Jchambers2120

25 minutes ago, kellgh said:

Noooo. 

Only near stations. Rats stay where food is. If there is no food, there are no rats.

 

Waterbugs though love wet locations -- Jamaica Yard, 34th HS, and 205th. They will violate your space.

You’re making me second guess coming over to the B. Let a waterbug fly into my cab I’m leaving the key in term & im out! 

If you get to choose your division I strongly advise you choose which division is more convenient for you travel wise rather than what lines you want to work. Trust me it’s a pain working in the A division and living in Brooklyn. 

When you’re new you’ll be extra extra which means any line in your subdivision is fair game. If you end up in the A get used to working the 6...

On 3/12/2019 at 12:02 AM, Schecter said:

Yeah I'm not going to let conductor pass up because who knows when train operator will call. I don't want to pass up conductor and then I'm stuck waiting until the T/O is over. 

Definitely don’t pass it up. Your experience as a conductor will help only you as a train operator. You’ll learn how the system works, the culture down here, lingo, and if you become a T/O in the same division as the one you were a C/R you’ll be somewhat familiar with the lines and things like the points of no return. 

I don’t mean this as a slight to anyone who started off the street, but I honestly prefer working with T/O’s who started in the middle. There’s certain things like communication (very important) and helping out that promos (generally not all) seem to do better. 

This list won’t expire until atleast 2022 and you can always take the next promotional so you really have nothing to lose. Goodluck in whatever decision you make.

1 hour ago, RR503 said:

I'd be interested to know the context here. You're generally not supposed to take bathroom breaks unless at your terminal.

You cannot be denied a comfort, if you gotta go then you gotta go. It happened to me on the 6 once at the BB loop, I knew that there was no way I’d be able to make it back to Parkchester holding it in (keep in mind on lines like the J and 6 you don’t get off the train at the end)  called it in and went at the bridge.

It’s pretty shady of them to post that to put the public against us, but I’ll leave it at that...

4 hours ago, Schecter said:

Yeah they're picking up really fast I took the train operator exam and they're still in the 800s 

Seems like they’re moving through this list. On Tuesday when I was on the 6 a TSS brought this class up to my window to observe what I was doing. Plus I saw about 3 students posting this week.

Man the truest statement I’ve heard so far is time flies in transit. Tomorrow makes it my official 8th month down here it’s crazy 😩. 

To everyone waiting stay patient and your time will come.

1 hour ago, VIP said:

Also side note, It’s going to be really nice to meet all of you this April 1 class. It’s refreshing to see some rail fans living their dream. Congratulations!! And for those waiting, good luck. 

It’s refreshing to see a fellow buff come on down. In my short time being here (7 months now) I haven’t met many people down here who are outright train buffs. Mostly people with families.

A bit of advice since you asked about picking divisions if you get the choice don’t go based on which division has certain equipment you like, go for what’s convenient for you. I got forced into the A division and live in Brooklyn and to say the least it’s not easy commute wise being XX. Choose wisely and also be humble. You aren’t going to get brownie points for knowing what trains have what propulsion, go into this like you know nothing and let your TSS’s teach you everything. Trust me there’s a lot you don’t know about trains that you’ll learn in school car.

Congrats and goodluck. 

8 minutes ago, Far Rock Depot said:

Correct.   The five sets start the day leaving rock park,  head uptown,  lay up in 207 yard and do the trip back to Rock Pk.    As a C/R , a had those PM jobs that started at either Mott or Lefferts,  head uptown,  when on WAA until the trip down to Rock Pk as a Put-in from the yard.

As far as the cars assigned, i heard the same back in the day, but over the years, there were a few 32s assigned to those trips. 

A 1 tripper with a bunch of WAA? Man that sounds beautiful to my lazy ears. 

With the way some of these folks are acting obsessed over this train if I have to work the day the 211's enter service I'm booking off.

10 hours ago, transitfan111 said:

I’m a bit confused here. Do train operators make money based on the number of trips they made or is it based on number of hours they are on duty?

Hours. Like Trainmaster said some jobs pay more than 8 hours which are known as “penalty” jobs. You get paid for every minute you’re working. Lines like the 2,3,4,5 have a lot of penalty jobs. On the 2 for example you could be working a job that pays for 9:30 mins and then something happens that forces you to clear 1 hour later. Now you just made 10:30 mins of pay, plus you get a bonus of 30 extra mins since they’ll divide the hour in half and pay you for that. The 1 line has a lot of jobs that only pays 8 hours.

59 minutes ago, N6 Limited said:

Could they de-zone between the between the 2nd to last station and the terminal since they have to open the doors from the new zone anyway?

No, there are rules and procedures that we must follow and they're there for a reason. What if a door panel pops open enroute to the terminal and now since you already de-zoned you have no way of finding out and it just so happens that someone was leaning against the door and falls out?

I don't see why this is a big issue, y'all wait what an extra 10-15 seconds for the doors to open?

@Trainmaster5 I couldn't agree more. I don't care if i lived next door to Pelham, Parkchester or VC. I would NEVER willingly pick a job on the 1 or 6. The is just stressful from heavy ridership, the 1 has similar ridership and you're in and out all day with little recovery time. People look at me like I'm crazy when I say I'd rather two on the duece over 3 on the 1. Atleast you can make money over there.

55 minutes ago, trainfan22 said:

IIRC, On NTT, its not possible for an passenger to make an train go BIE while its moving, it won't go into BIE until it comes to an complete stop at the next station. That is, if you pulled the cord, of course if you throw an object between the cars or get 12-9'd, then the train will stop right away.

It is possible for a passenger to cause a BIE if they pull the PEHU and the train is within 600 feet leaving the station. 

56 minutes ago, Janelleeac said:

I started with transit about 5 months ago. I mean thats a long day at the hotel ... i see your post about the decisions that u have to make and all ur pros are for the hotel... maybe u can take a leave of absence when transit calls u back so u can try it out. Tbh there are days when i wanna give up but i know its best for my future ... the road is NOTHING like school car 

I feel the same way you do at times, especially since I live in Brooklyn and got forced into the A division and the crew office seems hell bent on placing me on the damn line 3-4 days a week, but then I remember why I took this job and I just suck it up and keep it pushing. The only thing I miss about school car is road ops and the guaranteed 1 hour lunch breaks lol I love the road.

28 minutes ago, nickynick86 said:

If you don’t mind me asking do you find the job to be easy? 

That question is kind of vague. "Easy" depends. The toughest part for me is dealing with the public. It can be very stressful at times especially when the road blows up and you have people yelling at you as if it's your fault when the situation is completely out of your control or dealing with some of the characters in the RCC. That and dealing with our lovely crew office. 

It isn't a bad job at all though every job has bs that comes with it. I've had days where i literally got paid to sit around and do nothing for 8 hours, or doing 1 trip or a trip and a half and being on the train for 1:45 mins tops out of an 8 hour day.

I'm just using this as a stepping stone to becoming a T/O since i didn't meet the requirements for that title, but overall i love putting on my uniform and going to work.

1 hour ago, Mysterious2train said:

 

Certainly, anything's possible. The R262s could go anywhere. But it seems they will be built with open gangways and wider doors to increase capacity and shorten dwell times. While all of the IRT lines experience crowding out the wazoo, I'd absolutely argue the  generally have it worse than the . So I don't think the R262s, if they have superior capacity, would be living up to their full potential on the  if the  are still getting absolutely slammed in the future the way they are now. And presumably, moving the R142s and R142As to the  and changing the strip maps would only be a one-time thing until the time comes for their retirement, whatever distant year that is. Granted, who knows how things will change in the future.

I work on the line almost every week (unfortunately) as a conductor and I've been on the duece from time to time. The is nowhere near as bad as the in terms of crowding. Let something happen to mess up the road and it's literally impossible to close down at every station. The Lexington avenue corridor is the busiest trunk line in the system and the is the sole local so from a numbers standpoint i don't even see how the could have it worse. The absolutely needs these cars. 

I saw a pic of 3010-19 doing some testing on the Apple today in one of the RTO groups I’m in.

Happy hunting...

1 hour ago, Biggie said:

Honestly I prefer the R62 over the R62A, R62s can roll considering its age but the reason people are scared of them is because of the canned brakes. The dymanics are your best friend with them so you do not want to lose them or your station stop will be hell. Once you master the way of braking a R62 those trains become lightwork but you also have to remember that every train is different so a R62 with great braking will be a treat  but get one that is bad ooh boy, you better find a way to bring that thing to a stop at the 10 first few stations or your trip will be hell. 

Now for the A division... yes it is strict but its not like B is any better with getting away with signal hits too. ATS monitors all of the signals and routes and will tell RCC if you hit one but they can know in B division too. Eyes are everywhere off duty TSS's and superintendents, CCTVs, ATS Computers, and sometimes and hope not your C/R so pretty much the whole system is viewed as strict. Also for memorizing punches ATS pretty much covers that but there are places still with manual punches such as Franklin Av and 138-Grand Concourse. BUT as a T/O ALWAYS NOW YOUR LINE-UPS! G.Os and other situations where towers can become active or your train might be sent down a unfamiliar part of the road can and will happen in your career and it will require you to know your routing. For example you are a 5 and you are getting ready to head into the inner loop at South Ferry, you get Bottom Yellow at 44 ball, alright your going towards the loop however lets say a track condition exist ahead and at 64 ball you get another Bottom Yellow now your going through the outer loop and you expect to be routed back normally onto Lex at 92 ball but you get a green and accept it thinking ATS just did you a favor, now you pass the homeball and your screwed cause your on 7th ave and RCC will tell you that its your fault due to improper operation since you did not know your line-ups so long story short still learn the system and try to get every chance possible to during schoolcar it will help you out on the road.

Very true brother, you never know who’s on your train. The day they re-opened 145 on the 3 I had a superintendent key himself into my cab. No vest uniform or anything just a name tag and his radio. It scared the Sh** out of me. I’m ready to get out of the A division and the middle altogether. Too much drama over here and RCC is so rush rush with everything. 

@AlgorithmOfTruth I’d also suggest you take the next C/R exam as well and move up. It’s a great way to learn the system/job and it will eventually help you when you become a train operator. I definitely want to move up front ASAP since I really don’t enjoy being a C/R, but the knowledge I’ve gained is invaluable. I honestly prefer working with promos than O/C since they’re a lot more helpful and they communicate a lot better. I wish you all the best.

On 12/3/2018 at 6:48 PM, bobtehpanda said:

Why not just send the train out early? If every train is early by five minutes and the trains run every ten, who cares?

Trains do get “pushed” out of terminals early if both pockets are full and they have a train sitting outside the station that needs to get in. I can’t speak for the B div since I don’t work over there, but atleast over here in the IRT if you’re running hot especially if it’s something crazy like 5+ mins RCC is going to harass you over the radio to hold at a station with your doors open, or if you’re at a gap station they’ll (ATS) give you lights. 

They generally like to stick to the schedules/supplements though. & if you’re on the  it doesn’t matter if both pockets are full at VC if you’re running hot. Your butt will sit st 238 until you’re scheduled to arrive at VC, forget about a push. 

1 hour ago, msmcmillan said:

Hey guys, I have a question about this exam and switching titles.

I told a co-worker that retired from MTA a few years ago that I received a pre-employment letter for T/O but I'm declining it. He said that is a stupid move and I should start the process because if you find being a T/O too much you can downgrade to B/O. I heard of downgrading to Cleaner title, but not a B/O. Maybe that was true when he was at MTA, but I don't think that is true today. He said because it is a promotional title you can transfer without being on the B/O list. Have any of you heard of such a thing? I told him you can only transfer if you are on the list and called for that title. He said no, and we argued for hours. 

If anyone is knowledgeable about this, please clarify. Honestly, I think I'm right! 

Bus operators can take a promotion to train operator and return to their title within 1 year if they wish. Someone off the street who gets hired off this list can't just do what that person described to you. You need a CDL to become a B/O, for this title you need a regular drivers license. I don't know why that person gave you that info, but whatever. To put it short if you get hired off the street from this list ypu can't take a demotion to B/O

Honestly the job isn't for everyone and it will be a major lifestyle change if you're coming from a regular 9-5, but the beauty of the MTA is you don't have to stay in one title forever you can always move up. I'm finding that I don't enjoy being a conductor and I plan on taking the next promo list to T/O or any other test I can to get off the road. There's ample opportunity down here to move up if that's your thing. "Fortunately" for me I have to be down here 30+ years just to meet the 25/55 requirement and I refuse to pound the road for that many years.

On 10/4/2018 at 6:40 AM, Bmpo7 said:

I'm not seasoned, just finished schoolcar. But here are some tips given to me:

1-) On time is late. Be at work at least 20 minutes before your report time. Avoid long drives (if you must drive at all). If you're in the city, stick to public transportation, this way if you're late because of delays, you are covered. If you are from out the city and commuting is hard, drive to the closest Metro North, LIRR, or subway terminal. Again, avoid being in a car too much.

2-) Communication. Constant communication between you, the dispatchers, RCC, and your partner. Always communicate (ALWAYS). You will always be covered as long as you communicate. 

3-) Know your rules and bulletins. You have A LOT of free time on a lot of days, don't just sit around at the crew rooms doing nothing. Constantly read bulletins and review the rules.

4-) Operate AS PER SCHOOLCAR. You will have 100 people telling you 100 different ways to do things (even road TSS). Ignore them all. Operate as per schoolcar, and make sure to always carry around bulletins that pertain to your job duties to cover your ass if someone tries to give you any issues.

5-) Get your 7-8 hours of sleep daily.

6-) Know any General Orders and supplements that pertain to your line/tour (I personally do this at home).

If I can think of anything else I will come back and post it. Any questions you might have, feel free to ask.

Your last statement is also a point/tip. Always ask questions, especially when you're unsure about something. It's always better to ask what you may feel is a stupid question and get clarification than to wing it make a mistake and have a TSS waiting for you at the next stop and a Superintendent on the phone waiting to speak to you at the dispatchers office. 

To the hopefuls waiting just remain patient, there's been calls over the radio for conductors to work their RDOs in the A division. They need people. Understand what you're getting into too this job can be very demanding and dealing with the public isn't easy, especially when you're an introverted person like me.

I see why people say take all the tests and move up asap, i can't wait to go up front.

5 hours ago, Deucey said:

Reroutes, and the fact the strip map on  consists don't show all the stations when  goes local overnight.

As cash strapped as this agency is I doubt they'd be able to justify the cost of purchasing and installing FINDS when as Lance said the 2/5 lines are the exception not the rule in terms of sharing fleets. The combined strip maps aren't perfect, but they get the job done well enough. As a new hire working down here made me realize how "special" some of these passengers are and trust me a display ain't gonna help. Last week when I was working on the 5 the announcements were working fine and yet people still come to my window and ask me what train this is directly after the announcment finished playing. Ridership is typically lower during overnight hours and I'd assume that the majority of people traveling during those hours know where they're going and aren't tourists who need a map to guide them.

@Trainmaster5 see why you like the 5. The crew office spoiled me last week with a straight job that was a trip and a half and cleared in Brooklyn. I plan on bailing to the B division the first chance I get, but in the meantime I'm going to say a prayer everytime I check the sheets lol I wouldn't mind working there. 

9 hours ago, CenSin said:

I mean, the negatives outweigh the positives. If the train is already there and it is a train that has long headways (like the at Sheepshead Bay) or the next train is known to take another 10 minutes of waiting (often on the at Sheepshead Bay due to uneven spacing), holding makes sense. During morning rush, a lot of people can build up on the platform for the express train. Say you close down before those people can get a chance to board, you have all of the crowds from that train, plus the people who are entering from the street level over the next 10 minutes, plus additional trains that are dumping passengers off (since it is more frequent than the ).

On the contrary, some conductors are overly “nice” and hold the door when it would negatively impact service. There is no reason why a should patiently wait at Kings Highway for a that was passed between Neck Road and Avenue U. It negates the time saved between Sheepshead Bay and Kings Highway.

How do you know the crew wasn't instructed via radio to hold at such stations form for x amount of time because of a problem on the road?

@S78 via Hylan connections are viewed as a courtesy. During rush hours when headways are low it's discouraged since there's usually another train directly behind and holding for connections can plug up the road. We're encouraged to make them when headways are extended like during off peak hours whether or not there are holding lights in the station. Connections are especially important during overnight hours when trains typically run on 20 minute intervals.

21 hours ago, JoelPZ said:

A friend of mine was in the April class. He said that you don’t do another drug test, just blood, vision, ekg, etc. 

There is no blood test/blood work. 

22 hours ago, Janelleeac said:

I know that im talking about the medical/final processing. I did another drug test in july because mine from april was set to expire . 

The urinalysis they use for medical is to check your blood sugar.

1 hour ago, acabral136 said:

I am kicking myself for not scoring higher on the test. My lease is up for renewal on my apartment, but there's such a nice apartment available for rent for more money. If i was already making that mta money this would be such an easy decision to make. 

 

I had a conversation with a friend of mine who has been a TO for I think 4 years now. He explained to me the way overtime works and how much of it is actually available and oh man this is going to be life changing money. 

 

He told me he can always ask for ot when his shift is done and almost always gets it and that he can even work on one of his days off if he chooses for more ot. 

 

This job pays so much more than advertised. I'm even more impatient now than I was before. 

Just have patience it's worth the wait. Just a heads up as a new hire you shouldn't be asking for OT especially since from what was told at orientation that you new T/O's off this list will have to start your probationary period over once the list is certified/established. If something happens on your RDO depending on the situation it will come back to bite you and can possibly get you terminated. There will be times where you will get forced OT for things like late clears and such, but don't jump out the gate with looking for OT. Learn your job and make it off of probation. 

Today was a bit frustrating. I wish trainers would actually take students because they actually want to teach/help them, not just for the extra 2 hours of OT. Thie guy I had today basically only watched me for my first 3-4 stops and once he saw that I knew what I was doing he let me operate two trips for the most part without saying anything and didn't even pay attention to me he just looked at thr other side od the cab,  or if he did it was basically criticizing me for doing what's taught in school car like the sweep, or "taking too long" during my platform observation. Smh.

I hope to have more trainers like the guy I posted with on the 6 yesterday he was awesome. We pingponged stops and he kept talking throughout the 3 trips we did giving me pointers.

If you don't want to teach then don't take students, don't act like you're on a mini vaca and let me work your job.

22 hours ago, Bmpo7 said:

How you liking it so far?

It's alot different than what I expected, especially after getting talked to by the union ane the way they made supervision to be out as our literal enemies. So far I only had a problem with one TSS and even then he turned out not to be so bad since he was the one who ended up giving me my practical and he gave my class some good tips on how to be sucessful on the practical/down here for the rest of your career. I'll call him mr M. Since one of my TSS's went on vacation for a week we've had multiple TSS's come in and teach along with our other regular instructor and each person  teaches different. One day I made a stupid mistake trouble shooting an improper zone because I wasn't paying attention and the substitute TSS mr G tore into my ass lol. I'm glad he did because it made me stronger in that area and helped me pass my practical, and one of my classmates ended up failing their practical because they weren't paying attention to their MDC.

Mr G, other TSS's and even dispatchers when we went on tours to places like RCC were adament about me moving up the latter and taking every promotion available due to me starting at such a young age. I guess I can say that I like and am surprised at how much some people care about you and want you to succeed. 

Everything isn't ginger peachy though. As you can probably tell by the username I wanted the B div but I didn't have a choice since there's apparently a massive shortage in the A div. It's annoying traveling close to if not more than 2 hours each way to make it to my reporting location on time and going home, and I live close to the Livonia avenue/Eastern parkway lines already. Also dealing with the public isn't easy,  but even if they're in the wrong you can lose your job if you slip up.

There's alot of rules/bullentins that must be followed and ignorance is not an excuse. Overall I'm happy, I'm just trying to enjoy these last 3 weekends I have off since I won't see them again for years haha.

23 hours ago, Sixgvd94 said:

Congrats good luck on the rest im ready to just get in and hit the ground running 

Thank you! It's worth the wait time will fly once you come on down. Goodluck to you as well.

Scored 100 on my midterm passed  my Yard Practical and recieved my posting papers. Hard to believe that my school car journey is almost over, it felt like yesterday when I was getting sworn in sheesh.

15 hours ago, T to Dyre Avenue said:

If they put the CBTC on Lexington project on the fast track, then that could potentially justify swapping the ’s R142s and the ’s R62As, because they don’t want to go through the hassle of retrofitting SMEE cars with CBTC technology. This, in turn, could open the door to de-interlining Rogers, because then you can easily have the  and  sharing the same southern terminal, so then a  could become a  at Flatbush and vice versa. But they should do this if - and only if - they’re planning to fast-track CBTC on Lexington Ave.

I keep seeing discussion about R142's from the beast going to the 6. So what happens when the road blows up on the west side and they need to reroute trains up Lex? 

Back to the R179's, I forgot if it was last week or the week before but when Inwas at Jamaica Yard I saw some 179 layups signed up as (M).