Bobert

Does anyone have any idea how long a mini pick usually lasts or when the next general pick might be?

Today we lifted the rails and used the tools to pull out and hammer back in the spikes. The rail is 1200-1500lbs but you have a group of people so its not as bad as it can be. But I find the hardest part for lifting the rail is your footing and position. If there are multiple rails close to each other your foot might not fit in between properly and it gets harder You can have one leg over 3rd rail and you end up holding the weight further from your body than you would in the gym. The tools arent too bad but it depends on your experience with them. A lot of guys keep missing the spikes when trying to hammer them in but that can be fixed with repetition.

Deadlifts are good too. But you need to be careful cause insurance from MTA doesn't kick in for 90 days. If anyone has any medical problems I would get it fixed before you start the class.

Finished 1st week of training and got to go on the tracks for the first time. When you guys get called for orientation they will tell you the things that they are biggest on are being late and absent too much. If your late your supervisor is allowed to cut your pay or send you home. You get 1 sick day a month and at beginning of MTA year they give you 12 upfront. But if your trying to get promoted you need to have at least half your sick days until that point. I've only seen one tool but they are heavy and the rails are 100-115 pounds so I would go to the gym while you wait and work on triceps, forearm, biceps, and back. From what the instructor told us day jobs are outside and on the elevated structure and usually have the power on and night jobs are in the subway and may have the power off. But on nights you work on a lot more rails. He said 3-5 rails for day and 30-50 for nights and capital but I'm not 100% sure it will be like that. I guess in the day the trains are constantly coming by so you have to stop working and clear up then go back to work and that takes up the time.

I thought it was informative but didn't need to be 8 hours. Those chairs hurt my back too. I'm not digging the 90 days until insurance kicks in because winter is when your most likely to get sick. What did you think of it?

Anyone else went to first day of orientation today?

Thanks for the info. One more question if you don't mind. On the paper they gave me it said not to where any sneakers when I go for training but I don't have any boots, do you know if they let you wear anything else?

Do you have to fill out the benefits package before the orientation or can you fill it out there because I don't know some of the info like BSC ID. Also does anyone know the difference between the two bluecross insurance plans. I don't see any except that one costs $26 more a month.

I'm in the 41* also, I think as long as we pass the medical we should make it into the class on the 26th.For the education section in the booklet do they want from highschool going forward or all the way to elementary?

Thanks I figured my uncle was making stuff up.

My uncle told me if you work for MTA and your sick it's better to go to work so they will send you home. Is that true or if your really sick call in sick instead?

The MTA called me back for the medical test today and said come in on the 14th at 7:30am. My dad took the message so in not 100% sure if 7:30 is the right time. Does anyone who went for medical remember what time they called you in for?

Does anyone know what would happen if they call you for medical and you have an injury?

It includes a bunch of rules on filling out the packets, rules and information for city employees and the actual packet goes more in depth on your work, school history, criminal background and where you lived. You should call them and ask if you can come in to get one because on the packet it says If its not filled out when they call you back in you won't be able to continue processing.

I got lucky and was only there for 3 hours. There was maybe 70 people there and maybe 2/3 of them were for track worker. I saw one guys number and he was in the 430s.