Originally Posted by
Blumie
The NY MTA has multiple pricing schemes: the $2 basic ride, the 10% bonus if you buy a $10 card, the 7- and 30-day unlimited ride cards, etc.
That's right and it is standard for all because it is based on volume discounts. With a Charlie Card, one can get a $1.70 ride but with the Charlie ticket, one is not allowed to pay only $1.70; one has to spend 18% more for the same one ride. That is what I don't understand. Why has the Boston population accepted that?
As for the Boston system, I can't speak for anyone but myself, but I have a hard time getting excited over the $0.30 difference (particularly without knowing what the official explanation for the difference, or the difficulty of obtaining the cheaper card, is).
The principle of being charged an extra 18% doesn't bother you? Ok, I guess you answered my question from above. That would not hold in New York.
That female security guard not wanting me to get the cheaper Charlie Card did annoy me. Glad her partner wasn't such a jerk.
I am not sure if these are major T stops but at both the JFK/UMass and Government Center stations, there was nobody giving away Charlie Cards. I checked. I thought Gov't Center was a major stop.