It's so funny to re-read this and see that nearly 30 years later, SEPTA has not learned their lesson re: scheduling headways, fares, and signage.
I recently traveled on Sydney NSW's regional rail network. Using Apple Pay (with the company credit card added to the digital wallet on my watch) at every turnstile was easier than getting a OPAL card (the Sydney transit card) since that would have required finding a vending machine and purchasing the card and then putting money on it. The published prices for using Apple Pay or the OPAL card are the same.
I can't say I've ever been on any SEPTA service since last time I travelled to Philadelphia (in 2022), per SEPTA's site, it wasn't clear how I should purchase a one-way fare at 30th St Station, and it seems to state I could only purchase a card downtown. So I didn't use SEPTA.