More Metrocard agony
Yesterday I mentioned the problems I’ve been having with several Metrocards. It happened again today. I used a new Metrocard about four times (the PATH yesterday going to work, the PATH last night going home, the E Train last night going home, then the E Train this morning), then it failed at the PATH turnstyle on the way to work this morning.
I’m becoming convinced this is happening for one of two reasons.
- Contact with, or proximity to, other magnetic strips in my wallet.
- A bad turnstyle at the 23rd Street E/C Station, downtown side.
I found a post in nyc.transit in which the author asserts:
The swipe reader/writer design is a particular work of idiocy, with three independent heads which must be kept in precise alignment and which must *all* be clean in order for the unit to work correctly. The design *guarantees* a much higher failure rate than any other, and ensures that cleaning won’t always solve the problem due to the alignment issues, which don’t appear with a single-head system. Remember: if any head is not clean or is out of alignment, you’ll be told to swipe again. Worse, if the “write” and “reread” heads on a particular turnstile are both screwed up, the *next* turnstile you use won’t be able to read your card. (Emphasis mine.)
That’s why I’m wondering if there’s a specific turnstyle in my life that is ruining my Metrocards.
If you’re curious about how Metrocards use the magnetic stripe, look at this. It’s a reprint from 2600.
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Pingback by BlogChelsea » MetroCard Problems at 23rd?, Chelsea, NY, NYC, New York, 10011 — February 28, 2006 @ 12:12 pm
I have been following your MetroCard saga on the Gothamist contribute page.
Some suggestions:
1. Get some sort of MetroCard holder. I got one as a membership gift from the NYC Transit Museum. It does a very good job, as it is hard plastic with six slots for quarter sized coins. The name on it says “Pop Coin UK”.If you are storing your MetroCard the wrong way you may get it demagnetized.
2. Have you tried using a PATH Quick Card? As the problem seems to be non-functioning on PATH after riding the subway perhaps just using a MetroCard for the subway and the Quick Card for PATH solve the problem.
Comment by Toby — February 28, 2006 @ 2:25 pm
Once it stops functioning, it doesn’t work ANYWHERE. My theory is that is breaks on 23rd street, I ride the subway to the World Trade Center, and attempt to get on the PATH, which is when I discover that the card doesn’t work.
Your suggestions are good, although I’ve got my wallet and I don’t want something else to shlep around. Also, I’ve never had a problem with a Metrocard before, which makes me think the cause is outside my wallet.
Need more data.
Comment by Administrator — February 28, 2006 @ 3:57 pm