor

[jnglmassiv]

Originally Posted by Vlad/Igor

... so I'll let her know about that.

The "Chicago way" would be to reply to his $2 pricetag with a $1 counteroffer. Be firm.

[ScatteredFrog]

Or it could be the guy had a 30-day unlimited ride.

Heh...I've actually considered, say, after getting off a train to let someone else in with my 30-day CTA card if CTA raises their fares again.