But the token people, like the last old settlers to come down from the hills, are the ones who say they will hold out until the last token slot is welded shut. I like tokens, that's why. All around them, the token people have seen their friends and co- workers slowly lose that certain jingle in their pockets. Of course, this switch has not always been easy for the millions who have made it. Staking out a token booth for a couple of hours, one can still detect a high level of affection for the token, an affection that seems mostly to do with urban practicality.
Flimsy cards can get bent.
They can get lost in wallets, wallets that must be pulled out and exposed to thieves while lost cards are being fumbled for. The cards can also lose their magnetic whatchamacallit or require you to swipe them 10 times. But, unless you happen to get caught in a metal press on your way to the turnstile, your token will always work. The other benefit to the token in many riders' minds is that it requires no math. One token equals one ride.