Pre-Fare Hike Unlimited Metrocard Chaos In UES Station

When one Upper East Side subway station was not prepared for the final transition over to the newly-priced unlimited Metrocards post-fare hike, straphangers freaked the fudge out. The Post describes the scene at the 86th Street station for the 4, 5, 6 where commuters were "banging the station agent booth window, crying, and forming lines that were 30-people deep at the card vending machines — until one broke down." Since yesterday was the end of the grace period for monthly cards purchased at the pre-fare hike rates, many were forced to exchange their $81 cards when they wouldn't swipe. The station had a mere 50 pre-paid envelopes to give to riders to mail their not fully-used MetroCards back to the MTA for a pro-rated reimbursement that were quickly snatched up, adding to the chaos. The Post says there wasn't even a sign up letting riders know that their old cards wouldn't work. While a NYCT spokesman has already apologized to riders, one commuter told the paper, "I'm hot, frustrated, and they should have honored the old cards. This is bull." No word on if he was crying while quoted.

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By Billy Parker in News on August 5, 2009 5:48 PM

Comments [rss]

Matt Joyce

When will we learn? MTA employees should all be beaten like dogs. We need to make it legal to beat MTA employees at will. They should be flogged liberally to ensure proper operation of the transit system.

KiljoyWasHere

A line of 30 people at the machines during rush hour is standard for that station.

[mis]inheritance

Yes, it is. That must have been a very annoying incident.

JMH

No, there weren't signs today that those cards would stop working, because there were signs when these idiots bought the cards saying that they would stop working.

gpoint

This happened to me, my card said it would expire next week. I swiped it yesterday and it said 'see agent'. Of course there wasn't an agent to be found.

After I got to Manhattan, I found an agent who gave me an envelope to mail in for my money back for days lost. We'll see about that.

gpoint

I for one, didn't go out and buy a card after they announced the hikes. I already had mine from WageWorks before any of this bullshit was announced.

spiritross

Strange

Mine worked in the Bronx today both on the bus and the subway.

That's a shame.

dwarbi

This was very poorly handled... I had a monthly unlimited that I'm pretty sure had expired. I swiped it at the turnstile to check and the screen said, "SEE AGENT."

I swiped it at one of those reader things and it said, "SEE AGENT."

I went to the 'agent' and mentioned what happened. She said, "When does your card expire?"

Simple: I didn't know. But shouldn't the machines have been able to tell me that? I didn't break down and cry, I just got a new card, and it was little more than a tiny annoyance... but still avoidable. And I can see how it could lead to more problems at a busier station and a busier time with lots of hot, tired people overreacting.

Tower18

She said, "When does your card expire?"

Simple: I didn't know.

It's printed right on your card.

dwarbi

Tower18, I just checked the monthly... apparently it should continue giving me unlimited subway and bus access until 5/31/2010!

dwarbi

it's a 30 day unlimited - it expires 30 days after it's activated. yes, there is the other expiration date, but that very rarely comes into play.

ianmac47

The MTA should have allowed customers to stockpile cards at the old rates. First, it would avoid chaos like this. Second, it would infuse the agency with a sudden burst of cash on hand, which apparently was needed, and allow the agency to collect interest on all the cash that was prepaid ahead of time.

[mis]inheritance

That is a great idea. Unfortunately, it makes too much sense for the MTA.

inoyourider

Typical MTA mismanagement.

How can anything worked when managed and operated so terribly?

whitecastlerock

You respond as Bloomberg responds to avoid the facts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk1foEYJnbM

ThisCharmingMan

I cannot wait until all of the MTA workers are replaced by robots.

Rfive

doesn't sound too bright to show up during rush hour NOT knowing when your metrocard expires. buy a single trip and deal with it later. the lines weren't necessary, only for the stupid.

barryap

Well, the Metrocards didn't expire; just the grace period for the old $81 ones.

janelle

i have to say, the MTA didn't necessarily do the best or most thorough job alerting people to the transition process and pertinent dates. maybe people knew about the fare hike for the most part, sure, but the critical dates for the unlimited metrocards needed to be communicated better. in my office we received old $81 transitchek cards from the MTA as recently as last week. how could they let that happen? (rhetorical question...)