Public transportation silliness

[Dreamstalker]

Boston recently rolled out the "CharlieCard", a card with a chip in it that you tap on a reader to board trains, and the card can be reloaded at any time (IMO a better deal than the prepaid monthly passes, where if the pass wasn't used much in a given month I had wasted money).

There was a bit of amusement the other night when I was trying to explain the concept to a friend (who never grew up with public transportation, so I had to again explain the subway system to him), and he decides that CharlieCard=RFID, and started in on "how could you let yourself be tracked like that" (hey, when you renew your passport it will have a chip in it). These are not RFID as it requires physical contact of the card with the reader pad.

Cue somewhat roundabout conversation during which I try to convince him that no, the MBTA is not tracking commuters (in the same conversation he thinks he's being stalked because of a sticky note that likely got stuck to a package of his by accident... ).

Riders who have a card will dodge the fare hikes on the first of the year (I can only imagine the SC-ness when the few who will invariably refuse to get the cards find that out).

The last-ever subway token is being sold today

I saw a fair amount of stupidity (and one or two SCs) the other day when T employees were handing the cards out in stations. Mostly dealing with how to use the new readers (just tap the card on the black square on the gate). Quite a few people who had the thinner plastic passes that are fed into the gate tried to tap that, and got mad when it wouldn't open. Or when loading the card at the machines, they tried to use it as a payment method

One guy was arguing with an employee...my guess is he wanted to punch a hole in it. You could do that with the older swipe-cards that had a visible mag-strip, but not these because of the embedded chip. The card says in large block print "do not punch holes in this card"....how many people will do just that and then start neeping when their card refuses to work?

[Banrion]

AIN'T CHARLIE GRAND!!! I am on a monthly pass, and for me it saves me a ton of money, but I picked up a plastic one just in case I should happen to need one on one of my brain-fart days. My regular monthly is in my "transit wallet", and the plastic is in my regular wallet should I accidentally leave my pass in a pocket or something. Now if I end up with both missing I'll be royally screwed because without either wallet I will have no money on my person.

[XCashier]

That CharlieCard sounds like a very good idea (wish we had a subway system here, but I digress...). Of course, there are always the Technophobes that resist any and all changes in the system, or cannot/will not learn new technology. While in some instances, I agree that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", there usually is room for improvement. And if the Technophobes had their way throughout history, we'd still be living in caves.

[Millahtyme1983]

I used the charlie system for the first time last saturday (12/02/06 i think was the date) and I have to say that I like it. Instead of having to carry around a couple of tokens you get one card. I also like the sliding gates, makes me feel like a character on star trek.

[Dreamstalker]

I like the sliding gates too (so far I've seen about four dozen little punks trying to sneak through, mostly when people are exiting...none of them have gotten stuck yet, which is somewhat disappointing).

It is quicker as I can just have the pass in a clear holder thingy on the lanyard with my keys (which is always around my neck anyway). The thinner plastic passes didn't always scan depending on what kind of mood a given machine was in (the swipe-readers on the streetcars always seemed to break down).

I kinda miss the old turnstiles and the token machines, but oh well.

[zzapp the witch]

They can track you, up to a certain point. I think its only as far as where the card was used, and the time it was used, so yeah, they can track your movements as far as that, but knowing you're contemplating you navel while sitting naked on your toilet? Nah, the tinfoil hat keeps them from doing that.

[Cedophile]

Sounds like a nice step forward. However, I gotta wonder, when people think "they're tracking you," what is "you" as far as they're concerned?

I'm thinking, because Japan has the exact same system going on and it's like, there are millions of people using this system and buying and using these cards daily without inputting any sort of personal information.

It's gotta be impossible to track who is who, at any rate. Only good for statistical purposes.

[TNT]

I wonder how many people worried about tracking also carry cell phones... one of the ultimate tracking devices. "They" know who you are, where you are and who you're talking to.

[AFpheonix]

heh heh heh....."They" grumped at my husband apparently because I sent him a few naughty texts on his work phone while he was off training halfway across the country
Whoopsie!

[Dreamstalker]

They can track you, up to a certain point. I think its only as far as where the card was used, and the time it was used, so yeah, they can track your movements as far as that,

I again tried to explain it to my public-transport-deprived friend last night (poor guy...never had the fun of navigating the subway during rush hour or track construction). I made the mistake of using the "smartcard" analogy...which he had never heard of either. When he finally got it, he said "oh that's so 90's!" (eh?)

Dunno, I think he's been living in a minor backwater for so long with not much interesting to do that he's become a bit paranoid of new tech...I also asked him what he meant by "you"...you as in personally identifiable info or you as in general statistics that are available to anyone? Still haven't gotten an answer to that.

I know the old cards could track by time; a certain period had to elapse before a given card could be used again. Haven't experimented with these though (although it's probably a moot point as the reader works when it's supposed to). Tracking value (and linking it to a card number if one wishes to register their card on the MBTA website so it can be replaced if lost) is the only capabilities I think it has.

I wonder how many people worried about tracking also carry cell phones... one of the ultimate tracking devices. "They" know who you are, where you are and who you're talking to.

Heh...the friend of whom I speak also had that viewpoint, until he got one in lieu of a landline...he also tends to start discussions that, if he were truly concerned about 'them" tracking him, he would not be communicating via phone.

[rvdammit]

A wee bit of Googling seems to indicate that the Charliecard is RFID, the touch pad serving as the method to ensure the card is brought into range of the reader. Very similar to Oyster cards in London, and Octopus cards in Hong Kong.

[Dreamstalker]

Huh...it doesn't appear to work without physically tapping it on the reader (when loading mine up the other day, I first just waved it within 2mm or so of the reader pad and the system couldn't see it).

[rvdammit]

Further digging has been done down paths of MIFARE chips (used in the cards), the ISO 14443 A standard, and the more general Near Field Communications.

Long and short of it is that the RFID range can be set to touch, i.e. the chip card must be touched to the reader's antenna.

HAve some cognative dissonance.

[wagegoth]

The people who are the most upset about being "tracked" are exactly the people no one (government, spies, terrorists) is interested in.

[protege]

I can just imagine a bunch of government surveillance guys glued to a screen, watching a blip on a monitor (representing me) as I go to work, go to the bagel place for lunch, get on the bus, go home, have a sandwich and fall asleep on the couch. Makes for riveting TV, I'll bet.

That gives a whole new meaning to "whose agitating my dots" doesn't it?

But seriously, I don't think the feds would be too impressed at my routine either. Every morning I go to work, sit at the desk for 8 hours, then go home. Occasionally, I'll head to the gym, hobby shop, or store. Boring!

If they were tailing me on certain roads, I could at least have fun while trying to lose them.