Is use-by date of multi-ride tickets enforced?

[Guest]

I have an Illinois 10-ride expiring next week with 2 rides left. Can I still use the 2 rides the week after it expires? Is there some kind of grace period?

 

[daveyb99]

Really? You want to use an expired ticket?

 

[Anthony]

It won't work.

 

[BCL]

I used my last ride on the absolute last day I could earlier this month. The conductor looked at me as if I got it in just in time.

The truth is that everything has to be cleared with their equipment. They scan the bar code and it will say that it has expired. I don't know what happens next, but I suspect most conductors will probably allow the passenger to buy a new ticket on-board without penalty.

 

[battalion51]

In the old days (early last year) you may have gotten away with it. Now with the real time scanning of the tickets it doesn't seem like it'd be as feasible. IIRC the scanners enforce the random ID checks, so it seems like it would bounce an expired ticket. Though I do wonder how the scanners work in the NEC where someone boards the wrong train (say getting on 56 WAS-NYP instead of 88)...

 

[Guest]

Well I used my 3-day expired 10-ride and it scanned without a hitch. The conductor did not say anything. It was my last ride so the conductor took the ticket and I never saw him again!

 

[chakk]

Perhaps the conductor's tablet screen said "Take Ticket" and so he did. But the words "expired -- sell passenger another ticket" appeared on a second screen that he did not scroll down to see.

 

[roadman3313]

It is one of those things that, yes, it is enforced. But it may not always be noticed. Just as I sometimes had the same ride punched twice (on seperate rides) if it wasn't punched all the way through by the first conductor or if they didn't notice they punched the wrong one.

It really is up to how much attention the conductor is paying. The scanners do assist with this now as well as a 2nd set of eyes per say. But then it comes down to if the conductor is paying attention to the scanner. Last time I rode the PS I rode using my Passbook ticket. The conductor just asked me my last name and said I'll check when I have a chance and that was that. He seemed to be a bit old school and not very fond of the scanner. He kept shaking it like a TV remote with a dead battery then finally just gave up with it. I asked another conductor before I got off to scan the ticket to see if it was read and it had not been so he never entered the name to lift the ticket.

As long as humans are involved in the process there will always be a margin of error. Then again machines make mistakes too!

 

[BCL]

It is one of those things that, yes, it is enforced. But it may not always be noticed. Just as I sometimes had the same ride punched twice (on seperate rides) if it wasn't punched all the way through by the first conductor or if they didn't notice they punched the wrong one.
It really is up to how much attention the conductor is paying. The scanners do assist with this now as well as a 2nd set of eyes per say. But then it comes down to if the conductor is paying attention to the scanner. Last time I rode the PS I rode using my Passbook ticket. The conductor just asked me my last name and said I'll check when I have a chance and that was that. He seemed to be a bit old school and not very fond of the scanner. He kept shaking it like a TV remote with a dead battery then finally just gave up with it. I asked another conductor before I got off to scan the ticket to see if it was read and it had not been so he never entered the name to lift the ticket.

As long as humans are involved in the process there will always be a margin of error. Then again machines make mistakes too!

I was under the impression that the system was supposed to record the number of times each ticket was used. For the routes where people can share a 10-ride, I think they're supposed to enter the number of "punches" after scanning the barcode, followed by the physical punch(es). I did talk to a conductor once about almost missing a ticket. He said it an unused ticket was a "liability" and gave me the impression that they don't really care if someone uses a ticket that hasn't been pulled on a future ride as long as you're not actively evading the conductor.

As for Passbook, I've successfully used it a few times. My first try it just wouldn't work and the conductor manually entered the Res#. A couple of weeks ago I tried my two segment for one price experiment (and yes I did get 200 AGR points) and tried to use Passbook both times. The first time the conductor wouldn't even attempt to scan it and said it never worked. On the second segment the conductor scanned it no problem. I'm not sure what the deal is.

 

[roadman3313]

I use Passbook for all my Amtrak trips (except on the CC as I have a 10-ride pass for those). It really depends on the Conductor and their experience. I also use it on the Amtrak Thruway routes from SBA to/from EMY and to/from BFD as well (both routes are operated by Silverado Stages). If the Conductor or Bus Driver has had problems in the past, they tend to ask me for my last name and look it up that way. The key is to just scan it outside of the sunlight so there isn't glare. Passbook codes tend to work fairly well IME but it depends on the screen and lighting and what not.

As for missing the ticket... I have had unscanned tickets before... a few trips on the CC, a trip on the CS from SLO to EMY, and a trip on the CZ from RNO to EMY. All of the times when I found the conductor they either said they would take care of it or "it was my lucky day." I basically got that same impression that it was obvious I wasn't trying to skip the fare and it was their mistake. For the CS and CZ I received an E-Voucher for the fare the following morning. For the CC the trip was still valid for a year. I mean either way I did use the funds and ride Amtrak again (and all the times they got more money out of me on F&B too).

On my 10-ride pass I usually used a punch for me and a punch for someone riding with me and I always specified two. Some people played around with the screen more than others. And some didn't physically punch the ticket either. I'd honestly say that there still is a learning curve out there and a little resistance from some who have had poor experiences using the scanners. That's just my personal experience though.

 

[BCL]

On my 10-ride pass I usually used a punch for me and a punch for someone riding with me and I always specified two. Some people played around with the screen more than others. And some didn't physically punch the ticket either. I'd honestly say that there still is a learning curve out there and a little resistance from some who have had poor experiences using the scanners. That's just my personal experience though.

Once I had made my order for a 10-ride but had to pick it up. Both QT kiosks were out of service. When the train pulled in, myself and another passenger pointed to the out of service QT kiosks as soon as the conductor came out of the door. The other passenger was able to purchase on-board at the regular price. I just flashed my reservation confirmation with the bar code, and the conductor said something about owing a punch at a future time. I can leave it to your imagination what happened.

Sometimes I don't know exactly what's going on. I've sat in the same car where the conductor sat down and waited for about 80% of my ride before finally getting asked for a ticket. I mean - the conductor probably saw me. Another time it was some hectic schedule, and the conductor blows right by us on a day when they rerouted and backed in to the station. He actually didn't look interested in scanning anyone's tickets, or perhaps he had something urgent to attend to. Eventually he arrived just a few minutes before about half the passengers got off. He looked really worked over (said something about getting a last second assignment) and we mostly left him alone after he pulled our tickets.

 

[roadman3313]

I have had similar situations like that. Rode from EMY-GAC and no conductor in sight the whole time. Same on a ride from EMY-DAV. I walked back and forth through the cafe car and still didn't see anyone. The train was on time and nothing was unusual to the unsuspecting passenger. There were only the announcements from the Conductors as we appraoched the stops. That was about it.

If I take my regular train the conductor usually just hands me a seat check as he knows where I'm going so I can place it up when I get on and go to the Cafe Car. He scans the ticket at a later time. On occassion if I'm at a table he will sit across from me and chat for a bit. One of these days I may just ask about the multi-ride tickets and his take on the scanners.