Posted on Friday June 26th by Ben Kellogg and Sindhu Sundar | 296
New Yorkers know that even if you’re saving the world by riding public transit, you’re killing it every time you throw out your spent Metrocards. Being green is hard! Well, hard until you slip into your Metrocard suit and headdress, hop on your Metrocard bike with your Metrocard-clad dog in the basket, and ride around the city winning fabulous new friends and influencing people. Then you understand that the world is a good and just place and that virtue is rewarded.
.
To help you become that kind of person, here are our 10 creative uses for dead Metrocards:
.
1. If you’re a man, make a suit:
(Pic)
2. If you’re a woman, make a mini skirt:
(Flickr exEd)
3. If you’re a man, make a Metrocard dress:
4. Make a Metrocard camera:
(Pic)
5. Unhappy? Make a bridge headdress!
(Pic)
6. Happy? Make a taxi headdress!
(Pic)
7. Give your bike a Metrocard makeover
(Pic)
9. Make your Yorkie a Metrocard train conductor costume:
(Pic by Beth Kramer via ASPCA)
10. Get married Metrocard style:
June 28th, 2009 at 9:55 am
I guess these cards are not re-loadable? The Washington metro lets you add value to existing cards.
June 28th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
Wow these are great, unique ideas! Are the cards really not re-loadable? I bet you can create a metro-card pouch out of it
June 29th, 2009 at 6:42 am
[...] Arts and Crafts Can Save the Planet: 10 Creative Uses for Your … [...]
June 29th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
@ Walt - yes the cards are (in theory) reloadable but since re-use is not at all advertised or encouraged in any way, nobody ever does it. I’m not sure why re-use isn’t at least partially advocated by the MTA as it would surely reduce waste and expense.
June 29th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
The cards aren’t as nice as the reusable ones I’ve seen in DC. It might be because of the swiping action in NYC compared to the DC’s insertion method. I’ve found whilst reusing a monthly NYC card that at the end of the 2nd month, the turnstile won’t read it so well because of wear and tear on the thin plastic.
June 29th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Unlimited Pass cards aren’t fully reusable. (Certainly at some machines they aren’t.)
-Jebediah
June 29th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
I’ve seen a few dozen of these attached together with jump rings and used as a drum lampshade. It looked pretty badass. A quick search on Etsy brings up a few new reuses, too: http://tr.im/qdaO
June 29th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Great ideas! Tell me - is there some sort of MC repository for old cards? I have a stack of them that I’d love to get rid of, but only if they’re going to a good home…
June 29th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
Well in boston they have charlie tickets and charlie cards, the cards can be reloaded but the tickets are one- time use
June 30th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
[...] out these ubiquitous yellow and blue fare cards. Just last week, Infrastructurist took a look at 10 arts and crafts MetroCard recycling projects. Included in the list are various MetroCard-themed articles of clothing, a pimped out bicycle and [...]
June 30th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Could I have the art projects when they are done.
http://whatyourdonotknowbecauseyouarenotme.blogspot.com/2009/06/on-metocards.html
I bet there is at least a ride left on one of them.
July 8th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
[...] infrastructurist.com Share [...]
July 12th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
hi there: i’m the artist responsible for some of these artworks, the B’lyn Bridge, taxi and camera. I just wanted to thank you for the great captions, they made me laugh! Andy
July 27th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Wow these metrocards sure can come in handy… you could even work on some Home Improvement projects with them.
August 10th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
[...] found nine wacky things people have made out of the cards, including this lovely suit. Link -via Everlasting Blort function change_color(input, id) { var obj = document.getElementById(id); [...]
September 17th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
[...] these things can add up. It’s amazing what a bit of creativity and a hole lot of free time can produce! [...]
November 11th, 2009 at 12:55 am
Yes, the metrocards are reloadable. woo! NYC!
January 11th, 2010 at 9:40 pm
Does anyone know what kind of plastic these cards are made from?