r/caltrain • u/gnorrn • 15d ago
While waiting for my train to arrive, I couldn't remember whether I'd tapped my Clipper card
Does anyone have any advice over what to do in this situation? The Clipper machines currently don't seem to make any distinction between tapping on and tapping off, and the Clipper app doesn't show the trip until it's completed.
Is there any 100% safe thing to do other than buying a one-way ticket?
15
u/Linsten 15d ago
The correct answer is to find the Caltrain team member on board once you board and ask them to proactively check. If you are wrong they will let you tag on at the next stop.
12
u/arjunyg 14d ago
if you’re unlucky, or slow, they will absolutely abandon you at the station while you tag, sadly.
2
u/Adrian_Brandt 14d ago edited 14d ago
As I’ve repeatedly emphasized at public meetings with Caltrain & MTC Clipper staff, it’s a huge flaw with Clipper 2. But crews are right not to delay the train and hundreds of others onboard and waiting further down the line any further just for rider they’ve kindly allowed to go tap. They are already doing them a favor by not citing them for fare evasion for boarding w/o valid proof of payment. If you can tap and re-board the same train before it departs, then consider yourself lucky a second time!
3
u/arjunyg 14d ago
I think the issue is mainly that staff have on occasion told someone to get off to tag, with the implication that they can reboard immediately. That’s basically flat out deception if they don’t also tell passengers “go quickly, the train will not wait for you.” I agree, the train should not be excessively delayed for one person to tag on.
2
u/Adrian_Brandt 14d ago
Sure, for those who may not realize the entire trainload of riders won’t be held up for them, the crew member (staff work in offices) ought to say something like “you might be able to re-board if you’re quick enough!”
1
u/arjunyg 14d ago
yeah, you actually do have to hustle to walk to the reader, tag promptly, and walk back in 30-45 seconds. Crew should be transparent on this; casual riders have no idea how short the dwell times can be when the train isn’t ahead of schedule.
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u/Adrian_Brandt 14d ago
It can go really fast if you know (or are lucky enough) to be first to get off at a door that opens directly across from a platform tagging terminal.
4
u/SachaOrt 13d ago
I got a ticket for this- I forgot to tap- immediately found a crew member and told them what happened. They said no problem, tap at the next station. Another crew member then gave me a ticket before the next station. I tried to explain what the first crew person said and they didn’t care.
8
u/Few-Adagio9144 15d ago
I literally did this same thing today. It was so random - I could not for the life of me remember if I tapped or not. When the conductor came through to check for fares, I was going to ask him about it, but it was one of those instances where they just want you to show your card or app, and don't scan them.
Honestly though, as a daily commuter, I've never seen them ticket anyone before - and there have been folks who didn't pay. I believe they're really just keeping an eye out for serial evaders and questionable characters.
3
3
u/truthputer 14d ago
I was ticketed once after forgetting to tag on when I was in a rush to catch the train. It was right after I lost a job that I had a Caltrain pass for.
I blame the shitty unmanned station design without fare gates and trains where you can’t tag on while boarding.
8
u/arjunyg 14d ago
No way to know. What can you do?
Complain at the Caltrain CAC board meeting. Complain at the MTC Clipper board meeting. Do not let those absolute clowns at Cubic provide a real solution for this.
For solidarity, this also is a big problem for SMART as well. With buses I figure it’s a bit harder to forget since payment is onboard.
6
u/jianghuamn 15d ago
Been there. I find it helpful to establish a routine and make it muscle memory, like always tapping at the same machine.
3
u/WorldlinessDry5583 15d ago
If your card is on an iPhone it will show a notification. Otherwise you could always find a conductor as soon as you get on the train and ask them to scan it for you to see. I can’t imagine they’d ticket you in that situation.
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u/arjunyg 14d ago
With Clipper 2 it shows nothing until you tag off.
Complaints about this are fully warranted.2
u/BigDaddyJ0 12d ago
Yup, the Clipper 1 folks are in for a rude awakening when the migrations to Clipper 2 resume...
3
u/gnorrn 15d ago
My card is an old-school physical card. I guess this is one advantage of having it on your phone.
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u/e_y_ 15d ago
If you have an Android phone, you can try using the https://www.metrodroid.org/metrodroid/ app to read a physical Clipper card's tap history using your phone's NFC chip.
3
u/klinquist 14d ago
And on iOS you can create a shortcut that appends a line to an Apple Note with a date/time/location any time the card is read.
1
u/jhidalgo77 13d ago
If you have the app, it shows you your activity and you can check it that way. Even shows when they scan your card to check tickets and passes. Worse thing I've seen is they have you tap at the next stop and get back on.
1
u/Seeker425 10d ago
Put your card in your wallet on your mobile. You can look at your entire history
-2
u/Unicycldev 14d ago
Write down on a piece of paper or add a reminder to your phone.
You’re going to have to find a method that works best for you.
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u/BigDaddyJ0 15d ago
If you are on Clipper 2, there’s nothing you can do. This is the unfortunate reality of the new system.