The company behind Hong Kong’s beloved Octopus Cards has announced that its first generation cards will be completely phased out by early next year, but don’t worry.
If you’re currently thinking to yourself “Am I among the few thousand or so people still carrying an original Octopus?” the folks at Octopus Cards want you to listen carefully next time you’re tapping your card for a sound they describe as “dood-dood-dood”.
The sound — admittedly difficult to discern when conveyed via text — will be in effect for at least three months to remind users to replace their cards before they’d considered invalid.
A recording of “dood-dood-dood” can be heard here (we think it sounds more like “dood dit dit,” but never mind).
Another way to tell if you hold one of the first generation batch is that your card number will have no brackets for the last digit.
Users can replace the cards for free at any Octopus Service Point located at designated MTR stations and shopping malls, MTR Customer Service Centres (except Light Rail Customer Service Centres) or the designated Kowloon Motor Bus Customer Service Centres.
In a statement on its website, the company said the replacement was an “an on-going initiative aimed at keeping the Octopus in circulation up-to-date with security and technological advances”.
The remaining first generation cards will be split into three batches that will become invalid between January and March next year.
For more information visit the Octopus Card website. Or, if you’re in the mood for a more tuneful “doo doo doo,” enjoy this 1980 classic by the Police.
