Mel Posted August 6 Share #26 Posted August 6 I have had the same issue for the past two weeks on the X28. Usually the during the morning commute. I thought it was resolved until this morning when the box said 0 paid. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twixe Posted August 6 Share #27 Posted August 6 I am having the same issue and it's so fustrating b/c the bus drivers make you look like a criminal as if you are trying to hop on the express bus for free. I have been using the express bus for about 6 years purchasing their unlimited express bus metrocards. For me, this issue started on July 11th 2024. July 11th (x38)- Thursday Morning on the card did not work "read $0"; when I got off the bus to use on the local bus it worked. The card also worked on the way home around 5pm (x38). July 12th (X38)- Friday morning card did not work "read $0". Worked on the way home from work (x38) July 13th (x28)- Saturday morning, the card did not work. I also called 311 but they were not able to assist me. All they told me was to send my card back July 15th (x38)- Monday morning and evening DID NOT work. i contacted the MTA via WHATSAPP and was able to talk to someone via chat. At first they stated that it might be a defective card, but realized that it might be a problem with a particular express bus. They then told me to write down the bus numbers so they can pinpoint the express buses that were having the issues. July 16th (x38) Tuesday morning - same issue- the fare box read $0 and didn't recognize the unlimited value on my metrocard. The x38 bus # 2417 and bus #2457. I also contacted MTA via WHATSAPP but it was another representative so I had to tell them the whole story again. They replied that they will share the finding with the department of buses. In the evening I tried the x28 Bus # 2457 also didn't work and I couldn't get on so I got off and waited for another bus x38 bus # 2787 also didn't work. I ended up taking the train home. July 17th (x38) Wednesday morning we started a new weekly unlimited metrocard and tried it on 2 different x38's and still didn't work. Same error message; Bus # 2460 and Bus #2446. In one of the many conversations that I had pertaining to this issue with MTA via WHATSAPP they had mentioned that I should visit the Customer Service stations; so I went to the Atlantic Terminal Customer Service Station and the lady that was helping me confirmed that there was nothing wrong with the metrocards. She showed me a blue screen indicating the times I used my metrocard; but surprisingly the times that I swiped the card on the express bus and read $0 didn't show on the blue screen. She also gave me the Corporate number to call 212-878-7000. After all this, I felt like I was getting no where, so I decided to take the train and local buses to work. It was giving me too much anxiety to step up on the express bus and hope that my metrocard would work and when it failed to work; I was tired of fighting with the bus driver that refused to look at my reciepts and listen to me explain that I had an unlimited express metrocard. Worst part was being perceived as a Liar. Luckily I found this forum and I realized that I wasn't alone. After following the forum, it seems like the metrocard issue with the unlimited express bus was resolved so I tried to take the express bus on 8/5/2024 and it worked both in the morning and the evening for the x38. BUT, this morning 8/6/2024- x38 Bus # 2416, the card did not work and the female bus driver was so rude I had to get off the bus and luckily there was another x38 right behind her bus. When I got on the bus, x38 Bus #2788 and swiped the card it read "INVALID CARD" the driver was nice enough to let me on after I explained the situation. When I got off the bus I tried my metrocard again it worked. For the amount of money spent on a weekly unlimited Express bus we shouldn't be treated like we are criminals when it is the issue of the bus/farebox. Hopefully this issue gets resolved soon. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabby Posted August 6 Share #28 Posted August 6 16 hours ago, cabby said: Thanks everyone for the data points. I would have posted earlier but had some issues logging into the forum on mobile. I started using an Unlimited Express Bus Metrocard again on Thursday Aug. 1st. Then Friday and Monday morning. So total of 5x. This was on of X27 and X28. So far no issues. This was a card I had purchased on July 16th. (Which luckily for me showed 0.00 the first time I used it back in July and I just held on to it.) My theory is the cards were never the issue, the fareboxes were/are. ARGH Yeah this morning Aug. 6th on X27, 0.00 on fare box again. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted August 10 Share #29 Posted August 10 On 8/5/2024 at 10:28 PM, cabby said: Thanks everyone for the data points. I would have posted earlier but had some issues logging into the forum on mobile. I started using an Unlimited Express Bus Metrocard again on Thursday Aug. 1st. Then Friday and Monday morning. So total of 5x. This was on of X27 and X28. So far no issues. This was a card I had purchased on July 16th. (Which luckily for me showed 0.00 the first time I used it back in July and I just held on to it.) My theory is the cards were never the issue, the fareboxes were/are. The cards were never the issue. It was always the fare boxes, as I suspected. I just can't go into details here, but yes, it was never the cards. I had this issue a long time ago (the exact same issue where my weekly express bus card would give me an error message on the express bus, but it would work with the subway or local bus), but it was isolated. I have spoken with a number of riders in private and we all have one thing in common, which I cannot share here. I hope the bug has been fixed (I have not received confirmation that it has, as a number of people are on vacation), but it seems like people are not having issues. I will check in my group and see. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted August 10 Share #30 Posted August 10 On 8/6/2024 at 2:40 PM, cabby said: ARGH Yeah this morning Aug. 6th on X27, 0.00 on fare box again. Are you still having this issue? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted August 10 Share #31 Posted August 10 (edited) On 8/6/2024 at 12:22 PM, Twixe said: I am having the same issue and it's so fustrating b/c the bus drivers make you look like a criminal as if you are trying to hop on the express bus for free. I have been using the express bus for about 6 years purchasing their unlimited express bus metrocards. For me, this issue started on July 11th 2024. July 11th (x38)- Thursday Morning on the card did not work "read $0"; when I got off the bus to use on the local bus it worked. The card also worked on the way home around 5pm (x38). July 12th (X38)- Friday morning card did not work "read $0". Worked on the way home from work (x38) July 13th (x28)- Saturday morning, the card did not work. I also called 311 but they were not able to assist me. All they told me was to send my card back July 15th (x38)- Monday morning and evening DID NOT work. i contacted the MTA via WHATSAPP and was able to talk to someone via chat. At first they stated that it might be a defective card, but realized that it might be a problem with a particular express bus. They then told me to write down the bus numbers so they can pinpoint the express buses that were having the issues. July 16th (x38) Tuesday morning - same issue- the fare box read $0 and didn't recognize the unlimited value on my metrocard. The x38 bus # 2417 and bus #2457. I also contacted MTA via WHATSAPP but it was another representative so I had to tell them the whole story again. They replied that they will share the finding with the department of buses. In the evening I tried the x28 Bus # 2457 also didn't work and I couldn't get on so I got off and waited for another bus x38 bus # 2787 also didn't work. I ended up taking the train home. July 17th (x38) Wednesday morning we started a new weekly unlimited metrocard and tried it on 2 different x38's and still didn't work. Same error message; Bus # 2460 and Bus #2446. In one of the many conversations that I had pertaining to this issue with MTA via WHATSAPP they had mentioned that I should visit the Customer Service stations; so I went to the Atlantic Terminal Customer Service Station and the lady that was helping me confirmed that there was nothing wrong with the metrocards. She showed me a blue screen indicating the times I used my metrocard; but surprisingly the times that I swiped the card on the express bus and read $0 didn't show on the blue screen. She also gave me the Corporate number to call 212-878-7000. After all this, I felt like I was getting no where, so I decided to take the train and local buses to work. It was giving me too much anxiety to step up on the express bus and hope that my metrocard would work and when it failed to work; I was tired of fighting with the bus driver that refused to look at my reciepts and listen to me explain that I had an unlimited express metrocard. Worst part was being perceived as a Liar. Luckily I found this forum and I realized that I wasn't alone. After following the forum, it seems like the metrocard issue with the unlimited express bus was resolved so I tried to take the express bus on 8/5/2024 and it worked both in the morning and the evening for the x38. BUT, this morning 8/6/2024- x38 Bus # 2416, the card did not work and the female bus driver was so rude I had to get off the bus and luckily there was another x38 right behind her bus. When I got on the bus, x38 Bus #2788 and swiped the card it read "INVALID CARD" the driver was nice enough to let me on after I explained the situation. When I got off the bus I tried my metrocard again it worked. For the amount of money spent on a weekly unlimited Express bus we shouldn't be treated like we are criminals when it is the issue of the bus/farebox. Hopefully this issue gets resolved soon. So the issue has not been resolved. I will see what I can find out next week, assuming anyone is back from vacation. My advice to anyone that normally uses a pass is to get a pay-per-ride Metrocard or pay with OMNY in the meantime. Edited August 10 by Via Garibaldi 8 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QM1to6Ave Posted August 12 Share #32 Posted August 12 This is so pathetic that the MTA had such a glitch go on for so long...odd timing that the OMNY auto-pay glitch also stated occurring around this time. I know exactly the feeling expressed here of being tired of dealing with A**hole BOs who think it's their job to police the Farebox when they are actuslly instructed NOT to do so by command 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vbede1 Posted August 13 Author Share #33 Posted August 13 I just got through a full week of using an unlimited express bus card. It's been a stressful week waiting for $0.00 and the rejection noise every time I used it, but it went through every time. The most frustrating thing was indeed that the operators had no idea that there was a problem, or what the $0.00 message meant. Only two operators knew of the problem and waved me on without hassle. The rest either tried to tell me that I was not using an unlimited, or that unlimiteds don't work on express buses (wtf?), or that I had no money on my card. So frustrating. I know more about the cards and farebox messages than they do. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QM1to6Ave Posted August 14 Share #34 Posted August 14 17 hours ago, vbede1 said: I just got through a full week of using an unlimited express bus card. It's been a stressful week waiting for $0.00 and the rejection noise every time I used it, but it went through every time. The most frustrating thing was indeed that the operators had no idea that there was a problem, or what the $0.00 message meant. Only two operators knew of the problem and waved me on without hassle. The rest either tried to tell me that I was not using an unlimited, or that unlimiteds don't work on express buses (wtf?), or that I had no money on my card. So frustrating. I know more about the cards and farebox messages than they do. Yup, that all sounds right! The passengers usually know more about these kinds of things than the BOs 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawrence St Posted August 14 Share #35 Posted August 14 4 hours ago, QM1to6Ave said: Yup, that all sounds right! The passengers usually know more about these kinds of things than the BOs Coming from a former bus operator, 99% of the time management doesn’t even alert us to stuff like this. This is why I always tell people to communicate with us and explain the issue. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vbede1 Posted August 15 Author Share #36 Posted August 15 18 hours ago, Lawrence St said: Coming from a former bus operator, 99% of the time management doesn’t even alert us to stuff like this. This is why I always tell people to communicate with us and explain the issue. I did understand that in the first few days the operators would not be aware of a problem. After a week l, though? Someone above the grade of operator must have known by then - some operators knew by then. I know that dissemination of the problem either didn't happen or was ineffective. Quite amazing. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted August 21 Share #37 Posted August 21 Those of you that have been unhappy with express bus service, feel free to fill out this survey from the City Comptroller's Office, which I was asked to share: https://forms.office.com/g/52Nz1kkeM8 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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