Got a beach chair and a small cooler, trying to get from Woodside to Rockaway this Sunday around 10. Last time I did Q53 SBS and it crawled from Elmhurst to Ozone Park but then flew down Cross Bay. A train via Broad Channel is fine, but that transfer with chair sucks and I’m not trying to stand on the platform forever.

Anyone ride the Q53 on a weekend recently? Is it actually worth waiting for, or should I just take the A and deal with the stairs? Also does the back-door boarding thing work now? I never know if I’m supposed to have a paper receipt or just get on.

On weekends, the Q53 is less predictable than the A on paper, but with a beach chair the bus can absolutely win if you time the stop right. The back-door boarding on SBS requires a paper ticket from the sidewalk machine before you board if you're entering at the rear. If the machine is down, board at the front and the operator usually waves you through or asks you to tap when it resets. They do occasionally check receipts, but not as often as people think.

One thing worth correcting: Woodside doesn’t have the A directly. If you're starting near Roosevelt/74th, a train option would be the 7 to Times Square and then the A down to Broad Channel, or LIRR to Penn and then the A. That’s two seats either way, plus stairs at the transfer points. With a chair and cooler, that changes the math.

When I did Q53 on a late-summer Sunday, I waited around 20 minutes at Woodside. Once onboard, the ride was roughly an hour and change to Beach 116th. The same trip by train felt about the same time but with more walking and platform time. Sunday morning before beach traffic loads up is definitely the window. After noon, both the bus and the Cross Bay bridge can bunch up.

Wait, the Q53 SBS doesn’t accept OMNY? I thought every bus did. I’m new here, I tried to get on a Q52 at Woodhaven Blvd and the machine wouldn’t read my phone, so I just sat down and nobody looked at me. Is that normal? Also does the rear door open for everyone or only when the operator unlocks? Thanks!

This is a classic don’t overthink it route. If you’re near Roosevelt/74th, Q53 SBS is the only one-seat option, and on a Sunday morning I’d take it over two seats and a stair-heavy transfer just for a beach chair. The machines at Hoffman/Queens Blvd are still hit-or-miss; if the one at your stop is dark, use the front door and say the machine’s down. Most ops don’t argue, though some will tell you to tap at the next stop’s machine if it’s working.

For Rockaway, also consider the Q52 if it comes first. It splits off and doesn’t serve all the same beach stops, but it can get you close enough to transfer or walk. If you’re set on Beach 116th, hold for Q53. There’s usually a spot near the rear where you can lean a folded chair against the luggage rack without blocking the doors.

Like the earlier thread about the Jackson Heights birthday dinner for 8 with vegan sister, nut allergy, and a plain-rice toddler? Jackson Heights birthday dinner for 8 with vegan sister, nut allergy, and a plain-rice toddler? — the real issue is group gear. Same deal: fewer transfers usually beats “faster” train math.

Good point about Q52 if it comes first. I always forget it splits. Last summer I let two Q52s go waiting for a Q53 and ended up standing in the sun for 35 minutes. Might just hop whatever SBS shows and figure out the last bit on the Q35 or Q22. Also the rear door at Woodside was open last time, no receipt check, but I don’t want to risk it.

I’m actually trying the same thing from Middle Village next Sunday but I’m too new to understand SBS. Do you pay before you get on at every stop, or only certain ones? And does the bus announce the Rockaway stops clearly? I get nervous about missing the one by the boardwalk, everything looks alike once you cross the bridge.

Did Q53 SBS to Rockaway two weeks ago on a Sunday. The machine at Roosevelt was working, but it took my card and then didn’t print a receipt. The bus operator told me to just get on through the front and keep the charge if any. There was no check. I used Google Maps for stops and got off at Beach 116th okay. The ride went from crowded to empty after Aqueduct, then stayed empty. Better than A from where I am.

Which SBS is actually the one with luggage rack spots? I dragged a folding wagon on Q32 once and the front was a mess. If Q53 has space for a chair that might make it worth trying. Also, does it run all night on weekends? We might stay for sunset and don’t want to be stranded.