I HATE MetroCards!! I never use 'em myself, but I was just in line to buy subway tokens and had to wait for umpteen people to complain to the clerk that their MetroCards didn’t work for one reason or another. And the goddam subway system is slowly phasing out tokens, which actually WORK 100% of the time!
WHY do they take perfectly good things that work (AT&T, vinyl records, subway tokens, card catalogs) and replace them with “modern” crap that does nothing but cost us huge amounts of cash and break down every five minutes?
Speaking as someone who has spent long periods of time in subway stations in July and August, I can say that Hell would be a refreshingly cool alternative.
Fuck tokens. I love MetroCards, and I will defend them as befitting their merits. Compared to the benighted token days, when you could wait over a week on line at Times Square or Columbus circle, waiting a few minutes for someone to make a bogus complaint is practically paradise.
You don’t want to stand behind some no-brains complainer, then buy a MetroCard in one of the conveniently located machines! You don’t even need cash: just dip your credit/debit card and away you go.
I don’t mean to sound like an ad for the MTA, but the advent of MetroCards has cut down my commuter time helluva lot. And shit, with the amount I travel on the subway, buying a monthly for $63 is a deal.
I’m embarrassed to say I’m with Maeg on this one. I used to be a staunch advocate of tokens, too, but then they started giving away a free ride with every $15 card. And THEN I noticed that I would save quite a bundle if I bought the $63 Monthly Unlimited Use card.
So I’m a cheap son of a bitch…blame my “Scottish” great-grandfather.
Fuck Metrocards. You lose a token, you lost $1.50. You lose a MetroCard, you’ve lost up to $63.
Your MetroCard gets wet or creased? Doesn’t work anymore! No such problem with tokens. You can toss a few tokens in your pockets, your purse, your briefcase, and always have a few handy.
MetroCards you frequently have to swipe and swipe and swipe till they work—tokens ALWAYS work the first time.
MetroCards are the tools of Satan. [No, not THAT Satan . . .]
Eve, I love you, but have to admit that I love Metrocards, too.
I never carry a lot of cash with me and love that I can buy a Metrocard with my credit card. I love that I don’t have to stand in that long-ass line with the tourists who never have their money ready. I love that I don’t miss a train because the guy in the booth is moving at the speed of Valium.
I haven’t had any problems with wet or crumpled Metrocards, either. Of course I keep mine in a protective sheath (har har) which is very handy to grab from the outside pocket of my bag.
I also like the free rides and the fact that I don’t have to carry around extra weight or accidentally mix tokens with coins.
As an added bonus, my Metrocard holder has a lovely poem on it:
from To Autumn by John Keats
Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun:
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;
Aww… “close bosom-friend” always cracks me up - I’m soooo immature.
Yeah, Eve…Sax is absolutely right. See, whatcha do is, you buy one of those $1.98 leatherette keyholder/changepurses from the Chinese junkshop that city ordinances declare must be at the head of every subway entrance. Stick your card in there, along with a couple of tokens (for the Mystery Day when the card suddenly ceases to work, thirty days having elapsed). Shove the whole thing into the front pocket of your shoulderbag. Boom. No lost card, no crumpling, no soaking, unless you happen to fall into the East River.
Surely it’s because I’ve just moved to New York, but I love the whole subway experience. Well, maybe not the whole experience. The crowds aren’t terrific. And the people who stand in the doorway instead of moving into the middle of the car can bite me. But only having to deal with paying for transportation once a month, being able to read while communting, not having to drive, not having to pay car insurance… it’s such a treat. How long before the novelty wears off and I begin to loathe the subway?
Eve, maybe you ARE in hell. And waiting in lines for tokens is part of your eternal punishment. That would explain the copy editing job. And the ten pounds that won’t go away…
You didn’t notice anyone trying to roll a large boulder into the subway car, did you?
Well, I don’t mind the Metrocards…except for one thing: (keep in mind that I am kinda short)
So, imagine it’s rush hour, and I’m at some super-crowded station, and there are crowds pushing to get through the turnstile. I’ve got my Metrocard in my hand…
I swipe it through, and start to walk through the turnstile, another commuter pushing at my back… but for some reason the machine doesn’t take the card, and WHAM! I walk right into the metal bar, which jams right into the ol’ uterus…
You kidding? tokens have failed me plenty of times. My TransitCheck Unlimited Monthly is a life saver.
Tokens always got mixed up with other change.
Tokens kept coming back in the token return slot 'cause the turnstile was full or just broken.
Tokens always got jammed in one turnstile or another.
Lines for tokens were way too long, and the token machines they tried out for a while weren’t working so well.
I love my MetroCard, and the metro card machines? Cake!
Well, I’m just an ol’ country boy, but I visit DC pretty often to see relatives or just take the kids to the zoo or spend a day at the Smithsonian. I used to drive through the city before I discovered the metro …never again, it takes a few minutes to decipher the maps and figure out what cards you need for the day, but it sure beats the hell out of fighting the traffic. It’s nice to park fifteen miles out and leave the driving to them …I’ve never had a problem with the cards and my grandkids love it.
“Shucks, Grampa, this is more fun than a hay ride”
Of course, you’re right. Forgive my assumption that all Metros’ are the same. I was only speaking from my own limited experience.
I’ve only visited NYC twice in my life and I’ve driven both times. I was and still remain completely awed by that great city, the only detractor being the traffic.
If and when I have the pleasure of visiting again, I plan on using the Metro based on my experience with the DC system. Maybe then I can post with a more informed opinion.
