Pantographs are definitely the way to go. Funny thing was that as a child I used to enjoy watching the trolley poles navigate turns and the "clickety clack" sounds they would make at junctions. And of course the inevitable disengagements and watching the poles swinging freely.
Unlikely, I store my Presto card in an outside pocket of my cloth wallet and I have to press fairly hard onto most subway readers to tap through. A light brush doesn't work.
This should no longer be a surprise. I spoke with a customer rep on my last UPX ride back in March (at the same time in the afternoon) and he said this is the normal time for increased ridership as a lot of flights depart in the late afternoon.
I wish passengers would use the luggage racks and...
I walked past the site last night and had a look at the current extent of the excavation. It is basically a trench to locate the hydro. They are installing a hydro meter at the east end of the trench.