I feel safe riding the train in the early afternoon, but not so safe when riding it at night going to West Side Avenue. Especially if I have to switch at Liberty State Park if I got on the wrong train.

Lots of the times I've been on the train I haven't come across many fare inspectors and I don't mind showing my ticket. I hate when people ask me for my ticket when I get off the train because I have seen them there asking for tickets and then re-selling them (Used tickets with time left on them) to make a quick buck.

Each time I see them I call NJTPD and report them and I give a good description of them and am told they will send somebody right away. I've never stuck around to see if the NJTPD actually come though.

NJ TRANSIT, NJTPD STEP UP TICKET FRAUD CRACKDOWN

Arrests, investigations and new tactics highlight efforts to further protect customers, taxpayers
July 16, 2012
NJT-12-059

NEWARK, NJ ?Announcing that more than 200 arrests have been made in the past two years related to counterfeit activity, NJ TRANSIT and NJ TRANSIT Police Department (NJTPD) officials today unveiled a series of new measures being undertaken to avert the usage of counterfeit tickets aboard NJ TRANSIT trains, buses and light rail vehicles.

?The new procedures being implemented today will protect the interests of our law-abiding customers ? and protect the interests of hard-working New Jersey taxpayers,? said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director James Weinstein. ?Whether you are a customer hailing a bus in Newark, boarding a light rail vehicle in Camden or taking one of our trains from Trenton to New York - you have been personally impacted by these criminal acts.?

Internal NJTPD research has shown that the production and distribution of counterfeit tickets has continued to climb, particularly on the rail division. NJTPD officials have made more than 200 arrests for counterfeit tickets since June of 2010, and continue to actively investigate the manufacture, sale and usage of fraudulent monthly tickets.

?These are not victimless crimes,? said NJ TRANSIT Police Chief Christopher Trucillo. ?These criminal acts financially penalize the hundreds of thousands of NJ TRANSIT customers who lawfully utilize our system every weekday. Let me be crystal clear. If you are using a counterfeit ticket, we will catch you, we will arrest you, and we will prosecute you.?

To further protect taxpayers and customers, NJ TRANSIT today introduced a new, highly-visible procedure to ensure the integrity of weekly and monthly rail tickets. As part of this approach, this morning NJ TRANSIT train crews began using UV scanners to inspect weekly and monthly passes, which now contain an anti-counterfeit measure that can only be detected with these special UV scanners.

The UV scanners, which are also being utilized by Light Rail fare collection officers and both uniformed and plain clothed officers aboard NJ TRANSIT buses, are capable of scanning weekly and monthly passes displayed in customers? plastic ticketholders. Customers will not be required to remove their passes from their ticketholders unless the scanner is unable to detect the anti-counterfeit measure, at which time the train crew member will request that the ticket be removed for further inspection.

Today?s announcement continues NJ TRANSIT?s efforts to crack down on fare beaters and those who would defraud customers and taxpayers alike. On March 1 of this year, NJ TRANSIT Police and the Monmouth County Prosecutor?s Office announced the arrest of a NJ TRANSIT conductor and accomplice for defrauding NJ TRANSIT of thousands of dollars, following the results of a seven-month investigation. Further valuable information attained through this successful collaboration continues to be utilized as part of this ongoing law enforcement effort. NJT

Ever since, I lost my car in an accident(borrowed and driven by a family member) about 2 years ago....I have relied on public transportation. And overall, I am happy with it.....except fares keep going up and....the light rail has gone down in safety in my opinion.

I always fill out those NJ Transit surveys(i filled the latest one out about 3 days ago) and I have detailed my observations. And even if I didn't do those surveys, I am sure they know about these problems...i hope.

I rarely take the HBLR but it seems you take it more often Asif. You should report this to njtransit via a call or letter.

Yeah, I am just making up observations because.....the more make believe.... sprouts out of my head....the more royalties I receive.

Keep sane silly billy.

You are full of crap.

First, there are many workers who drive to the waterfront for work.

I have heard countless times groups of workers get on board and nervously declare and hope that the train does not get inspected. Others have declared openly that "they are only going one stop and that they doubt they will be inspected".

I have seen workers check before getting on board that there are no ticketing agents on the train.

I have seen that the Waterfront does not tend to be inspected as often as Richard Street, Danforth, Liberty State Park and Jersey Avenue. Although during peak times....Newport is usually inspected....and that is because of the volume of people who get on from there without paying is quite large.


On the occasions that stations like Harborside are inspected for tickets....it is usually not as stringent. I have seen on many occasions agents get on and not bother with inspecting for tickets. I have seen people get off at Harborside with agents standing by....without checking the tickets of those leaving. I guess because people assume educated, business workers with decent jobs...would not cut corners.

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How do you know that they don't have a monthly pass on them?

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As someone who rides the Light Rail all the time. Most of the people who have asked me for a ticket or who get on without paying tend to be JC residents....especially coming to or leaving Danforth and Richard street stations. Sooo the profits from the crack business are reinvested back into JC.

I have also noticed alot of workers on the waterfront don't pay....since its much easier for them to hop on and off since there are 4 stations within a minute or two of each other.

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hahaha who are we going to report them too if no one is there? Most of the people who use Richard street and Danforth station that beg for tickets are Bayonne residents who spent all their money in JC on crack and now do not have enuff $ to get back to Bayonne.

I find it hysterical and it's SO obvious that to some people, 'It's a pain to say, "Thank you". Hey... I've noticed. Jackarses!

for long distance trains the honor system makes sense, but for short haul rail inner city rail, there should be turnstiles. i don't think there is an inner city mass transit where they don't have turnstiles or someone collecting the fare ( of course, someone is always gonna try tyo CHEAT the system which is why they fare evaders should have a pinkie chopped off

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Needs to?

There's plenty of systems in Europe that work this way, even on the LIRR you have to show your ticket to the conductor. It's not the system that's a problem, it's the typically lax JC/Hudson enforcement. I think the idea was it's easier to enforce on the trains than to try and enforce it if they had turnstiles like the PATH. The have video of turnstile jumpers but usually no one there to apprehend them

hahaha. it's just a pain, I want to get on the train and be left in peace - not be badgered about a ticket. if so many people are evading fares, then why not put in tuirnstiles?

Finally, Hero69 has spoken the truth. It's so hard to show that one has a ticket. Real first world problems represent.

Other things that are such a pain:

-Having to tie shoe laces.
-Stirring cream into my coffee.
-Finding those cute little umbrellas for cocktails.
-Having to say "thank you".
-Getting free stuff. When will the insanity stop!
-Unwrapping gifts.
-Having to order when i go into a restaurant. Hello! Read my mind.
-Garden gnomes.
-Women hitting on me.
-Reading this list.
-Having to pee.

I agree about having to show a ticket is a pain in the arse - that's why I mostly avoid it and walk. They should install turnstiles. where tickets are required to enter and/or exit. that would help address the problem with deadbeats

You need to report them - those who ask you for a ticket.

While i feel safe, i just fume when almost every day people ask me for a ticket. I cont understand why people that pay for a ticket would give it to someone who is stealing a free ride, costing all us payers more money.

Down on my end of the rail, Greenville, I almost never see the "fare inspectors" However, last week i spotted a gaggle of them at the Hoboken station. With the coffee and pastries, Id stay there too!

Lastly i read that LA is abandoning its HBLR-like ticket system and replacing it with a PATH-like turnstile system. Smart move, we should too! Maybe NJ Transit could scam some Homeland security bucks to pay for it by including a terrorist detector scanner from Halliburton.

I agree with Asif that there are far too many dead beats who do not pay for the light rail. The fines should be be double or triple what they currently are and repeat violations should involve jail time. Those are also the same people who cause trouble on the rail.

I feel very safe on the light rail and i am SOOOO happy that the government didn't listen to the naysayers.

corybraiterman wrote:
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I believe it's Hong Kong that has an interesting model. They condemn the land around the stations on a proposed line and give it to the transit agency, which then has a cash cow from developing the quickly appreciating property around it's new station to subsidize the rail. It's sort of what happened with the PA, PATH & WTC, except that the PA is such an inept manager, and the deal wasn't so explicit as to force them to invest in expanding the PATH.

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To the best of my knowledge, there isn't a public transportation system in the world that directly makes money. They are all subsidized because they provide a needed service and help boost the local economy in other ways.

It would be a great deal safer if they ensured that everyone paid for their ride. I find that many people who don't pay tend to act up or....cause trouble.

Second, when they do check for tickets....the first person or two without tickets is escorted off....but they don't bother checking the rest of the train passengers......thus missing more fare beaters.

I have heard that the Light Rail is losing money......I wonder why....DUH!

Light rail seems ok during business hours weekdays, but i have heard too many scary stories about late nite and weekend
rides to take the risk.
Other folks feel that it is safe, but you can't convince me of that, especially the mall area at nite, and then down by bayonne.

The president of the Transport Workers Union of America (TWUA) and Union City Mayor Brian Stack believe that a plan to cut back on attendants at the Union City/West New York Light Rail Station could make traveling the rails a little less safer.
Joseph Dellisanti and Stack have sent letters to NJ Transit, who owns the light rail system, urging them to keep attendants at the station at 49th Street and Bergenline Avenue 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Under the plan, they say attendants' hours will be severely cut, leaving riders and the light rail system vulnerable to attacks.
From time to time there are news stories describing a mugging or robbery outside a train or a station, and surely it makes people think twice about when they'll catch a ride.
NJ Transit says rider safety is a priority and they have police on patrol.

Yes although I haven't taken the line that goes along west side avenue in a good 8 years or so, just the line that goes between JC and hoboken. The rowdy kids are usually all show. If they were really that tough they would have tougher things to be doing than trying to intimidate light rail passengers.

No problem at all. Even after the mall closes.

yup

I try not to ride just after the mall closes. It gets thuggy.