LIRR And MNRR Random Thoughts Thread

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I think they also reserve the right to call the cops...

 

I hear Amtrak has its moments also on the NEC, but based on what I hear they just tell you to get off at the next stop before they actually call the cops. I don't think the crews play that if you tried hopping on a long distance train though. (e.g.: Lake Shore LTD, Silver Service)

They sure do. This kid called himself going for a free ride. I don't know where he got on at, but when the ticket collector requested his ticket, he didn't have one, so she gave the option to pay or get off at the next stop. He opted to get off, otherwise she was going to have the police get him.

[paulrivera]

They sure do. This kid called himself going for a free ride. I don't know where he got on at, but when the ticket collector requested his ticket, he didn't have one, so she gave the option to pay or get off at the next stop. He opted to get off, otherwise she was going to have the police get him.

I'm not gonna lie, I was seriously contemplating hopping an Acela to New Haven last Christmas after a previous Metro-North train skipped me at Fordham and I had to take a Stamford local and transfer instead.

 

I've always wondered how they would have treated my case that day...

[Around the Horn]

The monthly MNRR passes could get any uglier.  They picked this odd purple color and the ticket collectors can't see to read them to save their lives.  The February one was ugly as well, but at least the print could be seen from a distance. Now they have to hover over you to see them.  I also wouldn't ever consider using this as a regular Metrocard.  The paper stock for this particular pass is atrocious.  So flimsy looking.

Interesting... Do you have a picture of the pass?

 

I've never used Metro North or LIRR that much so I'm not familiar with their tickets. Closest thing I've used semi-regularly is SEPTA Regional Rail. Tickets are usually a soft green color with dark green (almost black) font and back when the R numbers were still around, they used those colors (Center City/Zone 1: Black (R1 was yellow), Zone 2 Maroon, Zone 3 Orange, and so on...) the TrailPasses (valid on buses, subways and the Regional Rail system) use different images from month to month with the zone number on the front.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Interesting... Do you have a picture of the pass?

 

I've never used Metro North or LIRR that much so I'm not familiar with their tickets. Closest thing I've used semi-regularly is SEPTA Regional Rail. Tickets are usually a soft green color with dark green (almost black) font and back when the R numbers were still around, they used those colors (Center City/Zone 1: Black (R1 was yellow), Zone 2 Maroon, Zone 3 Orange, and so on...) the TrailPasses (valid on buses, subways and the Regional Rail system) use different images from month to month with the zone number on the front.

I just took one now. I happen to have the old one still in my wallet from March so I decided to put both of them side by side. THE HRL stands for Hudson Raillink. You don't dip the Metrocard (and thank God because it's not a regular Metrocard. It's printed on a thicker paper stock, but it can wear out fairly easily, which is why I never load money or express bus passes on it). You just flash it when getting on and the driver knows by that little stamp and presses a button to acknowledge you getting on with it. That little thing is the difference between paying $208.00 versus $246.75 for the month. lol It's still pretty cheap though, but mainly because there's no shuttle bus on the weekend. Nevermind the Aoyu Sushi chopsticks. I used whatever was handy on my kitchen countertop at the time to cover the serial numbers.

Edited April 16, 2017 by Via Garibaldi 8

[IAlam]

I just took one now. I happen to have the old one still in my wallet from March so I decided to put both of them side by side. THE HRL stands for Hudson Raillink. You don't dip the Metrocard (and thank God because it's not a regular Metrocard. It's printed on a thicker paper stock, but it can wear out fairly easily, which is why I never load money or express bus passes on it). You just flash it when getting on and the driver knows by that little stamp and presses a button to acknowledge you getting on with it. That little thing is the difference between paying $208.00 versus $246.75 for the month. lol It's still pretty cheap though, but mainly because there's no shuttle bus on the weekend. Nevermind the Aoyu Sushi chopsticks. I used whatever was handy on my kitchen countertop at the time to cover the serial numbers.

To be fair this month isn't too bad that green one looks awful however.

 

 

Interesting... Do you have a picture of the pass?

 

I've never used Metro North or LIRR that much so I'm not familiar with their tickets. Closest thing I've used semi-regularly is SEPTA Regional Rail. Tickets are usually a soft green color with dark green (almost black) font and back when the R numbers were still around, they used those colors (Center City/Zone 1: Black (R1 was yellow), Zone 2 Maroon, Zone 3 Orange, and so on...) the TrailPasses (valid on buses, subways and the Regional Rail system) use different images from month to month with the zone number on the front.

SPETA one day pass is horrible I got one and looked at it it was so easy to duplicate considering no one actually checks the card and they just use a hole puncher to punch the date on an oversized business card. Honestly I can probably use that pass for a whole month as long as I keep it in good condition. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

To be fair this month isn't too bad that green one looks awful however.

 

 

SPETA one day pass is horrible I got one and looked at it it was so easy to duplicate considering no one actually checks the card and they just use a hole puncher to punch the date on an oversized business card. Honestly I can probably use that pass for a whole month as long as I keep it in good condition.

That's only because there's a light in the background. It looks darker in person. My pass was just checked and the guy checking it acted as if he was blind.

[IAlam]

I might need to see one in person to decide then, but I wouldn't be very surprised, the MTA is notorious for design flaws in every department. 

[NY1635]

I honestly can't imagine Belmont Park having full LIRR service, even if they built a Hockey stadium for the Islanders there.

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/nassau/hempstead-supervisor-belmont-deserves-full-service-lirr-station-1.13504661

[N6 Limited]

Could they have a train stop at Belmont and Change ends to continue going east or west. Like the PATH Journal Square - Hoboken - 33rd line?

[MassTransitHonchkrow]

Regarding @via_garibaldi_8's forwarded piece on Penn Station, I've heard that budget cuts to Amtrak will have a significant impact on its long distance routes.

 

I'm sure the cost cutting will affect its legal war chest. The Trump administration is withholding the funds until Amtrak can deal with the calamities in NEC.

 

If the MTA files suit, they could win stewardship of their tracks. I think if it does occur, NJ should join class so they can assert repairs as well.

 

In my eyes, Amtrak has that "Too Big to Fail" mentality. That's why they're losing dollars.

 

Kinda wished that happened in 2008 instead of the golden parachutes...

 

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[paulrivera]

Get outta here with that fake news stuff   

[Mtatransit]

Regarding @via_garibaldi_8's forwarded piece on Penn Station, I've heard that budget cuts to Amtrak will have a significant impact on its long distance routes.

I'm sure the cost cutting will affect its legal war chest. The Trump administration is withholding the funds until Amtrak can deal with the calamities in NEC.

If the MTA files suit, they could win stewardship of their tracks. I think if it does occur, NJ should join class so they can assert repairs as well.

In my eyes, Amtrak has that "Too Big to Fail" mentality. That's why they're losing dollars.

Kinda wished that happened in 2008 instead of the golden parachutes...

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Too big to fail... Lol. AMTRAK NEVER MADE MONEY IN ITS 40+ Years.. Everyday it has to look for money just to continue operating to next year and Congress just gives it enough to survive. 1.6 Billion for both CAPTIAL AND OPERATING BUDGET. MTA received about 20 times that. Pretty sure MTA, NJT just wanted to play the blame game here, to escape from their own problems, especially NJT and Christie Edited May 9, 2017 by Mtatransit

[MassTransitHonchkrow]

 

 

Pretty sure MTA, NJT just wanted to play the blame game here, to escape from their own problems, especially NJT and Christie

Which still leaves commuters with them. Good point.

 

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[Around the Horn]

Yeah, Amtrak covers 96% of its operating costs through fares. MTA is generally around 50% at best, so the idea that Amtrak is hemorrhaging money is ridiculous.

 

Amtrak bought the enter corridor in the 70's so good luck getting it from them...

[paulrivera]

Amtrak's issue has always been the Feds' subpar funding. Whenever Amtrak runs at a deficit for the year (just about every year), they make up for it by deferring maintenance on tracks it owns, most notably the NEC.

 

And now here we are today, with Penn Station having some kind of problem almost every weekday for the last 3+ weeks. When its not a derailment, it's a switch problem, or a train breaking down, or even a signal problem in the tube. Amtrak can't kick the maintenance can down the road anymore.

Edited May 10, 2017 by paulrivera

[Cait Sith]

Kinda wish both LIRR and MNRR would allow city tickets to work on both Saturday & Sunday, and not for one of each day. That whole policy is dumb.

[Mtatransit]

Kinda wish both LIRR and MNRR would allow city tickets to work on both Saturday & Sunday, and not for one of each day. That whole policy is dumb.

I think it's pretty fair, if you buy a ticket that day it should only be valid that day (esp it's deeply discounted). In California, all one way tickets only work that day you buy it Edited May 14, 2017 by Mtatransit

[Cait Sith]

I think it's pretty fair, if you buy a ticket that day it should only be valid that day (esp it's deeply discounted). In California, all one way tickets only work that day you buy it

Sometimes, conductors don't even take the tickets, so it feels like a waste of money seeing as you can't use that same ticket on Sunday.

 

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[Via Garibaldi 8]

Kinda wish both LIRR and MNRR would allow city tickets to work on both Saturday & Sunday, and not for one of each day. That whole policy is dumb.

I agree. I think it refers ridership to have so many dump stipulations, but now that you can by tickets on your phone, maybe their thinking is you won't buy one unless it's absolutely necessary. Edited May 14, 2017 by Via Garibaldi 8

[bobtehpanda]

I agree. I think it refers ridership to have so many dump stipulations, but now that you can by tickets on your phone, maybe their thinking is you won't buy one unless it's absolutely necessary.

 

I don't know about the MNR, but LIRR's MO has always been to never give a rat's ass about what customers actually need. They've got a one track mind to ship people from Ronkonkoma to Penn, and if they could get away with it they'd just cut all the other service.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I don't know about the MNR, but LIRR's MO has always been to never give a rat's ass about what customers actually need. They've got a one track mind to ship people from Ronkonkoma to Penn, and if they could get away with it they'd just cut all the other service.

lol... So I've heard...

[bobtehpanda]

lol... So I've heard...

 

The worst thing is with the Student Pass. The LIRR offers discounted Student monthlies (which isn't really much of a discount, given that they end up being more than an Unlimited Metrocard anyways). With school choice, a lot of people in Eastern Queens have placements in schools in Manhattan, and the LIRR is obviously preferable to subway+bus. But it's not advertised anywhere; you have to essentially hear about it through word of mouth, and there are a lot of specific regulations about it, the most annoying one being that you have to fill out the form every month and it has to have the signature of the vice principal (not the principal, not any other people, specifically the vice principal of your school). My school had a lot of Eastern Queens residents, so fortunately there would always be a stack of photocopied forms with signatures on them that you could just show to the station agent and you'd get your monthly.

 

I would always get mine at Jamaica Station, and the staff there were generally okay, but this one time, I had a station agent attempt to say that I wasn't doing it by the books. Apparently photocopies of the form with a photocopied signature weren't acceptable; you had to pick up a physical form (and I don't even think you could get it by mail, so you'd have to go to the station and hope they had a copy available for you), go to school, get your VP to sign it, bring it back to the station, and get the ticket, and this had to be repeated once a month. This was such utter BS; no school would put up with a line of dozens of kids to fill out some form once a month. That day I just skipped fare on the train to get to Penn and picked up my Student monthly there, because I was not about to deal with this procedural BS.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

The worst thing is with the Student Pass. The LIRR offers discounted Student monthlies (which isn't really much of a discount, given that they end up being more than an Unlimited Metrocard anyways). With school choice, a lot of people in Eastern Queens have placements in schools in Manhattan, and the LIRR is obviously preferable to subway+bus. But it's not advertised anywhere; you have to essentially hear about it through word of mouth, and there are a lot of specific regulations about it, the most annoying one being that you have to fill out the form every month and it has to have the signature of the vice principal (not the principal, not any other people, specifically the vice principal of your school). My school had a lot of Eastern Queens residents, so fortunately there would always be a stack of photocopied forms with signatures on them that you could just show to the station agent and you'd get your monthly.

 

I would always get mine at Jamaica Station, and the staff there were generally okay, but this one time, I had a station agent attempt to say that I wasn't doing it by the books. Apparently photocopies of the form with a photocopied signature weren't acceptable; you had to pick up a physical form (and I don't even think you could get it by mail, so you'd have to go to the station and hope they had a copy available for you), go to school, get your VP to sign it, bring it back to the station, and get the ticket, and this had to be repeated once a month. This was such utter BS; no school would put up with a line of dozens of kids to fill out some form once a month. That day I just skipped fare on the train to get to Penn and picked up my Student monthly there, because I was not about to deal with this procedural BS.

That is indeed absurd. I sometimes wonder who comes up with these asinine procedures.

[paulrivera]

The New Canaan branch is suspended? Oh boy, great timing too...

[BreeddekalbL]

well what do we have to say about this LIRR station  

http://www.amny.com/transit/east-new-york-lirr-station-a-stepchild-in-dire-need-of-mta-attention-eric-adams-says-1.13683830