Opal is Quite a Gem

I dropped my Opal card the other night.

I didn’t realise it until the next morning. Panic ensued. Frantic searches were performed in all known accessible previous locations. I had some feeling where else it could be, but it wasn’t long before I accepted defeat (I had a train to catch) and went to the shops to buy a new card for immediate use.

I registered my new card with the same account I used for the first one and did a quick check to see if the lost card has been used by anyone. No, it hasn’t. I already knew about the daily travel cap ($15) so even if someone were to pick up the card and use it, the damage shouldn’t be too high. FAQ also told me I didn’t have to worry too much about it all, because as long as I registered previously (I did) and report the lost card, they would transfer all remaining credits to a new or existing card of my choice. I received that balance transfer notification the next day, and got it to my new card the next time I tapped on.

I’m very used to smart travel cards. Hong Kong has had the Octopus card from the 1990s on, and it’s since been expanded for use in many shops and vending machines. Function creep or not, we sure appreciate the convenience. Comparing my experience with the Octopus, I often thought the Opal card rollout was disorganised — until I lost my card and practically lost nothing but a bit of travel rewards. I’m considerably impressed with their implementation. Opal really is quite a gem.

I found my now deactivated card. It was in my #1 suspect place: Richard’s car.