New Ticket Collection Policy?

Patrick Boylan wrote:I haven't noticed NJT having a toll free customer service number, let alone one dedicated to vending machines. If anybody knows that they do have a toll free number I'd love to hear what it is.

Used to be 800 772 2222 IIRC.
20 years or so ago it was manned 24/7 and you got a human without a stupid menu. They were very helpfully with simple tthings such as whens the next train ffrom a to b to more complex stuff.
It was before computers and internet were ubiquitous. It seemed like you could hear paper schedules ruffling in the background as they got you an amswer.

No idea what they have now. I use the internet and email for whatever I need usuually.

NJT kept their toll-free text-telephone number (800-772-2287). They maintain a telephone customer service at 973-275-5555; live assistance from 7 am to 7 pm daily.

Patrick Boylan wrote:Here's another fun thing about proof of payment. When I get off the Riverline, I toss my validated ticket into the recycle bin as soon as I can. I don't want inadvertently to reach into my pocket later and innocently double stamp an already expired ticket. It's possible, I know, that someone else might get that ticket from the recycle bin and get a free ride. Where does my responsibility as an honest citizen end, am I supposed to keep that ticket and dispose of it in a way that noone can reuse it?

I tear mine in half. Problem solved.

sixty-six wrote:Customers at stations where theres a TVM on only one side (Glen Rock, Matawan, etc.) are going to be thrilled.

I'm not sure there's a worse one of these than Lyndhurst. The stairs down are mid platform and the only way across the tracks is a bridge at the west end. I haven't timed it but is easily several minutes walk. There was one time I was there where it was not clear what side the train would be arriving (announcement lied and said the wrong side) and it was a real problem for some on the platform. That said, I never knew there was an exemption before.

I'm not sure how not knowing which track affects one's ability to get a ticket before boarding. If you got your ticket, went to the track you thought was appropriate you'd still have to scramble if it turned out to be the wrong track. If you didn't have your ticket, wouldn't you already violate the policy, regardless of what track the train's on?

In the old days, didn't all stations with ticket offices have just one, usually convenient to the inbound platform? I was born and raised in Septaland, which has a couple of stations, Sharon Hill and Allen Lane, whose ticket offices are on the outbound platforms, maybe there are a few NJT exceptions like that.
I like to think that ticket vending machines are cheaper than ticket offices. All other things being equal I'd expect machines at least where there used to be ticket offices. Is then today's situation worse or better than the good old days?

Today's situation is an order of magnitude better than when there were only ticket agents. Most stations have only a single ticket agent, who not only sells tickets but also has to field customer service questions. Some ticket agents require customers to show an ID for purchase with plastic, which slows things down if the customer doesn't have one handy; TVMs don't care. Those single agents have now been supplemented by typically two, sometimes more, TVMs. TVMs still suffer from first-time users who can't figure out how to use them (or in the case of Madison, find them), and they sometimes run out of ticket stock or the ability to take cash, and don't make it very obvious how to handle group purchases, but are still way faster than agents.

NJT has been ahead of its neighbors for years. Virtually every heavy- and light-rail station has TVMs. SEPTA and Metro-North charge a penalty for onboard purchases even if the originating station has no TVM or ticket agent (at least Metro-North has TVMs at all stations now; SEPTA probably never will). SEPTA doesn't take plastic at its rapid-transit booths. We should be really proud of our system.

MNR doesn't have TVM's at certain stations; they don't charge the penalty for passengers boarding at those stations. Same for LIRR. MARC is similar to MNR, except that the TVM's are Amtrak QuickTrak machines.

SEPTA doesn't have TVM's at all and charges the penalty regardless of facility availability.

MBTA, Metra, SLE, and NICTD don't have TVM's (with a few exceptions) but they waive penalties for onboard purchases where offices are not open.

NMRailRunner has no TVM's or offices and sells online and onboard.

Altamont relies on outside vendors and the internet, no onboard sales.

VRE, Metrolink, Caltrain, Northstar, Sounder, Music City Star, TRE, and WES have TVM's and do not allow onboard purchases.

Does anyone know what FrontRunner's rule is?

Amtrak7 wrote:MNR doesn't have TVM's at certain stations; they don't charge the penalty for passengers boarding at those stations. Same for LIRR. MARC is similar to MNR, except that the TVM's are Amtrak QuickTrak machines.

LIRR lists stations without TVMs on the fare chart map. MNCR's non-TVM stations are on the CT branches and the limited stops on the upper Hudson and Harlem lines.

Patrick Boylan wrote:I'm not sure how not knowing which track affects one's ability to get a ticket before boarding. If you got your ticket, went to the track you thought was appropriate you'd still have to scramble if it turned out to be the wrong track. If you didn't have your ticket, wouldn't you already violate the policy, regardless of what track the train's on?

Yeah, the ticket thing had nothing to do with this, I was just talking about having received a first-hand education in how far it really is after having switched tracks twice during that one particular evening. It's not so bad if you plan ahead (because you're not travelling between the platforms if you need to get a ticket as you're on the street and go right to the other side), but it's not an easy task to cross over at that station.

Amtrak7 wrote:MNR doesn't have TVM's at certain stations; they don't charge the penalty for passengers boarding at those stations.

Cool. The web site doesn't mention that exception, so I thought the policy was unchanged. The policy was that the higher onboard prices were charged even if there was no TVM or open ticket office but that you could request a refund of the difference at customer service at GCT or by mail.

If the station has a TVM and you get on board without a ticket, you will be charged extra. I know, this happened to me. The conductor said "no excuses, no exceptions." He explained nicely enough that all Montclair-Boonton stations now have TVMs.

pateljones wrote:If the station has a TVM and you get on board without a ticket, you will be charged extra. I know, this happened to me. The conductor said "no excuses, no exceptions." He explained nicely enough that all Montclair-Boonton stations now have TVMs.

I thought if you get on a train from a platform without TVMs, the surcharge doesn't apply even if the opposite side platform has TVMs.

morris&essex4ever wrote:

pateljones wrote:If the station has a TVM and you get on board without a ticket, you will be charged extra. I know, this happened to me. The conductor said "no excuses, no exceptions." He explained nicely enough that all Montclair-Boonton stations now have TVMs.

I thought if you get on a train from a platform without TVMs, the surcharge doesn't apply even if the opposite side platform has TVMs.

That was the change in the ticket collection policy. Now, if a station has a TVM, you need to buy a ticket, even if it isn't on the platform that you might be going to be using. Before, you wouldn't be charged if that station didn't have a TVM on that side.

Most TVMs have an ad on them that says "SAVE 5 DOLLARS!" and then describes that you should buy a ticket from the machine to save 5 dollar surcharge. And the crews WILL charge you the 5 dollars, as NJT is REALLY enforcing it.

It is being enforced, as I have seen others having to pay the $5 surcharge. Only once did I have to pay and never again. I suppose management wants to end cash handling on trains? It must be quite a chore for conductors to tally up one's cash and match it to ticket receipts at the end of the day.

It would be cool if ticket validators were on trains (not light rail obviously). Would save conductors time and they would lose less potential revenue on overpack trains.