I recently found an unused $76 unlimited monthly MetroCard in my drawer. Normally this would not be a problem but the price recently went up to $81, rendering this card worthless. But it's still $76 of my hard earned money trapped under a magnetic strip. How do I get it back?
I do know if you have several MetroCards with various amounts on them, you can take them to a token booth and combine the value into one card. For example, if I have two $20 MetroCards, and a MetroCard with just $1 left on it, I would be able to take the cards to a token booth and they would combine them into one MetroCard with a $47 value. (this includes the bonus rides you receive for every $10 you spend).
So I should be able to do the same with the $76 card. Right? I mean, what is the difference? I paid $76 for this card, I should be able to exchange this for say... three $20 MetroCards and one $16 MetroCard or just one card with a value of $76. That makes sense. Doesn't it?
au contraire!
When I went to the token booth to make my exchange, I was handed an envelope with postage already paid and told to send the card back to the MTA where they would either send me a check (?) or another MetroCard. I asked "Why can't I just exchange it here? I do this all the time with pay-per ride cards?"
Token Booth Guy: Because pay-per ride cards sell rides. The monthly card sells time.
L: but I paid $76 for it. Why can't I just exchange it for some pay-per ride cards with the same value?
Token Booth Guy: Because you didn't buy rides, you bought time.
So here is my gripe. Because this obviously can't be handled at a ticket booth, I now have to mail this MetroCard back to the MTA. This requires envelopes, paper and postage (paid for by the MTA) to mail the MetroCard back to the MTA, and then more envelopes, paper and postage so the MTA can send my exchange back to me. Plus, they have to pay someone to open the envelopes and expedite my request. Wouldn't it be more efficient to just handle this at the ticket booth? How much extra money is the MTA spending for this red tape, not to mention the inconvenience to customers? It's a waste of paper, postage, GAS for the postal trucks.... I could go on and on.
..and who knew you could buy time from the MTA?
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