Activity Analysis: Swipe MetroCard
The MTA has designed three alternative methods to enter a subway. While among the three methods many possibilities are given, not all three are always available.
Swipe Blocks: these card readers accompany two of the three types of entrances and usage is as follows:
- Orient card properly
- Swipe through block
- Read display for success or failure of swipe and either retire or repeat
- Push through turnstile or rotating gate
Operator Assisted Gate: this door allows for wheelchair-bounded or otherwise handicapped persons to pass. This door also assists people with large luggage and can be used to let large numbers of people out or in for control of flow. (For instance, when service is down and the MTA lets people into the subway with special cards). The usage can happen one of a number of ways. If the user has a valid MetroCard, it can be swiped at a turnstile and then with visual confirmation, the station operator can open the door. Or, through purchase of a single-use card, the operator can probably unlock the door.
The MTA has thought out many of the possible ways to go pass through to the subway, but I will focus on the swipe block version. To use this, the user must be able to:
- See or feel in order to orient the card properly for the swipe block. (The card has a notch cut in one corner for touch-based orientation).
- See in order to read the display that confirms success or failure of card swipe.
- Understand the message and react accordingly.
I have personally seen many people fail on the last criterion who have no apparent disability. Because of how the system was designed, it often declares "Swipe again at this turnstile," which, according to new MTA signs presumably posted to counter this problem, indicates that the swipe process was partially completed. In this case, presuming that the device is broken (a typical and understandable response) and swiping at a different turnstile may result in being charged twice or being temporarily locked out of the system.
While very few subway stations are wheelchair accessible, the city has provided wheelchair access to most, if not all, of its buses. Therefore, the shortcomings in one method do not prevent the whole system from functioning and do allow people who are capable to take advantage of the more efficient methods.
While I'm at it, I should mention that this website and at least a few of its default color styles are extremely difficult to use, with colors chosen that make either the current cursor position hard to find or links hard to read or conflict between foreground and background information.