SoSpectacular

On 11/18/2022 at 1:09 PM, Junknyc90 said:

Hey everyone I have a decision to make, I been in MaBSTOA approximately 5 months. They just called me for TA Exam 2611 yesterday and I’m trying to decide which is best when it comes to a few things.

can someone explain or post a link that better explains the differences between MaBSTOA and TA

 

*will I have to start over my probation?

*what boroughs covers each division

*benefit of civil services(TA)

 

 

thanks in advance to anyone that gives me feedback

1. Your current time served during your probation carries over

2. TA allows you to work in ANY of the five boroughs, although Queens and Staten Island are under ATU 1056 and 726 respectfully. Transferring to either of those two boroughs will lock you in there for your entire career, with Queens being the more severe choice as you are stuck to ONE depot (Jamaica, Queens Village or Casey Stengel). Once the transfer is complete, that's it. You are freely able to transfer between the Manhattan. Bronx and Brooklyn depots freely every year under TA.

3. Only real benefit is the fact that you will be under the NYCERS pension system with TA. That's about it really.

On 10/27/2022 at 2:25 PM, QM1to6Ave said:

What a crazy story, i just heard it on the news. It sounded like tbe BO somehow got out through a window? I couldn't understand what they meant by that

The operator window is also an emergency exit on some buses, simply pull the latch up and swing the window out

5 hours ago, Dakor said:

I have a question about driving record. So I have a speeding ticket for six points that is still pending that I received during the pandemic in June or July of 2020. I also have a cell phone ticket for being on my phone while stopped even though it's not actually illegal, that happened in October of 2021. Currently my license is clean, I will never get points from the 2020 ticket because the points are 18 months from date of offense if I'm correct. But a cell phone ticket is five points and if I'm found guilty of that, will I be disqualified as you are not supposed to have more than four points.

Also my last violation prior to these two was about 8 years ago.

Any input appreciated.

Also keep in mind that the 18-month period is only the cutoff for when the points can be applied to future infractions. The points still remain on your abstract until the 4th year (falls off in January) after the conviction date. 

11 hours ago, RailBus63 said:

I believe you will need to take the written test and a road test to add the P endorsement to your CDL.  Not sure if the pre-trip is included on the road test, I believe it may be since you have to be able to identify and demonstrate the emergency exits, etc. 

Yes you'll have to take the road test/pre-trip again in the respective vehicle to get the endorsement.

2 hours ago, ryguy said:

Hi, Whats the training like for someone already has a CDL. Do they still need to go throught the 10 day training and take the DMV road test as well?

The training assumes you already have some understanding of driving a commercial vehicle, so it is more of a way of training you to drive the way Zerega wants you to drive.

18 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

Riders Alliance is an anti-transit group under the guise of being transit advocates... Transportation Alternatives is too focused on being anti-car than being pro public transit.... Straphangers Campaign does more criticizing of public transit than it does advocating for better public transit... I'm not sure what Passengers United's angle is per se, but every time I hear of that group's founder, he's bitching about what (folks from other) organization's AREN'T doing.... Long Island Bus Rider's Union (LIBRU) clearly has an agenda that is completely separate from anything actually involving public transit (like they're using public transit advocacy as a front)....

I hear you... I just can't, with these so-called advocacy groups either.

That's why I can't take any of them serious. 

3 hours ago, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

The other thing that pisses me off is the ghost buses on bustime. I've asked through Twitter and a lot of times on whether buses are operating in service as they don't show up on bustime, and when I don't get a response that it's cancelled, they respond that the bus operator doing the trip is not regularly assigned to the trip, so it's not showing up. Something regarding how they set up the system which BTW is ridiculous, especially as temperatures are getting hotter. Nobody is going to want to deal with said situations when the temperatures are in the high 80s and 90s, and when the headways are over 10 minutes. I have to be playing guessing games if a scheduled trip is a no-show, especially since they don't post anything for the local lines.

Do keep in mind that the people who manage the Twitter accounts for Transit are not the same people who sit/work at the command center. They still have to get that information whenever its requested. Dispatch could do a better job at relaying this information ahead of time, however...

Ghost buses are here and there. Usually there's no way of knowing you have a ghost bus upon pullout because there's no way to see if the onboard Clever Devices computer is online with a good GPS signal. We usually do find out once we start a trip and the announcment system isn't playing/showing stops and the bus stops with countdown timers don't update when your bus gets near. It isn't a safety critical defect so the bus remains in service. It will just look like there's a gap in service on BusTime.

And yes, operators pulling extra service will also ghost because they are not logged in to the farebox with the correct run/route numbers (because they aren't assigned to that line), they just throw the sign up and go into service. I've done it before when I covered trips after finishing my run.

4 hours ago, NewFlyer 230 said:

I’m growing so tired of public transportation and just the lack of care for riders. It seems that everyone who has some of of authority position in a lot of these public transportation agencies are just focused on getting a check and that’s it. It’s just absurd that routes are allowed to run with huge gaps in service all the time and or no service is added where it’s really needed. Where is the compassion and the care for the riders.

Just last week, me and a bunch of folks at Sutphin Blvd/LIRR station waited a little over a half an hour for Q25 to make its run back up to College Point but you had 6 Q25/Q34’s go right out of service at Jamaica and I just don’t understand why dispatching couldn’t get a hold of one of those drivers and ask if they could for example do a Q25 LTD trip up to at least Flushing to close that half and hour gap. The Q25/Q34 has had reliability issues for as long as I can remember and the best the MTA can do in its redesign plan is eliminate a bunch of stops and make the Q25 go all the way to Laurelton via Merrick like it has any business there. 

 

Tonight (around 9:05pm) I waited about 40 minutes for the Q64 to come and what I don’t get once again is why can’t the schedule be modified to make sure these gaps are reduced. (Mind you a bus to Forest Hills is suppose to run every 10 minutes). Once we got to Forest Hills a 2nd Q64 shows up which is very infuriating. There are all these campaigns to get people using public transportation but the MTA certainly doesn’t give people much of a reason to ride public transportation especially the buses. It’s not fair that folks have to wait double and triple the time for a bus to show up and all you see is buses passing on the other side some being empty and then going right out of service. That’s why I would encourage those who have the resources to afford a car, get one because nothing beats having control over your own time. I understand you can’t always be fully prepared for situations but some of this issues with bus service has existed for years with no solution. 

Mind you, yes there are open runs/trips on the daily still and I see new students in every week it seems. Those who are done for the day or going on break can be asked to provide extra service but they are not obligated to. Not everyone wants to spend any extra time behind the wheel, epseically if they have to come back in the next day. Keep in mind that there are regulations as to how much we are allowed to drive daily/spend behind the wheel and the required 8 hours off between shifts. Dispatch also has to take precauton in readjusting buses that are late, but after a certain time in the day there aren't many "eyes" keeping up with the system.

Also, the Q64 is a pretty short line. Few drivers making many repeat trips. What probably happened was one of the buses ran behind and their follower was basically riding their coat tails. Traffic is also a big issue in buses being able to stay on time. As the roads are continually reconfigured for less car traffic, the decreased space isn't sufficient for current day traffic. Unfortunately the intended effect of making people drive less doesn't seem to be working... NYC drivers are pretty stubborn when it comes to personal vehicles... Resilient too. I stopped driving in to work most days because of it.

3 hours ago, MHV9218 said:

Do you still have to make ADAs on the buses with automatic announcements? I was riding a 55 today that clearly had a probie driving, dragging the line like hell, kneeling completely at every stop, stopping on green lights, and he was calling out ADAs even after the automated ones rang out.

Only if the announcement is incorrect do we need to correct it

10 hours ago, KDGallagher said:

Whats the process of changing depots like? 

OA is having a general pick for the summer pick and I may or may not change depots. I understand I'd have to learn the routes on my own but as far as general depot policies and routines, how will I learn that? For example pulling in routines, maybe a tour of the depot, etc ... is this set up for operators transferring in or is it basically a figure it out yourself kind of thing 

@SevenEleven @SoSpectacular @MTA Move NY @lornaevo

 

 

When you pick into another depot you will ride the lines to learn them before you are left to your own devices. You'll swipe your pass and have a sheet that you'll sign and the operator you rode with will also sign this sheet, that's how you get paid. (I've done this for operators who rode lines with me). the depot chairman (or any union rep) will/should give you a depot tour and what the general routine is

6 hours ago, Cait Sith said:

Right.

Two days ago I saw the wheelchair lift deployed on a Prevost for the first time....2656 at 5th and 32nd....and it got stuck.

The process for even working those lifts is convoluted as f--k! They show us the videos at Zerega all the damn time during first line of defense and I cannot

1 hour ago, FrontSt said:

Can someone explain the whole st island/ Queens Ta depot setup allegedly if you sign up for queens and if your assigned a queens depot you can no longer leave or come back ??? That sounds crazy

Both Staten Island and Queens are under the ATU, which follow a different set of rules when it comes to seniority and all that. Staten Island's seniority is borough-wide meaning you can transfer between the depots each year and you carry your seniority with you. Queens goes by depot seniority and there are no system/general picks. You are stuck in the depot that you choose for your whole career. Picking into either Queens or SI is a one-way ticket and you can not reverse your decision. If you are forced into either of those two boroughs you have the option of picking out, which is also a one-way deal.

2 hours ago, joshua26 said:

Do is lace up boots acceptable like what police officers or first responders?

Yes, as long as they are black, have non-slip or slip resistant soles they will pass. I used work shoes at the beginning but have transitioned to sneaker boots like the Nike Manoa

2 hours ago, Kennedy said:

If anyone in the process of being hired for MBSTOA and have plans on going to Grand Avenue Depot, please bear in mind the parking is ridiculously sucks.  If you don’t get get there before 5am you cannot find parking space.  And this Depot is in a high trafficking area with lots of warehouses and big trucks blocking traffic for long periods of time.  I will not stay there for that reason.

When I was in training there I always took the bus, the Q59 doesn't take very long.

1 hour ago, Errin said:

So logging into the farebox sets the destination sign and the fancy LCD screens using single point login, correct? 
 

Also, any news with getting the new driver screens like NICE has etc? I’m guessing it has to happen soon if the fareboxes are going away, so you’d have a place to login. 

We can use the farebox to change the destination sign, correct

They've actually been testing the new radio/interface on some Staten Island buses- they need to get them ready for the whole fleet before they can do away with the fareboxes for good

1 hour ago, Errin said:

Also another question is do the OMNY readers show the driver anything about taps being unsuccessful or successful, since there is no driver facing screen? Do you just have to listen for sounds?

Other than the usual messages, no. All we have are the sounds of the transponders. The screen just says GO if the tag is successful and TAP AGAIN/CARD NOT ACCEPTED if it doesn't work

1 hour ago, Errin said:

Also….how does the driver control the OMNY reader? Since there is no driver screen. Like putting on inspection mode, disabling them, etc?? 

We can't control them, they activate when the bus is put into revenue service (meaning a valid destination code) and are deactivated when we go NOT IN SERVICE.

Currently we log in through the fareboxes

On 2/25/2022 at 12:15 PM, Future ENY OP said:

354-357 West Farms to Gleason. 

Also, 233-236 are now at College Point

There is no space for open strollers on a bus that already has much more limited space compared to their high-floored predecessors... You didn't see people trying that when we still had buses like the RTS and Orion V around... 

2 hours ago, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

This happened a few days ago. Take a look at the difference in the northbound and southbound detours.

 

When these detours are made they usually have someone from road control survey the area to determine the best possible course without getting the buses stuck. Looks like that was the best they could reasonably come up with although strange... 

On 2/4/2022 at 8:30 PM, Enyceots said:

True…  how are the classes after getting your CDL with the MTA?

With MTA you'll do the road test on a specifically designed route out of Eastchester depot. Because most of the buses are out during the day the depot grounds are also used for the skills test training for those with permits that qualify during initial training. Depending on how quickly you qualify you will generally get about a few days to a week to brush up on any maneuvers involving  the bus (parallel parking/offset backing/pre-trip inspection) before your road test date that gets scheduled for you once you show proof of the fee being paid. You can practice as many times as you need each of the things you'll have to demonstrate to the DMV official who will administer your skills/road test. It beats paying for lessons at a driving school since you'll be spending 8 hours each day at ECH for training up until your road test. Make the best of it. 

8 hours ago, Beck said:

As a rookie do get to choose what shift you want or does it go by seniority? Do the shifts rotate. 

All work is picked based on seniority. The higher you stand, the better chance of you picking a run or any other piece of work that you find desirable. I suggest reading the New Hire FAQ post that was written by @SevenEleven for the types of work you can choose from.

There's the extra list (basically a "spare" driver in loosely derived terms), straight runs (if you just want to work a set schedule with no variations), work runs (similar to picking a straight run but you're working the runs whose days off fall on the weekdays plus two weekend runs that are automatically attached), and vacation relief (holding down the work of someone who is on vacation for that given week including their regular days off so they will vary throughout the pick)

4 hours ago, Phoenix said:

Just curious when you pass the medical, when do you get your pass and when do you get your badge? Like what is that day of final processing like?

Final processing is when you are officially hired and are given a date to start the 7-day training course. You will get your pass on orientation day. Your badge you receive after you have completed training and are finally ready to go off on your own (graduation).

As requested, here are the pre-trip inspection videos in full. Study them if you have a CDL permit!

5 hours ago, HeadhunterCali said:

Wow that was such D move. Looks like the right decision was made to give him the boot. Whatever was going on with him and the other Mods had nothing to do with the THOUSANDS of us other drivers waiting to start our 10 day training, who now won't have that "extra help" that the YT video's provided 😒 

Those videos can still be accessed... There's other ways to get them, I'll look into it for you guys.

17 minutes ago, mrtrini868 said:

Do we get to pick which depot we want to go to or is it base on where they assign us? 

You may get a choice, sometimes you may not.

It all depends on what depots have availabilities and your standing amongst your classmates. Those who have lower list numbers/scored higher on the exams will get first dibs, in classes with mixed exams the previous exams will trump later ones.