Metrocard $0.00 (home, to buy, cost)

[PenguinSix]

Ok, this is kind of random, but since I started using the Metro a few decades ago, everytime I've had 'exact fare' on a metro card the machine has 'card captured' and not returned the card. But the other day I had exact fare and I got the card back with 0.00 on it. Is that something new or was the machine I was using just messed up?

[saganista]

I've never had it happen, but I have found farecards that had 0 00 on them. Doesn't make sense to me either. Never happens on my SmarTrip card...

[dkf747]

I had -$1.65 on my SmarTrip card a few days ago. You have to re-fill it to get back in again,but it does allow a negative balance. That does not apply to the passes though.

[PenguinSix]

This was a paper farecard in my case which was why I was confused.

[saganista]

Originally Posted by dkf747

I had -$1.65 on my SmarTrip card a few days ago. You have to re-fill it to get back in again,but it does allow a negative balance. That does not apply to the passes though.

Yeah, they didn't used to go below zero. But people figured out that you could run the card down to like 25 cents, then use it to get out of the parking lot. It would only cost a quarter, instead of what's now $4.50. Put a few dollars on it the next day, ride around some, come home and do the same thing all over again. And then they wonder why Metro always has funding problems. They really do need a dedicated source of revenue...

[dcsfanatic]

Originally Posted by saganista

Yeah, they didn't used to go below zero. But people figured out that you could run the card down to like 25 cents, then use it to get out of the parking lot. It would only cost a quarter, instead of what's now $4.50. Put a few dollars on it the next day, ride around some, come home and do the same thing all over again. And then they wonder why Metro always has funding problems. They really do need a dedicated source of revenue...

I'm not following the trick.

Lets say you leave the parking lot with 25 cents. When you leave, it should let you out and leave you with a balance of -4.25 on the card.

The next day you have to add that 4.25 + more money to ride around again and do it all over.

It would seem to me that Metro would get its money back.

[compton610]

Originally Posted by PenguinSix

Ok, this is kind of random, but since I started using the Metro a few decades ago, everytime I've had 'exact fare' on a metro card the machine has 'card captured' and not returned the card. But the other day I had exact fare and I got the card back with 0.00 on it. Is that something new or was the machine I was using just messed up?

Uh to try and answer your question there are certain paper cards that you get from metro center that are paper but are fully reuseable then there are the ones you get from the machine at ery metro those get taken if you have exact change on them the ones from metro center look totally different from the regulars ones so it's not hard to tell the difference. I think before the gov. was usin smarttrip cards they were usin the ones from metro center to give to gov employees to get to work and once they switched, the paper ones became obsolite. The card you were usin was probably the one you get at any metro. Get a smarttrip card

[saganista]

Originally Posted by dcsfanatic

I'm not following the trick. Lets say you leave the parking lot with 25 cents. When you leave, it should let you out and leave you with a balance of -4.25 on the card.

That was the problem. The card wouldn't go below $0.00, but as long as it subtracted something from your balance, it would open the gate. So, you got out of the lot for your 25 cents, came back the next day and added five bucks to your $0.00 balance, ran up $4.75 worth of Metro riding, then did the same thing all over again. Then they changed it so a card CAN carry a negative balance, so unless it's the last day you'll ever ride Metro, you can't park for 25 cents anymore...

[PenguinSix]

Are there any third party vendors using Smartrip cards yet, i.e. can you buy a newspaper, or some coffee with your Smartrip card? In Hong Kong you can use your 'Octopus' card to buy not only subways, but candy, McDonalds, newspapers, even parking meters. Just wondering if they have plans to branch that out. (It's a nice feature--eliminates change in the pocket for little purchases).

[compton610]

Originally Posted by PenguinSix

Are there any third party vendors using Smartrip cards yet, i.e. can you buy a newspaper, or some coffee with your Smartrip card? In Hong Kong you can use your 'Octopus' card to buy not only subways, but candy, McDonalds, newspapers, even parking meters. Just wondering if they have plans to branch that out. (It's a nice feature--eliminates change in the pocket for little purchases).

not yet but knowin metro there will be apperently thier broke