On 24/01/2012 01:03, Michael Finfer wrote:
On 1/23/2012 5:16 PM, wrote:
On Jan 23, 9:18 am, "Adam H. wrote:

Different sales tax rates apply to different goods in my state. Also, in
my state, newspapers and magazines are not taxed. It's really obnoxious
to impose all these high sales tax collection costs on merchants.

In my state, newspapers are not taxed, but magazines are taxed. It
got funny with certain periodicals like TV Guide--was that a
"newspaper" or a "magazine"? Different merchants charged it in
different ways.

In my state, most clothes are not taxes, but a few types of clothing
are taxed. Don't know why that is. My state does not tax candy bars,
but it seems that other states do. My state does tax soda.

I wonder how many states tax newspapers. I was surprised to be
charged sales tax in Washington, DC when I bought a paper.


I know you live in NJ also, and you don't have it quite right. NJ does
tax candy, but you have to read the ingredients to determine the
tax-ability of an item. If it contains flour, it is not considered to be
candy, and it is not taxable, things like Kit Kats and Nestle's Crunch.

NJ taxes soft drinks, not just soda, defined as a drink that does not
need refrigeration before opening, that is sweetened, and that is less
than 50% juice. This results in some items being taxed that you would
probably consider to be juice.

NJ taxes newsstand sales of periodicals but not mail subscriptions.

Most states do not tax newspapers, usually defined as periodicals that
are qualified carry legal notices. A few states and DC do tax newspapers.

Also, NJ taxes the extremely expensive fine fur and leather goods (no
other clothing), presumably because if you can afford to buy those, you
can afford the tax. Of the states that exempt clothing, there is some
variation in the definition of what's clothing and what's an accessory,
resulting in variations in taxation.

Michael Finfer
Bridgewater, NJ

What about on petrol, or gasoline, what are the taxes on them in New
Jersey? Is it often that people from neighbouring states who live close
to the state line nip across to tank up their automobiles? Can
authorities do anything about that?

On 23/01/2012 13:52, Adam H. Kerman wrote:
wrote:
On 22/01/2012 21:52, Stephen Sprunk wrote:

There's also the time it takes to count the customer's money and, if
applicable, make change. This is particularly bad in the US since taxes
are not included in the price, so the total due is rarely known before
the order is rung up.

Why is that, I wonder? I think that is also the case with the GST and
PST in Canada.

Here in many (if not all) parts of Europe, the price that you pay for
something already has relevant taxes figured in.

Yet here in the United States, when prices for airline travel and hotel
rooms are stated, they included taxes. In Europe, travel prices are
more often stated without all taxes included.


That's not been my experience on premium airlines. When I buy a ticket
on something like BA or SAS, the price quoted is the price that I pay.
The ticket will indicate a breakdown of prices, such as the actual seat
charge and all the relevant taxes.

It is possible that you were looking at a fare quoted by a budget
airline. Many of them, as part of their sales gimmick, have in the past
advertised very low fares but have not always note all the taxes.

This is something, against which the European Commission has come out.

On 23/01/2012 21:38, wrote:
On Jan 20, 5:32 pm, John wrote:

The main question is NJ Transit. They already cooperate with the MTA
on the west of Hudson Metro-North trains, which are extensions of NJ
commuter lines, but they don't do joint fares with PATH even though it
would make a lot of sense for the many commuters who transfer between
the two at Hoboken and Newark.

It would help greatly if NJ Transit ticket offices sold some sort of
Metrocard, even say the pre-packaged kind that news dealers sell.
Buying a Metrocard upon arrival at Pennsylvania Station is a pain due
to the crowds.

Is that not yet integrated into ticket purchases like Metro-North has?

But in a commuter rail system like SEPTA with numerous stations that
are lightly used, there is a steep infrastructure cost in the
installation of fare vending machines at every station, and in most
places, on every platform (going from one platform to another often
requires a long walk through a tunnel or over a bridge at the
street.) Fare machines need comm lines which would have to be
installed. They would need to be visited periodically to be emptied
of cash and refilled with ticket stock and ink, and repair vandalism.

It doesn't have to be all or nothing. In San Francisco, the Muni
streetcar lines run partly in tunnels and partly on the surface, not
unlike the way they work in Philadelphia. In the tunnel, there are
ticket booths where you either pay or tap as you pass through the
turnstile. On the surface, you use the tap reader in the car or pay
the driver, who gives you a paper transfer. Retrofitting the tap
readers can't be that hard, they've put them in all of the PCC cars on
the F line. and the cable car conductors have portable readers.

Actually, if going to POP, a paper based system like the River Line
would do the job and I don't see any advantage to an electronic
ticket.

Smartcards have other advantages. For example, at this point to get
the joint PATCO-SEPTA fare, you have to stop at a PATCO machine and
buy the discounted SEPTA ticket every time you plan to make a
transfer. With smartcards, you just tap at the entrance to each and
it charges you the right amount.

To me, electronic tickets are only justified with turnstiles.

Many transit systems disagree with you.

R's,
John

On 23/01/2012 21:45, wrote:
On Jan 20, 7:21 pm, John wrote:

A smartcard would presumably also work on Metro-North and LIRR, which
are also the MTA, with the remaining question being NJ Transit.

The question yet to be answered is how to verify a passenger's length
of journey on distance-based fare commuter rail systems. On regional
rapid transit, they do so by having turnstiles at both entry and exit,
so the exit turnstile verifies the ticket is valid for the distance
travelled.
But on various large commuter rail networks there are no turnstiles.
Adding turnstiles would cost a fortune, not only in their direct cost,
but modifying walkways at all stations to fence off the paid area. At
the downtown terminals there is little space for turnstiles,
especially enough to handle the crowds emerging from a train.
Pennsylvania Station would be especially complex because many tracks
are used by three different railroads (Amk, NJT, LIRR), and there are
various concourses and stairs connecting to the platforms, including
oddball ones.

They have entrance and exit gates at many stations in Southeast, though
not all. It has been a mixture of turnstiles at the main destination
point, plus conductors.

On 24/01/2012 04:16, Glen Labah wrote:
In ,
Roland wrote:

There are also millions of merchants who don't accept credit cards. And
plenty of folks in far flung countries who'll take dollars in cash.


I have heard that in Jamaica they prefer the US dollar, against the
Jamaican dollar.

People have told me you will actually wind up paying more in the
US-dollar equivalent if you decide to pay in Jamaican dollars.

One woman who recently visited the Carribean told me that she would pay
for something in US dollars, but get change back in EC dollars.

On 24/01/2012 12:05, Alistair Gunn wrote:
In uk.railway d twisted the electrons to say:
On Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:00:24 +0000 (UTC)
Alistair wrote:
The stat appaers to come from the Royal Mint, based upon how many fakes
have been sent to them to be destroyed. Personally most of the fakes
I've seen have been so bad that they only pass inspection if you don't,
in fact, inspect them!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-10774366
Serves them right for getting rid of pound notes.

Supposedly the #1 coin was only slightly more expensive to produce whilst
being expected to last 50x as long ...

FWIW, the 1-pound note is very widely used in the Bailiwick of Guernsey.
Indeed, it is not often that one receives change back in Guernsey pound
coins.

wrote in message
...
On 24/01/2012 04:16, Glen Labah wrote:
In ,
Roland wrote:

There are also millions of merchants who don't accept credit cards. And
plenty of folks in far flung countries who'll take dollars in cash.


I have heard that in Jamaica they prefer the US dollar, against the
Jamaican dollar.

People have told me you will actually wind up paying more in the US-dollar
equivalent if you decide to pay in Jamaican dollars.

One woman who recently visited the Carribean told me that she would pay
for something in US dollars, but get change back in EC dollars.

I tried to pay cash for a hotel stay in Manchester they didn't how to cope
with it.

Roland Perry wrote:
at 16:48:57 on Tue, 24 Jan 2012, Adam H. Kerman remarked:

several pretty lame insults

Is this misc.transport.pot.kettle ?

I don't object to witty insults.

What about on petrol, or gasoline, what are the taxes on them in New
Jersey?

Quite low, 14.5 cents/gal compared to about 44c in New York

Is it often that people from neighbouring states who live close
to the state line nip across to tank up their automobiles?

All the time. Keep in mind that if you're in New York City, a visit
to NJ involves a toll of $7.50 (E-ZPass) or $12 (cash) so it's not
worth it unless you have other business in NJ. But there is a
significant land border between the states, and plenty of cross-border
gas shopping.

Can authorities do anything about that?

Not that I've ever seen.

For the same reason, Canadians nip into the US to buy gas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estcourt_Station,_Maine

R's,
John