Maybe I've been unlucky but every time I try to get on the Q44 at Parkchester heading toward the Zoo, the rear-door OMNY reader just blinks red or does nothing. I tap, nothing, try the other side, still dead. Then the driver yells to board in front, but half the bus is already in the back and the front line is backed up. Yesterday a lady stood there for a good 20 seconds and almost got left.

Do those readers actually work anymore? Is this just a Parkchester thing or the whole route? I'm about to go back to front-door only but don't want to get chewed out for "delaying the bus."

This is not just Parkchester, though that stop is one of the worse ones because it's a major transfer point. I've seen the same dead-reader problem on the Q44 near Flushing-Main and over by the Bronx Zoo. It tends to happen most on the older Nova buses. The rear readers are basically mini terminals that need a data connection to settle the tap. When the bus drops signal around the Parkchester underpass or the big apartment blocks, the reader either blinks red or goes blank while it reboots. It's not that you're tapping wrong.

The issue is that all-door boarding signs are still up, so people naturally pile in the back. If the reader is down, the official move is front-door boarding, but that only works if the driver actually notices the dead reader and uses the intercom. In my experience, some drivers catch it and some don't. When the back doors open for boarding anyway, you're stuck in a gray area: you waited, you tried to pay, and the machine failed, but fare enforcement isn't always going to care about your story.

If you can, take a quick photo or short video of the dead reader before boarding. Then board in front. Don't keep tapping the rear reader over and over. I've seen people do that and end up with duplicate pending charges on their OMNY account. Once is enough to know it's down.

The BusTime app sometimes shows service notes for SBS readers, but it's not reliable at this stop. Until the MTA swaps the older buses or fixes the signal issue, front-door boarding is the safer play. The Parkchester stop is especially rough because the Bx4A and Bx36 transfers create a big crowd at the back door, and people don't read the tiny "front door if reader is out" signs.

I live over there and it's not just you. Last Wednesday, I got on at Parkchester and the rear reader on the curb side was dark. The door-side one took my tap but didn't show anything. I always check my OMNY account later. Front door is safer, but then you've got people squeezing past to get off and the driver gets peevish.

astoria_arch is right about the photo. I started doing that after a duplicate charge last year. If the reader isn't lit, I don't even try anymore.

They must have heard us because this morning the rear reader actually worked. Or maybe I just got a new bus. Either way, I'm checking my OMNY app after every trip.

The sign still says all-door boarding. If it's down, they need to cover the sign or put a cone at the back door. Some of us aren't trying to play fare roulette at 8 a.m.

One caveat: even when the rear reader shows the OMNY logo, it can still be offline and hold your tap as a pending charge until the bus regains signal. I've had that happen on the Q44 in the low section near the Bronx River, not just at Parkchester Plaza. The front reader near the driver is usually on a separate circuit, so it settles faster. The rear one may beep or light up but not actually process your fare until later. That's almost worse than a flat red because you think you paid.

I've learned to use the front reader whenever I'm boarding SBS at a stop where the back door is already open and the line is dense. It adds a few seconds, but it's easier than dealing with a surprise second tap or a fare enforcement argument. If the reader is dead, tell the driver as you board: "rear reader is down." Most will flip on the front reader or close the back doors to new riders after that.

I also wouldn't rely on the MTA app update timing. The physical readers at Parkchester have been inconsistent for months. The online "report a problem" form does eventually route these to the depot, but it can take a week or more. In the meantime, a photo of the dead reader plus a front-door tap is the most practical way to cover yourself.

Update: they had a service supervisor at the stop this morning with a tablet, checking the rear readers. He let a pack of us board anyway after our taps failed. So if you see a couple of people in MTA vests near the shelter, that's why.

Still not holding my breath. I'll use the front door until they swap the old buses out.