A self-declared "cyborg" has been fined after he was unable to produce his travel card on request - because it had been implanted in his hand. The NFC chip was taken from an Opal travel card - used to get around Sydney and similar to London's Oyster card. Although the inspector's card reader confirmed Mr Meow-Meow had tapped in before boarding, he was convicted of attempting to travel without a ticket. The 'cyborg' pleaded guilty to being unable to produce his Opal card and was fined A$220 (£122) and ordered to pay A$1,000 (£556) costs. "New technology can be scary if you don't understand it," Mr Meow-Meow said.
Biohacker who inserted travel card chip into his body gets fined for not having ticket
Australian man Meow-Ludo Disco Gamma Meow-Meow (yes, that's his real name), 33, has been in a legal dispute with public transport authorities over not having a ticket. Meow-Meow argued he did have a valid ticket. The chip was from an Opal card, Sydney's equivalent to London's Oyster. Meow-Meow's lawyer argued the introduction of contactless payment through services like MasterCard means transport laws should allow all technology, including implants, to be used as tickets. While disappointed, Meow-Meow will replace the Opal card chip with another that will hold information like credit cards and memberships.
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