MARTA now requiring tap-to-exit (Washington: live in, price, bus)

[mopuxak]

In addition to the MARTA fare increases, MARTA recently started requiring Tap-to-Exit at all gates in order to exit the station.

Over the past years, MARTA has tried to get everyone to tap-to-exit by posting announcements and labels on the gates.

Until recently, the handicap gates would allow riders to exit who lost their card, did not know about tap-to-exit, or those who didn't want to have their every trip permanently recorded on MARTA computers.

While I understand that MARTA wants to track riders' trips for train frequency and to look at distance-pricing, I find it both orwellian and frightening that there is now NO WAY TO RIDE MARTA WITHOUT BEING TRACKED.

After being a daily rider of MARTA for over 10 years and a periodic rider for another 10 years, I find what MARTA is doing both distasteful and unnecessary in order to achieve their goals. As a result, I'm done with MARTA. They have increased fares, decreased trip frequency and now they record your movements both with video and entry/exit recordings.

It's shameful that people who want to ride public transit have to put up with MARTA BS.

Full disclosure: I live in the city and am a huge advocate of public transit in general, but MARTA is really ticking me off.

[waronxmas]

Is it really that hard to lift your hand up to the gate to tap out?

And if someone loses their breeze card I'm sure that at most stations there will either be a station agent or MARTA cop nearby to help out. But really, you really shouldn't lose your MARTA card.

[lorilove]

I am all for MARTA taking whatever steps necessary to make them more efficient and effective in provinding this service.

I guess you are going to take your business elsewhere?

[mopuxak]

waronxmas: It's not that it's hard, it's a matter of principle. It is a significant burden to many handicapped individuals. It also is both unnecessary and insignificant from a data-collection standpoint.


lorilove: Unfortunately, I probably will. MARTA service has not materially changed in the years that they've been collecting this data, other than train and bus service have decreased in frequency because budgets ultimately have the largest impact here. Additionally, 99% of people were tapping out already anyway, so it was unnecessary for them to require it on the handicap exit as well.

[ATL Golfer]

Why does this offend you so much? Too many episodes of 24?

[waronxmas]

Originally Posted by mopuxak

waronxmas: It's not that it's hard, it's a matter of principle. It is a significant burden to many handicapped individuals. It also is both unnecessary and insignificant from a data-collection standpoint.

Just playing devils advocate, but those same handicapped people have had to tap in to get in to the station for a few years now. I don't see how this is an additional burden for them. It is also leagues better than the old turnstiles and that stupid handicapped gate that was usually broken at most stations.

[society619]

Unless you have to pay more money to leave, I just see the problem

[roxyrn]

I think "tapping" is annoying but it might be that I am so used to riding the NYC subways that only require the initial "swipe" that it is not automatic to "tap."

[neil0311]

It's been done in Washington, DC and many other cities (London Underground for example) for years, where zone priced fares are the norm.

[JPD]

I keep my MARTA card in my wallet. The fewer times I have to get my wallet out while in public, the better. This new policy increases by 100% the number of opportunities some punk-ass will have to run by and swipe my wallet.