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!