MetroCard
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The MetroCard was a plastic card used by many New Yorkers to commute to the subway. As its name suggests, it is in the shape of a credit card. However, it is also useless because first of all, it takes a dollar to make one of these things. Another thing is that you have to swipe it in an exact way, otherwise the turnstile will not let you in. These things are so worthless to the point where it got to the point that it got replaced by OMNY on New Year's Eve 2025.
Despite this, there's only a few people who would prefer using the MetroCard over OMNY because it allows you to see your balances. But if you use it in the wrong way, once again, the turnstile will not know what your balance is. So you have to swipe...and swipe...and swipe again...
It goes on forever until the timing is perfect.
History[edit | edit source]
After several years of using chili powder to prevent fare evasions, the MTA decided to create a new card to replace the old token system. At the time every single subway station in the New York City subway system smelled nothing but chili powder because of the amount of fare evasions. So, they decided to create the MetroCard to swipe into the future. It got to the point where every single place around the world had their own version of the MetroCard, some of which are better than others, even the MetroCard itself. It was also used on buses as well.
Before this, the MetroCard had a blue background and a yellow text. The colors stayed the same when they decided to reverse it, this time the card is yellow for the background and blue for the text. This is simply because the turnstiles are colorblind. However, the MetroCard also comes in other colors, like white with green or orange lettering for students, green and yellow for seniors, blue and red ones for police officers and firefighters, and special designs that makes every single non-New Yorker want to collect them. In fact, the most popular MetroCards are the ones that have special designs on them. Despite this, 99% of non-New Yorkers do not know how to swipe their MetroCards right. Cards with special designs are likely to go up for higher prices on places like EBay.
At the end of 2003, the tokens were phased out. No one cared about them, and everyone had to use cards to swipe their way in. That was until OMNY decided to make things easier, even with a bunch of glitches on their end. Tapping and going with a credit card, a smartphone or a physical card (not like the MetroCard) was the future. It basically saved millions of dollars for the MTA.
Death[edit | edit source]
The MTA wanted to kill the MetroCard and replace it with a system that you could use your phone to pay with, or a credit card. In 2017, the MTA devised a death plan to end its life in 2024. Well, obviously, it didn't happen, but it did happen the following year. On March 19, 2025, the MTA announced that they were going to finally kill off the MetroCard once and for all. This time, everyone cared, even though almost the population in New York was using OMNY. The MTA went all out to celebrate the life of the MetroCard, such as holding parties in random subway stations and having MetroCard-themed food. There was even a funeral at the end of 2025.
Nobody cared about the tokens. Everyone cared about the MetroCard. And it's about a matter of time before the smart cards start tapping in instead.