MTAhopefullMatt

Congrats, Erik!

It's harder to find parking within any of the B Division yards until you're permanent, but some will let you park there. If not, you can find parking on the street within a few blocks or worst case pay at a lot. Probably no more difficult than parking near LIJ. I think 207th Street yard in upper Manhattan was the hardest for people to find street parking at (they definitely wouldn't let probationary employees park there). People have no trouble parking on the street at Coney Island.

What's physically taxing is climbing aboard and descending the train, walking in the yard (sort of like walking through building rubble while carrying 20 lbs of equipment and climbing over electrified rails) and carrying 40-50 lbs of equipment in my tool bag to the different job sites, up and down many flights of stairs. Nothing impossible, nothing that's not worth doing. Just physically demanding. @Tprashad, sometimes large institutional employers (like hospitals) will give you a leave of absence. Consider asking for that when you're given a job offer with Transit. 3-month leave should be enough (from Transit start date of school car).

@Tprashad, it's good. Very difficult physically and intellectually, much harder than I expected. Lots of travel means early days, waking up at 3-4 am. It's a military-like culture, which is a challenge for those of us used to more casual workplaces. For those of you worried about the signals exam but haven't yet started, don't panic. But start reading the first few chapters of the rule book when you're actually sworn in. Start making flash cards and memorizing at that point. The rule book is the bible for TA operations.

@Tprashad, it is very difficult and can be discouraging, but there are tremendous opportunities here. Lots of room for advancement and pensions don't exist hardly anywhere else for most of us. From people I've spoken with it seems to take 3-4 years to get the line and tour you want, and things improve a lot from there. 1st year is very difficult. Some people actually enjoy the variety of posting on different lines for a few years, because of the variety and opportunity for a lot of OT.

Signals test is very difficult because you need to know roughly 100 signals of all kinds and have perfect recall. You're only tested on 25% of those signals but you don't know which ones. This is a very difficult training program. They expect a significant percentage of people to wash out.

@Erik, good luck on the signals exam! It's got to be the most stressful part of the whole school car experience. We're all rooting for you. Re hiring, Ms. Rivera and others in her position most likely aren't comfortable and aren't even authorized to make hiring predictions. My own take is that there will likely be steady hiring for a while, maybe skipping a month or two for Christmas holiday logistics. There are a lot of older train operators retiring and many more who are eligible to retire and could leave at any time. There is also a substantial failure rate during school car, not just from failing the signals exam. I spoke to people in one class that lost 4 people for various non-academic reasons (40%) before the signals exam even took place. So the TA needs to hire hundreds of train operators on a steady basis, as long as it has the funds to do so. School car is running at full tilt, so hiring likely won't accelerate, but it shouldn't slow down either expect for a possible holiday siesta (1-2 month break from new school car classes).

The Home Depot bag is primarily carried with both handles like a bowling bag. It does have one long strap you can use to put it around your shoulder. It's not a backpack. Some people do wear backpacks and take them off and hold it by the strap when they're on platforms or tracks, but that's not what they tell you to do. And I would be concerned about theft of backpack contents when I'm wearing the backpack on the train or bus, plus it's easy to bump into people wearing a backpack.

@Tprashad, most people buy Huffy tool bags from Home Depot for $30-50. The bigger the better. Mine is 21" long, I think, and was $40. Lots of compartments for tools and open areas for books, notebooks, etc. They discourage backpacks because we're supposed to carry our bags in our hands while crossing tracks and platforms (a TA employee was killed a few years ago when his backpack got hooked on a passing train while he was strapped to it, I think). The idea is that if a passing train snags our bag it should fly out of our hands, but we stay safe). You can use the included strap while traveling and then carry it by the handles in the yard. Also, having equipment and tools strapped to your back while standing on a subway train or bus makes pickpockets a lot easier than when the bag is in front of you, and you are responsible for all the tools/books/equipment the TA issues to you. In any case you can wait until you start and get recommendations in person. No need to order anything online or buy something very expensive.

@Tprashad, congratulations! I know you've been waiting a long time. Erik has a great take on things, BTW. This is like boot camp. You're offered a wonderful job but than you have to prove yourself over and over again if you're to keep the job. From speaking with mid level train operators (5-10 years experience) it seems to get much better, but you have to prove yourself and pay your dues the first few years.

Taking the train is what I do. It can definitely take longer but it's simpler and cheaper. But if you enjoy driving to work it is an option. You may need to backtrack on your own time via public transit on the rare day you'll be ending a different place than you started.

@Tprashad, yes, to some extent, it just depends on how good you are at parking in crowded parts of the boroughs. They do NOT provide any parking in any yard for trainees, so you're on your own finding a spot. Sometimes, some days you may need to pay. Others you might get a parking ticket or worst case get towed. Be careful if you're going to be finishing the day somewhere other than where you started. TA policy is you're not supposed to drive between duty locations ("on the clock") if your TA job isn't driving yourself or other people around. Also, you're OK if transit is delayed but you're still late without excuse if you get stuck in traffic or have parking problems.

School car is a highly structured program of lectures, tests and practical learning at locations throughout the subway system, everywhere but Staten Island. It's a full-time job, 40 hours a week, plus substantial commuting time and a lot of studying at home. It lasts 6-9 months. You'll get a day-by-day schedule your first week. You'll need to pass multiple written exams and yard practicals (demonstrations of your practical knowledge gained on this job working on specific mechanical issues and handling the train). You actually spend only a small portion of your time at school car, which is a repurposed elementary school in south Brooklyn near Coney Island. That's the administrative center for NYCT training and where formal written tests are conducted. Most of your time will be on the road at various subway yards.

School car is good but very intense. Signals are no joke. Like working an extra half time job just to learn your signals. @Mike, you should be fine. There's a ladder rung ("safety step") to help you climb onto the train, but you'll need a fair amount of upper body strength as well, for pulling yourself up and carrying equipment.

@Mike, definitely no weight or body mass limits. You do need to hoist yourself onto a train and walk on narrow paths. They'll do an EKG, check blood pressure, do vision and hearing tests.

@Mikeems, I never thought my letter would come. They do seem intent on hiring a lot more train operators. The major limitation seems to be scheduling. It's very much a hands-on, intensive course of study, and there are only so many qualified instructors and available facilities.

Different yards day to day, in every borough but Staten Island.

You're actually at school car only every so often, not every day. School car is maybe 2 miles from Coney Island. You can take the B1 or B4 bus between the two.

People generally park outside Coney Island without much problem, same with school car (just up the road in south Brooklyn). Read the signs and make sure you're not blocking a hydrant, bus zone, or someone's driveway. Tight but manageable if you're used to street parking in NYC.

B Division is Queens, but it is also Coney Island, which is practically Staten Island. I second what Eric says, except I'm in a more recent training class so I've only just started. I'm enjoying it. It's very intense, but this is the way training should be - paid, no tuition, on the job, with a guaranteed job should you pass the training program. Eventually you should be able to pick a line relatively close to home, but that could take a few years. It's all about keeping your head down, learning the system, paying your dues and earning seniority.

@Tprashad, school car schedule depends on the needs of the TA. You'll get a schedule your first or second week that lists every day's activities and location. Train operators generally have worked mornings M-F during school car, but they may place you on the PM shift. And everyone will do some night and overnight work. Generally no weekend work during school car.

@Mikeems1, they generally don't exhaust a list for outside candidates. They do exhaust lists for promotional (internal) candidates. I think the intent in extending the train operator 8098 list was to reach the top 15-20% of test takers.

Lots of people drive to school car or the Coney Island yard, but parking can be difficult. Also, Transit doesn't want you to commute between work assignments in your private car. And if you're late because of traffic or parking problems it's no excuse. I live near the LIRR and walk there, then subway to work assignment.

Just started last week.

Coney Island, to the yard and school car. But I may be able to eventually work a line in Queens, which is much closer. Yes, central Nasau.