Guys, Any idea what the deal was with the air conditioning this am ? The train from Newark did not have the a/c running & found people changing cars in Harrison(where I board) ! My car was too damn hot.. it was better outside. I then change my train in Jrnl Sq for the 33rd St train & again same issue.. everybody enters the car & then moves to the next one.. I left this train for the next one.. same issue with this one. I finally took the 3rd train but the a/c wasnt any good either.. I wonder if the PATH guys upto something ? <- Peace ->

This incident occured when the doors to the 33rd st train first opens in Jrnl Sq(starting point) & there are a lot of people waiting to get in. This Mr Idiot, steps in & stands right there, which in effect, leaves just 1 door area for passengers to get in. And he has to the nerve to argue that hes not doing anything wrong.

Want to clarify this here - "Stand by the door" and "Stand in front of the doors(inside the train)" is perfectly fine when the train is moving and there is nobody getting on/off the train but then when the doors open, if you give way for the passengers to get on/off, no issues !

Also, note, you are not supposed to lean on the door !

I think comparing NYC Subway and PATH is like comparing apples & oranges as someone said earlier.. Subways are far ahead in all respects !

The issue with backpacks is something tough to explain - Indians normally dont believe in having lunch outside & so carry their lunch box;thier backpacks are also filled with laptops, books and some unwanted stuff(but they are too lazy to clean it off) !! Have seen & asked several of them !

I have been travelling on the PATH & subway for several years now.. and here is what I mailed to PATHCustomerService@panynj.gov
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I would like to point out a few things where PATH services can be improved -
1 Air condition does not work in most of the cars. Why cant the air condition be turned up ? Everybody in the car use newpapers to fan.

2 When the train arrives at Journal Sq on the way to 33rd St, it takes a while for the conductor to open the doors. The conductor keeps chatting with the driver then opens the door at leisure. When it is freezing cold outside, I think the conductor should be positioned well in advance to open the doors to the general public instead of torturing them.

3 Speaker system either does not work or the conductor is not loud enough. Travellers always complain about not hearing anything, especially when there is a problem and the conductor has made an announcement.
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And here is the response -

Thank you for your feedback. To respond to your comments, first, the air conditioning system in each car is checked on a regular basis. If there is a specific car without air conditioning, please do not hesitate to contact PATH by contacting the train crew or picking a passenger information phone located at stations to report the problem.

Train crews receive annual training on the proper operation of trains which includes when to open and close doors. If you have a specific incident you would like to report, once again, please notify PATH as soon as possible after it occurs. General statements such as the one you made are difficult to investigate especially since we believe that our train crews are doing their jobs as best as possible.

Finally, the speaker systems on our cars are checked regularly and the Conductors do make announcements. If you wish to report a specific incident, please notify PATH as soon as possible after it occurs..

Thank you for your input and please do not hesitate to contact PATH with any issue or comment that you may have.

Sincerely,
PATH Customer Service
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It is natural for these folks to say that their people are doing a good job. If they have a poll, I doubt if even 5% of commuters will agree that their service is any better. And how convincingly, they defend their own folks !!

Recently, I saw a gentleman(well dressed) riding in between cars from Harrison & Jrnl Sq. I made it a point to ask him what the problem was when he got off at Jrnl Sq to board the 33rd st train, & he said that the temperature outside is much better than the furnace in the inside of the cars !! And when I asked him why he didnt complain, he said hes done it enough number of times but does not see any changes !

Another incident I would like to mention - Snobs, who stand in front of the door & block it when the train doors open/close at stations where there is enough space inside the train.... One fine mrng, when the 33rd st train door opened, a guy(call him Mr Idiot), who was in front of me, walked into the train & stood right there at the door & there were people behind me waiting to enter. I said 3 simple, gentle words - "Pls excuse me". He turns around & also says 3 simple words - "Walk around me". I was stunned but did as he asked me to... As I was walking around he gave me a stare as tho I am strangling him to death & his eyes are popping out.... And then we had a heated arguement... After all this, he has the nerve to tell me - "Next time walk around me, dont ask me to move" ! Yeah right, next time I will kick him in the back, make sure he falls flat on his face and then walk over him. Only then he will realize what it means to block the door, that too when the train door just opens with many people waiting to get in on the 33rd St at Jrnl Sq. Wht would he say if there is another Idiot like him is blocking the other door ? I guess he would say - "Use the other doors" or maybe "Walk between my legs" !!

Why dont people use their brains ? I am sure He has put in some meat inside the skull of humans. Why not use it and try not to inconvinience people. PATH is public transport & so lets respect each other & make our journey pleasant.