🚀 go-pugleaf

Joshua Benkin (jrbenkin@nicom.com) wrote:
: New York is phasing in a version of Washingtons Farecard called
: Metrocard!  I cant wait to see tha chaos in rush hour at the Metrocard
: machines at Times Square when the tokens are gone!

Do you any idea how expensive a token system is? All those tokens have to
be accounted for. Here in Boston, it takes several people (and armed
guards) to remove them from subway turnstiles. There's a whole operation
dedicated to counting them and getting them back out to token machines and
booths for resale. 

It's kind of like having a bank vault at every station on the system. Oh,
and guess what -- turnstiles malfunction regularly too. In fact, I've had
more trouble with Boston turnstiles than with DC farecard machines or
readers (although to be fair, I've ridden the Boston system far more, so
my DC sample isn't exactly huge).  Guess what -- Boston is going to go to
electronic fare collection also.


=================================================
John Whiteside  | Last Days in Boston's South End
johnw@shore.net | http://www.shore.net/~johnw/
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