Burrstone

I was in the parking lot for Northport Harbour this afternoon and was surprised to see one of the new NICE ford SUV's in the community parking lot that boarders the water...  Anyone want to speculate what that was doing way up on Suffolk's northshore, way off NICE's path...???  

Maybe not in the city, but where I was driving in Nassau, the roads were slippery as anything and were not plowed properly (or not at all in some places). There was a need for chains.

I'm glad you think so but in reality there was no need for chains.  As already stated chains tear up the road, were ALL roads NICE buses traveled on covered in a compact layer of snow?  Were buses traveling on any clear roads?  Chains are not recommended on roads were you can see the road surface because they will tear the shit out of the roads...  In addition to tearing up roads chains would lower fuel economy and the biggest kicker, you are not supposed to go over 30mph with chains.  This would all just slow down the system, and did I mention tear up the roads for no benefit...

Brett, what would have been gained by adding chains to NICE buses?  Nothing, they weren't needed in this storm...

There was no need for the chains,,,  The doing it does not create a need...

Yes, but the roads were not clear and the bus didn't have chains on the tires. I swear, when he turned onto Middle Neck Rd, the bus slid a bit.

Vehicles don't need chains in the amount of snow we had in this store, in fact service would be suspended way before in a store that dumped enough snow to need chains.  If you put chains on all the buses in the NICE fleet for this storm (and every storm similar to it) all you would do is tear up the roads!

My original point was merely that a bus weighs much more than your car and has much more traction than your car... 

I was driving on Northern Blvd this morning in Great Neck, and a NICE bus was going up the hill faster than I was. Keep in mind, the roads were not plowed yet. Those drivers have some balls when there's snow and ice on the road.

Buses weigh a LOT more than your car...

I took the bus today while getting my vehicle maintained, my feet are STILL cold. Anyone suggesting people take public transportation instead of their own vehicles, is crazy.

I suggest you get a proper pair of snow boots and perhaps some heavy duty socks....

Even if they are in a rush how did they get the map of NYC subway wrong from NICEs facebook yesterday  https://scontent-a-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/q71/s720x720/1545191_701474959884209_160370366_n.jpg yesterday

Sabotaged by the , that's what my money's on... 

I understand that Long Islanders will go out on the road whether the conditions are good or whether they're terrible (ie. Last year's blizzard), but I do not think the LIE should be closed. They're plowing and salting the roads early enough this year that I don't think they should be closing the one expressway in and out of Long Island.

I could understand if there was a massive snowfall where they needed to close the LIE (and other roads) to remove massive snowfall...  but that'sit...  To close the LIE, thruway and I-84 to commercial traffic at 5 pm and regular cars hours later....  Why?  First of all "Commercial traffic" is more experience in this, but shut down first LMAO, FAIL!

If you really are online as much as you say then why are you telling me this? Because I did ask him a few times this year why he doesn't apply for a job at NICE.

 

 

 

Like I said before: that s not NICE's fault, Transdev is the one who wants their companies to fit the schedules so tightly that it's almost not doable. We discussed it with Transdev before but they don't really see the problem. So we're gonna discuss it with them again in February or March (no exact date set yet).

You do realize why drivers like better right? it's not bc they care about the system, passengers, or service. It's because of the pension, they could get away with more with the , a driver could make $100,000 or live a very comfortable life with overtime, etc.. Hound has said before he would benefit from the skeleton system the wanted to run. How would that affect you and the average rider? Of course someone like him wants wants the back and I said before I totally understand why a driver in his position would want the back. But to say things would be better with the back because drivers are pro is just silly - of course the drivers want the back, it's better for THEM that doesn't mean the passengers would be better off.

I noticed the second NICE came about, he virtually stopped talking about MTA affiliated services almost cold turkey... So he's pro-NICE, whatever.... But then it got to a point where it became an obsession for him to always complain about the occurrences on some NICE route.... Like, is this all you do all day, jesus christ - and this is coming from a route-fanner myself (although I simply do not have the time to be taking buses like that anymore.... and even if, the one thing I did not do was to make a habit out of complaining about the negatives of my trips... Or finding a negative where one doesn't exist)......

To be fair: he mostly just posts which routes he took and if those buses were on time or not. Maybe you and Brett see it as a complaint, I see it like he's giving us a travel story. Now that doesn't mean I'm all in for that, sometimes it's a bit too much or a bit too frequent. But complaints? IMHO not. And the times he does really complain are not per se anymore then say PinePower, Hound or Astoria Line. Which is fair, because no company is perfect so sometimes a complaint is deserved. Whether a complaint is fair or not is a different story and I did tell him a few times when to my opinion (and Burrstone's and PinePower's) a complaint by him was unfair.

I love the random posts about a story at Whole Foods or Wendy's in the Nassau Inter County forum on a transit related website/forum.  lol

When my 17:00 S1 was pulling onto Amityivlle at 18:10s, 18:15 n55 Hempstead driver left 5 minutes early.

I was planning to get on n54/55, and now I am forced to wait extra 30 minutes for n54.

Were you fanning or running errands?  Why didn't you take the S1 15 minutes before the one you took?  You really thought you could make a connection that tight traveling on 110 during the PM rush?  

Perhaps a LIBRU thread should be made, to keep everything in there?

That's exactly what I was thinking!

Or someone from the repair shop drove it next door? (not sure if repair persons are allowed to do that in the USA though... at least my first thought is the most plausible one then )

Sure, mechanics have CDL's and can drive the buses, but they'd still be getting paid (and not fixing buses)...  Who knows, anythings possible and apparently none of us know.  lol

Radical of NICE to step in like that and provide buses for the workers. I can assure you that the MTA would have probably pitched a fit and expected reimbursement.

It was being a nice neighbor indeed, maybe stepping up so everyone in Nassau doesn't view Veolia as the villain.  

I also wonder if Nassau and Veolia have a deal (or if its in their contract) to provide buses for shelter where there would be a lot of evacuees standing out in poor weather?

BTW the UPS story was on News12, no mention of NICE....

Being that NICE is next door, literally it probably wasn't much of a hassle for them.

Fuel ain't free, if the bus is running a driver probably has to be on the bus for liability purposes...  In the grand scheme of things, not that much money but someone has to pay for it...

I like how the bus actually say "EVACUATION CENTER" so unneeded but so cool.

8 hr shifts get 30 min meal breaks,but if you are running late there it goes.I did a route over the summer and on saturdays I would always run late the last trip before my break.Try driving 8- 9 hrs without eating anything.

So you ran 30 minutes late?

I could walk into company tomorrow and take a poll, I'm sure a majority of employees at any would say they felt they deserved longer or more breaks...  That doesn't mean the company is treating them unfairly, I think a lot of people forget their employer is paying them to work, not to take breaks.  

Are NICE drivers not covered by NYS labor laws regarding breaks?  I know certain industries are not covered, I have no idea if this is one of them.  Whatever it is I'm sure it's on the up and up, the union wouldn't allow the company to violate labor law...

It's funny, Yuki posted what a driver told him, yet he forgets he posted pics of 2 driver paddle reports (List NICE interlines You Know) that both showed a 30 minute meal break...

 I mean all current county own cars I've seen have the county seal on it. (Just like most, if not all town owned vehicles have their town seal on it.) Though I could see that car have been used as a County owned car at one point. 

I continually see cars from Babylon to Amityville (last town before Nassau) that have "official" license plates without any sort of County or Town seal...  So...

My guess is that it is a former County owned car that they county gave to EBT, and which they use to keep an eye on their drivers. Again that's just a guess. I mean all current county own cars I've seen have the county seal on it. (Just like most, if not all town owned vehicles have their town seal on it.) Though I could see that car have been used as a County owned car at one point. 

My guess is that it is a former County owned car.....

Again that's just a guess

Lets stop guessing... lol  I posted this as a reference to what I was talking about before (maybe I should of said that), not "what is it, what is it? Please guess..."  because when I don't know what something, I really want to hear what others "guess" it is. lol

My guess is that it is a former County owned car that they county gave to EBT, and which they use to keep an eye on their drivers. 

Nah, It's got "official" license plates (EBT wouldn't be able to register their vehicles as official) this vehicle is either owned by Suffolk County or SCT.

My guess is that it is a former County owned car that they county gave to EBT, and which they use to keep an eye on their drivers. Again that's just a guess

 If that's true Suffolk County needs to stop wasting money on perks for the operators and put the money into the operations, this isn't the 1970's a lot of companies would be more than happy to run the system with what is stated in the contract no free vehicles, gas, upkeep on their yard.  lol If any od what you say is true Newsday needs to do an article on the situation and show the taxpayers (and riders) their money being wasted!

I love how everything is always portrayed as "evil Veolia" turning something evil or messing something up.  I've been following this deal with the Boston school buses for almost a year now, it is interesting the last operator was notorious for being (very) late, they were even fined $800,000 last year by the Boston Public Schools. 

We had new member came for Long Island Bus Riders Union since she hate Veolia across the world.

She went to rally to support Boston Bus drivers who were on strike against Veolia Transportation, which School Buses are taken over by Veolia over there.

Veolia Transportation is also planning to privatize some of Sewage System, some union members who represent Sewage System don't want Veolia Transportation to operate it.

According to new members, Veolia made same cut to Boston school bus routes, making school bus more crowded.

I'm not going to cry a river for the Boston School Bus Drivers just as with the NYC bus drivers I think it is WRONG to strike and leave children stranded to get what you want.  IMHO there should be a law against this...

Veolia Transportation is also planning to privatize some of Sewage System, some union members who represent Sewage System don't want Veolia Transportation to operate it.

Whether it's buses or sewer systems the municipality decides to privatize the system and companies like Veolia bid on the job, Veolia doesn't just decide to privatize something.  Of course union members don't want wherever they are working to be privatized because they know whatever private company will be running it will tighten the belt and crack the whip!

Veolia Transportation is also planning to privatize some of Sewage System, some union members who represent Sewage System don't want Veolia Transportation to operate it.

According to new members, Veolia made same cut to Boston school bus routes, making school bus more crowded.

This is not Veolia Transportation, this is Veolia Water (or environmental I can't remember off hand without googling it)....

Just an FYI, EBT uses a Chevy sedan with "official" plates (assuming the vehicle is owned by Suffolk County or SCT) for driver relief.

I wondered if EBT used anything else for driver relief besides the para transit buses. I know SBC at times in the past used mini buses from their sister company (and the company whose's name is actually on the Contract) STS and a Ford Crown Victoria, and CBS used a company owned Dodge Van. (The Dodge Van also went to CBS, though I don't know if they still have it.)

 

One sure way to know if it's County owned (Besides anything on the plates) is if there was a County seal on it. I don't know if all, but most County owned cars I've seen has the county seal on the Driver and front Passenger door.  

BTW this is the car that seems to have some sort of a supervisor or dispatcher in it logging bus times similarly to what NICE does (and LIB did)...

One sure way to know if it's County owned (Besides anything on the plates) is if there was a County seal on it. I don't know if all, but most County owned cars I've seen has the county seal on the Driver and front Passenger door.  

If you get to Walt Whitman Mall you'll sometimes see what I assume is a supervisor or dispatcher with SCT sitting in the parking lot behind the bus lanes in the same type of car (grey chevy sedan with official plates) looking like the guy is logging in times the buses get to the mall. I've seen the same car at Amityville RR once with the guy outside talking to someone, he was wearing a white shirt and SCT jacket so i know SCT must use these cars as this guy wasn't a driver as EBT drivers have blue shirts that have a EBT logo on one arm and an SBT logo on the other arm.  Unless EBT supervisors/dispatchers wear white and the SCT allows them to use these cars.

BTW there is no county seal on the vehicle just an "official" plate.   I assume the car is owned by the County and given to the operators just like the buses...

I wondered if EBT used anything else for driver relief besides the para transit buses. I know SBC at times in the past used mini buses from their sister company...

Speaking of which I always assumed Educational Bus transportation INC and EBT INC were the same company (just abbreviated for the transit buses) until about a year ago when I realized they are two separate companies.  So technically they have two companies housed in the same yard on Sunrise highway even all I'm pretty sure it's ran as one company, proof is that they "share" drivers, a driver can have work that involves transit and school bus work in the same day (as discussed on this forum in the past).  This is odd, it makes complete business sense because both "companies" are protected should EBT should lose the SCT contract or Educational lose a big contract, etc the company who lost the contract could just file bankruptcy and close without affecting other parts of their business.  But I know someone who runs the office for a parent company that owns multiple company (they all share an office) and I was told the DOT is very anal in situations where companies "share" drivers and office space...  They expect separate records, separate random drug/alchol tests, etc.  So let's say a driver drives both a school and transit bus, Educational and EBT must both keep separate records on the driver, both EBT and educational would have to maintain a system to randomly test this driver (technically this driver could come up for a random for EBT and come up for a random the next day for Educational).

What does EBT do with the Coach and Equipment Metrolites?  Kind of odd they have 3 vans there, as para buses are based out of SBC and I have never seen a van on any of the routes operated by EBT....

I assume they would be used for driver relief like they were said to be used for.  

Just an FYI, EBT uses a Chevy sedan with "official" plates (assuming the vehicle is owned by Suffolk County or SCT) for driver relief.

didn't he screw the long island bus system?

Suozzi?  Define screw over?  Before Suozzi became an "MTA guy" Suozzi battled long and hard saying Nassau was paying (MTA FOR Long Island Bus) too much, getting little in return, and that the MTA's overhead was crazy (aka MTA eas keeping more and the actual "system" was getting little).

 

You could also use this link also.

Long Island Bus Riders Union has 2 incident report forms.

 

LMAO why should anyone fill out a complaint with the LIBRU over NICE!?!  What can the LIBRU union do besides forward it to NICE?

On NICE Bus facebook page, PinePower and I not that only ones complaints about bus service.

See the review. One of rider's complaint got deleted again by NICE Bus.

Facebook, for any business, is a marketing tool.  I'm not sure what you think Facebook is or why any company would leave up anything negative....