QM1to6Ave

I've got a funny question...as context, there's a real a**hole B/O on the QM35 I get frequently, who blocks seats with his belongings and argues with anyone who tries to sit there because "I don't want nobody sitting there". I've filed multiple complaints about him, @Via Garibaldi 8 is aware of this issue, etc.

This B/Os other trick is that he always moves up one of the wheelchair seats so it is not usable (and trust me, he is not getting a wheelchair rider in the same position every single day of the week, he is doing this to reduce ridership on his bus). He always has one of the new Prevosts, so I was wondering if there is a way to move the seat back into position easily? I'm tempted to just do it myself the next time I get on his bus and it is packed.

I've never seen the wheelchair system be used on the new Prevost, so I can't tell how to move the seat on the track, but it must be moveable so B/O's can put in wheelchairs.

2 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

What’s with the tension in this thread? 

 

Heres a picture of a chicken on a QM2:

https://ibb.co/0cVt73Q

I thought sometime posted tgis was a Yonkers bus?

1 hour ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Yeah morning rush hour bus from Riverdale. Chicken supposedly hopped on the bus at the depot with the driver in Yonkers.

The chicken probably wanted to sit in the front seat, but the B/O was blocking it with his bags

11 hours ago, Cait Sith said:

In terms of the Prevosts, I think the QM5 was accidentally programmed to do that. That's the only sign I've seen that actually blinks off and back again.

As for the SBS buses, I could've sworn they were programmed to blink as a replacement for the lights being shut off, because the LaGuardia Link buses are programmed similarly.

Ahh, well that would explain why I keep seeing it on the QM5 lol. As I think about it, I only see it blink on the Queens-bound QM5, not manhattan-bound.  Now I'm going to pay more attention to it

Just now, MHV9218 said:

This has been an issue on the SBS buses for some years now. Once full cycle of readouts, black, then cycle again. I heard once it was an issue with B/Os putting the codes in via the farebox, but it seems like a more widespread programming problem. Makes you miss the flipdots.

Ha! I think I remember some older flip dots that would sort of do the same thing, with it going blank from one side to the other and then re-appearing

What's the deal with destination signs, especially the front ones, that blink on and off constantly? And I mean totally turn off, then back on again, over and over, rather than just staying on. Is this a glitch or a setting? It's incredibly annoying, and I've seen it across different types/models of destination signs, including brand new ones on Prevosts

I was reading a summary of some recent research on this topic, and the overall conclusion was that if your choices are make transit free or make transit run on time with better frequencies, people will actually do better in the long run with the latter, as reliable transit means you can hold down a job without getting fired/discipline for losing money, pick your kids up on time, get to and from the grocery store in a reasonable amount of time, etc. And frankly, I think having to pay a reasonable amount for service actually makes you buy into caring more about that system. So I'm all for keeping reasonable fares with improved service.

On 2/15/2023 at 7:46 AM, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

I'm pretty sure some of this is a glitch on BusTime. They've been having some serious issues lately where it shows almost every trip is cancelled, then they clear it. I had worked with the  to fix it on the X27 & X28, but it keeps popping up and now it is spreading to other lines. The QM1 is running just fine, yet it shows almost every QM1 trip is cancelled. One way to confirm this is to check the  social media feeds. If the trips aren't posted there, it's usually a glitch because they normally post there first and then BusTime is updated with the same info. Example is below... 

These alerts are so useless, i almost wish they would stop. Even today, a QM31 was emailed and listed as canceled in the PM but it did run and i took it home,  because I had a feeling it would run 

Just now, Lex said:

If so, that professor's never been to Fulton Street.

Ha, I'll have to find the article,  but I don't know how they came up with that distinction

I hope the bikers let the BO know they need to get their bikes at their stop, so they don't start to drive off with the bikes attached

I hope they add in some wayfinding signs to make it easier to get around that strain without getting lost. I read that a psychology professor used that station to test people's internal map skills because its the most complicated station 

I wish they just kept it on the exp buses, which is not so different from it being offered on greyhound etc for longer trips where you are sitting and may be doing work. But it's not exactly my top concern at the moment

1 hour ago, Bill from Maspeth said:

Nah, they just want privacy!  It's up to the riders to call these operators out by registering complaints via the MTA web site or snail mail because there are no passenger seats allowed to be blocked off by the operators!  Period.  

The problem is most riders either don't realize that, don't care enough to complain, or are scared to speak up. The MTA should really play announcements saying "all seats are now open". For a while in the midst of pandemic, they had played announcements on exp buses saying "every seat except the front row is open". They need an updated version 

15 hours ago, IAlam said:

As much as I hate to say it if CP looses most of their express runs because of the redesign it’s on them. I can’t keep defending express buses when I can barely rely on them. I’m definitely at the point where I’m starting to view the LIRR even during peak as a better option. I’m on a bus now probably the first time in months and the op is just dragging his bus on QB stopping early on every red. Luckily I’m not in a hurry today but idk how normal riders put up with this. 

Yup, this nonsense is one of the reasons I'm looking into jobs with more remote days, and moving closer to the LIRR. It's just following the money...all this new investment in the LIRR versus the cuts via redesign to the bus system makes it a no-brainer for my long-term planning

3 hours ago, IAlam said:

Honestly if that was the case they should just do local ops since passengers usually don't stand near the front. But these drivers take express runs knowing they're not busy and then do everything in their power to avoid picking up passengers. They just wanna drive to the end as fast as possible with no one bothering them not realizing that they're the reason people stopped taking the bus. I genuinely believe the biggest factor impacting poor ridership on queens express buses is how CP manages their bus ops. Nowadays I would rather walk to Penn than take the express bus even if it's right there. But that applies to all CP lines I'd rather take the X68 and take the long way back over routes like the QM2/4 or the Q17 over the Q25 because I'm sick of it. 

100% accurate. I too take the X63/4/8 when possible because the customer service.level is night and day compared to CP. Plus those QV buses are in the best condition

1 hour ago, N6 Limited said:

Some are still paranoid about covid.

The ones blocking seats don't wear masks, so I find it hard to believe covid is the issue for these guys, especially since I always wear a KN95 mask on the bus

44 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Thank you for speaking up. The problem has improved, but College Point continues to be an issue and since it is a larger express depot, more drivers out there than other depots. I will send yours over.

I am so fed up with these CP guys that I have no problem speaking my mind. I know that he will figure out that I'm the one who complained, so I wouldn't be shocked if he tries to skip me next time I'm waiting for his bus, but this insanity can't go on. I was honestly shocked that he wouldn't move his stuff even after I told him I know they were told to stop blocking the seats, but it is what it is. I wasn't going to get into a screaming match with this guy, I just said to myself "ok, he won't listen to logic, so I'm gonna get his a** written up"

All these B/Os being paranoid about having ppl sit in the front row also makes me wonder what they are doing up there that they want to hide (using their phones, closing their eyes, etc). I once had a B/O making a call on his cell on speakerphone, which was unbelievable. He was one of the real senior guys who probably has union protection

@Via Garibaldi 8 here we go again...I'll be PM'ing you the details, but I once again had a QM35 B/O this morning who blocked the front row with his belongings. The bus was packed, with people in every row. I start to sit in the front row, and the B/O says "you can't sit there. I don't want nobody sitting there." I then told him that is a violation of MTA rules and the ADA, but he again said "I don't want nobody sitting there. Go sit in the back." So, I took photos of the blocked seat and the B/O, and filed a complaint with the photos attached. I'll send you the details. It's a Prevost so they can also pull the video camera footage and the passenger counter information.

The balls on these guys is unbelievable. The MTA is just about to lose me as a daily EXP bus customer at this point, not that they care at all.

7 hours ago, KDGallagher said:

Read that where? 
 

doesn’t seem to be a directive on that & those lights don’t mean sh*t

 

On here, I think a BO posted on here that some supervisors can write tickets. If i can find it, I'll link to it. That's why I wrote in a tentative manner. I'm not at all sure about it

What I'm saying is, if they are gonna have a badge that looks like a police badge, and flashing lighrs like a police car, at least let them write tickets lol. 

52 minutes ago, KDGallagher said:

How come MTA supervisors aren’t able to give out tickets to people obstructing bus lanes and bus stops? 
 

MTAPD don’t really have much of a presence in nyc outside of stations and the nypd really couldn’t care less. 
 

Similar to how DSNY supervisors are able to ticket and generate revenue for their agency 

 

 

I think they technically can do that? I think I've read that somewhere. They certainly wear badges and their MTA cars have red flashing lights, so they should have some ability to give tickets

4 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Sometimes sweetheart deals are involved where the  takes over or is given things for very cheap. One example is  Yonkers Depot.  The land the depot sits on is owned by NYC and leased to the .  NYC pays ZERO property taxes on what is now prime waterfront real estate. lol Yonkers wants the land, but the  won't give it up unless they get a brand new depot out the deal at a minimum. 

With this situation, it looks like Metro-North leased the Port Jervis line from Norfolk Southern Railway, with the option to buy it outright almost twenty years ago.  Assuming they exercised that option, I'm sure it's worth a lot more now since they've been making upgrades to the line.  

Interesting, thanks!

7 hours ago, xD4nn said:

Everything involving money is covered by MNRR. I don't see why NJT would want to buy it.

6 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Yeah, by buying it, they'd have to suddenly find millions of dollars for service operations and for the capital projects and general maintenance.

Gotcha. Seems like a big headache for MNRR to need to manage all of this, but what do I know lol 

55 minutes ago, xD4nn said:

MNRR owns the trackage and station in New York. MNRR contracts NJT to run it since it is much easier that way and much cheaper.

Has NJT ever tried to buy it off of MNRR? Seems like they could make more money if they own it outright

Thank you as always!

30 minutes ago, Cait Sith said:

It's more used in the subway because of the network it uses. It's far more stable than what's on the buses and has better speeds. Some stations, you can get several hundred megabits per second during a session with no slowdowns.

The bus Wi-Fi may have been good for people with limited cell phone plans, but if you have garbage data signal on your phone, you're going to have the same experience, if not worse with the Wi-Fi, since it's essentially the same mobile networks being used(which most people don't realize, but still complains about it anyway).

8 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

I do agree that it's much better in the subway for the reasons you mentioned, but given how limited the Wi-Fi is on the express buses to begin with, the people that use it likely do so because they are on limited plans and will use it so long as they can remain connected. I mean you are not going to do any sort of heavy internet use on the Wi-Fi used on the express buses. Just not possible, so I guess it's for light browsing or doing work that doesn't require heavy internet use.

I (and I see a fair number of other riders) use our laptops on the bus to do work, and tethering to my phone (which is a new 5G phone) can be finicky. WHen the MTA wifi is working, it can sometimes be stronger/more stable than tethering to my phone. There are some dead spots where the MTA wifi still works but my cell loses signal temporarily (perhaps because the bus' antenna is outside the bus and high up? I don't know why, but I've experienced this many times). 

But I've noticed more and more buses where the wifi network won't even show up at all, even on brand new Prevosts. I wonder if they stopped doing any maintenance on it ahead of this sudden plan to drop it.

@Via Garibaldi 8 I;m going to fill out that poll now. Typical MTA to try and suddenly pull out a perk from nowhere. At least Cuomo, for all his numberous flaws, got the MTA to keep the wifi for a while longer