PATH metro card machines are terrible?

Submitted by Dirk_Dingus t3_zozq5a in newjersey

I'm a hick out here in far-flung Warren county and don't go into the city all that often. I happened to take a trip in yesterday via the PATH (because the NJ Transit station a short walk from my house is basically just there for show) and was struck by how crappy the metro card/ticket machines were. There were literally lines of people trying over and over to get the machines to read their credit cards with no success. I had some cash on me so I ended up buying rides for the people in front rather than continue to stand there.

To those who use the PATH regularly, are they always like that? Is there some trick us yokels don't know?

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kittyglitther t1_j0ppqjk wrote

Same way in the city. There's a bit of a trick to it: There's a light on the reader, red = don't move the card, green = move the card. But don't pull it out too quickly. It's hard to explain.

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storm2k t1_j0qrvkk wrote

years ago i got the smartlink card and loaded some trips on it even though i don't use the path very frequently. you can manage it online or via their app and avoid the machines all together, which is the way to go.

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shaunofthedead1590 t1_j0q05hv wrote

I feel the MetroCard machines installed at the PATH stations are generally slower in processing transactions than the ones installed at MTA stations. Of course, I do not have any way to back it up except my personal observation.

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kittyglitther t1_j0q6zrz wrote

If the train is 5 minutes away, the machines work very fast; if the train is pulling into the station, the machines suddenly have never taken a credit card payment in their life.

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garth_meringue t1_j0q5w4t wrote

Once you have the card, just pay for more trips online. I hate those machines.

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gordonv t1_j0rnjfe wrote

I really wish all trains would adopt the system the NYC Subways did. OMNY.

You tap your wireless credit card and go.

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Nexis4Jersey t1_j0t79uw wrote

That's in the works, but it will be at least 2yrs before the roll-out happens...

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mako526 t1_j0q1p3u wrote

The worst part isn’t those cause I eventually figure them out but how quick the turnstile that accepts the metro card will block you is ridiculously unnecessary

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