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Metrocard Vending Machine Mayhem Blamed on Encryption Device
By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 1, 2008
Modified Aug 1, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 1, 2008
Modified Aug 1, 2008
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NYC Transit revealed why the Metrocard vending machines were so screwed on Monday and Tuesday: An encryption device wasn't working! The NY Times explains usually 2 devices "[encode] transmitted data for customer and bank security and [are] housed at a data center on Staten Island," but when one failed, the other couldn't deal with the demand. When the broken device was discovered--and replaced--the problem stopped. The agency says that everyone whose credit/debit cards were charged during "unable to be processed" transactions have been (will be?) refunded.
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encryption device
metrocard machine
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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