Discounted Fare for Military on NJ Transit

On a recent visit to the NJ Transit website, I noted that military personnel (active, reserve/Guard, retired) and their dependents, with military id cards, are authorized the discounted senior / traveler with disabilities fare on NJ Transit.

That's a nice discount, better than what Amtrak provides in their tariff.

Is this a recent development? Maybe I simply overlooked it in the past.

I know its been that way in my time there.

It's definitely not well publicized, not even mentioned in public timetable brochures or at ticket offices/TVMs. In fact the first time I found out about it was a sign at the Morristown ticket office.

In addition Trans-Bridge Lines (which is partly funded by NJT and uses its ticketing system in addition to leasing fleet coaches) also offers the same discount.

I've noticed that between Newark and NYP, active military in uniform boarding at Newark are often not asked for their ticket. Which, in my book, is perfectly cool.

Some of the nicer conductors who noticed my military ID have allowed my wife and I to ride for free to Manhattan many times.

Back before I stopped PT-ing and found that laziness caused my "Dress Blues" to shrink, I think the most I ever paid for two round trip tickets for to Manhattan was a single one way fare.

I suppose those nice conductors helped somehow to make up for the lousy pay, housing, gear and food.

I'm amazed you didn't mention the potential for being shot at. I guess it must be true that the army marches on its stomach.

In the 10 years I used to ride every day a few times I saw someone from one of the various military branches in uniform riding on the train. I don't ever recall them being asked for a ticket, which is definitely cool with me.

Getting shot at, the politics of our decision-making to go to war aside, is not the fault of our own government.

Lousy food, barracks, gear and pay are all things that could easily be fixed but neither political party seems to give too much of a damn.

Anyway...back to NJ Transit...I always appreciated the gestures and remember them fondly every time I see an NJ Transit train. If they made free rides a law, I wouldn't squawk of course, but I think being offered something by someone out of appreciation, nostalgia, or camaraderie makes the many drawbacks of military life seem like they're worth it compared to the feeling of being given a free ride by a state legislator looking to score some political points.

R36 Combine Coach wrote:It's definitely not well publicized, not even mentioned in public timetable brochures or at ticket offices/TVMs.
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Maybe because, as with anything else, the scam artists will come out of the woodwork and pretend to be military personell just to get a discount. Just like the hundreds of people who pretend to be disabled, attempting to use their aunt or uncle's reduced fare disability card.

mcmannors wrote:... the scam artists will come out of the woodwork and pretend to be military personell just to get a discount. Just like the hundreds of people who pretend to be disabled, attempting to use their aunt or uncle's reduced fare disability card.

They don't even bother swiping someone else's card, sometimes, they just claim to be a senior citizen. The other day I witnessed the tail end of a minor commotion with a conductor throwing some middle-aged lady off the train -- apparently she tried tried to use a half-fare ticket, and couldn't show anything.

mrsam wrote:

mcmannors wrote:... the scam artists will come out of the woodwork and pretend to be military personell just to get a discount. Just like the hundreds of people who pretend to be disabled, attempting to use their aunt or uncle's reduced fare disability card.

They don't even bother swiping someone else's card, sometimes, they just claim to be a senior citizen. The other day I witnessed the tail end of a minor commotion with a conductor throwing some middle-aged lady off the train -- apparently she tried tried to use a half-fare ticket, and couldn't show anything.

Ironically, that same middle aged woman probably used a fake i.d. to get into a bar when she was under age years ago!

Or then you get the civilian office employees, like those from Fort Monmouth, whose similiar looking IDs say "CIVILIAN" on them and can't understand why them and their entire family don't ride for free...