Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Are Subway Riders Getting Ripped Off At The Turnstiles

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 17 Feb 2003 17:21:14 -0500

Placing a Nextel phone with a call up next to the turnstile electronics causes the it to
miss read the card and deduct money from someone else's account! Go Nextel!

Don't Tell Bloomberg!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Are Subway Riders Getting Ripped Off At The Turnstiles

(New York-WABC, February 14, 2003) — Several
commuters complained to Eyewitness News
Friday that when they tried to use their
MetroCards, they discovered their accounts were
drained, even cards with unlimited rides. Joe
Torres reports.

Watch the Story

It happened right before our very eyes. One
subway rider told us he knows he had $1.50
left on his MetroCard, but when he swiped it,
the turnstile read "Insufficient Fare." That
forced him to visit station agent for a new
card.

It wasn't long before we found other frustrated MetroCard users, who told
us the turnstile were eating their money instead of reading their cards.

Straphanger: "Sometimes it says '$1.50,' and I just bought the card like
three days ago and I only used it twice. But I remember having to swipe
it a couple of times, and it takes all my money."

The Transit Authority would only say that it has recieved no complaints
from subway riders, but that an investigation into potentially
money-eating machines is underway.

Station agents, meanwhile, have to deal with the wrath of angry would-be
subway riders.

Darlyne Lawson, TWU Local 100: "They only thing that the station agent
can do is give them a mailer and tell them to mail it in and let them gain
entry into the system."

Some straphangers told us they are trying to cut their losses by no
longer buying the more expensive $15 or $20 MetroCards.

Straphanger: "I buy a $4 pass every day so I can avoid that problem...
I'm losing money."

Losing money because subway riders get a free fare for every $15 the
put on a MetroCard. That plan is also less convenient, because it means
straphangers have to spend more time buying MetroCards.

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/news/WABC_021403_metrocards.html

--
    "NEXTEL-1 IT'S NOT JUST NEXTEL"
  Note The New address
Subscribe to Nextel-1: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/NEXTEL-1

  "NEXTEL2 FOR iDEN SOFTWARE DEVELOPERS"
Subscribe to Nextel2: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/NEXTEL2

  "WIRELESS FORUM HOMELAND SECURITY GROUP"
     The Complete Resource for Wireless Homeland Security.
Subscribe to WFHSG:  http://www.groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/WFHSG

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

---

From: "havaloc <[email-masked]>" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 19:06:34 -0000

Try placing your Nextel near a GFCI outlet.  It trips them.

---

From: "marcel_rf1 <[email-masked]>" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 21:41:08 -0000

They also block ALL transactions on Diebold Bank ATMs .
The possibilities are endless. I wonder how the Slots in Vegas will 
like them?? $$$$$$$$$$

--- In [email-masked], "havaloc <acm@c...>" <acm@c...> 
wrote:
> > miss read the card and deduct money from someone else's account! 
Go
> Nextel!

---

From: "Todd Ellis" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 16:50:30 -0500

13 years ago I was at the old NationsBank Diebold ATM next to Aerotron using
a 50-Watt Concept mobile radio on the VHF ham band, and while still talking,
I stuck my card in the machine and the display flashed once - and then asked
for my card again.  I had to wait until the next day to get my card back!

Todd Ellis

-----Original Message-----
From: marcel_rf1 <[email-masked]> [mailto:[email-masked]] 
Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 2003 4:41 PM
To: [email-masked]
Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Re: Are Subway Riders Getting Ripped Off At The
Turnstiles

Go