broken/malfunctioning WMATA machines

[Anonymous]

I recently relocated to DC, and took Metro to work today and realized when I tried to exit at my downtown DC station that I didn't have enough on my SmartTrip card (I was short 20 cents.) The fare top-up machines don't take credit cards, but I fed it four different bills (a 5$, two 10$, 20$) and it rejected all of them, even though they weren't torn or crumpled. I tried the next top-up machine and it was broken (no sign of life/lights etc.) Having no way to pay, I went to the "manned" booth to try to pay there, but there was no one there. I tried the audio call button but no one answered. So I gave up and walked out an open gate (not sure why it was open, but it was open for the 5 minutes I tried to top up), and put more money on my Smart Trip credit card when I exited. I was surprised as this wasn't a low-traffic Metro station--is this the new normal? I lived here years ago, and at least the machines mostly worked, and there were human WMATA employees in the stations that had a lot of traffic, especially at rush hour.

[Anonymous]

I believe the DC Metro is payment optional now.

[Anonymous]

That’s not typical for the stations that I usually use. There’s usually only one person in each booth though, so when they’re helping customers or taking a bathroom break, the booths might be empty for a few minutes.

Bummer though. You used to be able to carry small negative balances on your card — it’s too bad that that’s apparently been done away with.

[Anonymous]

The fare machines don't take credit cards? Seriously?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The fare machines don't take credit cards? Seriously?

The vending machines for purchasing and adding to fare cards do take credit cards.

The AddFare machines — which are solely for adding exactly enough to the balance on the card to allow someone to exit the station do not. The AddFare machines probably date from the original opening of the Metro system, when using credit cards to pay for very small purchases was much less common. So, yeah: seriously. If it’s a problem then people can simply add to their cards before they get on the train — to ensure that they have a high enough balance on their cards to allow them to pay for their trip.

[Anonymous]

Just use your iPhone app

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fare machines don't take credit cards? Seriously?

The vending machines for purchasing and adding to fare cards do take credit cards.

The AddFare machines — which are solely for adding exactly enough to the balance on the card to allow someone to exit the station do not. The AddFare machines probably date from the original opening of the Metro system, when using credit cards to pay for very small purchases was much less common. So, yeah: seriously. If it’s a problem then people can simply add to their cards before they get on the train — to ensure that they have a high enough balance on their cards to allow them to pay for their trip.

Or just hop the gate or slug in after someone else like hundreds of people do daily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just use your iPhone app

That links to the 1980s WMATA add fare machines? This is not Singapore we're talking about here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fare machines don't take credit cards? Seriously?

The vending machines for purchasing and adding to fare cards do take credit cards.

The AddFare machines — which are solely for adding exactly enough to the balance on the card to allow someone to exit the station do not. The AddFare machines probably date from the original opening of the Metro system, when using credit cards to pay for very small purchases was much less common. So, yeah: seriously. If it’s a problem then people can simply add to their cards before they get on the train — to ensure that they have a high enough balance on their cards to allow them to pay for their trip.

How does that help the OP who realized she didn't have enough on her card after she entered?

[Anonymous]

I have never understood why the machines that are inside the gates that exist solely for the purpose of allowing you to add money to your card if you don't have enough on it to exit don't accept credit cards when all of the other machines do. I don't carry cash anymore.

This happened to me and the guy in the booth let me out the gate, had me add more on the booths outside with my cc, and come back in and go through. Weird that there was no one in the booth for OP. But I bet that is the wave of the future -- untended stations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fare machines don't take credit cards? Seriously?

The vending machines for purchasing and adding to fare cards do take credit cards.

The AddFare machines — which are solely for adding exactly enough to the balance on the card to allow someone to exit the station do not. The AddFare machines probably date from the original opening of the Metro system, when using credit cards to pay for very small purchases was much less common. So, yeah: seriously. If it’s a problem then people can simply add to their cards before they get on the train — to ensure that they have a high enough balance on their cards to allow them to pay for their trip.

How does that help the OP who realized she didn't have enough on her card after she entered?

It reminds the OP to either check the balance on their card BEFORE they enter to ensure that they have an adequate balance
on their card OR to carry cash (change or small bills) if they can’t be bothered to check.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have never understood why the machines that are inside the gates that exist solely for the purpose of allowing you to add money to your card if you don't have enough on it to exit don't accept credit cards when all of the other machines do. I don't carry cash anymore.

This happened to me and the guy in the booth let me out the gate, had me add more on the booths outside with my cc, and come back in and go through. Weird that there was no one in the booth for OP. But I bet that is the wave of the future -- untended stations.

The Add Fare machines probably date from 1977 — when fewer people used credit cards for the extremely small amounts that it would cost to exit a station. That you personally don’t carry cash anymore is probably not a great reason for a cash-strapped Metro system to replace or refurbish hundreds of machines for the small number of people who can’t be bothered to carry small amounts of cash OR maintain an adequate balance on their card to cover the cost of their trip OR check their card at the rows of machines that all actually do take credit cards before going through the fare gates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never understood why the machines that are inside the gates that exist solely for the purpose of allowing you to add money to your card if you don't have enough on it to exit don't accept credit cards when all of the other machines do. I don't carry cash anymore.

This happened to me and the guy in the booth let me out the gate, had me add more on the booths outside with my cc, and come back in and go through. Weird that there was no one in the booth for OP. But I bet that is the wave of the future -- untended stations.

The Add Fare machines probably date from 1977 — when fewer people used credit cards for the extremely small amounts that it would cost to exit a station. That you personally don’t carry cash anymore is probably not a great reason for a cash-strapped Metro system to replace or refurbish hundreds of machines for the small number of people who can’t be bothered to carry small amounts of cash OR maintain an adequate balance on their card to cover the cost of their trip OR check their card at the rows of machines that all actually do take credit cards before going through the fare gates.

Wonder who has the maintenance contract for 47 year old fare machines. Is there some guy hand filing replacement parts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just use your iPhone app

That links to the 1980s WMATA add fare machines? This is not Singapore we're talking about here.

No dude, just link your wmata card number to the app in your iPhone, pay with your debit or credit card, and tap with your phone to cross the gates. That way you never have to use the fare machines. Are you some kind of boomer? Come into the 21st century please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never understood why the machines that are inside the gates that exist solely for the purpose of allowing you to add money to your card if you don't have enough on it to exit don't accept credit cards when all of the other machines do. I don't carry cash anymore.

This happened to me and the guy in the booth let me out the gate, had me add more on the booths outside with my cc, and come back in and go through. Weird that there was no one in the booth for OP. But I bet that is the wave of the future -- untended stations.

The Add Fare machines probably date from 1977 — when fewer people used credit cards for the extremely small amounts that it would cost to exit a station. That you personally don’t carry cash anymore is probably not a great reason for a cash-strapped Metro system to replace or refurbish hundreds of machines for the small number of people who can’t be bothered to carry small amounts of cash OR maintain an adequate balance on their card to cover the cost of their trip OR check their card at the rows of machines that all actually do take credit cards before going through the fare gates.

Wonder who has the maintenance contract for 47 year old fare machines. Is there some guy hand filing replacement parts?

Spoiler alert: he died Nov. 23, 2014