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Two Tickets, One Offense, Mad Motorist
Senior SmarTrip
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Dear Dr. Gridlock:
After reading your response to J. Morton on June 29 concerning the elimination of the brown Senior Citizen ID Card, I have a concern.
I have a senior SmarTrip card and a Senior Citizen ID issued by Metro. This ID card allows for free use of the Ride On bus. My senior SmarTrip card looks just like all of the other cards issued by Metro. When the ID expires, how do I prove I am eligible for a free ride?
J. Saidman
Bethesda
The transit authority no longer requires that persons 65 and older get the senior ID to get their discount SmarTrip card. Seniors used to get a discount card that was blue and green, just like the regular SmarTrip cards. The new-style SmarTrip for seniors is bright yellow and easily distinguishable. Metro has stopped issuing senior identification cards.
But in Montgomery County, where seniors travel for free aboard the Ride On buses and some Metrobuses, seniors are worried about how to show the drivers they qualify for the free ride.
They have these options:
The Metro senior ID card is still valid for use until it expires.
If a senior is just riding the buses in Montgomery County, the new senior SmarTrip for $5 isn't a bad deal. Seniors who just ride the buses in the county don't have to add any value to the new SmarTrip, because they'll just be showing it to the driver rather than tapping it against the farebox's SmarTrip pad. The card will pay for itself after a few free rides.
A senior whose Metro-issued ID has expired and who doesn't want to buy a senior SmarTrip can still ride for free by showing the driver a Medicare card and a photo ID.
Dr. Gridlock appears Thursday in the Extras and Sunday in the Metro section. You can send e-mails todrgridlock@washpost.com. Include your name, home community and phone numbers. Some letters are published.
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