The Globe reports the T is looking at replacing the current fare machines on buses and trolleys with new devices that would only accept payments by phone, credit card or CharlieCard.
A T board member said that in addition to speeding up boarding, the new system would satisfy what she claims is public demand to be charged based on distance or time of day. Ed. question: Any of you T riders clamoring to be charged more for riding at rush hour or from Forest Hills to Braintree?
UPFAYE, Saturday morning: Your credit is good with the T again.
This message is now up on mbta.com:
Credit/Debit card fare machines sales are unavailable at all stations until further notice. Fare machines sales are unavailable on mbta.com.
Buried in the latest edition of the MBTA's winter service-update page today is a "special message to our valued customers" from T General Manager Beverly Scott (still on the job until April) that includes this:
Understandably, given the extended duration of our severe weather challenges, a number of questions have been raised regarding fare reimbursement, including a range of suggestions.
On March 3rd, MBTA staff will review a series of options with the Finance Committee of the MassDOT Board of Directors.
Ben Chan asks:
My Charliecard went through the washing machine. Any idea if it's still durable and good to continue to use?
Sebastian Zapata shows us the long lines at Forest Hills this morning as Orange Line riders try to add a month of value to their CharlieCards. It's not just that so many people do that as the fact that, as Kyle Geiste explains:
Weirdness on the MBTA machines at Forest Hills. Can't process credit cards. Long lines, employees tapping people through.
Beware his power, Green Line rider's might!
MBTAgifts has started selling Sesame Rings, which let you store your CharlieCard data on a ring, instead of on some boring old plastic card.
Last year, a group of MIT students launched a Kickstarter campaign to help them commercialize the rings.
THERE IS NO VALUE ON THE RING AS SOLD. Value must be added at a CharlieCard machine at an MBTA station.
Casey Kolenda, arrested this past spring on charges he used a magnetic "skimmer" and large numbers of regular CharlieCards to create at least 3,000 bogus monthly Link Passes, was formally indicted by a grand jury yesterday for the alleged forgeries. Officials estimate the cards cost the T $225,000 in lost revenue.
Innocent, etc.
Around noontime, Kerry Tubbs photographed the line at the CharlieCard store in Downtown Crossing, where dreams go to die all the people whose CharlieCards expired on Friday have to go to get their remaining value transferred to fresh new cards that don't expire until 2021.
Meanwhile, Red Line riders are queuing up in novel places at South Station this afternoon because the traditional stairway down to the subway is shut for repairs. But, Jesse Tokarz reminds us, at least there's still five different coffee shops inside. At least there's a bar now.
Ringing up the MBTA.
Some MIT students (natch) say they've figured out how to build the guts of CharlieCards into stylish rings, which would let anyone, even a superhero in green tights, ride the T without fumbling for their plastic card.
They've set up a Kickstarter to raise funds for mass production of the rings via 3D printing - which they say will let them sell rings in a variety of colors and even with circuitry shaped into particular four-letter words (such as "EMMA" and "YOLO").
Charlie came to life today, ambling about town to promote Charlie Cards and the new air-conditioned Charlie service center at Downtown Crossing.
Yes, we have no CharlieCards.
Boston to a T snapped this fare machine at Park Street today. In a word: Wha?
The Boston Business Journal reports the MBTA plans to go ahead with an idea from a local startup - which the T says, however, is not guaranteed the contract to implement it all.
Ed. question: Didn't the old T passes sometimes have ads on them? The article doesn't answer the question of how to avoid Coraline-like ads on cards designed to last a decade.
A concerned T rider files this report via e-mail:
CharlieCards seem to be expiring today in spite of the promised extension.
This morning, my everyday card with a monthly pass on it came up as "EXPIRED" and wouldn't let me in. The attendant at Davis said that this was happening a lot - he gave me a new card, told me to go to Downtown Crossing to get the pass transferred over, and to tailgate someone to get in this morning.
CharlieCards have a five-year expiration date, as Ron Newman discovered. Since they were introduced in late 2006, that means lots of them are going to be expiring soon. Any value you have left on an expired card won't just go poof, however. MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo says:
T riders may have the value on their expiring cards transferred to a new one at the T's Customer Service windows at Downtown Crossing (in the underground corridor across from Macy's). We'll be launching a public information campaign very soon.
Harold M. Clemens reports he wanted to reward a cool harmonica and guitar player on an Orange Line platform at Downtown Crossing yesterday, but realized he couldn't, because he had no change:
For your basic crime-obsession needs, nothing beats MassMostWanted, where you get a daily dose of ne'er-do-wells doing, well, ne'er. Of late, I've noticed a common theme among many of the reports on people wanted for stealing credit cards, such as this report:
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