Davis T station has been Charlie converted

[ron_newman]

As of this morning, the Davis T station has been converted to Charlie gates.

Comments

[treacle-well.livejournal.com]

Ah, that explains it! I was reading info about the new fares on the MBTA site recently, and though both CharlieCards and CharlieTickets were mentioned, I couldn't find anything explaining what the difference was.

[treacle-well.livejournal.com]

Okay, it explains part of the difference. I've only been able to guess at how they are otherwise differently used.

[mattlistener.livejournal.com]

I did some research into the differences yesterday:

-Charlie Cards use an RFID chip that just requires proximity. This gets through the new turnstiles faster, but doesn't work in the old turnstiles at all (which is why they can't sell them yet).

-Charlie Cards will have a unique serial number. If you choose to associate that serial number with your identity, you will have a broader range of options for recharging them. (eg credit card over the phone.) Of course, it will also mean that The System will be able to track your movements.

-Charlie Cards can store both a pass and stored value at the same time; CharlieTickets can only do one or the other. Both at once may be desirable for those who travel on Charlie-enabled parts of the system outside the scope of their pass.

-Charlie Cards or (CharlieTickets with a pass on them) will be required to get the new fare. People who pay in cash or use stored-value will pay a ~20% surcharge on top of the new fare.

Hopefully it will be difficult to break the machines by putting a CharlieCard into the ticket reader.