Chips and beer
What is an ‘OV-chipkaart’ (public transport pass with a chip in it)? Inspired by Hong Kong, it’s not in use yet, except in Rotterdam, but I haven’t seen one there yet and I’m there often. There’s also the ‘invisible link’: shove two sentences together and figure out what you need (answer: a ’strippenkaart’ or ’strip tickets’) because that’s the info they left out of the translation.
Allow me to demonstrate the experience of figuring this out when you don’t get the Dutch:
“This ticket vending machine is for travellers with a *%?&$. Please use the red vending machines.”
What if my Dutch friend lent me their pass and I need to top it up? What if I work in the Netherlands and I have one, but have just been here two months and can barely order a beer? What’s going to happen in 2007 when everyone will need a*%?&$ to get around? Someone stop me!
(Photo: Piet)
June 27th, 2006 at 8:55 pm
Currently, they are asking the public to come up with a better name. The posters give an example: “I call it my ‘zwaluwpas’”. Not much help for this problem… We have to wait for the final name…
June 28th, 2006 at 8:05 am
What if you didn’t even want to travel but just recharge the card?
June 28th, 2006 at 10:42 pm
Call it the “octopuskaart” and then only us Americans will be left in the dark.
June 30th, 2006 at 4:16 pm
From what I know of places that have this system (or are proposing to introduce it, like Toronto), it seems to be called a ’smart card’.
July 4th, 2006 at 8:31 pm
In London they’re called “Oyster cards”. I’ve no idea why.