Goodbye Muni FastPass. I'll miss you and your funny colors.

I'm not at all pleased with Muni's decision to eliminate paper fastpasses in favor of the translink card. However, if I have to do it, I may as well rip that bandaid off quickly and get it over with. Today at lunch I walked down to the Ferry Plaza and got myself a free Translink Card. I registered it and promptly received the following email:

RE: Reference Number A101xxxxxx Dear ANDREA (LASTNAME), This email is to confirm your recent request to update your TransLink® smart card. The actionyou requested will be applied to your TransLink smart card within the next 72 hours.Should you have any additional questions, please feel free to call the TransLink Customer Service Center at 1-877-878-8883 and refer to the reference number provided. Thank you for using TransLink. TransLink Customer Service Center 1-877-878-8883 custserv@translink.org

Last week when I found out about the change, and then again this morning when I was talking to the company that facilitates my FSA / Commuter Benefits I totally had an Agent Akit moment. I was trying to find out how the FSA folks were going to handle this new practice. First they said they had no idea this was happening, then they said that I would have to skip my FSA/Commuter Benefit for a month for the Translink to kick in or I'd have to pay double, getting reimbursed for only half.

So my Agent Akit persona got on the train to Shelbyville and went all Grandpa Simpson on the FSA company's ass. The clerk on the phone was yelling at me. I started telling them it was their responsibility to figure this stuff out before people like me started calling and asking questions . . . . . .I think I freaked out a few co-workers. None of them will look me in the eye today.

After a few deep breaths and some iced tea I saw that on the Translink website one can purchase a translink card without having to pay more than the $5 fee. And then I remembered that I can get a free card. I walked to the Ferry Building, got a free translink card. Came back to the office. Registered it on the Translink site, went onto the FSA site and ordered my muni / translink pass for August, as the deadline for July has already occured.

I'm better now.

P.S. I am not a crackpot.