I don’t ride MARTA every day. Most of the time, I use it when I’m heading to a Hawks game or an Atlanta United match, especially if I don’t have a parking pass. When everything works smoothly, MARTA can be a convenient way to get around Atlanta without worrying about traffic or parking.

Recently, I decided to document my experience using MARTA as an occasional rider—not to criticize the system, but to share what it’s actually like when you don’t use it regularly.

Getting Started: Parking and Ticketing

I started my trip at the Inman Park–Reynoldstown station with a simple plan: buy a Breeze ticket, ride a couple of stops west, and come back. That’s where the first challenge showed up.

There were multiple ticket kiosks available, but only some were functioning properly. One wouldn’t read credit cards, another didn’t respond correctly, and another wasn’t operational at all. After trying several machines, I wasn’t able to purchase a Breeze ticket using a credit card and had to switch to the MARTA app.

Using the App

To MARTA’s credit, the app does work—but it’s not especially intuitive for first-time or infrequent users. The layout makes it easy to misunderstand how tickets work, especially if you’re buying fares for more than one person. There are rules about scanning delays and device usage that aren’t clearly explained upfront, which can lead to missed trains and unnecessary frustration.

A Small but Interesting Detail: Dollar Coin Change

One thing I did want to point out—and this is actually kind of cool—is what happens if you’re able to pay for a Breeze ticket with cash. If the kiosk accepts your cash payment, your change comes back in U.S. dollar coins.

They’re real, standard U.S. currency—not special MARTA-only tokens—which means you can use them anywhere. It’s a small detail, but a surprisingly interesting one, and honestly a nice touch compared to systems that issue proprietary transit tokens.

The Ride Itself

The trains were okay, but not particularly clean, and there were people sleeping on the train during my trip. I didn’t feel unsafe, but it also wasn’t especially comfortable or welcoming. It felt like what it is—public transportation in a large city.

The trains ran, the system functioned, but the overall experience reinforced how different things can feel for someone who isn’t riding daily.

Why This Matters

None of this is meant as an attack on MARTA. If you ride every day, a lot of these issues probably fade into the background because you already know how the system works.

For occasional riders, though, the combination of kiosk issues, app confusion, and unclear rules creates friction that doesn’t need to be there. That friction can be the difference between choosing MARTA again—or deciding it’s easier to just drive next time.

Watch the Full Video

I documented this entire experience on video as part of Ruben’s Rundown, including B-roll from the stations, kiosks, and train ride.

👉 Watch the full video here:

If you’ve had similar experiences—or completely different ones—I’d be interested to hear your perspective.

Thanks for reading.