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Before MTA Bus


EE Broadway Local

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This and the Redbird memories threads pops up like every two weeks lol. Anyways I was a daily commuter on Green lines for a minute, Liked their buses, favorites were MCI classic and Orion Vs for comfort proposes. Don't get me wrong I like liked those GMCs and TMCs too. The green line TMCs were among the first DD50 RTS that I remeber seeing and hearing. Back then I perfered this engine because it sounded more hardcore the 6v92 RTS did. I never rode this PBL but I seen their buses in action which would be Command bus. Mainly their CNG RTS and their MCI classics, used to them on the BM1-4 & B103, crazy thing is that I don't remeber seeing their Orion V CNGs back then....

 

Speaking of the Command Orion V CNGs, what did those buses replace? I was wondering about this the other day.

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I used to ride Jamaica Bus Lines the most out of all of those (Q111 & Q113), in fact I've never ridden anyone of those except JBL and QS. I loved the paint scheme. I loved the RTSs, MCIs, and Flxibles. I only remember seeing a JBL Flxible once while it was parked in the depot/yard and I instantly loved that bus, I never saw a Flxible in service though.

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I used QSC well sort of. From 1995 till 2003 I took the Q25 or the Q65, however I quickly learned that walking from the grand central pkwy to the horace harding expwy was faster as those buses never came. Often times I walked to homelawn and hopped on the Q30/31. QSC never took care of their local fleet. Many of times doors jammed, brakes failed and so on.. Nothing special and I'm glad to see those companies die. Though I will admit I miss the orange a little.

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Before MTA Bus, which private bus lines did you use and/or like?

 

Queens Surface

Triborough Coach

Green Bus

Jamaica

Command

 

And if anyone else remembers it, you can include the Avenue B And East Broadway (Yes, I know, the M9 became NYCTA in 1980).

 

I used the Green lines and Triboro coach, ah those were the days.

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QSC never took care of their local fleet. Many of times doors jammed, brakes failed and so on.. Nothing special and I'm glad to see those companies die. Though I will admit I miss the orange a little.
The private lines were subsidized companies. It was all part of the master plan for MTA control of all transportation in NY state that the privates were underfunded. Just look at how fast and how much the operating budget of MTA Bus jumped after the takeover. Don't believe the hype about how mayor Mike "rescued" the lines we operated. It was planned for over 40 years to have one giant monopolized transit system. Big brother is riding the big blue wave into your traveling experience and he tricked you into wanting it to happen.
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QSCs newest buses weren't working the day they received them, why? Because the private lines were so sloppily run they could kill someone and the drivers would get a slap on the wrist. Many times I've been cursed at by Green Line drivers just for asking them a question. One time I asked the dispatcher what time the next Q6 was leaving and his response was this "F*** off, go take the Q3 to JFK and leave these drivers alone". I called Green Lines to complain and the guy yelled at me because he has never heard of the Q6 going to the airport anyway. This wasn't just a financial issue, which while yes they were squeezed I believe most of the PBLs wouldn't have done anything productive because of their attitudes. Even drivers with a brain know that the PBLs sucked either way.

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QSCs newest buses weren't working the day they received them, why? Because the private lines were so sloppily run they could kill someone and the drivers would get a slap on the wrist. Many times I've been cursed at by Green Line drivers just for asking them a question. One time I asked the dispatcher what time the next Q6 was leaving and his response was this "F*** off, go take the Q3 to JFK and leave these drivers alone". I called Green Lines to complain and the guy yelled at me because he has never heard of the Q6 going to the airport anyway. This wasn't just a financial issue, which while yes they were squeezed I believe most of the PBLs wouldn't have done anything productive because of their attitudes. Even drivers with a brain know that the PBLs sucked either way.

 

Wow that's disrespectful, I would have smacked em and ran j/k, a lot of the JBL drivers were nice, the GL drivers used to drive those bummy black smoke buses that's probably why they were in a bad mood lol.

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QSCs newest buses weren't working the day they received them, why? Because the private lines were so sloppily run they could kill someone and the drivers would get a slap on the wrist. Many times I've been cursed at by Green Line drivers just for asking them a question. One time I asked the dispatcher what time the next Q6 was leaving and his response was this "F*** off, go take the Q3 to JFK and leave these drivers alone". I called Green Lines to complain and the guy yelled at me because he has never heard of the Q6 going to the airport anyway. This wasn't just a financial issue, which while yes they were squeezed I believe most of the PBLs wouldn't have done anything productive because of their attitudes. Even drivers with a brain know that the PBLs sucked either way.

 

I found that the attitudes of the drivers were either feast or famine w/ the PBL drivers back then... what I mean is, you either got the ones that were really courteous, or the ones that were real nasty asses... there was no in-between....

anyway, yeah, to me, GBL drivers were the worst of the worst when it came to courteousness...

 

I'll also give a messed up example...

As long as I've been busfanning, I'll never forget a ride on the Q22.... there was a wheelchair passenger waiting at a stop... the driver was talking to another passenger on board... said passenger said something to the effect of (you missed someone there).... the driver said, and I quote:

 

"the motherf**ker got 4 wheels..."

 

I guess a lot of those b/o's felt as if, why take pride in driving such dilapidated buses.... but that's still no excuse in treating passengers (and in this case, potential passengers) the way they had.....

 

Unfortunately, I've rode GBL buses the most (for fanning & non-fanning purposes)... so I know how a lot of those drivers were....

Command to me, was the best out of the PBL's... QSC a close second....

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