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Being Taken for a Ride

Harvard notified us of the new changes to the subway system starting January 1st. The old style disposable soft plastic swipe card are being eliminated and replaced by firm plastic cards with memory chips in them that you keep using for 5 years. Separate subway and bus passes are now going to be combined into one LinkPass that gives you access to both forms of transit (whether you like it or not). For subway pass or bus pass holders in the past, this is an increase in cost. For people who had combo passes before (giving them access to subway and bus) this is a decrease in cost.

Complicating matters (for me, at least) is that the previous subway pass could be used on the commuter rail to go one zone. That’s how I get to work each morning – avoiding the subway altogether. Going forward, I’m going to have to order a separate pass (which is oddly enough the same price as a new LinkPass) to access the commuter rail. What poor design.

Basically, anybody with a pass to use the subway and bus system will also have paid the amount required to use the first zone of the commuter rail system, too. However, they won’t be able to. For that reason, I don’t understand why everybody just doesn’t boycott the LinkPass and go for the Zone 1A commuter pass. It’s the same price and you get more options.

….unless I’m missing something.

 

8 Comments

  1. Comment by Erica on November 14, 2006 11:33 am

    I’ve been wondering the same thing myself. The only real disadvantage to going for the 1A is that you have to get a new temporary pass each month instead of the permanent card, which card I assume you can also add value to, etc. and maybe you can’t to the temporary ones. I’d very much like to see the zone 1A absorbed into the LinkPass. I think what the T is trying to do is to get people to choose the LinkPass because of convenience, and then get their unnecessary extra payments anytime they use the commuter rail.

  2. Comment by Mark on November 14, 2006 1:39 pm

    Whoever said the T was logical?

  3. Comment by Brad on November 14, 2006 1:59 pm

    I agree with Mark.

  4. Comment by karyn on November 14, 2006 5:47 pm

    Well you know how *I* feel about the T. So I cannot bring my usual unbiased insight to the situation.

  5. Comment by Dave in Chicago (2) on November 14, 2006 6:26 pm

    If we’re talking T, I prefer Rooibos.

  6. Comment by karyn on November 15, 2006 1:28 am

    Dave – is that Chicaogese for NyQuil? Or are we using the Urban Dictionary definition, which as a redhead, I find disconcerting and am mystified as to how it relates to the T.

    Are you feeling better??? Why the hell don’t you have your own blog?

  7. Comment by Dave in Chicago (2) on November 15, 2006 3:43 am

    That’s what I get for trying to be punny. Do y’all have “High T” in Bawston? Rooibos is also known as African Red Bush, which I’m sure relates to Linseed Lohan and the lurid urban lexicon somehow… ;-p

    It’s freakishly high in antioxidants, nice tobacco-ey flavo(u)r, and best of all, naturally caffeine free. Like me!

    Blog? Too lazy, plus I spend too much time at the computer as it is. And the pressure, ohhhh, the pressure!

    And feeling better, yes…tho still recooooping. Thenx for assking!

  8. Comment by karyn on November 15, 2006 11:57 am

    Naw, we’all up heah in Bwostin got cawfee. Sometimes we drink tea but high tea… not so much… well, maybe in Karl’s superior universe, but where I’m from (which incidentally is like six miles from where Karl is from, but never mind), High Tea is not the order of the day.

    I’m wicked embarrassed I didn’t get the joke though. DER.

    Oh for fuck’s sake, just blog when you can. You’ll find it grows on you… glad you’re feeling better. Er – BETTAH.

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