From: gp@panix.com   
      
   In article <7b6a5e2b-94a7-4baf-b852-9c9f2eea3a60@googlegroups.com>,   
     wrote:   
   >I found an old Metrocard at home and tried it on the subway.  Being expired it   
   >didn't work.  However, several token clerks said it was worthless since it was   
   >expired too long, that is, any money on it was lost.   
   >   
   >Given that the MTA charges a $1 for a new Metrocard--a policy intended to   
   encou   
   >rage retention of old cards--I would think and expect that old value would be   
   t   
   >ransferred to a new card without charge.   
   >   
   >It seems quite sleazy they pocket forgotten money that rightfully belongs to   
   th   
   >e passengers.   
   >   
   >FWIW, several other transit carriers accept old fare instruments without   
   proble   
   >m, one fare card was at least 20 years and it worked fine.   
      
   It's a tiny bit sleazy, but it's money that they have to keep on their   
   accounting ledgers.  (MTA accounting... try not to laugh.)   
      
   If the MetroCard had been fed into a MetroCard Vending Machine within   
   two years, the machine would allow you to transfer the contents over   
   to a new card.  If the card was older than that, the MTA thinks that   
   you don't really care, and you're SOL.   
      
   --   
   Gregory Pratt                                               gp@panix.com   
   South Orange, NJ, USA                          http://www.panix.com/~gp/   
   "You're only given one little spark of madness.  You mustn't lose it."   
   PGP Key Fingerprint:  DC60 FCDE 91E2 3D41 91A3  45DB B474 3D3A 3621 AAFE   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)