I don't pay an extra 18%; I have a Charlie card. In NY, the only way to get the discount is to buy in bulk, so one could argue that it is the less fair system, since tourists are less likely to need to buy in bulk, and the poor are less able to buy in bulk. But I still think it's inappropriate to get all up in arms about this without understanding what's behind the policy. Unfortunately, no one on this board, including myself, really knows the answer to that.