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What happens to the money left over on CharlieTickets?
By adamg on Thu, 01/11/2007 - 11:37pm
Dave Copeland has a CharlieTicket with $1.50 left on it:
... Is there a way to use that $1.50, or does the T permanently "hold" it for me? I'm almost certain I can't add 50 cents to the card to get it to an even $2 to cover a ride. Or can I? It's not really a big deal to me, but when you think of the thousands of riders like me stuck in Charlie Ticket limbo, that adds up to a nice chunk of change to say, plug a budget hole. ...
Funny you should ask, Dave. Charlie on the MBTA was pondering that same exact question:
... As CharlieTickets are used they drop below the $1.50(bus) or $2(subway) level and value is needed to be added. Riders being told about the CharlieCard are then adding new value to the smartcard and simply discarding CharlieTickets with small amounts of unused value on them. Those nickle, dimes and quarters add up fast and the T is pocketing the money.
Was this by design or simply an oversight? Only 10 Park Plaza knows the answer to that. ...
Ron Newman went around Central and Davis stations tonight picking up CharlieTickets people had thrown out:
Four of the six tickets I tried still had value ... So the next time you see discarded $5 tickets and a Charlie vending machine with no line, try putting the tickets into the machine. You may be surprised what you get.
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Comments
The CharlieTicket gold rush
The CharlieTicket gold rush is on
People are leaving behind more than just nickels and dimes
Go Sox!
Select "add other amount" to
Select "add other amount" to put just enough value back on those tickets.
BT
Getting value from CharlieTicket to CharlieCard
You can go to the downtown crossing customer service booth and have the remainder of your CharlieTicket value moved over to a CharlieCard.
You can go to the downtown
You can go to the downtown crossing customer service booth and have the remainder of your CharlieTicket value moved over to a CharlieCard.
doesn't really help people who don't work downtown
they really need to put that function on the vending machines
Meanwhile, unless you have a huge amount left on your tickets, you're better off just "topping them off" and using them completely up, despite the surcharge. For instance, if you have $1.75 left over on your ticket, don't throw it away; add 25 cents to it at a vending machine and use it for your next subway ride.
After finding all those tickets last night, I'm guessing that people don't realize they can do this.
Once you've used up all your tickets, don't buy any more of them. Get a CharlieCard and add value to that.