QM1to6Ave

2 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

There is rampant abuse when it comes such reporting. I'll leave it at that... l've been privy to such examples and I was shocked, but that's how the  operates. Reports reports reports, but who is confirming how accurate those reports are? 

I've heard stories here and there from B/Os who are pissed at their co-workers

8 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Yeah unfortunately the tech folks that were working on this left and I wasn't aware of that, so I've started the conversation with the  again about the need to get this done for all new express buses, as only some of them have been adjusted.  I also am trying to work on the air conditioning problem now because these new buses pump out hot air on a bus with no windows and people are becoming overheated and ill.  Totally crazy in my mind to be advocating for things that were just fine on the old buses.

It really is crazy how many glitches there are with this order

On 11/27/2022 at 3:47 PM, trainfan22 said:

The TA plans to use A.I tech to prevent breakdowns on buses. My source...

https://gothamist.com/news/mta-to-use-artificial-intelligence-tech-to-keep-buses-from-breaking-down

Will the AI also punish the lazy mechanics who stretch out repairs to take 3 times longer than needed LOL?

2 hours ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

I mean they have monthly commuter rail passes that are over $400...I don't see how a (let's say) $240 express bus pass is any different, other than the fact that it's a bit more susceptible to wear-and-tear.

I think the wear and tear is the issue, since the monthly cards don't get swiped in a machine or farebox and get worn out. Plus the RR ticket gets replaced every month but the metrocard can be refilled over and over till it stops working. I still have cards go bad on me and need to be mailed in every so often

On 11/7/2022 at 11:04 AM, NewFlyer 230 said:

From what I remember from those days the Q25 ran worst than it does now. Out of the entire Queens Surface roster the Q65A now  was the most reliable route but of course the route is short. The MTA did improve the Q25 a lot after the takeover by giving the line more frequent service throughout the day, they added overnight service, LTD service and they got rid of a few stops. I think CP has some terrible dispatching because with all the improvements that were made over the years buses are still bunching up in 4’s and 5’s and it doesn’t make sense. If it’s that bad why can’t some buses start mid route somewhere? Even the Q34 with 20 minute headways during rush hours between Flushing & Jamaica manages to occasionally bunch up. How? 

 

Yup, the bunching on those lines at all times of day and night is crazy, and it isn't due to trafffic or heavy passenger loads at most of those times. I think the BOs play games and purposely bunch up. 

On 10/29/2022 at 1:47 AM, SoSpectacular said:

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

I learn something new every day! Kind of like when pilots open the cockpit windows on a plane, which never fails to make me do a double-take

53 minutes ago, Calvin said:

The operator jumped out through the window where the steering wheel is at. At that incident, rear doors were opened that passengers quickly ran out as fast as they can. 

I didn't realize that window opened wide enough for someone to jump through!

2 hours ago, mine248 said:

8086 was hijacked and crashed into a utility pole. Not too sure if this is a write-off since the roof might've taken some damage https://go.citizen.com/hdZd4aMetub

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

I wish it was still around! I hate having to refill my card every damn week, when there is still no option for the Express Bus Plus Pass on OMNY. It would have saved me a lot of headaches over the years.

I personally think part of the issue was that the MTA didn't want to deal with angry customers whose $269 Metrocard stops working and needs to be replaced. But that's the jaded person in me...

3 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

I always thought there was some sort of film that went over the windows to protect them. If so, why can't they just replace that? Metro-North doesn't have such issues from what I've personally experienced anyway.

With all of those LIRR maintenance workers scamming the system for hundreds of thousands of overtime dollars, you'd think at least they could keep the windows clear! This isn't an issue on any buses, either, that I've ever seen, and they get lots of sun exposure over the years

On 10/15/2022 at 1:14 AM, trainfan22 said:

This blog post explains it better than I could 

 

https://www.thelirrtoday.com/2019/09/m-7-window-splotching.html?m=1

 

The M8s windows are still clear on both sides of the train and the M9s will have the same problem as the M7s do on the southern windows.

That is so weird. It seems like LIRR uses different cleaning chemicals than MNRR as far as I can tell, which is a big factor here? It's so hard to believe that MNRR avoided this problem but LIRR can't figure it out.

3 hours ago, trainfan22 said:

LIRR M7 #7494 and its mate has clear windows on its southern side. As yall know most M7s windows on the southern side are messed up due to the sun.

 

 

NJ Transit MLV fleet has the same problem but on BOTH sides of the car due to looping at Sunnyside so NJT plans to replace the windows on its MLV fleet. Let's hope LIRR follows suit with its M7 fleet.

What do you mean by “messed up”? Is this an issue on the M8/9 fleets as well? 

1 hour ago, MysteriousBtrain said:

Just a little steam I'm gonna let out real quick. So there's this Q44 Driver that is supposed to leave the Bronx Zoo at 8:30-8:35 PM. Earlier this week, he skipped my stop, so I chase him down, and he quickly turns his bus signs off, claiming he is not in service. However, when I checked the bustime app, he is shown on the tracker as an active bus. Maybe it was a glitch, idk but he was a face I wouldn't forget.

The same thing happened today. Driver is signed as the Q44, skipped the Bronx Zoo stop, this time having a completely blank sign. I dash to the Tremont Av stop to see if he was gonna go into service there. As I predicted, he skipped that stop too, but was still showing on the tracker as an active bus. 

Now that ik this driver's face, I will most definitely take further action the next time I see him.  To think we have bus drivers that can get away with running an empty bus and claiming they not even supposed to be in service? It most definitely will not be happening to me. He's gonna learn his lesson. People like him ruin it for everyone smh.

Report his a** with the info you have (even better if yoy have the bus number), it shouls be enough to do an investigation 

4 hours ago, MHV9218 said:

What the hell could have hit that?

Top of a tractor trailer or big box truck? Hard to tell how high that is from the pic

On 9/27/2022 at 7:10 AM, 7-express said:

Are CP drivers trying something new now?  For two days in a row with two different drivers, my WB bus in the AM has gone via the Van Wyck to the LIE instead of the GCP to HHP to the LIE.  Unfortunately, this nullifies any time savings since the Van Wyck to the LIE crawls with heavy traffic until Maspeth.  The GCP to HHP to LIE route saves a bunch more time by bypassing most of that traffic.  Not sure what they're trying out here but it's costing run time.

Interesting. I've been off this week so haven't been taking the QMs but will keep an eye out next week

5 hours ago, trainfan22 said:

The fact that bad behaving railfans haven't cannibalized this car is an amazing feat in itself. The Rollsigns, the number plates, the resistors, the 3rd rail shoes, etc are all there!

 

 

Museum cars ON TA property in TA yards have had parts like rollsigns and number plates stolen from them. 

This car/display was so poorly advertised (I think it was officially a Queens tourism office or something) that nobody knew it was ever there in the first place lol. 

5 hours ago, Cait Sith said:

More than likely that was not an actual MTA Orion V, but maybe a movie bus or one that is privately owned.

The Law and Order premiere this week had a fake MTA Orion V, maybe that was this bus

Very nice!

1 hour ago, Calvin said:

Boarded 4744 on the B1 to the Golden Bay restaurant around the Bay Parkway area today.  The artic bus on the B1 seemed to have a single seat taken off close to the second door to allow strollers to be placed on the side or a luggage if you're going somewhere. 

 

Interesting, the article I read about this pilot plan for strollers indicated the seat would flip up, not be removed entirely.

1 hour ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

There was an issue recently I had to deal with on the QM2 line. Buses were parking in front of a residence along the Cross Island Parkway.  I did reach out about the issues you also mentioned, as well as the blocking of seats. That too has improved.  A message was sent out regarding that.

Thank you thank you!! I'm keeping an eye out for the seat blocking issue..so far this week, every B/O has been blocking off a row, but hopefully that starts to improve

The other bigger picture concern for me is the Redesign plan, and I saw you just posted about the final plan coming out in the next year. If the severe cuts they suggested to the QM1/5/6/31/35/36 west of 188th street are put into effect, forget about it, the lines will lose a lot of their usefulness for me and they will end up losing my business.

On 9/17/2022 at 6:37 PM, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Actually there have been some improvements. Those incidents were a while back.

You are right, there have definitely been improvements, thanks to your advocacy (e.g., the QM1s not getting cut randomly like they used to, not throwing people off the bus at random stops, better signage, etc). However, as we've discussed, the CP B/Os' horrible behavior has really soured my attitude towards the CP routes, and traffic levels in general have become nearly intolerable. If the QV EXP routes were more convenient to me, I'd take them every day, no question, and deal with the traffic. But the horrible CP B/Os give me stress every time I get on a bus with a new B/O and have to prepare for some sort of argument or problem with them.

20 hours ago, Trainmaster5 said:

Hurt ? Personally I’d rather see the lot of them fall and be permanently removed from the gene pool. My opinion. Carry on.

I'm trying to figure out if subway surfing has actually increased recently or if there are just more people recording and posting the videos of these idiots. It was only like 2-3 weeks ago that that teenager had his arm amputated while subway surfing and this nonsense continues. Sheesh.

1 hour ago, Lawrence St said:

How exactly do the bus lane cameras work? Does the operator press a button or does it continually scan plates?

I always wonder about that, especially when I see traffic agents directing cars into the bus lane sometimes when traffic is heavy, and I wonder if those cars get tickets and need to fight them and try to prove that a traffic agent directed them into the lane

2 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

What's irritating is when I board and the driver asks what stop I want, I tell them and then we get into Manhattan and now suddenly you can't take me to the stop I asked for when I told you in advance. I don't give a rats' @ss where they go afterwards, but drop me off at the stop I asked for. I had a chick do that crap with me on the BxM2. I told her I needed 7th and 41st when I got on and she thinks it's ok to drop me off at 5th and 42nd after the fact, which means now I have a longer schlepp to where I'm going. Next time she got me, she dropped me where I needed to go and then went on her way, but this was after she was called in for it. Why not just make the stop from the get go? Ridiculous. 

Wow, that's really bad. Unbelievable. Nothing seems to be improving so my days of using the express bus are goijg to come to an end

59 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Because some drivers arbitrarily decide to terminate when they should not be. I've had it happen to myself. It's one thing if the bus is actually supposed to be short turning OR the driver is instructed to terminate some place, and another for the driver to decide to just throw passengers off wherever. If your destination signage says one thing, you drive and then suddenly decide to terminate elsewhere with no warning, then that's a problem and yes, I have seen arguments break out about it and rightfully so. I've had drivers ask me what stop I wanted, I tell them the stop, they are not officially short turning and then they decide later on that they don't want to go there and then call out last stop. Total BS.

I boarded a bus yesterday where it was a limited stop bus and the driver tried to act like he wasn't going to make the stop. He had two more stops to go that was half a mile away. I looked at him like don't you dare drive off. 

On the other hand when there are short turns, etc., people don't read the damn signs. People got on after me asking if the bus was going Downtown. The sign was clear as day.

Yup, like that QM5 driver who pretended he was only going to 34th and 3rd, and we ultimately got him in trouble for these games. These bad apples ruin the credibility of all BOs