Just as I was getting used to my Little Blue Card for the Big Blue Bus, it looks like I’m gonna have to upgrade. As of July 1, 2007, fareboxes won’t accept Little Blue Cards bought before that date.
This means I’ll have to upgrade and transfer the balance to a new card, either by visiting the Big Blue Bus Customer Service Center (1660 7th St.) or by mailing in my old card.
On the upside: I’m basically allowed to take 4 free rides between July 1 and 15 with my old card. According to the BBB email:
To offset this inconvenience, if the farebox rejects your card between 7/1-7/15/07, drivers will allow you to ride free up to four times. To redeem a free ride, insert your card into the farebox. If it’s rejected, the driver will punch a hole in it. Once the card has four punches, you’ll need to exchange it for a new card (instructions below). Any remaining value will be added to your new card.
After the freebie trips, I’ll have to stop in the customer service center. In addition to the card upgrade issue, one of the machines unceremonious ate my $10 bill for fun a few weeks ago. Theoretically, I’m supposed to get a reimbursement check in the mail, but even the driver who had me fill out a lil refund form didn’t sound too hopeful ’bout that, urging me to save the receipt and visit the center.
Oddly, I’m not as peeved about this as I thought I’d be. The prospect of 4 free rides excites me a lil more than it should, perhpas –
I’ve got a smidge more than one ride left on my card right now. I’ve had the machines regularly reject my money which has often translated into a free ride on the bus. I hadn’t realized that the cards were going to stop working though… I’m taking the MTA home (writing group in Hollywood means I get to try the new 704) today, so I should be able to make it to the end of the month on my card since I’m biking Wednesday and Friday. I guess I can use a free ride to get in to work on Monday of next week and buy a fresh card at the library over lunch.
Comment by Don Hosek — June 26, 2007 @ 11:02 am
I wonder if BBB has taken into account that July 1 is a Sunday and that every little blue card will go bad on that date, causing a potential MAJOR number of people to turn up at the customer service center on Monday …
Comment by Kymberleigh Richards — June 26, 2007 @ 6:34 pm
Don — You can transfer the money on the old card to the new card, even if it’s just a lil change. Just in case it wasn’t clear on the post –
Kymberleigh — The BBB email I got was actually pretty funny — It seems they’re anticipating this crunch, as people are encouraged to call the service center first to make sure new cards are avaliable before stopping by. A bit of a pain, but again, that’s part of what’s giving us the 4 free rides, so I’m not complaining…. I plan to drop by the center around the 16th or so :P
Comment by Siel — June 26, 2007 @ 6:51 pm
It’s also kind of a pain for those of us who can’t get to the service center. They’re only open when I’m in my office, which isn’t in Santa Monica. And I’m a bit skeptical of the turnaround time on mailing the card in and getting it sent back, even locally. I wonder why they didn’t give more warning about this–I just started hearing about it yesterday, and the announcement on the bus isn’t necessarily clear.
Does anyone know if the new cards will be available at Santa Monica libraries, as the Little Blue Cards have been, or only at the service center?
Comment by Kate — June 26, 2007 @ 8:54 pm
I’ll ask about the library when I’m there at lunch today. I’m assuming that they will have the new cards though.
Comment by don hosek — June 27, 2007 @ 7:01 am
I stopped by as promisd. They will be selling the new cards, but they don’t have them yet. The woman at the info desk wasn’t sure when they would have them.
Comment by Don Hosek — June 27, 2007 @ 5:51 pm
Thanks! I may mail mine in after all, and just make do with change in the meantime.
Comment by Kate — June 28, 2007 @ 6:55 am
In the meantime, I got a bit of unrequested personal service on this: I ran into Stephanie Negriff, BBB’s general manager, at the Metro Board meeting on Thursday and she offered to take my old Metrocard, convert it, and mail it back to me herself.
Just as well, since I don’t anticipate being on the Westside again until the middle of July, and at least this way I will have the new card in my possession before then.
Maybe I could talk Stephanie into going door-to-door and make the same offer to all of Santa Monica’s residents … :P
Comment by Kymberleigh Richards — July 2, 2007 @ 10:44 am