A Better BART Kiosk Interface • Hacker News Board

Re: A Better BART Kiosk Interface

#31

Post by dfranke » Thu, May 07, 2009, 5:13 AM UTC

royalpineapple wrote: post #29

dfranke wrote: post #24

I don't like not being able to specify the exact value of the ticket. I always buy tickets in multiples of the cost of a round trip commute, so that a) I'm on my home, not on my way to work, when I need to buy a new ticket, and thus not in a rush; b) my balance ends at zero, so that the exit turnstile eats the ticket, making me aware that it's out of money so that I'm not taken by surprise by an "insufficient value"…

This design has a "make round trip" button, which would fit your needs exactly.

That only gets me one round trip, and I don't want to stop at the kiosk every day. It lets me buy multiple tickets, but not put multiple trips on one ticket.

Re: A Better BART Kiosk Interface

#32

Post by male_salmon » Thu, May 07, 2009, 6:37 AM UTC

triplefox wrote: post #14

Little-known fact: BART has been using 8-track technology for its ticketing since the system was created in the 1970's. You can see this when the kiosks need repairs.

oh really.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/228/519444730_4eb3859a9a_o.jp...

"This machine has Windows 2000 with 256MB ram installed."

http://www.hightechdad.com/2008/04/16/bart-ticket-kiosks-run...

Re: A Better BART Kiosk Interface

#33

Post by donw » Thu, May 07, 2009, 6:48 AM UTC

I would kill for BART and Caltrain to adopt the same ticketing technology used in every metro that I've been to in Asia -- namely, a little RFID card that sits in your wallet, that you just hold over the sensor. Most mobile phones (in Japan, at least) incorporate the same technology, so you can just hold your phone over the sensor to handle payment.

No moving parts, and no openings, so they're very durable. And incredibly convenient.

Re: A Better BART Kiosk Interface

#34

Post by menloparkbum » Thu, May 07, 2009, 7:16 AM UTC

donw wrote: post #33

I would kill for BART and Caltrain to adopt the same ticketing technology used in every metro that I've been to in Asia -- namely, a little RFID card that sits in your wallet, that you just hold over the sensor. Most mobile phones (in Japan, at least) incorporate the same technology, so you can just hold your phone over the sensor to handle payment. No moving parts, and no openings, so they're very durable. And incre…

I would kill for BART and Caltrain to adopt the same ticketing technology used in every metro that I've been to in Asia

This is what the Translink card is eventually supposed to do. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TransLink_(San_Francisco_Bay_Ar...

Re: A Better BART Kiosk Interface

#35

Post by jrockway » Thu, May 07, 2009, 8:45 AM UTC

aston wrote: post #8

I've always wondered whether it was an intentional feature of the BART machines that they focus on the cash value on a card rather than the trip cost. Underpaying isn't allowed--the gates at your destination won't let you leave--and overpaying puts petty change into the BART's coffers when you forget about/lose/toss the card.

Underpaying isn't allowed--the gates at your destination won't let you leave

There is no fare correction machine on the way out?