Seat check question

I have a question regarding seat checks: Is there a standard way they are "marked" or does each conductor have his/her own way?

For example, I notice that on the Shore train that I take, people going to Newark get a plain seat check, while those going further to Hoboken get a seat check that's ripped in the middle (to distribuish it from the Newark people). That seems consistent among conductors.

However, there is at least one conductor (boy, I hope that's not Jtgshu :D ) who does something unusual: if I go in and sit next to a person who is also going to Newark, instead of adding another seat check for me, thus having two Newark seat checks, he takes the old one, punches two holes (= two passengers?) and puts it back. Saves a seat check, I guess, but now I'm in a bind: If I want to move to another seat, how do I take "my" seat check with me?

No, I don't stay awake in bed wondering about these things.

From what I've seen, I think each conductor has his or her own method. For instance, I ride the Gladstone Line to hoboken. I can tell that with some conductors, they fold the seat check in half for people getting off at Summit to change to the Midtown Direct. For people riding to Hoboken, they get the full seat check. Other conductors I have seen use the punch method. Perhaps they have several suggested methods and they leave it up to the crew or the conductor to determine the best way.

I rode the NEC very frequently this past year and here's what I've seen.

To NYC:

Ripped down the center from the top: Newark
Ripped from the left to right horizontally: Secaucus
No markings: New York Penn

From NYC:

8 punched: New Brunswick
(and so on, using the numbers)
No markings: Trenton

Some conductors punch the E -- W part... some don't. Some will give multiple checks, some won't... most won't for a party of two that have obviously met, etc., though.

Ah....the mystery of the seat checks....

Most Hoboken bound trains do that, full to Newark, split to Hoboken....most people go to Newark, so its easier to give a full to NWK, while making a split to Hoboken. But that is an oddity

Generally, the last stop is a full, the second to last stop is a split, adn then the numbers come into play

Going east, a full is NYP, a split is Newark, and now most people have borrowed the "fold" from the Summit transfer and that is SEC, the airport most people punch a bunch of holes down the middle of the seatcheck, i tear off a corner.

Elizabeth is either a 2 or more commonly a horizontal tear, or complete top off. Linden is 3, Rahway 4, etc, etc

Tehre are a few differences where the stations dont match up....in the TRO12 (our rulebooks) Hazlet adn Middletown are both number 9's, and Red Bank is a 10. aobut 90 percetn of the trainmen make Hazlet a 9, Middletown a 10, and Red bank an 11. You can really do whatever you want in your cars, as logn as you know what they are adn what they mean.

As for the punches in teh top determining the number of passengers, yes, I do that sometimes....if I can tell that the people are together, I will punch two (or three or whatever) holes in teh top of the seatcheck, between "E" adn "W". Its just easier adn faster for me to do that.

But on some rush hour trains, normal seatchecking is not done, and there might be a 2 or 3 punched on the seatcheck, which means the amount of people in that seat that had their tickets checked already. If there is a 2 punched, on a westbound evenign rush hour train out of of NYP, and three people are sitting in a three seater, (this is now after Newark) that means that someone got on, adn their ticket needs to be checked.

But there are "standard" rules that we are all supposed to follow, but seatchecking does get very personallized. For example, I fold up seatchecks in the seatchck holder if they are going to an intermediate stop, its easier for me to see what I punched, and keep the seatchecks as flat as possible for a person going the full distance. I can look through the car to see where people are going, and it saves me a few steps, which over the course of a day, adds up!!!

I noticed recently that the seat checks now say "Property of NJ Transit"

Idiot Railfan wrote:I noticed recently that the seat checks now say "Property of NJ Transit"

That explains why the conductor always has to grab them and doesn't lat the passenger keep them.

And you know what at least one conductor does with them (and I assume others)? Throws them out the window. Maybe they are used or not, dunno.

TAMR213 wrote:And you know what at least one conductor does with them (and I assume others)? Throws them out the window. Maybe they are used or not, dunno.

I've seen a few trainmen on the NEC take all the seat checks and stand between non-married MU cars, stick there hand partially out of the train and whooosh!

nick11a wrote:

TAMR213 wrote:And you know what at least one conductor does with them (and I assume others)? Throws them out the window. Maybe they are used or not, dunno.

I've seen a few trainmen on the NEC take all the seat checks and stand between non-married MU cars, stick there hand partially out of the train and whooosh!

A few trainman got in trouble with the locals for littering on one of the Hoboken Lines years ago. They were going over a bridge and the paper ended up on the street. They tracked down the personel by the punch mark in a couple of the seat checks.

Princeton Junction is a tear down the middle. There use to be some real interesting combo's on the NEC such as ripping the corners off.

There was a guy who acted very unprofessional on the Main Line (the only time I've ever ridden it) and threw the seat checks and ALL the rest of his garbage out the open door at full speed. The other conductor you could tell didn't like that but tried to act like he didn't mind. The guy wasn't even wearing his uniform right and was wearing a skiing hat. He was older too.

The killer is I saw him on the Gladstone Branch on a rush hour train to Hoboken a few weeks later (the Main Line train was a mid-day weekend train I think). On the Gladstone Train he was very professional and acted perfectly normal.

arrow wrote:The killer is I saw him on the Gladstone Branch on a rush hour train to Hoboken a few weeks later (the Main Line train was a mid-day weekend train I think). On the Gladstone Train he was very professional and acted perfectly normal.

Of course. Here on the Gladstone Branch, we have a higher standard of excellence. JK You do find unproffessional people out there on any line though.

Gee, I never realized that punching holes in little peices of cardboard was so complicated. You Guys need to negotiate a good raise in your next contract.

BTW...are paper cuts really a serious hazard in your job?

Ooohhhhhh.....ouch......TR strikes again :D

I never realized looking at "pretty colored lights" was so complicated and how hard is it to really go and stop........its not like you have to steer or anything!!! Not to mention you're sitting down the entire time.

Are hemmoroids a problem with you guys???

The clock is ticking, the terrorizer is coming back..........get in, sit down, shut up, and hold on!!!!

Hey TR,
I Have to say I do a fine Job at running up stairs for your coffee and dougnut. Is it still with cream and no sugar? Thats worth at least a dollar more, wait a minute, you let me keep the change. I hope your feeling better. :D

TR-00 wrote: BTW...are paper cuts really a serious hazard in your job?

About as prevalent as saddle sores and overworked tear ducts are for youse.