Yes, I was waiting for this post to touch on the value of the unlimited pass ($112 for 30 days). If you work 20 days a month, and use the train to commute to a

Yes, I was waiting for this post to touch on the value of the unlimited pass ($112 for 30 days). If you work 20 days a month, and use the train to commute to and from the office, then you're paying $100/mo just to commute. If you take the train just 5 times outside of your daily commute per month, you start getting free rides. I don't think I ever met someone when I lived in NYC who was buying prepaid cards instead of unlimited ride cards. The "left behind" balance on prepaid cards are the same dark pattern as every gift card in existence: the issuers bank on some (most?) balances being lost or leftover or forgotten.