New-ish to Flushing and took the Q44 SBS from Main St/Roosevelt down to Jamaica this morning. Boarded through the rear doors like everyone else, tapped the OMNY reader, sat down. Then I tried the same thing on the Q20 local a few blocks later and the driver yelled at me to get in the front and tap there. I thought rear-door boarding was normal now? Is it only certain lines? The big blue signs make it look like it's fine, but apparently not. Help.

Welcome. Q44 is Select Bus Service (SBS), so all-door boarding is the whole point—you tap before you get on at one of the kiosks or the OMNY readers at the rear door. Q20 is a local route, not SBS. On locals, the rear door is exit only, unless there's a working reader and the operator opens it for boarding, which you rarely see. If you board rear on a local without tapping up front, you're essentially setting yourself up for a scream or a summons. Different rules, same-looking bus. Check for the blue SBS wrap or the signs at the stop.

Yeah, this. Even on the Q44, some drivers are stricter if the rear OMNY reader is frozen or the stop is super crowded. I've seen them yell at people who tap on the bus instead of the sidewalk machine, but then other drivers wave everyone in. The official rule is you tap at any door on SBS. Local buses? Front only, unless the driver tells you otherwise. But wait until you see the guy who boards with a MetroCard through the back of the Q44 and then argues with the inspector about a receipt. That's always fun.

Wait, so if I take the M60 from LGA to Manhattan, can I do rear boarding too? I always see people with suitcases jamming the front and I want to avoid that. I was too embarrassed to try rear because I thought only the Q44 had it. Also where do you tap if you have a phone? The little screen on the rear door was showing a red light when I watched.

Yeah M60 is SBS too. You can board at any door, but you have to tap the OMNY reader near the door you're entering. At LGA, the rear doors can be a free-for-all but the driver usually pops them open when there's a crowd. If the screen is red and won't read your phone, use the kiosk on the sidewalk or just get in front—don't be that person holding up the rear doors trying to get the reader to wake up. Also on local routes, some drivers open the back only for wheelchair or stroller; normal folks still use the front.

Does anyone know if the Q52/Q53 in Woodside/Jackson Heights count as SBS for this? I see the blue machines and sometimes people board in the back, but the drivers never say anything. I rode one to Rockaway and the sign said SBS but I couldn't find a reader on the rear door, only the front, so I just tapped my OMNY at the front. Did I look like a tourist?

@DykerNewbie Q52/Q53 are SBS and yes they have rear-door readers on the bus. But not every bus in the fleet has the same setup—some have the new OMNY reader near the rear door, some still show the old MetroCard machine only, and the driver may not remind you. When in doubt, tap at the front or use the sidewalk kiosk before you get on. The inspectors don't care if you looked like a tourist; they care if you have a valid tap. You're probably fine, but don't let front-door confusion become a habit.

So I did the exact thing novice_newyork is describing. Took the Q44 from Main St, entered rear, tapped my OMNY, got a green check, thought everything was fine. Two stops later an inspector came through and scanned my card and said it didn't show a tap. I showed my phone's Apple Pay and he still gave me the stink eye and made me tap again at the front. The rear readers can be super glitchy. Now I just board the front on the Q44 if I have bags, even if the line is long, because I can't handle that anxiety.

Thanks BoroughPark_B and 7train_rita, that makes way more sense. I was confusing SBS with 'new buses have back door readers.' Tried again this morning on the Q44 with the rear door and tapped on the little OMNY screen—green check, no one yelled. But I still felt weird walking past the driver. I guess that's just something you get used to. Does anyone else wave their phone at the rear reader like three times before it registers? Or is that just me?

@novice_newyork yup rear readers are either instant or need the exact angle like you're swiping a stick of gum. If I'm carrying a bag, I'll tap the sidewalk kiosk before the bus pulls up; that way I'm already paid and the rear-door screen doesn't matter as much. But careful—some of those kiosks only take MetroCard, not OMNY, so don't go hunting for a phone reader if you're phone-only. That has burned me once.

Also for anyone new: rear-door boarding isn't a free-for-all. If the driver opens the rear door but you didn't tap, you're risking a summons. Fare inspectors target the Q44 and M60 constantly because they know people are confused or lazy. I saw a guy get stopped at Flushing-Main St for not having a tap, tried to say 'the back door was open,' didn't work. So yeah it's allowed, but it's not optional to pay.

That's good to know. Is there any point at night when all-door boarding stops? I took the Q44 at like 11:30pm last week and the rear doors wouldn't open, everyone had to go in front. The driver parked at an angle so the back door was against a curb cut? Maybe that was just a weird night. But I've also heard some SBS routes go front-only late at night for the driver to see everyone.

@exploring_nyc_e that actually happened to me too on the M60 after 10. Rear door didn't open, driver said 'front only' over the speaker. I think some operators choose front-only late if the stop is dark or the rear camera is bad. Not sure it's official, but if the door doesn't open, don't stand there knocking. Front works just fine. Also thanks everyone; I finally get the Q44 vs Q20 distinction now.