PATH Smartlink Service

01/25/13 Text of Message sent to Smartlink Service at PANYNJ

Subject: Problems at World Trade Center

I called your help desk this morning and spoke to Belinda, seeking refund of the cost of two swipes of my Smart card in two failed attempts to take PATH service from WTC to Newark.

I was refused credit because I was told by Belinda that although PATH recognized that there were problems with service, technically PATH did not actually use the word “SUSPENDED”.

I am disappointed that the credit was refused this morning by Belinda and as a matter of principal I am appealing for a credit to two of my smart cards.  The time invested in this email is worth far more than the $4.50 but your communications as a railroad have become horrific.

Incident #1 took place Monday October 18 at about 6:14 PM at WTC. I swiped my Smart Card and proceeded down the stairs to tracks 4/5. I encountered a chaotic platform with no service on either track but a platform chock full of passengers.  Within a few minutes I sensed that safety on the platform was going to be compromised, and not seeing any police officers or PATH employees I made a decision to exit the platform, walked up to take the NYC Subway A train to 34th Street and then to Newark then home.  (Why did I wait on complaining on this incident you may ask?  I intended to call the next day but forgot and then Hurricane Sandy hit and my priorities were to make sure I had heat electric and care for my family at home and I did forget about this incident.  After last night I was determined to report this incident.)

Incident # 2 took place last evening, at WTC January 24 and I entered the PATH at WTC, at approximately 5:34 I swiped my Smart Card.  Track 5 had a train almost loaded, and Track 4 had a train which had just entered and passengers were debarking as I arrived.    Since I wanted to make a connection at Newark for 6:01 I wanted to join the passengers on Track 5.  I semi-squeezed into a PATH car but was hanging on the outer part of the car as I observed the red signal at the end of the station (holding our departure).  I kept watching for the signal to change to green  as I am aware of the communication issues and limited signals in the NY-NJ tunnels, that are a problem post Sandy.  When I saw the signal turn green, I fully entered the PATH car and expected to depart.  We never did,  and the platform continued to swell with passengers.

At approximately 6 pm I left the PATH train (after hearing two announcements from conductor that there is a delay and we are waiting to depart).  Continuously the station PA system was announcing a ten to twenty minute delay due to equipment trouble.  I waited more than 20 minutes and gave up when conditions seemed too dangerous.  Nevertheless the turnstiles continued to allow passengers to enter.  On the way out, I spoke to a PATH (Red Jacket) attendant who advised me to take the subway to 33rd Street and ask for a courtesy trip from another Red Jacket staffer.  Instead of doing so I could have waited for the PATH employee to issue me a form to submit on the failed trip but she was busy filling out forms for other passengers and I did want to get home.  As I was exiting the mezzanine platform, finally the turnstiles rejected passengers!! Finally someone had sense to stop the chaos.  (Question, if the turnstiles are shut down, isn’t  that evidence enough that the trains are “suspended”???)

Today Belinda told me that the reason I am ineligible for credit is because there was no suspension on either day, but merely a delay.

A play on words I am not interested in. That is something the airlines do at the airports.  I do not expect that from our government agencies.

Please (i) issue credit for these two failed trips,  (ii) have more support and police staff assigned to WTC to handle these issues ,(iii) improve communications with your riding public.  We do deserve better.  We know Sandy was a tough deal, but it has not entitled you to minimize and fake the problems on the rails.

Thank you,
James R. Schiffer