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It's a big week for SmarTrip cards, leading up to the even bigger week beginning Jan. 4, 2009, when the electronic farecards will be required in order to take advantage of bus-to-bus, rail-to-bus or the new bus-to-rail transfer options within the WMATA transit system.
- Starting today, you can purchase a commemorative Barack Obama inauguration SmarTrip card. The special cards, which cost $10 and come with no value preloaded onto them (or pay $20 upfront and get $10 in value on the card) can be purchased online or at Metro sales offices. The commemorative cards featuring Obama's face are not to be confused with the special $10 one-day Inauguration paper farecards, which also feature Obama's face. Those paper cards offer unlimited rides on Metro all day on Jan. 20, and are also available online or at Metro sales offices. The commemorative SmarTrip cards work just like regular SmarTrips, and do not offer any special fare discount or unlimited rides.
- Starting tomorrow, regular SmarTrip cards will be available for purchase at most CVS stores in the immediate D.C. area. Metro has reached an agreement with 190 CVS stores in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia to sell SmarTrip for $10 each, with $5 already loaded on the card. More details available here. Only regular SmarTrip cards, and not commemorative cards, will be sold at the CVS stores. Want to check to see if your closest CVS will carry the cards? Follow this link for a searchable list, and keep an eye out for a decal that says "SmarTrip sold here" that should be posted on the door of each participating store.
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Commemorative Barack Obama SmartTrip cards?! LOL! Capitalism at its finest.
Maybe they can print his birth certificate on it so the crazies will STFU.
Bus-to-rail transfers, here we come!
I just bought an Obama SmarTrip card because I needed one and because it's way better than the normal design, but it does beg the question...why now, and why Obama?
I understand how historic his election is, but I guess it seems a little overtly partisan for Metro to be putting his face on a SmarTrip card. (This is bound to piss off some Republican on the Hill.) Why not MLK? Lincoln? Any number of other historic figures? And why not start a whole line of commemorative SmarTrip cards like the popular 50 State Quarters program?
I might buy a few Obama cards and try to sell them on eBay in a couple of months.
I won't be getting one of these.
They had special Inaugural One Day Metrorail passes in 2005. Probably just paper as SmartTrip wasn't as prevalent. This is pretty common practice for WMATA - even had a special Nats SmartTrip for Opening Night/new stadium.
Martin: That was more or less what I thought when they announced the card. Cause you know if they pull it out in 2012, they're going to demand a Palin card...
So for $20, you get a card with NO value on it, apart from the President's face? Or for a mere $10, you get a card with $5 loaded on it? Why can't they sell a $50 card that has a negative balance of $20 that can only be paid for in shekels, zlotys, livestock, or a human pineal gland?
SmartRIPOFF!
We definitely need a "Goodbye Bush, Thanks for Fucking Up Our Country" SmartTrip card.
I would like a McCain 08 card. I would take it out of my wallet just to hear the sound of his little face slapping the circle every time I go through the gate would be nice. Slap!
Yeah, good luck with that. A Bush SmarTrip card would magically transform your wallet into a defecit sinkhole. And when you go to complain, WMATA arrests you and does the extraordinary rendition to the "GitMo of the District," Swampoodle. For your own safety, of course. The safety is also cursed.
Now, I could totally get behind a Cheney SmarTrip card, just because it would make a cool sound on my bicycle spokes and has a gigantic wang.
I bought a special commemorative Metro pass for the Clinton's first innauguration, so this is nothing new. I do think that using Obama's face, rather than just the presidential or innaugural seal (as was done in the past) is a bit much. However, I have given up complaining about Obama hagiography.
Bush may be a screw-up, but at least he did SOMETHING, like kill terrorists. The economy will come back unlike those shi*head terrs.
@Randy: Hahaha! That was a pretty pathetic trolling attempt. Better luck next time?
Now they just need to put SmarTrip recharging stations, a la ATMS, in the CVS shops (and maybe grocery stores, too?) so folks can recharge their cards BEFORE they get on the bus and hold everyone up trying to get their wrinkled $5 bill to feed into the machine.
Wait, I missed the news about bus-to-rail transfers, and don't see it on wmata's web site. What's the transfer cost?
Isn't it ironic that WMATA has special inaugural SmarTrip cards but they are encouraging everyone to walk. Maybe I'll buy some special inaugural boots and slap Obama's face on it. The original Obamaboot. Get yours now before they run out. Run ... get it?!?!? Run.
It's also funny how Metro can reap the cash from this event and charge a fortune to everyday riders, yet still remain in the sh*tter financially.
If only the Feds and a regional taxing authority would give WMATA a googol bazillion dollars, maybe then they'd finally get around to fixing one or two of these niggling problems. Like why senior management can't book quality vacation time in Thai brothels.
I think it's a shame that they're not offering a Senior or Disabled SmarTrip Card. My mom is over 65 and entitled to pay half price Metro and bus fares, but can't do so with the commemorative card. boo.
I like the Cheney SmarTrip card stmove. Every time you use it, it says "Go Fuck Yourself".
Let's copy the decal that says "SmarTrip sold here" and paste it on every store in town, or maybe on Metrorail cars. Gotta cause some confusion.
Went down to Metro Center and asked for the Inauguration day SmarTrip card/Obama SmarTrip card, was given a weird look, then told that they will NOT be available for purchase from the sales offices in Metro Center until Inauguration day. No arguments, get out of the way for the next person, no she isn't talking about the paper tickets.
:(
WMATA.com doesn't say they sell them in advance at the ticket offices in those sales offices, but you'd think they would WANT to sell me an over-expensive commemorative SmarTrip card. Ah well, anyone else have luck getting one today at a station sales office?
Personally, I can't wait for DC parking enforcement to roll out their commemorative Obama car boot.
Yeah, now I won't have to endure Metro Center if/when I lose or break my MetroCard.
Spoke with a Metro CSR over the phone, no Obama SmarTrip Cards being sold at the Sales Office until January but the Cards can be order online.
*Please allow 8-10 weeks for delivery. Thank you for using Metro!