So last weekend I was scrolling through subway memes when I realized my MetroCard spending looked like a Netflix subscription gone wild. Grabbed my ratty notebook and decided to test four random stops between Brooklyn and Manhattan. Here’s exactly how it went down:
The money drain discovery
Tapped into Atlantic Avenue station around 10am craving bagels. Saw the $2.90 charge and mumbled “nope” out loud like a crazy person. Pulled up the MTA app right there by the turnstile and noticed something wild – off-peak fares are cheaper but only if you time it perfectly.
My little experiment
Decided to hit four spots:
- Stop 1: Waited 15min past rush hour at Atlantic Ave just to save 60 cents. Felt silly watching pigeons fight over pizza crust.
- Stop 2: Ditched the express train at Union Square after realizing local trains cost the same but stop more. Walked two extra blocks to Mood Fabrics sweating in July heat.
- Stop 3: Almost messed up at Canal Street when Google Maps suggested transferring. Remembered single-ride transfers are free within 2 hours. Did a little victory shuffle near the knockoff purse stands.
- Stop 4: Got fancy at 34th Street using the OMNY card reader instead of MetroCard. That bonus free-ride-after-12-trips thing actually works?!
What actually happened
Ended up at some weird Queens diner counting crumpled receipts. Total spent: $8.40 instead of the usual $11.60. Saved exactly one fancy coffee’s worth of cash. Biggest surprise? Those dumb free transfers saved me twice. Also learned express trains don’t charge extra – been avoiding them for years thinking they did!
Real talk though: The “smart travel” stuff mainly worked because I moved slow like a tourist instead of rushing. Would I do the waiting game again for 60 cents? Only if I’m wearing comfy shoes and the pigeons behave.
