“Hey, the doors didn’t open and I missed my stop...”

transit383 wrote:I'm sure announcements like this will be common in New Jersey soon enough.

I hope not. But I can see how being bilingual would be an asset for crewmen. I grew up originally in Perth Amboy and go there for a vacation from time to time (yes, a vacation to Perth Amboy) and there are a lot of people there who don't speak english. In areas like these, being able to understand a little spanish can help.

I had 4 years of spanish in High School, but I barely remember any of it, but I know a few things, usually enough to get the fare out and where they are trying to get to. "Donde", "Dinero", "Vamos!!!", "Baño" (bathroom) are used most frequently!!!!

If you come to the US (where most of the humans on Earth with at least a neural plate between their ears understand that Americans speak English), then learn the language.

I wouldnt think of moving to Colombia, SA without know how to communicate in Spanish.

There was a conductor notorious for forgetting to open the doors when leaving Suffern eastbound in the afternoon and evening. The train would pull in, and there would be any number of people waiting there. It would idle for a few minutes, then the conductor would just give it two without looking out, and pull away, leaving confused passengers (are they passengers if they didn't get on the train) standing on the platform. The railroad finally suggested that perhaps he consider getting up and looking outside before he left.

F23A4 wrote:If you come to the US (where most of the humans on Earth with at least a neural plate between their ears understand that Americans speak English), then learn the language.

Quite true. I am amazed at spanish-speakers who get on the 76 sometimes who don't know English and don't realize they've gotten on the express. That's fine, people who speak english do that too, but the driver in most cases can't even direct them back properly if they do not speak english. For my own sake, I'd want to know the language.

(are they passengers if they didn't get on the train)

I think they are alleged passengers or maybe platformers.

Idiot Railfan wrote:There was a conductor notorious for forgetting to open the doors when leaving Suffern eastbound in the afternoon and evening. The train would pull in, and there would be any number of people waiting there. It would idle for a few minutes, then the conductor would just give it two without looking out, and pull away, leaving confused passengers (are they passengers if they didn't get on the train) standing on the platform. The railroad finally suggested that perhaps he consider getting up and looking outside before he left.

That's the problem I have with the Comet Is (and arrows on the Gladstone). You can do anything on them. Some people just leave the doors open all the time. Then they don't check to see and just give two to go.

I rode on a Gladstone train last week (won't say when- don't want to get anyone in trouble) but this crew left all the doors open on BOTH sides of the train all the way beyond Summit to Peapack! Passengers who got off at Berkeley Heights for example thus got off through BOTH sides of the train. Had to be one of the most unsafe train I've been ever! People passing through vestibules while the train is in motion and all the doors are open and all the traps are up! UGH!

That used to be standard operation on the Morris & Essex, with doors open on both sides. Don't know if they did it with the DL&W MUs, but they sure did with the Arrows. I always wished that NJT would have come out with the "long doors" sooner after observing that a number of times...of course, running 100 mph on the NEC with doors open on one side of the train certainly took the cake...

You actually don't have to understand english completely to ride our trains. All you need to know is where you got on, where you are going and one way or round trip. Everything else is extra. Most people who don't understand english don't bother to even get the basics. I know when I have been in foreign countries, I tried to get the most basic stuff down and it helped. Then there are those who think that not understanding english will get them a free ride. Well, it doesn't. My favorite thing to do when there is a language problem is to quote the round trip regular price from Dover to NY for those who can't give the most basic information. Immediately after the $19.30 price is mentioned English words start to formulate in their mouths.
What really irritates me is that most people who just don't understand, don't want to learn. I have tried to teach people about the round trip vs. one way thing. Usually, they don't want any part of it and go back to the hand gestures and blank stares. If you don't want to learn I can't help you. $19.30 please!

Scott

Irish-- The old Lackawanna MUs didn't have doors on the platforms, they only had doors between the platform and the car body. So, it's likely that the DL&W crew members didn't bother to close the doors on the then-new Comets.

Nick,

Speaking of leaving the doors open there are a lot of ex EL conductors that work the Gladstone branch during rush hours and some of them are just use to leaving the doors open. They worked with the old DL&W Mu's and always kept the traps and doors open during the summer months.....One of the conductors hired in 1969 is a fat drunk...He is probably too lazy to close them up....But most of the older men are dedicated workers!!

Steve

There still is an open door policy on NJT, with trains allowed to run with open doors during rush hours only. If I remember correctly, the hours are slightly longer on the Hoboken division than the Newark Division, but it is pretty much not used too much anymore on the Newark side, except maybe on a Comaro set in Raritan or Bay Head.

I don't like to do it anyway, I remember I had to open the doors before the C2's were rebuilt coming into South Amboy (on an express) while going over River draw because of the number of doors I had to open, I had to start then....It was always a little nervewracking!

JoeG wrote:Irish-- The old Lackawanna MUs didn't have doors on the platforms, they only had doors between the platform and the car body. So, it's likely that the DL&W crew members didn't bother to close the doors on the then-new Comets.

By "platform" I take it you mean the vestibule? No, the vestibule on the MUs had trapdoors and main doors, but since there were no high platforms on the DL&W's system, they were left open all the time. DL&W MUs could have operated in a high-platform environment. (If the vestibule had no trapdoors or main doors, then there would have been nowhere for the engineer to operate the train from.)

This photo shows the MUs with doors closed.

Irish-- I see what you mean about the Lackawanna MUs from your picture. When I was a kid riding those MUs I don't remember any doors, but probably they were hinged and held open with a hook. I don't think they were sliding doors because I don't remember where they could have slid to. They were never closed when I rode them. I don't remember how the engineer's cab was arranged, but I do remember you couln't see out the front.

Speakin of open doors, whenever I catch 3725 into Jersey Ave the end doors/traps for the 1st 6 MUs are open as we make our approach (track 4) and MAN!! When the Clocker on track 3 blows by, it's such a rush!! :D