TAP Up and Be Counted

Metro_Turnstiles_TransitVUE_Spot_20july2009.avi

Metro has rolled out another facet of the TAP Card: a spot on select TransitVUE monitors. An earlier part of the campaign consisted of the placards. And of course, there was the elimination earlier this year of paper day passes (issued from busses), limited free TAP cards during a very brief grace period, and problems with the system that have had people paying twice as well as perhaps having to appear in court owing to TAP cards not working even as sheriff's deputies refuse to listen to anyone and cite folk for infractions caused by Metro contractors' incompetence. Numerous other scandals have made the TAP card a questionable addition to an agency that sorely needs to do more than merely improve its image.

What has not been divulged by Metro, however, is how a TAP cards really works. Contrary to the false advertising that one must tap one's TAP card upon entering one of the subway or light rail lines on Metro in order to make the TAP card valid, one DOES NOT need to tap a TAP card. The cards are not value-added, meaning that once a day or other pass is registered on a card (at one of the Metro ticket vendor machines, or if one has half a day, at the Metro ticket window at One Gateway Plaza), that is all is required to travel on Metro rail lines. No TAPping is required to validate the card. (We are not advocating breaking any laws, mind you.) Fare collectors' TAP machines will read an "unvalidated" card no differently than one that was tapped—providing there was a Day Pass or other pass paid for on the TAP card. 

Why is this important to know? Because a TAP card—especially one that was purchased wit a credit card—can be used to trace one's movement throughout the day by an agency (Cubic, Inc.) that gets its primary funding from war, that contributed to John McCain and Sarah Palin's presidential campaign (I mean, really—who failed to see what a terrible pick for VP was that, and who would have contributed to such an incompetent campaign?) and has questionable motives about the way it works. Moreover, since Metro has also moved duplicitously—in this case, saying a TAP card is not validated unless it is TAPped, when that is not true and can be easily tested by not TAPing a valid card and then asking a fare collector to check the card on his belt reader; it will come up valid—one cannot help but wonder what else is being offerred falsely regarding TAP cards and the fumbling attempt to force folk to use them.

Comments

[Rosemary]

Good grief! This TAP nonsense get more confusing each day. I am SO thankful for my paper monthly. I'm crossing my fingers those aren't the next to go the way of the paper day passes.

[mdogg]

god dammit i hate the government so much. they're always trying to COUNT us! and that is so BAD to do. fucking bullshit. it's like 1984 come to life.

ps at one of the bagcheck blockades in the purple line, a fare collector was checking my card last week and saw on his reader that i hadn't tapped in yet. he was more confused than i was. made me miss my train.

FUCK BU$H

[Spokker]

You shouldn't let that attitude keep you from being counted in the census though, especially if you are part of a minority group. The state receives federal funding based in part on the census. This article is from Maryland but it explains the problem well.

http://www.times-news.com/local/local_story_116231013.html

As far as TAP goes, if movement within the bus and rail system can indeed be traced through TAP (I don't know that it can), I wonder, if a suspect is found with a TAP card, whether or not the information connected with the card could be subpoenaed to aid in the investigation.

I mean, is everyone being tracked in Tokyo, which has a much more elaborate card called Suica?

[Randall BusTard]

Although Cubic, Inc. is not the contractor for the NYC Metrocard, it is contracted to do Metro DC, where they surely have the same capabilities four hours north of the nation's capitol:

"During his investigation Dowd came across Mr. Jones’ MetroCard and with that he was able to go to the New York City Transit Authority and ask for an account of Jason Jones’ movement on the night of the shooting. The evidence indeed showed that the MetroCard was used on a bus and later on the subway approximately five miles away from the shooting. Centralized computers store data on where and when MetroCards are used. With this evidence the lawyers were able to use the argument that it was impossible for Jason Jones to have committed the murder."

http://pursuitmag.com/2008/11/private-investigator-may-prove-man-accused-of-homicide-innocent-with-a-metrocard/

[Randall BusTard]

I neglected to add that I have talked with senior TAP personnel, and with one's TAP card number (printed on the rear of the card), one's travels when using the card are indeed recorded and easily brought up.

[David Galvan]

This is good for everyone to know, Randall. Thanks for pointing it out. Personally, it doesn't worry me one much. If someone wants to maintain their privacy to the fullest extent they can always use cash. Though, I do think it was a mistake to discontinue paper day passes from buses.

[James Fujita]

oh big deal!!! so what if the MTA knows when I've been to Long Beach or to Little Tokyo?

come on, even the supermarket keeps track of how many customers have bought OJ or instant ramen and keeps track of that. it's good for their business - and it's indirectly good for us because I can always use a little "checkbook democracy" to make sure that the big, bad corporation knows that there's people buying recycled products and organic food.

why bother TAPping when you don't have to? because it helps build good habits. because eventually the MTA will roll out other features, such as the value-added debit function that I personally think will make a HUGE difference between the wimpy electronic pass we have now and the powerful "use it anywhere" SUICA-style card.

also, because eventually the MTA will get around to installing faregates and you'll have to TAP when that happens, so why not get people used to having and using the TAP cards now?

[browne]

James,

It's not Metro that it's a big deal about if they know where you are or are not, it's Homeland Security and what that means not for you as a bus driver, but for you as a citizen. This is the beginning roll out for certain agencies to figure how to track people. That means a future of people tracking you via your driver's license, via your car, via a little chip in your head.

And what is this practice about? Metro thinks we're too much of idiots to change what we do in case they change policies? Hey the people who check the TAP cards don't even know how they work, so it's only going to take a few times of not having to go out of your way to TAP it before you realize you don't have to.

Not our fault Metro designed the Tap machines way out of the way for you to TAP if you're getting on a rail via the bus or walking. The TAP machines are set up in the way (in certain places) for people who drive in and then walk by the elevator on their way to take it or on their way to the escalator. The Tap machines in certain places if you take the bus or walk to the station you have to walk back out of the way and then back up to the stairs or wait for the stinky urine cinnamon scented elevator.

If METRO had designed the TAP machines by people who have taken the train before (IN L.A.) instead of by people who could get them the biggest cut of Homeland Security cash then maybe the info of "do you or should you TAP" your card wouldn't be a topic we would be discussing.

But thanks for sharing your opinion.

Browne

[Spokker]

I sent the TAP people an email about it.

"Dear Customer, Tap information is not disclose to anyone for security purposes. We don't provide this information to anyone, not even the cardholder.

Thank you,

Regional TAP Service Center
866-TAPTOGO (866-827-8646)
http://www.taptogo.net/

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Spokker Jones [mailto:spokkersan@hotmail.com]
>Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2009 11:51 PM
>To: customerservice@taptogo.net
>Subject: Does TAP keep track of where riders go?

>>>Hello,
>>
>>If I have a TAP card are the stations and buses where I TAP the reader stored somewhere for viewing later on? It seems like it would be easy to monitor the movements of customers in the city through TAP, so I'm just wondering."

So, yeah.

[shaan]

Hello Sir

I am chief editor of popular website (http://www.movetransport.com) which has lots of quality articles for transport information, We are specify three type of transport(air, road and water transport) and we give the maximum information to the users, we running the site for non commercial. Now we started new column called Legendary thought, the Column will be describe about the transportation, Fuel Economy, Transportation accident and all, we might contact with higher authorities whose working on transportation website, I hope you will give your opinion about transportation, how to avoid the accident, You can describe about the your Transportation website or blogspot.

Ref url’s of Our Website:

http://www.movetransport.com/airtransport/us_worst_aviation_accident.php
http://www.movetransport.com/watertransport/list_of_us_ports.php
http://www.movetransport.com/roadtransport/fuel-calculator.html
http://www.movetransport.com/us_fy20l0_budget.php

Above is the sample page with lot of information this was very useful to the users. In the Legendary thought column we need describe your transportation field (transportation, Fuel Economy, Transportation accident). I hope this will be very useful to the all over the world user. Your description will have no limitation it must contain more than 1000 words because we running site for commercial only. We have plan for taking the interview for more than 500 higher official authorities who’s working on transportation related field. Since our site serves mostly non-commercial people.

If you are not the concerned person to update the above page please guide me to the right person I can discuss with him. I hope my website and our information add more value to your site.

If you have any questions please feel free to call me or email me and I will respond promptly, contact at contact@movetransport.com
Thanks for your help and consideration,
Shaan.

[David Galvan]

@spokker: Notice that they said they don't "disclose" the info to anyone, not that they don't have the information. My guess is the data is probably kept on record for a week or so before being deleted, and they don't give the info to anyone. . . UNLESS it is subpoenaed by law enforcement.

[Spokker]

Are there any laws on the books regarding TAP passes? If not, I'm guessing there would have to be an incident first, and then a judge would rule on the issue. So right now, nobody can say with any definitive authority what would happen. The issue, as far as I know, is wide open. You should take nothing Metro or The Bus Bench say as gospel.

[browne]

Of course you shouldn't take anything anyone says as gospel, but I will say this on this blog we practice the ethics of print journalism. Meaning we don't lie on purpose, we get two sources and we double check to make sure we aren't giving you bullshit. That's probably alot more than you're getting on other blogs. So while we don't get the press releases first from METRO, (because we're not kissing anyone's ass) we do take the bus and the train everyday, which gives us an edge on even the vast majority of the people who work at METRO.

[Spokker]

There's a whole lot of conspiracy up in here.