New Charlie Card instead of monthly T-pass and tokens!

[enochs-fable.livejournal.com]

Looks like we might be going all high-tech at some point with a pay-as-you-go fare card system:

New Card Fare System

I'd never heard of this Charlie fellow before either.

x-posted to medford_mass

Comments

[enochs-fable.livejournal.com]

How originally is original? Been here over a decade. Had heard the story of "guy who got on the T and couldn't get off" but never knew he had a name... or a song.

[jadelennox]

oh, how sad! maybe you only get it growing up, because it's a fun song for kids. I've just added the Dropkick Murphys cover to Wiki article, since it's also sad that they didn't have that.

It's a fun song. and the cover is funnier.

[enochs-fable.livejournal.com]

Ha! Even funnier is that a woman quoted in the article suggest the Dropkick Murphy's cover the original. Wonder if she knew about the Skinhead song?

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

That was me, actually. (http://www.livejournal.com/users/talonvaki/1189784.html)

[enochs-fable.livejournal.com]

Ha! Wicked awesome!

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

Didn't know about the cover...but I'd guess they'd have to do it a little more straight to get it to go...I said them because, hey, they got a 100+ year old song (Tessie) popular again...a 56-year-old one should be cake.

[enochs-fable.livejournal.com]

You should send an email to the band. :)

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

Hm. Perhaps I should at that!

[jadelennox]

You didn't know? I assumed you were being snarky.

That's fantastic! I'm super amused.

Congrats on being famous.

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

Wish I had known! But (heh) I guess the reporter hadn't heard of it, either.

I need to go find it, now, that song...

[jadelennox]

Haven't heard of Charlie? Please tell me you're not orginally from around here. It's got nothing to do with age (as the folks interview for the article claim), and everything to do with Boston.

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

I'm from California. I know that song by heart!

[prog.livejournal.com]

FWIW, I grew up here too (as you know, JL) but didn't know anything about the song or the story until I returned as an adult, a few years ago. So I humbly submit that ignorance of the song heretofore is unfortunate but permissible. :)

(I wonder if the green thing ol' Charlie is holding on the card's artwork is his daily sandwich?)

[enochs-fable.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I feel a little better for not knowing a song composed in the 50's, local or not!

[jadelennox]

Fine. Reveal me as snob. Thppt.

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

Me, too. :-P

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

I'm under thirty, not from originally around here, have only lived here for five years, and I knew about the Charlie song...I have no idea what everyone else's excuse is ;).

[komos.livejournal.com]

There's a story a about the song after which it's named here. (http://web.mit.edu/jdreed/www/t/charlie.html)

[enochs-fable.livejournal.com]

Very cool historical notes. Thanks.

[star-stryder.livejournal.com]

I wonder if this is going to make it harder for employers to provide discounts. The university where I work gets us our T-passes for a significant discount and through payroll deductions pre-tax. It will be interesting to see how this evolves. Thanks for the post!

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

That's a huge concern of mine, too. I ride the T as often as 100 times a month, and even at the full face value of $44, the subway-only T-pass is a bargain. I couldn't afford to ride half as much as I do if the unlimited ride pass system was elimintated. According to the link above, it won't be eliminated. All I can say is it better not be.

[jadelennox]

And what will this do to those of us with sr/tap passes, where you need to show id?

[csbermack.livejournal.com]

When the system is fully operational, presumably everyone's card will know how much they have to pay, and you won't have to show ID.

[jadelennox]

Except sr/tap fares are so cheap that the id is to make sure you don't lend them to your friends, I think.

MP3 of the song

[prog.livejournal.com]

http://www.atr.org/audiovisual/kingston_trio_charlie_on_the_mta.mp3