I've been in SF the past few days, and am impressed by a few things that are new (or more popular) since my last visit. For example, many companies using Envoy for electronic visitor registration, speeding the process and ensuring all visitors sign NDAs.
Yet some things are still surprisingly backward. I went online to add credit to my clipper card. The UX and visual design were what I would have expected >10 years ago, but the transaction seemed to work, and I got a confirmation email.
BUT when I got on a bus a few hours after topping up, my balance didn't reflect the amount I'd added. A fellow passenger told me online topups take 2-3 days. I didn't (couldn't) believe her, but when I looked at the confirmation email, it said:
"If you are picking up your value on a bus or a Muni light-rail vehicle, please allow up to 5 days."
I'm curious to hear from anyone who regularly uses Clipper online, or who have worked on the systems. Why does it take so long? Why do people put up with it? Why would you top up online with such a delay, instead of using cash at a BART station?
