Tonight around 6:20 I was at 74th St/Roosevelt Ave under the 7 train waiting for the Q70 to LGA. The sign said Q70 LaGuardia Link. A bus came, but it slowed, the driver waved, and it kept going. No doors opened. Is there a drop-off only or full bus rule I don't know? The next one came 12 minutes later and let us on. I always thought SBS stops all doors? There were maybe 15 people waiting. Do I need to stand at the front of the island or something?

Q70 SBS! The 74th St stop is a huge boarding point. They DO run drop-off only sometimes if the bus is at capacity with standees from Woodside/61st. Actually, the Q70 starts at 61 St-Roosevelt, so it can absolutely be full before it even reaches 74th. But they usually don't skip unless the bus is beyond safe capacity! Did it have a Next Bus Please sign or was it showing Not In Service? Could also have been deadheading to LGA for a crew change or an extra trip. The real trick is to stand by the raised island near the subway elevator, not the corner by the newspaper boxes. If it was full of luggage, half the bus is suitcases. Have you tried catching it at 61st St instead? You'll get a seat, but it fills up fast there too!

I'm new to the Q70 after moving near Jackson Heights. Does it normally skip 74th if the bus is full? I've also waited at Roosevelt and had one pass with doors closed, but the driver pointed forward like "next one." I thought maybe I was at the Q47/Q49 stop by mistake. There are like three different bus stop poles under that station. Is the Q70 stop painted teal green? I just follow the crowd. Did you check if the sign above said Q70 LaGuardia Link or just Q70 LTD? Sometimes I see old signs.

Yeah the 74th/Roosevelt setup is a mess if you're not paying attention. The Q70 stop is the one with the green-ish SBS kiosk and LaGuardia Link wrap, over by the raised island by the subway entrance, not the sidewalk against the deli. If a bus is full and nobody wants off, the b/o can and will skip. They're supposed to put Next Bus Please on the run box but half the time they don't bother. Pro tip: if you're only going to Terminal B/C, take the next one; don't walk down to 69th thinking you'll beat it. It's the luggage crush that does it.

Wait, I thought SBS can't skip because it's a "rapid" bus? Or is that only when there's a dispatcher? I've seen Q70 buses pass my stop near Northern Blvd too. Quick question: do you have to prepay at the machine or can you swipe OMNY at the door? I saw people just board with suitcases and nobody dipped anything. Is it free to LGA? Sorry if that's dumb, first time flying out of LGA next week.

Not free, but Q70 is basically proof of payment now with OMNY readers at all doors. I still see people tap at the front or middle. Some just walk on because they have an Unlimited. Fare enforcement is rare but real. To DykerNewbie: if you use OMNY or MetroCard, pay at the machine at the stop or tap at the door. If the bus is too packed, sometimes the b/o waves everyone on and yells "just get in" to clear the stop, especially if there's a line behind. That might be why firstbodega saw no doors open. Next Bus Please on the sign is the giveaway.

Honestly, Q70 is the only bus I'll defend. But the 74th St stop is chaotic because you got the 7, the E/F/M/R, LIRR, and a million people with Rollaboard bags. If a bus is full, they won't open because people still try to wedge in and then everyone yells. When I need LGA from East Harlem, I don't even transfer to the Q70 at Roosevelt anymore; I just take the M60-SBS from 125th/Lexington. Same all-door thing, but way more buses, and if one is full the next is usually a few minutes behind. Not sure if that helps firstbodega, but if you're already on the 7, Q70 is still the move. Just stand by the back door, not the front, and don't ask the driver anything unless you're right at the front. That stop has a dispatcher sometimes during PM rush, but only if someone called it in.