This past Friday morning I dropped my car off to the mechanic for service. I thus have to use public transportation to get to work.
I haven’t used metro in some time. When I arrived at the metro station, my SmarTrip card showed $5.30. More than I thought. I passed through the gate and took the escalator to the platform to catch metrorail.
When I arrived at my destination and exited the gate, I decided to add money to my SmarTrip card. When I pressed the card on the panel, it showed a -$.10. What ? Strange. I decided to add. $5.00. When I pressed the card against the panel, it displayed a balance of $2.40, not. $4.90. The machine played an error message. Confused & not happy about the $5.00 disappearance , I decided to speak with a metro official.
Based on my explanation about the sequence of events , the metro personnel explained I didn’t allow the system to clear before adding $5.00. When I asked what happened to my. $5.00, he responded the amount has been added to the card of the individual who used the machine before me. I was too through.
The machine did not indicate another account was active though there was an audible error message after I inserted my $5.00 and pressed my card against the panel.
Can’t believe I lost $5.00. I made some stranger’s day. 😦
The Money Heifer 
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