FIDDLING WITH METROCARDS

Multiple-ride “metrocards” in New York have been protected from illicit sales of rides to third parties by a usage time limit – they could only be swiped once in 18 minutes. This has proved ineffective. Typically, fraudsters are lending their cards out at $2.25 a throw. This month, the Metropolitan Transit Authority has been quietly increasing the time limit – to as much as 60 minutes on some lines – in an effort to stop the practice. Travellers who genuinely need to use their cards more than once within this time-frame will face problems.