Metrorail users take note: The transit system’s paper fare cards can become demagnetized, making the cards unusable.
For riders, the busted cards mean a hassle. But they also could mean an unseen way that Metro is making money, especially off the 16 million visitors to the region each year — and the thousands who will pour into the city to see the famous cherry blossoms this week.
The transit agency does not track how many demagnetized cards are turned in each year, nor how much money is transferred to replacement cards, said Metro spokesman Steven Taubenkibel.
But the agency acknowledges that many riders never bother to turn them in for replacements. That means an untold number of fares are paid but never used.
Susie Carlson, who traveled to the region from San Francisco for the inauguration with her 16-year-old daughter Sonja, said she spent an hour of her trip waiting in line to get a demagnetized card replaced because it had $16 on it.
“Really, if it had only been two or three bucks, I wouldn’t stand in line for an hour,” she said.
The day after the inauguration, Metro received several hundred requests for demagnetized fare card replacements, Taubenkibel said.
“The treasury office got flooded,” he said.
Tourists aren’t the only ones who have the problem, though. Dave Mosley, who lives in the District, stood in line at the Metro Center sales office one day, waiting to get several demagnetized cards replaced. “I don’t know what causes it,” he said. “Sometimes, I let it go.”
The paper fare cards are vulnerable to threats in the most popular spots to carry them: pockets, purses and wallets. A paper fare card can fail if it rubs against a credit card, according to the transit agency. Cell phones, iPods, PDAs and hand-held games can cause it, as can a purse with a magnetic closure.
Even sweat can ruin them. Metro has run into problems after road races such as Sunday’s Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run. “We get backups at the fare gates because people who have been running for several hours are wet,” Taubenkibel said.
Those with demagnetized cards have a few options: They can go to two Metro sales offices, or they can mail in the cards — and buy a new one in the interim.
