Don''t Pay Full Fare - Use a DART Card

I always buy DART cards to pay for my bus fare, because it is cheaper and less of a hassle. Personally, I get the Platinum card, for which I pay $65, but which gives me $108 worth of rides. That's the maximum discount - 40%. That is, unless you're 65 years old, in which case you can get the Red Card with a 70% discount.

So instead of $1.15 for a single fare, I'm really only paying $0.69. And instead of $2.40 for a daily pass, I really pay only $1.44. That's a great savings.

Now, I notice that very few people take advantage of this. Last year, I bought a Platinum DART Card at the ShopRite at the Riverfront, and the clerk told me with surprise, "That's the first Platinum card I've ever sold!"

That's good for DART revenues, I guess, but not so good for riders' wallets. In my opinion, people should really try to save up for the highest-value card they can afford, so they can get the maximum discount. You can see the prices and discounts in the list at the right.

I think there are several reasons people don't buy the maximum-discount cards:

1. They can't afford it. Some folks can barely scrape up the change for a single ride. And some not even that, as witness the panhandlers begging change for a ride at Rodney Square. Those who most need the discount - let's face it - can't afford it.
2. People are afraid of losing a high-value card. This is legitimate. If you're in the habit of losing your card, you should stick to the lower-value cards. I was afraid of this, but over several years have still not lost a card (but... knock on wood!)
3. They don't know where or how to buy DART cards. You can get them at the customer service counter of any ACME market, and quite a few other places, too. But some people don't have time, and others have to go way out of their way. Some don't even know how to find out where to get them (you can call DART, or find a list of card outlets on the internet.)
4. They've had problems with cards in the past. Admittedly, it is a huge hassle when your card stops working when there is still money on it. But the drivers will generally let you keep riding until you can take care of it.