Jessica writes:

I lost my 30 day unlimited MetroCard over the holiday weekend. Happily, a friend told me the MTA will replace it if it was purchased with a credit or debit card, which it was. However, since calling the handy replacement number on the MTA’s web site for THREE DAYS IN A ROW and holding anywhere from 100-150 minutes each time, I’m not so sure. Have other people in New York dealt with this? I understand the MTA is probably like your average DMV when it comes to efficiency, but this is just plain ridiculous. My lunch money is dwindling with each $2.00 trip to–and from–work.

That’s one to cut the cost of replacing metrocards – never pick up the phone. Our best suggestion is that she outsource this job to India. It’s not just for Fortune 500 companies, you can use a company like Brickwork and pay someone $4/hr to sit on hold for you. For a $76 unlimited use subway card, it could be worth it. We’ll let you decide, however, whether listening to the MTA hold music is more or less cruel than paying them cents an hour to pour manhole covers.

(Photo: Ben Popken)

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