Comments on: And Now A Tutorial On How To “Hack” Yourself To A Metro TAP Card Without Really Trying (Or Ending Up Getting One)

By: In Which The TAP Card Saga I Previously Ranted About Comes To A Successful (If Ultimately Doomed) Conclusion | Los Angeles Metblogs

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 02:14:45 +0000

[...] few days ago I railed about how patently stupidious it is trying to get a new Transit Access Pass (TAP) card for use on Metro buses and trains. As I left that first post, I had been told by a TAP customer [...]

By: lrmbob

lrmbob — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 10:22:33 +0000

I was able to get a TAP card by going to sales office of a bus line that uses TAP but isn’t Metro. I live in the San Gabriel Valley and was able to get a card at the ticket office for Foothill Transit. I only put a cash purse of $20, no monthly pass was necessary to get the card, and the card was free; no extra charge like at some of the other places that others have mentioned. Asked the sales attendant about putting more money on the card, and she said all I had to do was go back to the ticket office and ask to put money on the card either with cash or debit/credit, or I could call the taptogo phone number and charge it with extra money by using a credit card, although I still haven’t tried the phone option. My biggest complaint is the lack of knowledge a lot of the bus drivers have regarding TAP. I usually take the metrolink in the morning, and come back on the SilverStreak bus which is part of Foothill Transit. The metrolink ticket works as an EZ-pass for all the other lines and is a paper ticket, and when its time to take the Silverstreak, cuts the regular amount for that particular bus line from $2.50 to $1.50, but the bus driver has to put in that option for you by pressing a button on the control panel so that it charges the correctly lowered amount on the TAP. Some bus drivers do not know which of the buttons gives the discount, and some even claim that you cannot receive the discount unless you pay in cash. I got into an argument with a particular bus driver who claimed only cash payments received the discount even though I had asked other bus drivers and even called taptogo while on his bus and had confirmed that all he had to do was push a button to give a discount. Taptogo asked me to get his badge number and bus number, but when I asked them if I could get my dollar back that I was charged extra, the attendant on the phone claimed that it probably wouldnt be possible to do so. You would think that since the system is now electronic and I had a legitimate claim that it would make it easier to get my money back, but instead it just seems to have become more difficult. I even called when I was still on the same bus, not even five minutes after the transgression had occurred, and still could not get any help to get the amount that I was overcharged replaced on my account. They supposedly chastise the bus drivers that are charging travelers the incorrect amounts and train them to charge correctly, but do nothing to refund the money that is lost.

By: Streetsblog Los Angeles » Local and State Headlines

Streetsblog Los Angeles » Local and State Headlines — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:43:47 +0000

[...] Metblogs Takes Its Shot at the Horrible TAP Card Rollout [...]

By: Mechazawa

Mechazawa — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 22:37:51 +0000

you need to get a Culver City tap card. you can put any amount of money on there and it does not expire. i don’t know where you live in terms of how far out of your way you need to travel to get to Culver city hall, but it just may be the option for you. i use it its awesome and drivers can deduct zones if you need them of the card. although when it comes to subways that’s the tricky part since you cant tap when coming in and out otherwise bye bye money because you are supposed to tap when going on train and when leaving station, i think.

i talked to metro about the “cash purse”(that’s what they call it) function they said its was supposed to be available this summer but i guess not.

By: kalina

kalina — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:28:32 +0000

I’m so glad someone mentioned this. I started riding the metro when I moved downtown last month, and it has been a impossible task to get a tap card. I tried online with the same results. Then I looked at physical places near where I live and work where I could buy a tap card. I’ve visited 5 places so far and they all say they don’t carry the TAP card anymore. Why is this so hard?

You would think the city would be pushing reusable cards more. Don’t most cities have paper cards with mag stripes that can be recharged?

By: michael

michael — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:27:30 +0000

@ waltarrrrr:

Almost as bad as trying to do it at the damn machine in the subway station! Will it or will it not be accepting credit cards today?

By: waltarrrrr

waltarrrrr — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 06:44:00 +0000

I totally hate the TAP card. Yet, every month I visit that janky of janky websites, cross my fingers and put in another $62 for the month. Progress son! Progress…

By: philpalm

philpalm — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 05:17:51 +0000

I got my tap card for $2.00 at the Check Cashing place that used to sell monthly passes.

When you pay for the day pass, you should ask the bus driver first (sometimes the machine is not working) He then tells you to wait a sec and then put the tap card to the spot that it is validated. A beep will sound when your card is certified to be a day pass.

By: rhino

rhino — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 05:07:31 +0000

Actually you can purchase tap cards all over the city: http://taptogo.net/tap/locator/

For instance most Ralph’s sell them at the customer service desk.