NYC/COVID Filter: Donating unlimited MetroCard funds

April 9, 2020 11:38 AM

I have money in my WageWorks account for one monthly unlimited card. I'd like to donate this to an essential worker since I've been working from home and will do so for the foreseeable future. Problem is, I haven't loaded anything onto my MetroCard since late February, so I'm assuming I'd have to go to my nearest subway station and load up a card to then donate. How unsafe would this be? If very, are there other options to do this remotely?

Subway station is a 20-minute bus ride, 45-minute walk from my place in eastern Queens. The neighborhood is safe, crime-wise, and I've had no issue walking back from the station even very late overnight. I've got a mask rigged from a training pad and rubber bands (I read up on the dangers of the powder inside and could use scarves to shield myself) and latex gloves.

If this is a terrible idea, I'm open to that. I read this post from earlier in the year and the nextstopproject link looked promising, but could not be reached when I clicked it. CoronaMetro and this Google doc also look good, but again, require physical cards. If anyone else has suggestions, let me know, because I'm feeling rather powerless at the moment, like the lady in the Onion article who baked an American flag cake after 9/11. Thanks!

posted by Recliner of Rage to Travel & Transportation (6 answers total)

I love your good intentions, and those of the people who have organized the exchanges. I have considered doing this myself, but I personally have concluded it's not a good idea. MTA workers are dying at a terrible rate, and you'd be tracking unnecessary germs into the subway station. You'd also still have to get the card to someone (I assume via mail or contactless pickup?), which could expose more people (postal workers, the essential worker who'd have to travel to you?) to contamination. I just wouldn't want to risk it, even if the chance is slight. (I am certainly open to other answerers telling me I'm wrong.)
posted by ferret branca at 12:23 PM on April 9, 2020 [1 favorite]

I think that there are definitely people for whom this money would matter. Do you have to load it yourself, could you just give it to someone and let them load it? (I'm in DC not NY, but here, it will autoload, so the recipient could load it themselves.)
posted by mercredi at 12:28 PM on April 9, 2020

I don't know if anything has changed but during normal circumstances, you cannot donate/use pre-tax commute funds for anyone but yourself, not even a spouse.

While we're on the subject, if you have a medical FSA, you can only use those funds on expense for you and your direct tax family (spouse/children), you can't buy supplies and donate them to others.
posted by magnetsphere at 1:12 PM on April 9, 2020 [1 favorite]

I did this myself a couple weeks ago, via the Google doc you referenced above. I live close to a subway station, and I went and purchased two cards and sent them to healthcare workers. I was in the station for about 90 seconds and did not encounter another human. I personally think that walking to the station and buying a card (especially if you have hand sanitizer) poses very little risk to you or others. If the walk is safe for non-covid reasons, and if you've got a mask, I think you'd be fine.
posted by swheatie at 5:49 PM on April 9, 2020 [2 favorites]

Sidebar- Is your mask made of a puppy pee training pad? If so, I would not want that polymer powder stuff anywhere near my lungs - it turns into a gel when it contacts liquid, which is about as lung-unfriendly as can be. A regular scarf would be better!
posted by nouvelle-personne at 9:20 PM on April 9, 2020 [1 favorite]

You could sign up for an EasyPay MetroCard, which would be mailed to you within 15 days, and cancel at the end of the first 30-day period.
posted by eyeball at 9:38 PM on April 9, 2020