There Are More Than 9 Wrong Ways to Swipe a MetroCard

Subway ad image via Young Manhattanite; diagram from reader.

Have you seen those Jameson ads on the subway? Have they been making you feel like you've had one too many? Seems the inaccurate wording has some straphangers puzzled, specifically the part that reads: "there are 9 wrong ways to swipe your subway card." Let's ignore the fact that no one calls a MetroCard a subway card, and take a look at what one reader had to say:

It's been bothering me for weeks; the Jameson ads that claim that there are nine wrong ways to swipe a Metrocard. False...there will never be exactly 9 ways to swipe a MetroCard.

The reader also sent along a diagram, which found 15 ways to wrongly swipe a MetroCard (see the "math" after the jump), and asked if we could "publicly humiliate whoever is responsible for such foolishness." Seems some have been trying to do just that since March, but the wrongly worded ads are still running. What gives Jameson? Next you'll tell commuters they've only got 25 ways to leave their lovers?

So, one way of looking at the "wrong" way to swipe is the direction of your swiping. In that case, the wrong is depicted in swipe B. (Total of wrong swipes: 1)
Another, is looking at the way you're holding your metrocard. This is shown in C, E and G. (Total of wrong swipes: 3)

Another, is to say that you can hold the card the wrong way and swipe in the wrong direction. Then you've got B, C, D, E, F, G, H (Total of wrong swipes: 7)

Then throw in being a total moron and holding it vertically. Just holding it wrong gives you C, E, G, I, J, K, L (Total of wrong swipes). Holding it wrong and swiping the wrong direction gives you B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P (where MNOP are the wrong-direction vertical metrocards I didn't feel like drawing) That gives you a total number of wrong swipes to be 15.

But there is no combination of wrong swipes according to consistent rules of what is a "possible swipe" that would EVER equal nine.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Carlson in News on December 16, 2008 11:52 AM

Comments [rss]

vacantlook

Agree with the "slow news day" comments. Why discuss an ad that has been commented on already for months? Personally, I'm more interested in the MTA ads asking people with bikes to move aside to let people off the train before they board.

1) Why is this ad specific to bringing a bike on board? There are tons of assholes without bikes who don't let people out of the car before barreling in.

2) Why is the dude in the ad with the bike wearing fucking knee pads?

Guest

#24, that's a good point. They should know how many shots they've downed before they attempt to drive home (instead of doing the smart thing, which is take the subway).

r1b2

jaycjay, I hope you understood I was pointing out that our pal matty, #3 above, had misspelled ridiculous. I was poking good-natured fun at a fellow-excessive obsessive commentator. I did not misspell the word.

Poingly

This article seems to forget the only errors I've remember receiving incorrect swiping: "too fast" or "too slow"

Perhaps there are seven other error messages that appear on turnstiles which constitute "wrong ways."

Internet Handle

"To believe that ad was meant only for the MTA and its subway cars is obnoxiously vain. There are many places around the nation and world that have subways that use cards to go in and out of them."

In that case, they've been setting themselves up for many, many more mistakes in as many cities as they've put up ads. If they're going to indiscriminately advertise to a large general audience that includes hundreds of thousands of minors, they should at least get their math right so that said future alcoholic children grow up with at least the ability to count correctly.

jaycjay

"Um, what's rediculous is your spelling."

Oh, the irony...

Squard

Place the cut out corner in your palm and swipe. I ride the subway less than 5 times a year and I know this.

Guest

To believe that ad was meant only for the MTA and its subway cars is obnoxiously vain. There are many places around the nation and world that have subways that use cards to go in and out of them.

whantmoore

I think some needs to create a new jameson ad LOL good catch on the misprint

r1b2

Um, what's rediculous is your spelling.

r1b2

If you read this fast enough, at just the right angle, it looks like something about the right way to wipe Jenna Jameson.

whitecastlerock

must be a slow news day ...

reheatedspaghetti

C the correct way though.

ihateregistering

onthejobbob,

I think they purposely use the "bushism" to poke fun at him. A lot of their ads are politically charged/anti-Republican.

Spirit of 76

I swiped a Metrocard once. The guy I swiped it from wasn't very happy about it.

mrguy

no wrong way to enjoy a jameson, huh? how about chugging a bottle while doing 95 along the west side highway? that's cool with you? or perhaps mixed with a Nutrament?

Wza

Here's a hint...bend the card in half for a free ride...:D

Billiamsburg

subway ads r dum

Internet Handle

"the last 4 are so rediculous they aren't even worth mentioning."

Not if one is used to holding his or her card vertically on the bus system, and is a stranger to the horizontal orientation of the subway turnstiles.

And while we're on it, there are several wrong ways to orient a card when entering the bus. One might argue that a bus rider does not "swipe" a card, but the intake of the bus card reader could certainly count as an automated swipe. If we're assuming Jameson's "subway card" is actually the MetroCard and thus able to be used on the bus, then we can add the three bus mis-swipe options to the list.