By skyforbes There was a time when I was a big booster for the MTA. Given how tough a job they had to do every day, around the clock, I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt when it came to rate hikes and disruption of services. Sure, they made their fair share of mistakes, but on the whole, I wouldn’t trade our public transit system with that of any other city in the United States, or even the world. That’s what makes this post (rant) all the more painful, because the MTA is doing away with one of the crown jewels of the system, the beloved Metrocard, and replacing it with the OMNY card, which as far as names go is really OMiNous when you get right down to it. Beyond the name though, I see nothing but trouble for ordinary New Yorkers who have to make this transition, and I believe that for their sake as well as ours, we must stop it before its too late.
People may argue that the Metrocard is used and outdated, but the fact is that for millions of New Yorkers (and the occasional overwhelmed tourist), it’s a far superior system to the high-tech, high-cost, and difficult OMNY system that’s replacing it. I know that I cannot be alone in seeing New Yorkers feel like these moves are made to make them feel less able to navigate the city they call home. New York at its best is a city that is welcoming of everyone and accommodating to people. OMNY sends a very different message, one that says that only those with phones are welcome to use the subway, only those with bank accounts are able to access it, and those with comfort in the new technology are to be welcome from now on.
Is there anyone who wishes to join me in stopping the city from going through with this mistake before its too late?
Thanks for listening (sorry too),
KC2MFC