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