March 1 new fares and ticket policies are crazy!

2-20-05 I rode train 6525 10:42 from Milford, CT. I arrived over 15 minutes before the train departed. The ticket lines were backed up to the stairs. My friends who I was traveling with did not come close to purchasing a ticket. I would have to say that less than half the passengers who boarded the train had tickets. The new ticket structure coming in affect March 1st will add $5.00 for every ticket purchased aboard the train. I think this is criminal. MNRR has a maximum of 2 ticket machines per platform and they have all but eliminated the ticket seller jobs. How can the MTA charge a customer a $5.00 surcharge for inadequate and defective ticket selling system. On top of that they had a total of 7 cars which was standing room before we hit South Norwalk. MTA is not going my way. Sorry for the long rant.

I'm not being sarcastic but: WHEN WILL YOU PEOPLE WHO COMMUTE GET LAWYERS AND SUE?

I have to agree with the meatball, the ticket machines most likely see the most use on the off peak trains, so why not surchagre just on the peak trains. There are 2 at the Beacon station, and the same deal.. Saturday morning there are 35 people trying to get tickets from 2 machines.

They have 3 in the poughkeepsie station, inside where you can use them too.
And a window agent. The Metro Card machines are no better, and when I trying to get metro cards, I usally want 3, but I can only buy one at a time.

Perhaps a note to Metro North about this would be in order. The fare should be the same on the train when there is no agent on duty, period.

Terminal Proceed, I use the Web-Ticket to save a few extra bucks but I never see Jim Cameron and the Commuter Council ever make mention of the weekend problems, their only focus is the weekday commuters. I would love to see MNRR post the ticket sales somewhere to see the huge difference on the weekends. The majority of riders mid week have monthly or weekly passes hence no long ticket lines at these machines. Also the busier stations have ticket agents mid week. There is no rhyme or reason to the staffing at these stations.

This isn't a solution to the problem (and I agree, the policy sucks), but tell your friends to send in their receipts and ask for a refund of the difference between the on-board fare and the station fare. They'll at least get their money back.

Jim

That would be fine if MNRR would send a refund check within a couple weeks but I believe it takes up to 3 mos. to get your money back. I feel MNRR should give intrest on the money they stole from the people who are charged unjustly. The point is the system that is now in place needs to be changed. The people who are being cheated tend to be people who need the money the most. The riders on the NHV who are day workers from Port Chester and other lower Westchester are not going to call or write to get refunded.

how is an onboard fare unjust? i believe they give you plenty of warning about it. the main purpose of the on-board fare is so that the conductor doesn't have to spend 10 min with each and every passenger selling him a ticket. i've also noticed that all the on-board fares now come out to an even dollar amount (i.e- $11.00,$13.00 etc..) i think this is great, that way the conductor isn't also a coin vending machine.
if the onboard fare is so unjust i suppose you feel the same way about library overdue book fines, and late fee's at the video store, and interest on your credit cards (after all, the people who can't pay their credit card bills are the poor, how dare we penalize them).

LIRailfan your thinking does not jive on the inequity of the system. MNRR does not provide sufficent service to allow people to buy tickets in advance. It's not like every passenger is out to hose the RR. This is how it is unjust. Come March 1st the fare between Rye to Port Chester is $2.25 and on board it will be $7.00. Tell me how you see this as fair. Are you telling me people should show up an hour before the train departs to get a ticket. There are only 2 machines available at these stops "if" they are working. This is one of the biggest scams going. Also the only reason it takes the Conductors so long to get through the cars is they have to explain to each passenger why they are charging them this price and how they can get their money back by calling the # on the back of the ticket or writing. Ask most of the Conductors on MNRR and see how they feel about the on board ticket policy. It endangers the Conductor when they have to charge certain passengers this absurd rate. What is your thoughts Terminal Proceed.

As a rule I make it a habit NOT discuss what I do at work on this message board.

However, I will say this regarding the onboard ticket policy: As a private citizen and taxpayer - I think the fare policy is GROSSLY unjust.

I will not render any professional opinions on the matter in a public forum.

Sorry to put you on the spot TermProc. I just wish some of the watch groups of the MTA transit systems would act on this sham of a ticket policy.

A good start would be filing a complaint. Don't wait for one of the commuter advocacy groups to do it.

-otto-

The insane part of this fare hike is that people doing the reverse commute in the AM now pay peak fares. Pretty soon, everything will be peak.

I feel for you people. Even though I'm 200 miles away. This can all be controlled if you just file a complaint. They are basically a young child, experimenting with stupid ideas, and not getting scolded for it. When they do, they'll back off.

I can understand why people are so irked about the fare changes. Yes, I did not even think about the amount of tvm machines at some stations. No one who is doing the reverse commute should have to pay the peak. However, MN has implemented many reverse trains on the Harlem and NH. Even on the Hudson, they have added some. What we really have to be happy about is MN running so many express trains as well as lots of trains in general. A little fare increase is necessary. At least you are not paying Amtrak fares, but it might be a bit like some of the secondary corridors. Look at NJTs proposed fare hike. I do support the increase in some ways. What I dont like is cutting the Off peak discount in half.

Otto my biggest concern is actually of the MNRR railroad workers. The MTA has done their best to eliminate half of the ticket sellers. The Conductors and Brakeman are the next target. They seem to be trying to make the Railroad like the Subway system. I can imagine that within the next 10 years they would try to enclose the stations so that you would need a Metro-Card to enter. The freight carriers are getting closer to one man crews with the Positive Train Control. The engineer will eventually be operating the doors like the subway operators. This is all speculative but it seems like the hand writing is on the wall. They are trying to eliminate all transactions on board the train. MTA's biggest slogan is Safety is our first Priority seems like a load of crap to me. Your money is of our biggest concern is more like it.