Yet more MBTA follies.

[randomness]

From derspatchel:

MBTA TO SWITCH TO NEW "CHARLIEDISC" FARE COLLECTION SYSTEM
Authority to roll out new system by mid-summer
January 5, 2007

BOSTON (ATC) - Charlie may still be stuck on the MTA, but his card will soon disappear from your wallet. The MBTA's automated fare collection system has "not performed as well as expected and will be replaced," MBTA Chairman Dan Graubaskas said at a press conference today. The new plan, expected to be implemented system-wide by the summer of 2007, will do away with the RFID-embedded "smart cards" and instead introduce a fare collection system dubbed "CharlieDisc" by the transit authority.

"With the new CharlieDisc, T customers will enjoy a new world of fare freedom that they never thought existed," Graubaskas said. "Instead of keeping track of a cumbersome card prone to frequent breakdowns, they will ride the T using a brand-new form of payment."

http://derspatchel.livejournal.com/465936.html has the full story.

Comments

[redbird]

I'm all set, thanks.

[r-ness.livejournal.com]

No, no, just look at the potential here! I mean, they could extend the whole "CharlieDisc" idea to all kinds of micropayments! They'll have to come up with a more general name, though.

I wonder what they'd call them.

[redbird]

I meant I already have my CharlieDisk supply.

I don't have my next ticket to Boston, but we'll worry about that later.

[dianec42.livejournal.com]

Oh, great! The last piece of spiffy new technology didn't work out as well as we planned, so let's spring something entirely NEW on the guinea pigs!

Yeah, that'll help.

[midsummernd.livejournal.com]

hehehehe, i love it.

next up: CharlieChipInYourHead. No cards. Just probes.

[r-ness.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I'd so trust the T to implant something into my body!

[whitebird.livejournal.com]

"The left side of the r_ness line is down, causing various transportation delays which have spilled over to the right side. Some new neurons have been dispatched, but due to the blockage that the downed line has caused, it's anybody's guess as to when the line will start moving again. As always MBTA/r_ness apologizes for any delays or inconveniences this has caused, and will reimburse the user for any required Depends during the outage."

[happyfunpaul.livejournal.com]

Oddly, I thought of the same thing, earlier today, with the additional comment, "I'm sure I can trust the government not to, like, track my movements or anything. They'd never do that..."

[julianyap.livejournal.com]

That's pretty hilarious

[perci.livejournal.com]

If only it were true.