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Metrolinx: Presto Fare Card

The lineup for the free Presto card is already reaching Maple Leaf Gardens. This is half an hour before they start giving them out.
 
The lineup for the free Presto card is already reaching Maple Leaf Gardens. This is half an hour before they start giving them out.
That's ridiculous, and their doing it for $6 Presto Cards.....

Half those people could have made more than double/triple that amount of money if they stayed back at work later. But of course common sense is a rarer trait to find in people these days.
 
How lovely.

I was standing outside some Presto Gates using TTC wifi.
Someone loaded their card using the self service machine. Went to tap it on the gate but it failed. Asked the crash collector for help. On showing him the receipt, turns out the transaction failed. Crash collector said they have been having problems with the machines across the system and let her in for free.

Shortly afterwards a TTC technician (?) is using her key to override the 2 Presto gates that are showing "do no enter". Chats with the crash collector about how all reload machines are down.
 
I wonder why would anyone use the reload machine. I set up auto reload online and do not have to worry about insufficient fund ever.
I always use the reload machines because I'm a very infrequent Presto user and like to load my card when I'm actually going to use it.
 
... I dont use autoload, I've always used the machines, and I have a credit card. I prefer using the machines. At the beginning of each month I throw into excel how many days I'll need it for and put on the exact amount I need. However ... I've discovered that the online account is showing 1.75 and last tap on September 28th. The presto machines correctly show my last tap on October 2nd and a balance of -1.25, and any attempt at updating the card is resulting in the machines displaying "Device Failure" and not updating the card. Before I call presto ..... is there anything I should know or anything I can do to fix it? I have thought about putting an amount on the card through online and seeing if I can force sync the two that way.
 
One reason is people like to have control of their money. Many people don’t auto renew licences or services because of this. I assume these are the same people who don’t use auto load.
With due respect, I like to control my money too. But as Pink pointed out, setting $20 auto load does not tie up a lot of money, but save you a lot of hassle ( insufficient funds, line up, down machines, missing your train etc.). I understand the tourist situation tho.
 
Let's rephrase. There is no reason for a Presto user, having a credit card, not to use auto load.
Sure there is if they are infrequent riders.

I don't have auto load set up on my Oyster Card - I sometimes don't use it for years at a time. And it's not an option in NYC, but I've always happily reloaded my MTA Metrocard in a machine ... I don't want to put on too much money on I may never use.

I'm all in favour of auto load as a regular transit user in Toronto. But using passes on TTC, it's only because I use GO a few times a month that the autoload makes sense. Otherwise if I only loaded passes to my Presto, and headed out to 905 once a year or so, I wouldn't use autoload.
 

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