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I don’t really see why a chip is needed at all for single use tickets. Those have existed forever and there are a plethora of non-chip options ranging from the

I don’t really see why a chip is needed at all for single use tickets. Those have existed forever and there are a plethora of non-chip options ranging from the simple holepunch to the optical printed barcode or QR code.

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ianburrell 2y ago
Because that would require a completely different way to read tickets than are used for stored value cards. Every ticket machine needs way to print which is less reliable than writing NFC chip. It is likely that printing a ticket costs more than NFC. Every fare reader needs two sensors, one NFC and one optical. The optical ones are going to be slower. People are going to get confused about which reader to use.
- bobthepanda 2y ago
  If people can manage the existence of both an optical scanner and contactless at the self checkout grocery store, this is way overblown. A ticket needs to be printed anyways, the single use ticket with chip does not come from thin air.
  - ianburrell 2y ago
    But why are you making it worse and more complicated? Disposable NFC card is better, cheaper, and easier to use. The NFC doesn't need to be printed. It just needs to be dispensed. My city went from printed paper tickets, that didn't even need to be scanned, to contactless fare system with paper NFC tickets. It saves money having simpler and less used ticket machines. It helps that most people use contactless credit card or fare card. They really should have more signs that can tap phone or credit card cause I suspect tourists think they need to buy ticket.
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rtpg 2y ago
throughput, throughput, throughput. Magstripes tend to work not so well when you have the ticket in your pocket for a couple days, printed codes involve people futzing with cameras. You can use a sort of card ingestion system to line up a QR code or the like... but those things are complicated and break down a lot! You end up needing staff to constantly be opening it and unclogging it. This works alright if you have like 6 turnstiles, less so when you have 2 or 3. Obviously you can work with those models anyways, and plenty of transportation networks do! But if your rush hour involves moving a million+ people, you really do need this stuff to go fast.
- lxgr 2y ago
  > Magstripes tend to work not so well when you have the ticket in your pocket for a couple days How very true... SWIPE CARD AGAIN AT THIS TURNSTILE in glowing turqouise-ish dot matrix letters will be forever etched into my brain long after the Metrocard is finally gone.

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ianburrell 2y ago

Because that would require a completely different way to read tickets than are used for stored value cards. Every ticket machine needs way to print which is less reliable than writing NFC chip. It is likely that printing a ticket costs more than NFC. Every fare reader needs two sensors, one NFC and one optical. The optical ones are going to be slower. People are going to get confused about which reader to use.

bobthepanda 2y ago
If people can manage the existence of both an optical scanner and contactless at the self checkout grocery store, this is way overblown. A ticket needs to be printed anyways, the single use ticket with chip does not come from thin air.
- ianburrell 2y ago
  But why are you making it worse and more complicated? Disposable NFC card is better, cheaper, and easier to use. The NFC doesn't need to be printed. It just needs to be dispensed. My city went from printed paper tickets, that didn't even need to be scanned, to contactless fare system with paper NFC tickets. It saves money having simpler and less used ticket machines. It helps that most people use contactless credit card or fare card. They really should have more signs that can tap phone or credit card cause I suspect tourists think they need to buy ticket.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]

rtpg 2y ago

throughput, throughput, throughput. Magstripes tend to work not so well when you have the ticket in your pocket for a couple days, printed codes involve people futzing with cameras. You can use a sort of card ingestion system to line up a QR code or the like... but those things are complicated and break down a lot! You end up needing staff to constantly be opening it and unclogging it. This works alright if you have like 6 turnstiles, less so when you have 2 or 3. Obviously you can work with those models anyways, and plenty of transportation networks do! But if your rush hour involves moving a million+ people, you really do need this stuff to go fast.

lxgr 2y ago
> Magstripes tend to work not so well when you have the ticket in your pocket for a couple days How very true... SWIPE CARD AGAIN AT THIS TURNSTILE in glowing turqouise-ish dot matrix letters will be forever etched into my brain long after the Metrocard is finally gone.