Press Releases

PATCO News & Information - Archives

Panicked Rider Saved By Swift Actions of PATCO Customer Service Team

It’s a terrible feeling that some of us have experienced at least once. You depart the PATCO train at your exit and that is when you realize you left something very valuable behind and that helpless feeling takes over you.

This exact scenario played out for PATCO rider Michelle H. after a long day at work when she exited the PATCO train at the Haddonfield Station, got into her car and reached for her wallet to get her car key.

"I instantly realized I had left my wallet on the train. I was completely panicked,” Michelle told the PATCO Social Media Team.

She then called PATCO Customer Service and spoke to a Customer Service Agent. She said the agent was beyond calm and extremely helpful, considering her stressed out state of mind.

“If I were in an actual emergency, he would be exactly the 911 operator I would want,” Michelle said.

The Customer Service Agent gathered all the pertinent information from Michelle (where she was sitting, the time train and destination, the description on the wallet, etc.) and reached out to the operator of the train.

After a short search, Michelle's wallet was located on the train. The wallet was then passed to an operator that was traveling back westbound. Michelle then went back into the station and crossed paths with the train operator who had her wallet. The train operator passed her wallet back.

“The train conductor seemed as happy as I was as he handed me my wallet,” Michelle said.

 Michelle said her wallet completely intact -- money, cards, car key and identification exactly as she left it.

“There really are such wonderful people in this world, unfortunately, at times we forget about that,” Michelle said. I’m sure he had a long day and didn’t want to deal with a forgetful rider, but he never ever made me feel like a bother!”

This process plays out several times a day at PATCO as riders often leave behind items and it sets off a process that involves several employees to hopefully reunite them with their lost items. 

[ Return to List ]