Exit Fares and "Charlie on the MTA"

My previous post about the confusing Port Authority fare system may have you wondering whether other cities have this confusing system. Well, enough do that it is called exit fare and it's apparently notable enough to warrant a Wikipedia entry. Apparently Seattle's Metro Transit has the same exact rules as Pittsburgh due to a similar free zone.

The interesting fact it that in some cities you sometimes have to pay twice, once when you get on and again when you get off. In Boston, this was originally put in to allow for easier adjusting of fare increases to further stations. This new policy was so controversial in 1948 that a Progressive party candidate for mayor enlisted local folk songwriters to make a song protesting the fare increase. The song "Charlie on the MTA" is about a man who can't afford the exit fare, so he spends his days trapped on a subway train. Not sure why his wife could bring him lunch everyday but not the extra nickel, but come on it's a song. You can hear some performances on YouTube here.

The song became such a part of Boston lore that when the MBTA (which changed names in 1964) instituted a smart card fare system, they called it the CharlieCard. If Charlie had one with extra money on it, maybe he wouldn't have been stuck on that train. Apparently the system still exists on some stations in Boston still.

And what about Pittsburgh? They're eying a smart card system too. Any ideas for names? Something Pittsburghese? Bus N'at? Dahntahn Card?