Code:57

This morning many De Paul students using the CTA were puzzled as the EL turn styles rejected their U-Passes. The CTA accidentally deactivated U-passes for a number of students. DePaul issued an e-mail explaining the mess and says the CTA will have the problem fixed by midnight tonight. However, that doesn't help those students who had to pay to get to their classes early this morning because of "code:57" showing up when they tried to use their U-Passes.

I actually had the pleasure of being one of these students to experience this before CTA and DePaul realized there was a problem. If you rode the EL this morning and read closely after the U-Pass was rejected, it read "Code:57 ; Please See Attendant." I've had problems with the turn styles before so I tried the one next to it with no luck before asking the woman in charge. Lucky for me, I knew what code:13 was thanks to Shelby's blog so it wasn't because my U-Pass was bent or scratched.

Imagine my surprise, however, when I was rudely informed that "code:57" means the U-Pass has been reported stolen/lost. And if I wanted to ride then I would have to pay like everyone else. When I assured the attendant that my U-pass was not stolen and I had ID to prove it, she told me not to "get smart" with her and I was lucky she didn't confiscate it, let alone call the police. Not wanting a confrontation, I had no choice but to pay $5 for a ticket because she refused to believe I did not steal the U-Pass (which even has my picture on it).

Please be aware that if you are using your U-Pass today and you see "code:57," the attendant MUST allow you through. Also, the CTA is not allowed to take your U-pass and should be aware of the problem.