Re:Suica, Japan's First IC Transit Card
by soco on Friday August 28, 2026 @04:35AM
(#49475981)
True, the Swiss is the simplest way around - and in planning is to activate it even without swiping (I'm not sure I remember details): But let's face it the tap system is not that far behind, because in some implementations it can do that calculation by itself (I believe having seen it in London?) so at the end of the day you end up paying the optimal price.
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The problem is that the tap in/tap off is an unnecessary inconvenience. I often travel with suitcases(always on the road for my work) and it's a pain in the ass sometimes due to the mechanism in my way.
Why should I have to fiddle with some card, just to verify I've paid? Every day, for the rest of my life?
I prefer the Swiss way, where there are random checks. These random checks are done everywhere else anyway. It just seems that these boundaries have been put in place because some people believe that they are necessary. They may be necessary in some locations(London, like you mentioned) but I doubt they are necessary in Japan.
They're indeed planning a BiBo (“Be in – Be out”) alternative to EasyRide [0], which will rely on BT beacons placed in the cars and stations, as well as the motion sensors and GPS (like now).
[0]: https://www.vybe.ch/ov-wird-einfacher-sbb-testet-automatisch...