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blogcutterI got a Presto card yesterday and loaded some cash onto it. The next step will be to see if the thing works. It's already been an adventure getting to this stage.
When I learned that the smart- or not-so-smart cards for Ottawa's public transit system were now available, I thought I'd try to get a couple of them. Once the initial phasing-in period is over, the good folks at OC-Transpo are going to start charging $6 for that little green plastic card, BEFORE you've even loaded any money on it. I figured I'd pick up one for myself and one for my partner. Not so fast!
Turned out, they make you SIGN for the card. Well, okay. Then you get your card, pick up a "kit" from somebody else, and go over to the cashier if you want to load money on it. Or you can go online and load money that way. Either way, they still recommend that you "register" your card, so that if it's ever stolen, you can "hotlist" it so that it doesn't get used by the thief.
I took my kit and my little green card home and went online to register it. That's when I encountered yet another snag. I could key in the card number and the three-digit verification code, was presented with an on-line agreement, but then when I accepted it and clicked on the "Next" button, one of two things kept happening: either the screen froze entirely, or it came back with "please enter your 3-digit verification code", because apparently I had somehow wiped it out by checking the "I agree" box on the agreement. Well, not to worry, I thought. There was a toll-free number on the site, so I phoned that, went through one of those endless telephone trees where they never have the option you want and don't even have the option to press "0" to talk to a representative... and so I gave up. But I did discover on the site that I could sign in as Anonymous, using just the main card number and no 3-digit code. That at least confirmed that I did have the money on my card and that it was active.
After examining my kit, I realized it contained a form you could MAIL in to register your card. So I guess I'll do that. As long as it doesn't get lost or stolen before I've completed the registration process, I guess I'll be okay and won't lose my money. That's assuming the card actually WORKS when I try to tap it on the card reader on the bus!
So why am I even bothering with this? Well, tickets can be a bit of a pain. You have to board by the front door and remember to get your transfer as proof of payment. Moreover, OC Transpo decided some time ago,in its wisdom, that TWO tickets (costing $1.30 each)rather than one would be necessary for each trip (or four for a round-trip), yet they sell them in groups of SIX. So of course, I've been buying TWELVE at a time, but somehow always manage to end up with the wrong number of tickets at the end of the batch (if, for example, the ticket-box is malfunctioning and I get a freebie ride, or I make a stopover and need three one-way fares for one trip). I could use a cash fare but that too is awkward and considerably more costly ($3.30 per trip instead of $2.60). Moreover, tickets can't be used on the O-Train. The Presto card can. As well, Toronto uses the Presto card too, and I generally make several trips to Toronto per year. It will be handy to be able to use my card in both Toronto and Ottawa and not end up with obsolete subway tokens when fares in Toronto go up.
I'm hoping that by the time Music & Beyond starts in just over a month, the teething pains with my Presto card will be over and I can just hop merrily on and off buses, tapping my card on the readers as I go.
Stay tuned!
When I learned that the smart- or not-so-smart cards for Ottawa's public transit system were now available, I thought I'd try to get a couple of them. Once the initial phasing-in period is over, the good folks at OC-Transpo are going to start charging $6 for that little green plastic card, BEFORE you've even loaded any money on it. I figured I'd pick up one for myself and one for my partner. Not so fast!
Turned out, they make you SIGN for the card. Well, okay. Then you get your card, pick up a "kit" from somebody else, and go over to the cashier if you want to load money on it. Or you can go online and load money that way. Either way, they still recommend that you "register" your card, so that if it's ever stolen, you can "hotlist" it so that it doesn't get used by the thief.
I took my kit and my little green card home and went online to register it. That's when I encountered yet another snag. I could key in the card number and the three-digit verification code, was presented with an on-line agreement, but then when I accepted it and clicked on the "Next" button, one of two things kept happening: either the screen froze entirely, or it came back with "please enter your 3-digit verification code", because apparently I had somehow wiped it out by checking the "I agree" box on the agreement. Well, not to worry, I thought. There was a toll-free number on the site, so I phoned that, went through one of those endless telephone trees where they never have the option you want and don't even have the option to press "0" to talk to a representative... and so I gave up. But I did discover on the site that I could sign in as Anonymous, using just the main card number and no 3-digit code. That at least confirmed that I did have the money on my card and that it was active.
After examining my kit, I realized it contained a form you could MAIL in to register your card. So I guess I'll do that. As long as it doesn't get lost or stolen before I've completed the registration process, I guess I'll be okay and won't lose my money. That's assuming the card actually WORKS when I try to tap it on the card reader on the bus!
So why am I even bothering with this? Well, tickets can be a bit of a pain. You have to board by the front door and remember to get your transfer as proof of payment. Moreover, OC Transpo decided some time ago,in its wisdom, that TWO tickets (costing $1.30 each)rather than one would be necessary for each trip (or four for a round-trip), yet they sell them in groups of SIX. So of course, I've been buying TWELVE at a time, but somehow always manage to end up with the wrong number of tickets at the end of the batch (if, for example, the ticket-box is malfunctioning and I get a freebie ride, or I make a stopover and need three one-way fares for one trip). I could use a cash fare but that too is awkward and considerably more costly ($3.30 per trip instead of $2.60). Moreover, tickets can't be used on the O-Train. The Presto card can. As well, Toronto uses the Presto card too, and I generally make several trips to Toronto per year. It will be handy to be able to use my card in both Toronto and Ottawa and not end up with obsolete subway tokens when fares in Toronto go up.
I'm hoping that by the time Music & Beyond starts in just over a month, the teething pains with my Presto card will be over and I can just hop merrily on and off buses, tapping my card on the readers as I go.
Stay tuned!
