I keep seeing people walk around to the back door of a local bus when the front is stacked, tap the OMNY reader, and sit down like it's the SBS. Happened twice this week on the M15 local heading uptown around 14th Street. First time, the front was blocked by a double stroller and a cart of groceries. The driver actually opened the rear door and shouted, "use the back!" At least five people tapped the rear reader and got on. Second time, on the same route near 23rd, a guy tried to board through the back without anyone telling him. The driver closed the door on him and didn't open it again until he walked back to the front. So it's clearly not a free-for-all.

I know local buses are still listed as front-door only except for SBS routes, which have signs and announcements telling you all doors are open. But since OMNY readers are physically mounted on every door, the barrier to all-door boarding is more about policy and driver visibility than technology. The driver can't always see if you tapped at the back, and fare inspectors on local routes aren't set up the same way as on SBS.

My question: is this becoming semi-official driver discretion on certain corridors, or are we just in a gray zone where some operators tolerate it when the front gets dangerous and others don't? I haven't seen new signage or heard an official service change. On routes like the M101 or Bx12 local, I'd be more hesitant. Has anyone else noticed specific local lines where rear boarding is quietly accepted at rush hour? And if you tap the rear reader and it beeps but a fare inspector later asks, does your OMNY account actually cover you the same as a front-door tap?

Yeah, I've seen it on the M15 local too. Driver opened the back door at 23rd because the front was a zoo with a walker and a granny cart. I tapped at the back, no problem. But last week on the M101, some dude tried to hop the back door without being told and the driver flipped, closed the door right on his backpack. So it's not a free-for-all. I think it depends on the driver and how crowded it is. I wouldn't count on it unless you hear them say "use the back." Some operators are chill about it because they'd rather move the bus than argue with a blocked front. Others take it personal, like you're trying to skip the line. I'd say if the rear reader beeps, you're paid, but don't expect the driver to know unless they opened the door for you.

Okay so I'm new to this and I thought rear door = SBS only. I accidentally went to the back of the Bx12 local at Fordham and tapped the OMNY reader. The driver didn't yell, but a lady next to me said, "we don't do that here." So is the rear reader actually on for local buses? And if I tap and it beeps, am I good, or did I just waste a fare? I use a phone, not MetroCard. Also, totally off-topic but I saw a thread over in the tax/work section Does NYC city tax follow your remote work out of state or does the convenience rule still grab it? about city tax and remote work. I got confused because I thought it was about fare zones. Maybe someone here knows if that tax thing applies to people who commute into the city from Westchester? Sorry if this is the wrong board.

DykerNewbie, you didn't waste a fare if the reader beeped and showed a confirmation on your phone. The rear readers on local buses are physically there, but they aren't always active. On some routes the driver can unlock the back door and the rear reader will accept taps; on others it stays dark. If yours beeped, your OMNY recorded the trip, and you can check the timestamp in your OMNY account or card history. MetroCard is a different story: there's no MetroCard reader at the back, so never try rear boarding with one.

To your local vs SBS confusion: the Bx12 local is front-door only as official policy, even if some drivers wave people through when the front is impassable. The SBS routes are the ones with big blue signs saying "board at all doors" and rear doors that open at every stop. Locals don't have that. What you experienced at Fordham was probably driver discretion or an older reader that happened to be live. Don't expect it to be consistent.

Fare inspectors can still check your tap history, so if you used OMNY and the reader beeped, you're covered. The bigger risk is getting left behind if you try rear boarding on a local without the driver telling you. I've started only using the back when the driver explicitly says "back door" or holds it open. On the M15 at rush hour, that's common. On the M101, I wouldn't chance it. EastHarlem_E nailed it: it's driver-by-driver, not a systemwide change. If the MTA ever makes local all-door official, we'll see signage and announcements before it becomes the norm.