Oh man! I’m a city bus driver, and the amount of people that struggle with getting fare in the box is too damn high! I don’t understand how you could make a bus full of people wait for you to dig through your pockets at a pace that would make glaciers impatient. You’re standing at the bus stop, you know you’re getting on the bus, know you’ll need fare, yet here we are.
I want to get a documentary crew to follow some of these people around for a while just to see what they do with their days. I genuinely wonder how some people function.
Does your area still use cash for bus fares? In 2025? Where I am it feels like we’re behind because only this year did they start letting you tap on with your debit card or phone. We’ve had transit cards since like 2007.
We’ve got transit cards, but some people still insist on cash. To be fair the same people that struggle finding coins are the same people who struggle finding a fare card. Or will try to sit in the entryway of the bus, fire up the app, and buy a ticket, then activate said ticket, then struggle to scan said ticket.
I got an Octopus card when I went to Hong Kong. I got an Oyster card in London. I got an Opal card in Sydney. It’s really not hard to get the appropriate public transport card for the place that you’re at.
Plus, as I mentioned, many places are now moving towards being able to just use your normal debit card, phone, or smartwatch to tap on and off.
Because sometimes the dam credit card companies freeze your account when you travel and having the affordable transit option rely on having a functional credit card screw you over when you want to go to the bank to fix the issue. Also minors don’t typically have cards nor asylum seekers. not to mention that cards rely on connection to cellular networks that fail an unreasonable amount
Yup, I rode the bus a lot for a few years, and the first time I went, I checked what the fare was and made sure I was ready, and even on the 100th time, I still kept my fare in hand before getting on. I honestly don’t understand why you wouldn’t, surely you want to get where you’re going instead of digging through your pockets in front of the driver…
I was stoked when they introduced fare cards in my area because:
discount on fare
easier than cash
they supported credit card tap at the same time
easy to reload and freeze online
I bought three, one for me, my SO, and my oldest kid (wasn’t free anymore), and if I misplaced one, I’d just freeze it and move the balance to a different one until it turned up. I’d lend one to family so they could take transit to the airport after visiting us and then return it when they came back (I’d be fine if they lost it).
Fare cards rock, I honestly don’t understand why they weren’t very popular.
They since removed the discount, so the value of the pass is a bit less, but we still use it occasionally since it’s less bad to lose the card than a credit card.
Oh man! I’m a city bus driver, and the amount of people that struggle with getting fare in the box is too damn high! I don’t understand how you could make a bus full of people wait for you to dig through your pockets at a pace that would make glaciers impatient. You’re standing at the bus stop, you know you’re getting on the bus, know you’ll need fare, yet here we are.
I want to get a documentary crew to follow some of these people around for a while just to see what they do with their days. I genuinely wonder how some people function.
Does your area still use cash for bus fares? In 2025? Where I am it feels like we’re behind because only this year did they start letting you tap on with your debit card or phone. We’ve had transit cards since like 2007.
We’ve got transit cards, but some people still insist on cash. To be fair the same people that struggle finding coins are the same people who struggle finding a fare card. Or will try to sit in the entryway of the bus, fire up the app, and buy a ticket, then activate said ticket, then struggle to scan said ticket.
if the bus doesn’t take cash how in the world would tourists be able to use it?
I got an Octopus card when I went to Hong Kong. I got an Oyster card in London. I got an Opal card in Sydney. It’s really not hard to get the appropriate public transport card for the place that you’re at.
Plus, as I mentioned, many places are now moving towards being able to just use your normal debit card, phone, or smartwatch to tap on and off.
Why would tourists be more inclined to use cash?
Because sometimes the dam credit card companies freeze your account when you travel and having the affordable transit option rely on having a functional credit card screw you over when you want to go to the bank to fix the issue. Also minors don’t typically have cards nor asylum seekers. not to mention that cards rely on connection to cellular networks that fail an unreasonable amount
Not really. Just buy something at the airport.
Not true, not in the UK anyway. And minors young enough to not have cards don’t travel alone.
Firstly, not true. Secondly, you said “tourists”.
Yup, I rode the bus a lot for a few years, and the first time I went, I checked what the fare was and made sure I was ready, and even on the 100th time, I still kept my fare in hand before getting on. I honestly don’t understand why you wouldn’t, surely you want to get where you’re going instead of digging through your pockets in front of the driver…
here buses haven’t taken cash for like 15 years. card or pre-bought tickets only.
Must be nice. We’ve got cards, but a sizable population still uses cash
I was stoked when they introduced fare cards in my area because:
I bought three, one for me, my SO, and my oldest kid (wasn’t free anymore), and if I misplaced one, I’d just freeze it and move the balance to a different one until it turned up. I’d lend one to family so they could take transit to the airport after visiting us and then return it when they came back (I’d be fine if they lost it).
Fare cards rock, I honestly don’t understand why they weren’t very popular.
They since removed the discount, so the value of the pass is a bit less, but we still use it occasionally since it’s less bad to lose the card than a credit card.
some people just living life on hard mode.