2017 Eat Shop Play Tap Card

The 2017 Eat Shop Play Tap Card is a social media program by Metro, that supports businesses that are effected by Metro construction!  I've seen promotions for a free 7 day pass, if you by $25 worth of stuff from a store. 

I just happened to be a business and somebody in front of me got the TAP card.  I asked about it, and bought something and I got the TAP card.

A boring design but another TAP card added to my collection!

2018 LADOT Let's Fig It Out

I called LADOT to complain about a DASH bus driver who said people weren't able to use a Metro TAP card on the DASH bus.  Hey, idiot bus driver, as long as the Metro TAP card has stored value on the card, anybody can use the Metro TAP card.  The DASH bus will deduct 35 cents from the stored value.

Anyways, just as I was about to hang out, I asked what TAP cards are they selling.  The operator told me they have a new yellow TAP card.  It's the Let's Fig it Out TAP card to celebrate Figueroa and the tremendous amount of development on Figueroa, that really started when Staples Center was built.

I went to the LADOT store at the LA Mall and purchased this new TAP card with no problems!! TAP Cards sold at the LADOT store are $1 if you add value or $2 without value.  Since for some stupid reason, you can only add in $5 increments, I just paid the $2. 

I like this TAP card. It's not dark and boring like the two Metro TAP cards released in 2018; Happy 25th Birthday Metro and the 25th Anniversary of the Red Line.

2018 Happy 25th Birthday Metro TAP Card

Sunday Feb. 11, 2018

So, I'm taking the Gold Line to Union Station and I noticed at the Monrovia Station, the TAP Machine FINALLY has the Let's Get to Work TAP card sticker off and the Happy 25th Birthday, Metro TAP card stickers are on the TAP machines!!  I read nothing about these new TAP cards on any of Metro's social media.  Later on I find out, officially these TAP Cards will be officially released on Feb 15, 2018.  I will post more information when I get more information.

But, a simple search finds that Metro was formed on Feb. 1, 1993 when the Southern California Rapid Transit District combined with the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission.  Thus the 25th Anniversary TAP card!  

But, I got off the train at Monrovia station and bought this TAP card.  I noticed this TAP card sold at the Memorial Park station, finally the 2024 Olympics TAP card sticker has been taken off!  Other stations on the Gold Line that I saw stickers for this TAP card are-South Pasadena, Highland Park, Southwest Museum, Heritage Square.  I did not see the stickers at Union Station-Red and Gold line TAP machines, or 7th and Metro-Wilshire exit on Sun. Feb 11th.

Two months into 2018 and Metro has released two new TAP cards!! 

Not really a fan of this TAP card, but at least Metro is releasing more TAP cards.  I just hope Metro takes off the stickers to these TAP cards when they run out, instead of waiting a year!!

Well, as of Feb 18, 2018 Metro or it's propaganda machine The Source, had that much information about this TAP card.  Only Metro's Twitter page, they had a tweet about the release of this TAP card.  They are available on all lines throughout the Metro system! I have seen them for sale on the Gold Line, Purple, Red and Expo Lines!

I will give Metro credit for stocking these TAP cards before the official release date!  I do like the fact, that in regards to TAP cards release, Metro has learned from past mistakes.  Now, when the official TAP cards are released, usually on social media, the TAP cards are already stocked!

Red Line 25th Anniversary TAP Cards

As I posted earlier about the Bike Share TAP Card, the new Red Line 25th Anniversary TAP Cards were released on January 29, 2018.

While there was no information about the Red Line 25th Anniversary TAP Cardson The Source, Metro's Propaganda machine.  Metro's Facebook page had a post about the release of these new TAP cards.  But, I got a tip from a Metro Customer service rep. at the Civic Center station of the Red Line, the night of Broadway Nights.

So, I go to Union Station and the Alameda entrance for the Red Line.  All the TAP machines have the sticker of this TAP card.  I put my money in and out comes the TAP card!  Good job by Metro, getting these cards stocked.  That doesn't always happen, as in the case of the 2017 Pride TAP cards!

Anyways, not a big fan of the design.  But, always nice to see new TAP cards being issued.

Bike Share & Red Line 25th Anniversary TAP Cards

Finally!!  I get a TAP card I've been looking for!!

I go to the Night on Broadway on January 27, 2018.  Metro Bike Share has two displays trying to people to sign up for the bike share.  The first one I see is near the Grand Central Market.  I see the TAP cards on the table, but the guy says you have to register online before getting a TAP card.  I said forget that!  So, I continue my tour of the great old theaters along Broadway.  Towards the end of the Night on Broadway route, about 9th and Broadway, there is another Metro Bike Share display.  I ask about the TAP card and the guy says you can have one!  So I took it!  He told me about their promotion and how the bike share works.

I'm assuming these Bike Share TAP cards came out when the Bike Share program came in, which was back in 2016.  I don't know when that was, and frankly I don't care, because I won't use the bike share!

Now, taking the Metro on the way back, Metro has their customer service team and I always ask what design of TAP cards they are selling.  The lady said just the regular blue TAP cards.  But, she said on Monday, January 29, 2018 they will release the 25th Anniversary of the Red Line TAP Cards!  As I write this post, about 9am on January 28th, there is still nothing on The Source- Metro's propaganda machine.  Anyways, I will be on the lookout for the new Red Line 25th Anniversary TAP Cards!!

Update:

January 29, 2018.  See my post about the release of the Red Line 25th Anniversary TAP Cards , which were in fact released on, Monday, January 29, 2018, at stations along the Red Line! 

I Love Latino LA TAP Cards

October 16, 2017- I was finally about to track down and buy the I Love Latino LA TAP Cards.    The grey downtown LA was issued in 2014.  The purple downtown LA was issued in 2015.  The white box TAP card was issued in 2016.

I found out about the 2014, 2015, and 2016 I Love Latino LA TAP Cards on the Latino Heritage Instagram page.  Then a couple months back, they had a picture of the 2017 Latino Heritage TAP card on their Instagram page, but they didn't have any information about to buy the TAP card.

Last week I went to the Latino Heritage LA website and found a phone number to call.  The lady who answered the phone was very helpful.  She told me the 2014, 2015, and 2016 TAP Cards are still available, all three for $20!  Each TAP Card is suppose to have $1.75 of stored value loaded on them.  But, I didn't have time to go to a station and check.  But, the TAP cards have a little known thing about them.  If a TAP card isn't used for 18 months, they will take out $1 as a service charge!!!

They will mail them or you can pick them up at the Latino Heritage LA office.  The 2017 Latino Heritage LA TAP Cards are $20!  Yes, $20, but they do have $1.75 of stored value loaded on the TAP cards.  I just think that is too much to spend, so I passed.

2017 LADOT-Griffith Park Observatory TAP Card

TRADE- I have an extra Griffith Park Observatory TAP Card to trade. 

On Tuesday, September 19th, LADOT posted information about their new TAP card, the Griffith Park Observatory TAP Card, on their Instagram page!  They said that the Griffith Park Observatory TAP cards go on sale that day!  LADOT has a mobile team that sets up at libraries and farmer's markets so people can buy or reload TAP cards.  One time I was at a farmer's market and noticed the mobile team step.  I wanted to reload my TAP card, but they were having trouble with their generator, so they asked me to come back in a few minutes until their machine was warmed up.  I came back and they told me their generator died!  I saw an extension cord at an empty table and asked if they could take the machine to that table.  We went to the table and I was able to reload my TAP card.  But, damn come on!  Make sure your equipment is working when you go to these mobile sites!!

So LADOT was going to be at a library in Boyle Heights on Sept. 19th, the day the Griffith Park TAP cards came out!  I went to the library and saw their mobile team.  They said they didn't have the Griffith Park TAP cards!  Hell, both workers didn't know about the Griffith Park Observatory TAP cards until I told them about it!! WTF??  Get a damn clue LADOT!  I mean when you say the new TAP cards go on sale today, get them out at the mobile set ups!  LADOT is as lame as Metro when issuing new TAP cards!

I called the next day to complain and the lame excuse I got was that there was a problem getting the TAP cards to the mobile team!  WTF?

During the call I wanted to make sure that the Griffith Park Observatory TAP Cards were in stock at their transit store at the LA Mall.  They operator reassured me they were.  But, I told her, LADOT also said they TAP cards would be at their mobile locations yesterday and they weren't.  So, I go to the LADOT transit store and sure enough the beautiful Griffith Park Observatory TAP Cards are available!

I really like the design, and the Griffith Park Observatory is such an iconic view of Los Angeles!