A little set up. The ORCA card is an electronic, rfid card that Pierce Transit, SoundTransit, King County Metro, and a few other local agencies now use for their passes. On SoundTransit, if you want a transfer now (or if you want to transfer between different bus systems, i.e. Metro or Pierce Transit), you have to use the ORCA card. You can put various products on the ORCA card:
- a regional pass (i.e. the PugetPass)
- an E-purse, which makes it a stored value card (like the bastard child of a debit card).
- Or, you can put both on, which is what I do. I have a monthly Puget Pass at a $1.75 ride value (which is what Pierce Transit’s fare is), and I usually have an E-Purse to cover the occasions when I need to take a bus that charges a higher fare (like the ST Express and/or King County Metro).
Now how it’s supposed to work is when you board your buss, you tap the card on the reader (I don’t even have to take it all of my wallet), and if your pass value is equal or exceeds the fare value, you’re good to go. If the value of the fare exceeds you pass value, then the difference is taken from your E-Purse, or if you don’t have one, you have to make up the difference.
That’s where I have problems. I have an E-Purse with my pass on my card. Whenever I take the ST Express and tap my card, it shows up on the reader as “PASS + .75” (if I take the 574), or if I take the Seattle Express (route 590, 591, 594, etc) it shows up as “PASS + 1.25”, and I see the corresponding reduction on the E-Purse. And yet, I’m still challenged by the drivers on almost a daily basis to pay the difference in cash, even though I’ve already paid this electronically. Sometimes I win the argument, sometimes I pay, and then there’s the time I got kicked off the bus):
It happened February 17th. I attempted to board the 594 (coach 9706) @ the 512 park & ride. I knew I had enough on my ORCA card's e-purse to cover the fare, and I saw it deducted from my balance. The driver still insisted that I owed money, and he refused to let me board. See the proof, a screenshot from my card’s transaction history: Clearly, you can see that the remaining balance on my E-Purse was sufficient to cover the difference, and in fact it was deducted from the card.
Clearly, you can see that the remaining balance on my E-Purse was sufficient to cover the difference, and in fact it was deducted from the card. I immediately called Pierce Transit’s customer service line, and to say I was blown off would be an understatement. Pierce Transit really should put something on their website and/or in their literature about how rude and condescending their telephone representatives are. Anyway rather than referring me to management, I was told to call ORCA (the only person I didn’t need to call since the equipment works). I called ORCA, and explained it to their representative, and he tried to contact Pierce Transit himself, and I guess they blew him off. He did say that I was right, and that he would be sending me a free ride voucher, though. That may had settled the matter, had I actually got it (in hindsight, he probably lied to me to get me off my case). I also direct-dialed one of the senior supervisors/assistant managers at Peirce Transit and left a voicemail. I then emailed SoundTransit (the agency that subcontracts Pierce Transit to do this route), and I got essentially the same answer back:
<quote>
Thank you for contacting Sound Transit about your trip on the ST 594 on February 17, 2010 using your ORCA card.
The ST 594 is operated by Pierce Transit on behalf of Sound Transit. Your ORCA account has been verified and had sufficient funds to ride this trip without paying any additional cash fares. I apologize for the inconvenience. This will be reported to Pierce Transit for further investigation. I will be mailing you a complimentary free ride bus ticket for your next trip on a Sound Transit express bus. We appreciate you riding Sound Transit and
</quote>
Three hours later, a secretary called me, and we conversed on this matter. She looked at my ride history and again said I shouldn’t have been charged extra and referred this to management. The next day I got a call from ‘Jerry’, who said he talked to the driver, and the driver lied to him and said I still owed money. NOTWITHSTANDING THE EVIDENCE ALREADY SHOWN TO ORCA, SOUNDTRANSIT, AND POSTED HERE! I offered to give my card number so he could look it up himself, but he said he doesn’t do that kind of stuff and basically said he believed the driver more than me. Essentially he has no fucking clue what’s going on, and no idea how the ORCA card reader is supposed to work. And this stupidity is the senior management at Pierce Transit!
Through all of this, two of the parties said they would be sending free ride tickets. It’s been two weeks since this happened, and I’ve never received them. Even though they have my address…
Fast forward to this past Saturday. I had to take the 574 to Federal Way. That very morning I had reloaded my ORCA card with the March PugetPass and E-Purse. I boarded the bus, tapped my card, and the driver grabbed my elbow as if to assault me or throw me off the bus. I told him I had an E-purse and he let me go. That was the last time I rode ST Express. I still need to go up to Seattle to look at a computer system that my boss has directed me to set up, but I don’t want to have to fight another losing battle with illiterate bus driver, and I’m now concerned for my safety. I don’t want to be physically accosted, compelled to pay extra or get off the bus. I just want to go to my destination…
The ORCA Card is a crock and a fraud. I’ve had more trouble with it than it’s worth, but I’m forced to use it. I’m sure it’s a valid concept, but when liars and incompetent clods are the ones implementing it, all bets are off.
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