A New, Improved MetroCard

For a while when I lived in Harlem, it was a good thing I had a bicycle, because there were a few periods of time when I ran out of money for even a subway until I got my next paycheck. Since 9/11, I rarely ride the subway. It seems that when people were running around in panic after the planes hit and I was surrounded these masses, one of my primary fears was to lose control of where I was headed. Crowds in a panic are scary things, and it terrifies me to picture being underground when the next attack hits NYC (which hopefully will be many years from now, but who knows.)

But anyway, here's an idea that came to me when I was with my pop going to meet my mom and an ex-girlfriend a while ago. I suppose I could try to monetize the idea, but what the hell, Andrew Lanyi taught me long ago that pro bono (while cynically never really pro bono) is good thing.

Why don't they print the subway map on the back of each MetroCard? Even if just the subway map of Manhattan, it'd still be great to have right there on the back of the Metro Card. It'd fit pretty nicely.





And on the front? How about selling advertisement space instead of that stupid yellow MetroCard and MTA logo? Create more revenues and help lower prices for the taxpayers who get screwed by having to subsidize the MTA and then pay $2 to use the subway or bus.

I think it'd work. Too bad bureaucrats never try to help the people they purportedly help.