2019 Obama Blvd. TAP Card

On May 8, 2019 Metro's propaganda machine- The Source- said the Barack Obama Blvd. TAP Cards are being sold at Metro customer service centers.  So, I was able to go to Union Station and get this TAP Card!  To my shock, I got very good customer service!  The man helping me was very nice.  I asked him if there are any scratches on the TAP card and he checked to make sure there weren't any!  Unlike that lady, who needs to be fired, she has no customer service skills at all.  She was so rude when I bought the 2018 Central Avenue Jazz Festival TAP Card!

This TAP Card commemorates Rodeo Road being renamed Obama Blvd.  This area is now known as Presidents' Row, as there are also streets named Washington, and Adams!!

This TAP Card has a very nice design!

2019 Eat Shop Play Local TAP Card

Three TAP Cards within a week!!  Yes, this Eat Shop Play Local TAP Card was the third TAP Card I added to my collection within a week!  I got the Charles White TAP Card, then the Eat Shop Play Crenshaw, and now the Eat Shop Play Local!!

This TAP Card was given out at the really cool Photoville event in Century City!  Photoville had storage containers with photos both on the inside and outside of the container.  It's a free event, and there are some cool pictures!

The Eat Shop Play Local TAP Cards are given out at businesses that are effected by the construction of new Metro train lines.  In 2019, the have TAP cards with the neighborhood on the TAP card.  There is a Koreatown Eat Shop Play TAP Card that is out, but I haven't added that to my collection yet.

Yes, this is different than the 2017 Eat Shop Play Local TAP Card, the 2019 Eat Shop Play Local TAP Cards have the two palms trees on the and the Eat Shop Play is horizontally placed on the card.

This is a nice addition to my TAP Card collection!

2019 Eat Shop Play Crenshaw TAP Card

Eat Shop Play is a program that supports businesses that are effected by the construction of new Metro train lines.  Early I got the Eat Shop Play DTLA TAP Card.

Metro hosted a community meeting for the Crenshaw Line in Inglewood.  They talked about the progress of the Crenshaw Line.  During the meeting they gave away this Eat Shop Play TAP Card.

Two TAP Cards to my collection within four days!!

2019 Charles White LACMA TAP Card

On April 15, 2019 LACMA tweeted they were partnering with Metro on a new TAP Card, the Charles White TAP Card.  Charles White is a well known artist, and one of his students, Richard Wyatt, has done many art projects with Metro. At Union Station, there is his mural- City of Dream/River City.

If you went to LACMA on April 20, 2019, with paid general admission you got a free Charles White TAP Card!  They said they expected the TAP Cards to go quickly. 

I took the Purple Line to Wilshire and Vermont, then took the 720 Rapid bus.  The jerk bus driver told me, the 720 doesn't go to LACMA, and told to me exit at Crenshaw.  I know LACMA is near the intersection of Fairfax and Wilshire.  I also know that the 720 Rapid stays on Wilshire, even past Fairfax.

Despite the jerk bus driver, I got the LACMA about ten minutes after they opened.  I went to the box office, paid my admission, and got the TAP Card.

This is an neat design.  But, to be honest, I thought Charles White was the former USC and LA Rams running back. 

2019 LA Marathon TAP Card

The 2019 Los Angeles Marathon TAP Card was issued only to runners for the LA Marathon. They were not suppose to be sold by Metro.  But, typical Metro, apparently some of these TAP Cards were sold at Metro customer service centers.

I was able to trade a LAFC TAP card for this LA Marathon TAP Card.  I saw a guy wearing a LAFC cap, and he had his LA Marathon bag.  I asked him if he would trade one of the LA Marathon TAP Cards for an LAFC TAP Card.  He agreed!  The LA Marathon website says 24,000 runners will run the 2019 LA Marathon.  Each runner got two tap cards.

This is a cool design with the route of the LA Marathon. 

2019 Eat Shop Play DTLA

Back in 2017 Metro issued Eat Shop Play TAP Cards in areas that were effected by construction of the Regional Connector, Purple Line Extension, and the Crenshaw Line.  You would go to a business that has partnered with Metro, buy something and you would get the Eat Shop Play TAP Card.

In 2019, Metro issued the Eat Shop Play DTLA TAP Card. At first, it looks the same with the Eat Shop Play, but they added DTLA at the end. with two palm trees.  This version will have neighborhoods effected by the construction of new rail lines.

A nice TAP Card to add to my collection.

2019 Metro Valentine's Day Hearts TAP Cards

January 23, 2019- After the disaster with The Movement TAP Cards, on social media a few people got the Valentine's Day "Hearts" TAP Cards.  One person said Union Station had them, and another person said they were at the Jefferson/La Cienega station along the Expo Line and along the Orange Line.  I went to Downtown Azusa first, but the TAP cards weren't being sold there.  Still no stickers on the machines.  Then I went to Sierra Madre Station and still no stickers.  Maybe the Gold Line is getting shut out on these Valentine's Day Hearts TAP Cards!

I saw the stickers for each of the TAP Cards at Union Station, and I put in my money in, and the cards came out.  Still nothing on Metro's social media or propaganda machine, The Source, about the Valentines's Day Hearts or The Movement TAP Cards!

All three are pretty cool.  The Green background says Crazy 4 TAP.  The Orange background says XOXO TAP.  The red background says I Love TAP.

Update January 25, 2019.  Finally The Source, Metro's propaganda machine, has posted a story about the Valentine's Day TAP Cards!  The story says these Valentine's Day TAP Cards are not available at downtown Azusa-which is interesting because one of the TAP Cards- the blue Crazy 4 TAP, had a sticker at the Downtown Azusa station.  But, they are being sold at the Sierra Madre Station, but they weren't there on January 23, the day I went.  

Update January 29, 2019.  I went to the Downtown Azusa station and two TAP machines had the stickers for the Valentine's Day TAP Cards!! Downtown Azusa is NOT listed as one of the station where these TAP Cards are being sold!  Why can't Metro get things right?