Dan_Bower%RPI-MTS.Mailnet@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA (01/20/86)
Dave, the station attendants on the DC Metro not there because of the fare system. They serve all sorts of functions, none of which are involved with directly dispensing fare cards. The attendants would still be there, all other factors being equal, with a ride based fare system. BTW, there ARE station attendants on PATCO; they just aren't in the stations. They're on the other end of the closed circuit TV. (If you don't believe me, just insert a bogus farecard more than once.) Also, if DC used a more durable medium than paper, they could recycle their cards. Personally I like the DC cards in that they let you know exactly how much value is left on the card. Because of this, I can submit the card itself as a receipt on an expense account.