Won’t Metro please take my money?

So there I am, at Metro Center this morning, trying to put a little money on my SmarTrip card so I can get to work. Due to delays on the Red Line last night, I abandoned my car after the Trivia Fight and caught a ride into town this morning with Tom. I have:

– 1 SmarTrip card, balance -$.40
– 1 farecard, balance $.60
– $43.00, in two twenties and three singles

I just wanted to put the small bills on the card, because I have plans for those twenties today and didn’t really want a big ol’ pile of Sacajawea coins for breaking a twenty in a Metro machine. So I touch the SmarTrip to the panel, load in the farecard, and try to feed $3 into the machine. The third dollar bill is repeatedly rejected, so I give up and “Retouch SmarTrip to complete transaction.” The machine promptly spits out my farecard and my other $2, saying “Transaction canceled, cash and farecard returned.”

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
Um… wtf?

I try again. Everything goes fine until the third dollar bill is again rejected (same bill, I think), I try to complete the transaction, and the machine gives me back everything I just fed into it.

The lady behind me is very nice, and just as mystified as I am, but she needs to go to work too, so I go try another machine.

Touch SmarTrip, insert farecard, insert money, third bill rejected, retouch SmarTrip, transaction canceled. AGAIN.

I repeat…. W. T. F?

Finally, I get tired of it and pull out the credit card, because I’m still not giving up the $20 bill in my wallet. I put $10 on the card without incident…. and get annoyed that I still have this $.60 farecard in my hand. So I start the transaction over again, feeding in just the farecard this time and no cash. The $.60 is added to my SmarTrip, the farecard stays in the machine, and I’m on my merry way.

I don’t understand, Metro! What’s wrong with my money?

This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs

Tiffany Baxendell Bridge is an Internet enthusiast and an incurable smartass. When not heckling the neighborhood political scene on Twitter, she can be found goofing off with her ukulele, Bollywood dancing, or obsessing about cult TV. She is That Woman With the Baby In the Bar.

Tiffany lives in Brookland with her husband Tom, son Charlie, and two high-maintenance cats. Read why Tiffany loves DC.

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