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SubwayGuy

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  1. It's not saying "the hell with this". A lot can't pass the training, and give up before the system would weed them out. Training is not easy and you have to apply yourself. Apply yourself for a few months and the reward is a career where the checks never bounce, with job security, with good healthcare, and with a pension at the end. Some people can't, or won't do that.
  2. The agency must consider all 1000 for promotion before they move onto the open competitive. It does NOT mean all 1000 will be hired, but Transit must consider them all before they consider the first Open Competitive. Transit (or any agency), by Civil Service Law, is allowed to disqualify people for various reasons, but it must offer employment (or promotion) to 1 of the next 3 candidates on every eligible list (1 in 3 rule...can't skip 3 in a row). Other factors can disqualify someone too - anyone with an open disciplinary or court case, for example, is ineligible for promotion. Also, many people decline the promotion, which doesn't count against Transit for purposes of the 1 in 3 rule. So the list moves fairly quickly. A class of, say, 40, may go through 50, 60, or even 70 names on the list. Once all 1000 promotionals have been considered, then the first Open Competitives will be called. Often, there is overlap, so it isn't uncommon for the last of the promotionals to be mixed in with the first of the Open Competitives, both in processing and once the class actually starts. Rest assured you have nothing to worry about if you scored high on the Open Competitive test. 1000 promotionals may sound like a lot, but the list goes very quickly. Remember, they're up to over 6000 on the current O/C list, and previously, most O/C lists went up to 3000-3500. The high scoring Open Competitives always get called.
  3. All posting as a student for Train Operators, you will be assigned to a trainer, and work your trainer's job under their careful observation for the entirety of the run. So minimum 8 paid hours. During that time, you will also be able to ask questions, and the trainer will go over certain things with you. Specifically regarding yard posting, your trainer should take you out to walk around the entire yard to familiarize you with the layout and any important physical characteristics, as well as the locations of towers, crew rooms, the barn, the car desk, key switches, and where the various yard leads will take you. They can also answer any questions you may have about the equipment in that yard. Odd...this is different than the questions in the simulator, I assume. Why make newer people take tests with work trains questions on it when they were never familiarized with it? Doesn't seem to serve much purpose... If you are talking about the 62s, that's hands down the best equipment in the system when you get a hang of it. Take a light brake, wait for it, and hold it. Those are the best braking trains in the system, so if you need more you can grab more and you'll get it. Feather down to release to smooth out the stop at the end. Never go all the way to running release and you'll be fine. Don't dip below 20 pounds at high speeds (>10 MPH) and you'll avoid lurching the train. Only train in the system you can fly into a station at 40 MPH and make a smooth stop without grabbing more than 40 pounds of air at any point. Signals are less complicated than you'd think, we see them all the time and eventually it becomes second nature. The important thing is knowing what to do when you see a signal. Plenty of people can tell you what a yellow signal means, but will you slow your train to such a speed that you won't hit the red signal you didn't see hidden behind that box or cable? Or will you be the guy sitting on your hands on the famous bench at 2 Broadway talking about ("I slowed down, but I didn't see the signal")? Route familiarization is just like driving. It takes time, but eventually you learn where all the "turns" are, which "lights to avoid", etc. In the beginning it will seem overwhelming, just carry route guides, respect your yellows, and before long you'll know where all the signals are.
  4. Don't let people saying that jam you up. There are plenty of places in the B Division that it can be seen if you've hit a signal...also you never know who is riding your train and may report or question it...and many signals have event recorders that will say if they've been passed while at danger. Don't ever assume no one knows. Learn to respect the yellows and not hit signals.
  5. What's the "YX exam"? Haven't heard of that one. Is that something new they're doing with you guys for practice now?
  6. But until it's ratified, or if it's not and the contract goes to arbitration - until the arbitrator rules and chooses to include this provision - the benefit won't be provided just yet. So I'm providing the current info. If the benefit is realized, the specifics of how it will work (separate commuter pass or just use TA pass, all agencies or you have to choose one) can be provided at that time, but if I tried to do that now it would be speculation.
  7. If you are applying for a TWU position... Right now: You will get your choice of Metro North or LIRR commutation pass that you will apply for, and you will be eligible for this benefit unless you live in NYC. That pass will be good for only the commuter railroad you elect, you cannot choose both. NJ Transit is a different agency (non TA) so you would get nothing for Jersey. This may change if the tentative contract agreement is ratified by the members or the commutation pass provision is added in binding arbitration if the contract goes to arbitration. Details would be provided at that time, as it's too early to say without seeing the full text of the new agreement to be voted on.
  8. It's true. Remember, many fail during schoolcar. And it's not just retirements, you have Train Operators that take resume positions off the road, go to TD, and go to TSS.
  9. Of course not. Any post to that effect would be pure blind speculation. The promo list hasn't even been established yet. It's impossible to speculate on how people did on the test until the results come out. Then at least you'll have a ballpark of how many people would need to be considered before they'll move on to the OC list.
  10. The problem isn't people with time or people without time. It's people who don't know what the hell they're doing showing shortcuts or methods of operating equipment that they don't themselves understand, and people with bad attitudes who are lazy / don't give a damn. I've seen people with wet stripes on their uniform shirts doing both, and I've seen people that have been here long enough to know better doing both. The biggest skill you can pick up as a new transit employee is learning who is full of shit and who is not. As for that TSS, he needs to calm down. If you're not on the clock, and simply turning your phone off before you sign in you are well within your rights to pull out your phone, even while in uniform, to put it on airplane mode.
  11. Yup and don't think for a minute learning stops when you pass schoolcar. If anything, it's just beginning. You need to keep learning until the day you retire. Things will change after you learn them too. No one here...NO ONE...knows everything. So keep learning and beware of anyone who claims to know everything...they always don't.
  12. That all concerns Metro-North, not NYCT Subways. NYCT subways personnel needs for operating personnel are largely based on retirements and promotions, which are expected to remain at elevated levels for the next several years.
  13. If the medications are prescribed, you are usually OK, although there are some drugs that are an absolute no no that will even get an established employee restricted to No Work Available. Bring the prescription bottles and be sure to mention them when you fill out the questionnaire on the computer, and also to the screener and the doctor if you are asked about medications you take. As long as the prescription is not one of the ones that is a no no, you will be fine.
  14. Wow, that's really not at all long ago. Even though you're extremely young (but perhaps not as young as many of the children on this board), 42s on the B was a really common thing until the CI rebuild 42s were retired in the mid 2000s (maybe 2007?) As for the other posts questioning the validity of info in this thread, it's fun to watch foamers fight. I've seen and heard all I need to and posted a fair amount about the cars. Endless mindless speculation about not finalized plans for equipment swaps frankly bores the hell out of me, and I don't really give a damn since it's subject to change anyway. Nothing on the internet is truly infallible, consider the source, not the site. There are things I and a small handful of others post on here that you can take to the bank, and there is mindless speculation by the masses. The same is true at those "other" sites but I don't waste my time with them because most pictures and videos of transit are nothing more than mundane, every day nonsense with no fresh ideas or artistry, and at least here there is the career forum to help out would be employees, and all of the pics and videos are sorted out so I don't have to waste my time clicking through the mess.
  15. The left door open is designed for T/O's in OPTO service to open the offside from the console. It is NOT for the conductor. Current policy is for OPTO T/O's not to use it. It's also unclear exactly how it works (as a procedure), because there is no associated close control other than turning the key which is a complete no no.
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