RE: [melb] yearly met cards

[usenet.spam@gunzel.net (Michael)]

Vaughan Williams <ender2000@MailAndNews.com> wrote in article 
<3AD4ACB8@MailAndNews.com>:

>>Are you willing to pay $25 to have your damaged Metcard Xpress
>>replaced?  Keep in mind these cards are not inserting into validators
>>(instead read by the yellow external spot), therefore, if such request
>>is made, it will most likely to $$$$ (Excuse of ticket damaged by
>>validators will become irrelevant).
>
>Ridiculous. It doesn't cost $25 to manufacture a plastic card.

Not true. Metcard Xpress is actually a small "computer" embedded into a 
plastic card. AFAIK, when you touch a CSC (contactless smartcard), the EMF 
from the reader provides enough power for the card to communicate to the 
reader and exchange details.

Considering, that contact smart cards (like the sim-card in your mobile 
phone) cost $45 to replace in most cases, I think $25 is a reasonable fee 
to replace the Metcard Xpress you carelessly broke.

>  All M>Trains, Connex, M>Trams and
>>Yarra Tram staff have been issued with Metcard Xpress and they have
>>signed and agreed to such fee for replacement.  From what I have seen so
>>far, some customers will have trouble keeping Metcard Xpress in working
>>order, not to mention losing them ...
>
>This customer-hating attitude is what drives people away from public 
>transport.

Agreed.

M.


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