4 ms·

What would happen if you had to tap a card/phone to get in to the subway system (and this was enforced, no jumping turnstiles), and then have to tap it to get o

What would happen if you had to tap a card/phone to get in to the subway system (and this was enforced, no jumping turnstiles), and then have to tap it to get out too. Then if someone is habitually in the system for a significantly longer time than it reasonably takes to travel from point A to B, deactivate their access.

o11c 11mo ago
Edge case: what if your phone does while in transit, and you can't charge it?
- edent 11mo ago
  In the UK, the newer trains and tube carriages all have USB ports for charging. But, it is kind of a non issue. You are responsible for your ticket. Having a dead battery is no different to losing your paper ticket.
- rogerrogerr 11mo ago
  iPhone NFC will work for a while even when “dead”, not sure about the android world. But in the edge case of the edge case, security can let you out. If it becomes a pattern, they’ll note it somehow. Seems like the most important thing to do is _anything_. The current approach of doing nothing and shaming people who suggest public transport is a poor option because it’s full of druggies doesn’t seem to work.
  - nobody9999 11mo ago
    >Seems like the most important thing to do is _anything_. The current approach of doing nothing and shaming people who suggest public transport is a poor option because it’s full of druggies doesn’t seem to work. I don't know, I think it's much worse, in the wealthiest nation that ever existed, to shame those who have no place to live by singling them out for abusive treatment for not leaving the transit system in a (arbitrary) timely fashion. I'd much rather shame those claiming public transport is a poor option, and even more so those advocating for evicting passengers -- presumably violently -- because they spend "too much" time on public transportation. Ugh!
- Marsymars 11mo ago
  You get charged for the max distance you could have ridden. For that reason, among others, I strongly prefer non-phone, non-battery-powered options for transit payment.
mixmastamyk 11mo ago
Tap to enter/exit is already a thing. Rarely enforced here, however. Emergency exits and all that.
filoleg 11mo ago
> What would happen if you had to tap a card/phone to get in to the subway system (and this was enforced, no jumping turnstiles), and then have to tap it to get out too. Not sure about the "measure how long the subway rider has been in the subway system for a continuous period of time" feature, but otherwise that's how subway in Japan works. You gotta tap on your way in and out of the current system you are riding on (as there are multiple competing subway system companies running together even within a given city, often enough with their stops being near each other). Their reason for doing so is a bit different though. In NYC, your ride is a flat fee, as long as you don't exit subway, no matter where you are going. In Japan, your ride cost is determined by your actual route, as some parts of it have different rates. They actually need to know where you exited in order to calculate the final cost of your ride.
Hnrobert42 11mo ago
DC is tap in tap out. But you can buy a single trip ticket. It would be sort of dystopian if we had to give up anonymous public transit access to prevent homeless folks from staying warm.
beAbU 11mo ago
This is how it works on the Gautrain in Pretoria/Johannesburg in South Africa. You scan when you enter the system, and you scan when you exit. Your fare is calculated based on where you enter and exit. If you stay in the system longer than some define period of time, you are automatically charged the maximum fare, regardless of where you got on and off. You can either scan with a dedicated train fare card, your debit/credit card and also NFC mobile payment. The buses linked to the train service and the parking uses the same payment system, so you get automatic discounted bus fares and parking fees if you actually use the train as well, but you can park and use the bus without taking the train. It works quite well.

o11c 11mo ago

Edge case: what if your phone does while in transit, and you can't charge it?

edent 11mo ago
In the UK, the newer trains and tube carriages all have USB ports for charging. But, it is kind of a non issue. You are responsible for your ticket. Having a dead battery is no different to losing your paper ticket.
rogerrogerr 11mo ago
iPhone NFC will work for a while even when “dead”, not sure about the android world. But in the edge case of the edge case, security can let you out. If it becomes a pattern, they’ll note it somehow. Seems like the most important thing to do is _anything_. The current approach of doing nothing and shaming people who suggest public transport is a poor option because it’s full of druggies doesn’t seem to work.
- nobody9999 11mo ago
  >Seems like the most important thing to do is _anything_. The current approach of doing nothing and shaming people who suggest public transport is a poor option because it’s full of druggies doesn’t seem to work. I don't know, I think it's much worse, in the wealthiest nation that ever existed, to shame those who have no place to live by singling them out for abusive treatment for not leaving the transit system in a (arbitrary) timely fashion. I'd much rather shame those claiming public transport is a poor option, and even more so those advocating for evicting passengers -- presumably violently -- because they spend "too much" time on public transportation. Ugh!
Marsymars 11mo ago
You get charged for the max distance you could have ridden. For that reason, among others, I strongly prefer non-phone, non-battery-powered options for transit payment.

mixmastamyk 11mo ago

Tap to enter/exit is already a thing. Rarely enforced here, however. Emergency exits and all that.

filoleg 11mo ago

> What would happen if you had to tap a card/phone to get in to the subway system (and this was enforced, no jumping turnstiles), and then have to tap it to get out too. Not sure about the "measure how long the subway rider has been in the subway system for a continuous period of time" feature, but otherwise that's how subway in Japan works. You gotta tap on your way in and out of the current system you are riding on (as there are multiple competing subway system companies running together even within a given city, often enough with their stops being near each other). Their reason for doing so is a bit different though. In NYC, your ride is a flat fee, as long as you don't exit subway, no matter where you are going. In Japan, your ride cost is determined by your actual route, as some parts of it have different rates. They actually need to know where you exited in order to calculate the final cost of your ride.

Hnrobert42 11mo ago

DC is tap in tap out. But you can buy a single trip ticket. It would be sort of dystopian if we had to give up anonymous public transit access to prevent homeless folks from staying warm.

beAbU 11mo ago

This is how it works on the Gautrain in Pretoria/Johannesburg in South Africa. You scan when you enter the system, and you scan when you exit. Your fare is calculated based on where you enter and exit. If you stay in the system longer than some define period of time, you are automatically charged the maximum fare, regardless of where you got on and off. You can either scan with a dedicated train fare card, your debit/credit card and also NFC mobile payment. The buses linked to the train service and the parking uses the same payment system, so you get automatic discounted bus fares and parking fees if you actually use the train as well, but you can park and use the bus without taking the train. It works quite well.