If you can't take the heat, Get out of the Northeast

In an attempt to placate what I will only describe mildly as ‘irate’ customers, NJ Transit put out a Customer Notice yesterday describing the circumstances around the cancellation of many trains on July 6th, 2010 as weather related mechanical difficulties (http://www.njtransit.com/sa/sa_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=CustomerNoticeTo&NoticeId=2223). One of many issues related to this statement is that these so called issues carried on throughout the night and into the July 7th morning commute when it was neither that hot or humid. How long does it take to reset these overheat sensors? More than 10 minutes, 2 hours, 6 hours?

This statement is once again a clear and distinct acknowledgement that NJ Transit’s infrastructure, communication both internal and external, and customer care are horrendous at best. I won’t even get into the types within the notice.

In order to get a jump on what could be a rough commute yesterday July 7th my wife and I decided to leave the house at 640 to take the 656am train at the Watchung station in Montclair. The first announcement over the PA said the train was 8 minutes delayed, next announcement said 16 minutes delayed, then the Hoboken train pulled in and the conductor told everyone on the platform that the NY train was right on the tail of this train and would be here in 2 minutes. Then more time goes by so I check the NJ Transit website train advisories on my Blackberry where it says the train is 30 minutes delayed but on the move. The next announcement comes over the PA alerting us the train has been cancelled and we should get on the 738 train. Ironically the train advisory alert on NJ Transit’s website was still telling me the train is running and on them move. Next announcement the 738 train is 18 minutes delayed. Next move – we get on a DeCamp bus. So a commute that started at 640 ended up with us at work in midtown Manhattan at 920am, for a 2 hour a 40 minute commute. I would like to be compensated for the time I will never get back but know that asking for that pound of flesh is too much. I would simply like all customers to be compensated for these delays and cancellations as well as the money for the bus tickets I had to purchase, as well as wish oh do I ever wish, someone who knows what they are doing could run NJ Transit.

A few lessons learned…NJ Transit is and will probably always reactive rather than proactive. Their lines of communication within as well as external with their customers is as poor as it gets. I will never ever listen or follow the instructions of another conductor regardless of the situation. I will never again rely on them for any sort of information and always go with my intellect and instinct.

Living in the Northeast and specifically in the Tri-State area, we’re always going to be prone to snow and ice in the winter, prone to heavy rains in the spring and leaves in fall, prone to the 3 H’s in the summer with temps in the 90s and higher with a heat wave or two. These are not new weather patterns. They have existed for years and years and cannot and should not be used as excuses for poor service. These are trains were talking about, not glass slippers.
Stop blaming the weather and take responsibility for the service you provide. After violating us with an outrageous fare increase and service cutbacks, the least you could do is maintain your subpar service and bureaucratic nonsense, yet this period of cancellations is proof that just when customers think it can’t get any worse, NJ Transit proves that they can sink even further.

Take and Take and Take

Well, they did it. Not sure who they (The Board) are but they approved a 25% fare hike. That should just fix everything, right?!?! I'm guessing the NJT board just gave themselves a 25% raise! Sure why not, I got a 1.5% raise over the last two years so a 25% fare hike evens things out.

Did I miss the communication that outlined where this deficit came from, who was responsible for it, how it will be corrected so as to not occur again?

How does a deficit this size just occur? It must have been growing and growing? Why at this point does it seem apropriate to raise fares the way they did? The 300 million deficit has probably been around for who knows how long and they now they needed an excuse to raise rates and fatten their pockets.

I wonder how the head of NJ Transit James Weinstein gets to work each day...Does he take the train or the bus? Is he incurring a 25% fare hike?

If and when this deficit is cut is NJ Transit going to recind the 25% increase? Of course not. of course the deficit will never be erased becuase no one in charge knows what they are doing. How else did NJT end up with a 300 million dollar deficit in the first place? It's the blind leading the blind and nothing ever gets better. More money more money, things just get more expensive, services get worse, we work more and more, its an exhausting rat race!

Talkin Talkin Talkin

She goes on to describe her heritage by who married who and what this one’s last name was versus what someone else’s last name is and what that makes her. But in all honesty, the loud and long phone conversation she had on the train makes her plain rude and obnoxious. I don’t know exactly when it became socially acceptable for people to hold full phone conversations amongst a group of strangers. While society has gone the way of acceptance I don’t truly believe that it is. Keep your phone calls quiet and to a minimum. You’re on a train, not in your office or in your home. Have some respect for your own privacy as well as some respect for the fact that there are others around you who don’t want or need to hear your conversation.

"Potential" Fare Hikes in 2010

I love it when as a customer I find out about potential fare hikes and service cuts through the local news and not directly through NJ Transit. Putting that aside, NJ Transit claims less funding and decreased ridership are predominately the reason for what they refer to as potential yet we all know they are inevitable fare hikes. Ridership must really been down on other lines because my line is full to capacity to the point that I am and have been preaching more trains, not longer trains. I'm not claustrophobic by any means but I do get worried how packed my train can be and wonder how quickly we can all get off in the case of an emergency.

2 Hour commutes on multiple occassions lately

One track into NY again! Signal problems again! Amtrak overhead wire issues again! Blame it on what you want. It still affects your service and overall image. Eldridge Cleaver said it perfectly, “You’re either part of the solution or part of the problem”. If you haven’t figured out how to fix, avoid, and work around these problems by now, then it is a clear indication that you are not part of the solution.

Facebook

Do a Facebook group or person search using NJ Transit as the keyword phrase and see the amount of members who are as frustrated with NJ Transit as I am!

Autumn Foliage

For most of us the smell of chimneys, shorter days, apple cider, and the falling of beautifully colored leaves means fall. For us riders of NJ Transit's Montclair-Booton line, it also means trains slipping on the tracks at Glen Ridge due to oily resins from the leaves on the tracks. Don't hate me GR riders, but maybe the train should skip your stop so that it can build up speed at Bloomfield and coast into Bay St.

Why did NJ Transit put the train in the middle of the woods to begin with? How great would it be if it was adjacent to Bloomfield Ave. Almost like an outdoor subway...

I'll put my hand up for a high five but then take it down

Okay, so yes NJ Transit creating a train that goes to Giants Stadium/Izod center is a great thing. The fact that it doesn't come or go directly to/from NY Penn Station, not a good thing. The service runs frequently when there are concerts and games which is a good thing. Typical train schedule leaving NY Penn Station and ticketing service are beyond a bad thing. The lines for every machine and window wrap around every corner. How about letting riders for this new service purchase tickets online or have additional staff and areas open to sell tickets. Set up makeshift kiosks. Do something.

Please please please explain to me why on a night when there is a concert or a day when there's a sporting event, not every train leaving NY Penn Station and running through Secaucus is NOT stopping in Secaucus? Instead, you have the same trains that typically stop at Secaucus filled to an unsafe capacity of people trying to get to these events. There's no reason why any train leaving NY that travels through the Secaucus station is not stopping there. It's ridiculous.

It's like NJ Transit thinks half way. They have a good idea and then their execution is poor. Follow through and think big picture.

Is Penn Station Falling Apart?

First the escalator on east side entry/exit way of the 1st and 2nd track has been out of order for over a month now and nothing says a good Thursday commute home like when the NJ Transit TV schedules don't function. I have to wonder how long before the escalator is fixed? I'm guessing probably not before then end of October 2009. As for the TVs - c'mon people. It's not like you didn’t pay the cable bill.

As a commuter for the past decade - nothing surprises me anymore. It's just sad.

Murphy's Law

Stand By, Stand By, Stand By, Boarding with 5 minutes before departure and then they post us to track 10. Chaos ensues! Lovely start to the Monday evening commute. Oh and then the 618 is cancelled. There are only three main trains for Montclair during the evning rush and lets see, one was late boarding and on a not easily accessible track, the other is cancelled and who knows anout the 640... What a wonderful Monday commute on 7/20/09.

Early Broadcast Digital Transition

The broadcast stations switched over to their digital feed on June 12th and the week before the TV Monitors in Penn Station that provide train and track information mysteriously malfunctioned. Could there be a correlation? Is it a conspiracy? I think not!

...Just another example of how things related to the commute with NJ transit go wrong. It's Murphy's Law - Anything that can - does! I really loved how NJT announced (as they often do) that passengers should not stand under the big board in the Amtrak section of Penn Station. Well, it was the only place where the track assignements were functioning. Where else do you expect people to find out where their train's track assignment is posted?

Also, this monitor issue that I'm describing should not be confused with the other issue of their assignments of when a train is On Time, Boarding, Delayed, etc. Completely another topic but how can a train be on time if the track isn't posted within 10 minutes of it due to depart?

New slogan

"We Apologize for the Inconvenience and Thank You for your Patience"

I've even been on trains where you can tell that even the conductors are embarrassed by the routine issues that plague NJ Transit and never seen to be resolved. They take on a cavalier and humorous tone as they continuously ask for the riders to have patience and thank them for their cooperation.

Jump for Joy

NJ Transit announced that there won't be a 2009 far hike. Perhaps they saw through all of their poor service, shoddy timeliness, and unchanging and uncooperative scheduling and realized that they have as a good of chance of making their customer base happy as a one legged man's chances of winning an ass kicking contest, if they raised costs. I'm sure that us riders will have to pay for this stay of execution! Can't wait for another 10-15% increase in the near future as if that's indicative of what anyone is getting from their employers in terms of merit or cost of living increases.

I once emailed NJT as to why the Montclair train always seemed to have to stop in its tracks to allow other trains, not just Amtrak trains to go by. The Amtrak right-of-way is another topic that I don't want to get into this second, other than stating if we're paying NJT and NJT is paying Amtrak for the right to use the tracks there needs to be some sort of re-agreement on who has the right of way. Anyway, as for when the Montclair train is always giving way to other NJT trains...The NJT email explained that the reason why the Montclair train always has to sit and wait for other trains is that the right of way is determined by which train left earlier. The trains that pass by my train in the morning must have left their initial station earlier than mine and coming from further away they now get the right to make my train idle on the tracks. So if this is truly the case, then why is it that when the Montclair train leaves Penn Station NY before other trains depart Penn, we stgill have to give way to other NJ Transit trains coming in from behind us? These trains fully left out of NY after my train and here we are sitting on the tracks waiting for other trains to pass us by??? Can't we have a service where once the train is in motion it continues on its path until it reaches it's destination? Enough with the stopping and going!

The Stench of NJ Transit

I love how earlier this year the lovely 618 Montclair train out of NY had a problem with one of its bathrooms so much that riders could not sit in that car due to the awful stench of urine. When a rider asked the conductor why this sort of issue wouldn't have been resolved prior to our commute, the conductor in a nonchalant demeanor looked the rider right in the eyes and told them that they should just be happy we're leaving on time.

Same Ole Story (with a twist)

We've all wondered it. A lot of us have even sent emails inquiring about it. Some of us have searched the web. A few some are oblivious, but if you're one of the many wondering why the train loses power for a split second somewhere between Kearny and Secaucus the answer doesn't matter much. What matters is that we've all been on a train that loses power and can't restart it. This seems to also occur a lot in the tunnel between NY and NJ, but that's a different post.

Last week seemed like any other instance where the train loses power and it can't regain it. As before, we sit with no word from the crew for several minutes, then they explain every detail over the PA every 2 minutes with the same status. Why does the crew use the PA to communicate with each other? Don't they have their own communication system? Sorry getting off on a tangent. I would assume they'd just use their own walkie talkies??? Oh well... Anyway back to the train sitting on the tracks with no power. Oh, did I mention that thetrain is filled to capacity because the 545p train out of NY for whatever reason was canceled so all of those passengers were now on the 618p train.

So with all their infinite wisdom and stellar expertise, the crew could not get the train started. So what's the plan? NJ Transit brings the 640p train along side ours, so that all of us 545 and 618 riders cannow pile into the 640 train (of course we didn't all fit) and then we'll continue on our way where each stop requiring 5 or more minutes so that slews of people can shuffle and dance to allow riders for each stop to get off. It was just dandy.

I'm lucky to have been one of the riders to make it onto the 640 train. I'm not even sure how long of a commute the other riders had, who had to wait for an even later train to come and pick them up.

It was also a unique experience in that all of us transferring trains did not do so by platform or some other sophistaced means, we had to descend the train cars we were in, walk among the rocky gravel between the trains and climb into the rescue train. And of course at this juncture of the evening, let's just say it was not sunny out! A real safe and once again smooth ride!

Morrise & Essex vs Montclair-Booton

The # of trains into and out of NYC and Hoboken is uneven! If we look at the # of riders and the # of trains, there's an uneven distribution heavily advantageous to Hoboken! With more commuters going into and out of NY and less to Hoboken, there should be more trains at more oportune times going in and out of NY and not Hoboken!

Walnut Street Commuters

The train and its service are slow enough. The last thing riders going beyond Walnut Street need is any longer of a commute.

The majority of you sit in the back of the train whereby more than the average number of passengers who get off at a stop, attempt to get off the train using less doors. If you spread out and exited all parts of the train, the train would be able to pull away from the stop and allow you to cross over to the other side more quickly. Instead you all try to get out of the last car or last two cars which is much slower as everyone bottlenecks and you end up waiting longer for the train to move onto Watching Avenue.

You're doing yourselves and the riders continuing on a disservice by amassing at the end of the train. Please spread out and use all doors to exit.

Penn Station

Grand Central has a Michael Jordan's Steakhouse. Penn Station has a Houllihan's with cochroaches (I've seen them). GC has the Oyster Bar. Penn Station has sushi take out. GC has high end shops. PS has K-Mart. Grand Central is inviting, full of culture, full of shops and restaurants. It is bustling with commuters and tourists. There's an ambiance to it with an air of familiarity and safety.

It's quite the opposite at Penn Station.

I don't even use the bathroom in the NJ Transit waiting area anymore at Penn station. I don't even use the waiting area since the attack on the woman sitting in there. For those who come in the main entrance on 7th ave know that as you approach the NJ Transit section of Penn Station, you're going to be met by an array of people who I won't describe other than saying they are not commuters.

It's so nice of the Port Authority police to allow these people to mass and stay warm in the winter months, sleeping in various corners throughout the station. I don't feel safe during rush hour let alone later on at night in there. I've worked late a few times and have taken the train home after 9 and Penn Station was crawling with questionable people.

To the NYPD and Port Authority police - please clean up Penn Station. It's almost less inviting than Port Authority these days.

A Decade Later - What I Can't Hear You!

As we near the ten year mark on the attacks of the World Trade Towers and solemnly look back on the events of that day and the days surrounding, I remember taking the vow to "Never Forget".

While I don't believe NJ Transit is attempting to be unpatriotic, I do believe that they have forgotten one of the horrific driving elements to 9-11was the lack of good communication.

Ten years later and there are still a lot of train cars with poor speakers from the Public Address system. Have they "forgotten"?

To other commuters I implore you to please make note of the car number anytime you notice that you can't hear what's being said and e-mail in to this site or directly to NJ Transit. It only stands to hurt us, the riders. In the long run if we ignore the issues that NJ Transit seems to brush aside it iwll end up burning us.

Let' use this sight as a public record for what we know and find with our commute on NJ Transit. Maybe then, NJ Transit will take its commuter riders and their voices seriously!