New Jersey Transit - Random Thoughts Thread

[553 Bridgeton]

SEPTA is the worse when it comes to courtesy. A lot of there guys live in south jersey and guess what don’t flash your id your paying. SEPTA employees hate njt for some reason and very few of them will let your ride especially the rail guys. 
 

MTA/NJT work together in a lot of ways so all MTA employees ride free as long as you have your id. Also because a lot of mta employees live in jersey, there’s a motorman that lives on the 553 line in Vineland. Also academy has to let njt/mta ride. 
 

Amtrak will let you ride as long as you ask and don’t be rude about it. I had a whole car to myself from New York to Trenton. I always tip them because they don’t have too. I rode all the way to DC and back to Philly and didn’t pay a dime. 
 

fellow employees use your id what’s the worse can happen, No? It’s no big deal I always have those agencies apps on my phone in the event they say no. Especially Amtrak I am willing to pay Amtrak because njt rail takes too long outside of peak hours. 

[checkmatechamp13]

3 hours ago, 553 Bridgeton said:

MTA/NJT work together in a lot of ways so all MTA employees ride free as long as you have your id. Also because a lot of mta employees live in jersey, there’s a motorman that lives on the 553 line in Vineland. Also academy has to let njt/mta ride. 

Geez, Vineland to NYC via public transportation...that's over a 4 hour trip just to get to PABT, let alone whichever yard/terminal he has to report to.

[biGC323232]

13 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

If the #128 had Blvd. East by itself all day (instead of having that ridership divided between the Oradell locals), it would easily be #1 on this list....

The only reason I swapped it w/ the #123 at the last second was because the #123 (obviously) has more off peak ridership.

Thats something i never understood about the 128...Line like that should run all day despite the other lcls over there....Most ppl ops for that anyway when it does run so it not like it wont have a goodridership base...

[553 Bridgeton]

12 hours ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

Geez, Vineland to NYC via public transportation...that's over a 4 hour trip just to get to PABT, let alone whichever yard/terminal he has to report to.

Yes he did, I was on that run from sept to Jan that year and he faithfully did it, and I always said to him you know it’s quicker if you drive. But then I understood operating for 8-9hrs then driving. One of the guys that’s on the run now said he’s still commuting. He would get on that 1239am 553, get to Atlantic City at 207am first 319 was 415am(he took a 2hr nap in our crew room at the bus terminal I gave him the code) in ny by 620am. At one point during that he was on the 42nd street shuttle. Before I left that job he said he was switching to the 7. If I’m not mistaken I think there is a couple 7 pm jobs that has you pulling a train out of corona yard do 5 trip and layup on the Hudson yards tail tracks. I could be wrong it’s been so long but I vaguely remember him saying something to that nature.

Edited May 18, 2022 by 553 Bridgeton

[BreeddekalbL]

12 minutes ago, 553 Bridgeton said:

Yes he did, I was on that run from sept to Jan that year and he faithfully did it, and I always said to him you know it’s quicker if you drive. But then I understood operating for 8-9hrs then driving. One of the guys that’s on the run now said he’s still commuting. He would get on that 1239am 553, get to Atlantic City at 207am first 319 was 415am(he took a 2hr nap in our crew room at the bus terminal I gave him the code) in ny by 620am. At one point during that he was on the 42nd street shuttle. Before I left that job he said he was switching to the 7. If I’m not mistaken I think there is a couple 7 pm jobs that has you pulling a train out of corona yard do 5 trip and layup on the Hudson yards tail tracks. I could be wrong it’s been so long but I vaguely remember him saying something to that nature.

Jeez does he even get to sleep lol hell that's a commute that would kick anyone's butt 

Edited May 18, 2022 by BreeddekalbL

[go25]

42 minutes ago, BreeddekalbL said:

Jeez does he even get to sleep lol hell that's a commute that would kick anyone's butt 

If MTA pays their employees for deadhead, like NJT does for the rail crews

[lornaevo]

I’m thinking about getting a place out in Jersey. But not that far out. My goodness. 

[Lawrence St]

Anyone know what this is about?

Customers are reminded that for NJ TRANSIT Bus Route No. 119 in the “To New York” (Northbound) direction ONLY, local passengers will not be carried between Bayonne and Journal Square on weekdays and Saturdays between 5AM and 6:59PM.

[SevenEleven]

1 hour ago, Lawrence St said:

Anyone know what this is about?

Customers are reminded that for NJ TRANSIT Bus Route No. 119 in the “To New York” (Northbound) direction ONLY, local passengers will not be carried between Bayonne and Journal Square on weekdays and Saturdays between 5AM and 6:59PM.

It’s the service pattern. During those times, you’re supposed to take the 10. 

[biGC323232]

9 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

Anyone know what this is about?

Customers are reminded that for NJ TRANSIT Bus Route No. 119 in the “To New York” (Northbound) direction ONLY, local passengers will not be carried between Bayonne and Journal Square on weekdays and Saturdays between 5AM and 6:59PM.

Its always been like that until recent years they decided to have the 119 do lcl stops along JFK...

[161 New York]

On 5/17/2022 at 2:43 PM, go25 said:

Depends on the crews, NJT and Amtrak crews seem pretty good. Can't speak for NJT and SEPTA. I've heard stories from both conductors and engineers for NJT who has told SEPTA crews to kick rocks

I haven't tried asking on the Rail as I usually have to transfer at SEC for Main/Bergen or PVL Lines. On the bus side, many operators are cool, though some I have had to explain my pass. I usually pay on CUSA-operated routes like the 10/88.

[Lawrence St]

1 hour ago, 161 New York said:

I haven't tried asking on the Rail as I usually have to transfer at SEC for Main/Bergen or PVL Lines. On the bus side, many operators are cool, though some I have had to explain my pass. I usually pay on CUSA-operated routes like the 10/88.

Lmao I don’t. My instructor last year specifically told me, if it says NJT on it, operated or not, you can ride for free.

[go25]

3 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

Lmao I don’t. My instructor last year specifically told me, if it says NJT on it, operated or not, you can ride for free.

I second that notion. That LETP program is no joke

 

Also it doesn't hurt to ask the conductors if they are cool with your pass/badge

Edited May 19, 2022 by go25

[553 Bridgeton]

4 hours ago, go25 said:

I second that notion. That LETP program is no joke

 

Also it doesn't hurt to ask the conductors if they are cool with your pass/badge

I'm currently waiting to get in the LETP program, being my dreams of being a train op does not look likely anytime in the near future.

[553 Bridgeton]

On 5/18/2022 at 3:08 PM, BreeddekalbL said:

Jeez does he even get to sleep lol hell that's a commute that would kick anyone's butt 

i have no idea. sleeping on a bus is not the same sleep that you get in your bed. you wake up even more tired. a lot of guys live along the 139 line or in montclair. ive seen guys commute from trenton area. trenton is not too bad if you can base your schedule around the express trains. I live 50mins from eht going backs to the marlton area, and even that's too much for me, some nights i get done and im exhausted and im  like i still have a 50min ride and night its always construction down to one lane on the AC expressway and 295.

 

one of the big things is south jersey is rapidly growing with homes that provide rural living that is cheaper then what you'll find in LI, SI, Yonkers, or even White Plains.

[go25]

18 minutes ago, 553 Bridgeton said:

I'm currently waiting to get in the LETP program, being my dreams of being a train op does not look likely anytime in the near future.

New class starts tomorrow. How long you been waiting to get in? And also how long you've been a bus operator?

[553 Bridgeton]

2 minutes ago, go25 said:

New class starts tomorrow. How long you been waiting to get in? And also how long you've been a bus operator?

10yrs now. my app for the LETP is currently under review.

[go25]

8 minutes ago, 553 Bridgeton said:

10yrs now. my app for the LETP is currently under review.

So lemme ask you this. You put in 10 years as a bus op, you really want to start over and lose that 10 year seniority? Because when you get accepted you're back to zero.

[553 Bridgeton]

4 minutes ago, go25 said:

So lemme ask you this. You put in 10 years as a bus op, you really want to start over and lose that 10 year seniority? Because when you get accepted you're back to zero.

trust me i think about that everyday

[go25]

6 minutes ago, 553 Bridgeton said:

trust me i think about that everyday

Not trying to make you change your mind about joining LETP, btw. It's a very big career decision to consider and I understand the mental back and forth.

[46Dover]

11 hours ago, 553 Bridgeton said:

I'm currently waiting to get in the LETP program, being my dreams of being a train op does not look likely anytime in the near future.

[46Dover]

11 hours ago, 553 Bridgeton said:

I'm currently waiting to get in the LETP program, being my dreams of being a train op does not look likely anytime in the near future.

 

10 hours ago, go25 said:

So lemme ask you this. You put in 10 years as a bus op, you really want to start over and lose that 10 year seniority? Because when you get accepted you're back to zero.

I know the pain of starting over too well.  Spent 8 years at Lakeland and have to start from scratch.  
 

[553 Bridgeton]

4 hours ago, 46Dover said:

 

I know the pain of starting over too well.  Spent 8 years at Lakeland and have to start from scratch.  
 

How long was the vesting period at Lakeland? You coming to njt was a better move, because when the pandemic hit it crippled Lakeland and Decamp.

[Lawrence St]

Anyone know why transit removes specific service patterns from the clever devices during the non-summer months? For example, the 308.

[553 Bridgeton]

3 minutes ago, Lawrence St said:

Anyone know why transit removes specific service patterns from the clever devices during the non-summer months? For example, the 308.

They don’t want ops driving around with those signs confusing people during the non-summer months. Someone like me I dhd with a different sign everyday.