SoSpectacular

On 12/27/2019 at 5:40 PM, Snorunts said:

446 - Version 2

Caught it on Atlantic Avenue while it was a Not In Service (probably heading back to JG).

You most likely saw me with it that day... I relieved the driver very late (sick customer) so I had to deadhead to the other end!

35 minutes ago, paulrivera said:

I’m not totally against a B/O making manual announcements because those newfangled announcements often have incomplete transfer info or give a different name to a stop than what people are used to (ie: Amendola Place instead of Pelham Bay Station, 42 St and Park Avenue instead of Grand Central, etc)

Usually the announcements are programmed to say whatever is on the bus stop sign, but there are a few that have been moved and haven't been updated. On the B16 going to Bay Ridge the bus announces "86th Street/Narrows Avenue" when the actual stop is at the corner of 86th Street and Shore Road. Temporary bus stops also have this issue, they'll trigger earlier or later than usual. On the 43 for India Street going towards Prospect Park, the bus announces that the next stop is Greenpoint Avenue while at the temporary India Street stop.

4 hours ago, Lex said:

I'm sure at least part of that is because two axles are powered (center and rear), whereas most buses only have one powered axle.

That's the issue with the diesel/CNG artics in snow- the powered rear axle is on the "trailer" section which is pushing the entire vehicle. Another fun fact, there are hydraulics in the joints to help the bus stay straight when moving!

If the center axles were powered like the electrics, the bus would do just fine in harsh weather conditions. 

Add 247 on the list for version 2. Forgot to mention it from last week.

9 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

We know Gleason partook in some damn good episodes knows how to manage their routes for the better.... But honestly, is there any route that went to Grand that ended up running better than it did from the previous depot it operated out of? Yeah it's a broken record at this point, but what is it about that depot.... Is it the locale, the water, or what, because I don't believe for one second that b/o's went to that depot & just stopped giving a f***....

--------------------------------

Depends on how well the operators know the route/adjust to the schedule timings.

I don't know how depots handle route swaps but it takes a little more than knowing the left/rights to be entirely familiar with any route in general. 

18 hours ago, Future ENY OP said:

Honestly, I like when the 48 was managed pretty well with Gleason.. Ever since it left it there it's been a s*it hole if you ask me.

It does pretty well with Fresh Pond, but truthfully sending it back to GA is the worse idea. They can't manage the routes they have with exception of the 38.

Heh funny you mention that. A senior driver was telling me about how Gleason had the 48 earlier today out on Lincoln Road. Seems like a cool route.

4 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

Does this affect if I want to do subway shuttle runs or no?

No. Shuttle runs are dependent on location

232 has also been moved to College Point. Damn good bus too.

Add 423 to that list. Version 2.

230 and 235 confirmed to have screens. 

360 I've driven, that definitely has screens/announcements, and so does 416. Had them both a couple months back

446 also has the version 2 screens. Seems like every C40 we have from 352-447 has screens but I'm keeping a close eye on that.

12 hours ago, Cait Sith said:

Those two depots are entirely different.

When Gleason converted to CNG, they kept enough fuel pumps to refuel their trucks and such along with whatever buses they get(like the metrocard bus). West Farms never saw a full conversion to CNG, hence why they have a ton of diesel articulated buses and some 40fters remaining.

Before the C40LFs(not the old, retired ones) and the XN40s were even a thing, West Farms was still largely a diesel depot.

To add on to this, there's only like one diesel pump or two that remain. 

And to add on to that, 262 suddenly appeared in the depot.

On 12/4/2019 at 6:47 PM, Snorunts said:

I think when that happens, some people (including myself) call them “ghost buses.” I honestly get annoyed when that happens but it is what it is.

I'd had buses that didn't show up on the radar. I only found out when the boarding passenger tells me they didn't see me on the app!

Add 237, 252 and 258 on that list. 

As far as signs go, the Vianova screens really aren't too bad. I like them a little better than what's in our XN40s. Only issue is they need to to trigger the "Next stop is..." announcement to go off shortly after leaving a stop and then announcing it ("This stop is...") once the bus is within 100 or so feet from the stop. I'm assuming this is GPS-based so there's definitely some kinks to work out.

The Clever Devices screens are okay, but they do work a little better than the Vianova screens when it comes to making announcements in some cases. They'll announce the next stop in between stops practically (such as, "86th Street, 4th Avenue") but very simplified.

Quote

Hopefully its version 2 not version 3 as the Clever Devices screens are terrible and barely work.

Funny you say that. They do tend to malfunction compared to the Vianova screens... And some drivers prefer these Xcelsiors solely because they are all equipped with the Clever Devices systems...

On 11/7/2019 at 10:15 AM, Snorunts said:

233-234, 236, 238-239, 241-242, 249, 254, 256, 259-262, 265-319, 322, 324, 328, 333, 340, 342-343, 348, 352-353, 355-357, 359, 362-366, 368-401, 403-404, 406-407, 409, 411-415, 417, 422, 426-428, 430, 432-433, 436-437, 439-441, 443-445 - Version 2

Does the whole 266-319 (original West Farms batch) have screens installed at the time?

Having driven 240, 243, 245, 248, and 410 in the last two weeks, I can say they all have the same information signs as the rest of our C40 fleet

18 hours ago, Cactus683 said:

Long day and a drug test and they go over all your paperwork,make sure to have any tickets you have cleared up also.I was there for 13 hours last time in the beginning of October and that was my second premployment already.Bring lunch.

16 hours ago, Cactus683 said:

Backed up lab all day,we did all out paperwork by 1130 we didn't get in the lab till after 1700

They're scrambling once again to fill in spots. There's a lot of guys retiring or leaving based on the new seniority numbers in the system pick...

8 hours ago, train1290 said:

How is the hearing test conducted? What do you have to do?

You basically sit in a soundproof booth not unlike the ones used in studio work. You're isolated from outside noise. Next, you're going to wear a pair of headphones. They're going to tell you to listen for a beep and press a button whenever you do. The beeps range in volume and frequency so you'll have to just relax and listen closely.

1 minute ago, B35 via Church said:

Sure we have.

Manhattan crosstowns also stop at virtually every stop (some of them, literally every stop).... The avenue blocks in Manhattan are spaced out better than bus stops on most other routes in the city..... Those buses are undergoing the same phenomenon you describe (frequent stopping & fighting to get back into traffic) all the same..... I'm just not buying increasing stops as this smoking gun to make buses as fast.... AFAIC, it's a scapegoat.

That they are... But, from experiences- there are places where bus stops are so close together it makes zero sense for them to even exist when there could be one stop in between. Practically less than the length of a 8-car train!

14 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

Sure, (the implication behind) increasing the distance/stop may sound nice on paper, but it is directly proportional to something IMO that's highly underrated - an increase of (pissed off) riders/stop.... Some may quantify this as a slippery slope, but I see more altercations between passengers arising... It's bad enough people push & shove their way onto the local buses as it is.... It isn't as prevalent a problem in Queens, but let this stop consolidation shit happen out there & that courtesy/nicety will fly right out the window.....

It sure helps the buses move faster because the biggest complaint is how slow they are, especially when the bell gets rung for every stop. I'm pretty sure we've all been on a bus trying to reach a destination but the bus keeps stopping every 1-2 blocks then has to fight its way back into traffic (if things are heavy).

14 hours ago, EastFlatbushLarry said:

Even before the 2015 audit (and vision zero), transit has been saying one thing to the workforce and another to the customer base. when I began in 2009, any instructor you spoke to at Zerega preached Safety, Service & Schedule... emphasis on safety first & foremost. meanwhile, to the general public, the powers that be put emphasis on improving reliability & schedule, all the while knowing the twain shall never meet. this is one of the biggest dividers between employees & customers, and why customers have such a negative opinion of us, calling us slackers, lazy, not being worthy of our salaries, you name it. oh, and the ever-present assaults from overzealous extremists, who attempt to blame frustration on lateness. divide & rule tactics have been utilized by the powers that be for quite some time now, and it'd be truly nice if we could all get on the same page... I'm not saying that the current paddles are as stringent/horribly unreasonable as NICE (I've heard the horror stories and Lord, i feel bad for TWU Local 252) but aside from the "modified"/new(er) SBS paddles (I'm being extremely kind by saying that) majority of these paddles do not reflect current road conditions day to day... that is/has been a fact for quite some time now, and needs to be thoroughly addressed. if they truly gave a damn, then there would be case specific paddles for each day of the week, depending on the lines & roads they operate on... there's no way the m103 should be operating off the same paddle on a Tuesday afternoon & a Friday afternoon northbound for instance. i could name a handful of lines that share the same dilemma, but I'll leave it at that for now. 

If I got a dollar for every time I've heard that remark! 

Just my two cents...

From what I'm reading here and from what I've been through personally so far, I could give two shits about them doing away with schedules. A majority of the time the buses can't even keep up with those damned things!

Keep in mind that these schedules are just rough guidelines for when a bus MIGHT show up. There's too many factors affecting how these things run. 

Also, unless you've been to Zerega and trained there, you should know that Transit emphasizes safety- especially now that Vision Zero is a thing. They will tell you to basically throw your paddle "out the window" because you're most likely not going to make the time points listed on it. You'll get there when you get there. So all in all, I'm not surprised in the least bit. 

But, carry on. I'm neutral in this debate. Just something to keep in mind.

He wasn't even at a bus stop...

4 hours ago, KK7365 said:

This is posted on mta.info:

Planned Detour 
Effective Friday, Aug 9
Q12 bus stop adjustments for the introduction of articulated bus service

 

The stops listed below will no longer be made, please use nearby stops along Sanford Av and Northern Blvd. 

Eastbound discontinued stops:
• Sanford Av at Bowne St
• Sanford Av at Parsons Blvd
• Northern Blvd at Auburndale Lane
• Northern Blvd at 190 St
• Northern Blvd at 196 St
• Little Neck Pkwy at Northern Blvd

Westbound discontinued stops:
• Northern Blvd at 245 St
• Northern Blvd at 196 St
• Northern Blvd at 172 St

Stops discontinued in both directions:
• Sanford Av at 160 St
• Sanford Av at Murray St
• Northern Blvd at 248 St

Eastbound stop adjusted at:
• Sanford Av between Parsons Blvd and Bowne St (midblock)

Stops in both directions adjusted at:  
• Roosevelt Av near Lippmann Plaza 

For Q12 service on Roosevelt Av at Main St, please follow directional signage to the current Q26 stop in front of Macy's.

Not surprised they're getting rid of those stops along the Q12. I used to live along Sanford, went to school on Sanford. At least things will move a little faster... Interesting that they adjusted the stop between Bowne and Parsons going east being midblock. I'll have to check that out.

15 hours ago, raeva0711 said:

When they do have classes is it a mixture of different b/o exam list's in the class?

That is correct. In my class there were folks from 4600/7105 and 7612 all in there and some MTA Bus folks at graduation