First, they had to get a senior ID card - to verify that they were in fact, old enough to receive the discount. This process alone was such a bureaucratic maze it would defeat even Theseus - cards took months to get to recipients, who then had to go to a special Metro station to get the discounted fare.

Now, the Metro Transit Authority has changed the way that seniors receive the discount in hopes that it will make the process easier. Instead of waiting for their senior ID, seniors can simply purchase a new senior SmarTrip card - a rechargable, contactless smart card that can be used over and over.

Public transit cards, especially in the DC metro area, are a popular way to both increase ridership and reduce cost. A bus or train ticket in the wallet, customers can simply wave the card at a reader and have the amount of the fare deducted from their card, which can be re-charged over and over again. This also represents a cost reduction for transit organizations, who can simply purchase cards instead of rolls and rolls of tickets and paper passes.