Bus drivers please read, for it will help others on this site

[Locomotion69]

10yrs for work history, you can't have gaps in between. any unemployment or work off the book can write 'unemployment and support by family'

 

I heard they don't check with your previous employers,but it is best to be honest. The only time that I was fired from a job was back in 1993,nothing criminal or anything. I don't see why working off the books is a problem. Is that because there is no paper trail? A lot of people work off the books,if you put down unemployed for the last 10 yrs they are going to think something is wrong with you. But I heard they still have to hire you even if you never worked a day in your life.

 

Have you heard of people being denied employment with the MTA due to an incomplete work history?

[1daysoon]

Do they make you get a social security earnings report like the police Dept.

[sealteam1962]

no they dont tell you to get your social security earnings if you had a lot of jobs in the 10 year period that they want with work history and you cant remember the dates or the places you worked for than i would get a copy

[Igor Gaysinsky]

well i do some were on the book and some were off the books so just write down the names of the jobs i worked at even if it`s off the books

[sealteam1962]

i would absolutely not put that down working off the books that is considered a crime not paying taxes dont say you worked off the books you say unemployed thats all how did you support yourself i had saved some money or borrowed from relatives or family but they dont really go there putting down worked off the books could raise a red flag with the investigation!!!!!!!!:eek:

[Noflexdont]

Like stated before DO NOT put off the book jobs down on your work history. When i went threw the process they said not to but that down cause it is a crime.

[ditja]

I see,that isn't a problem. They want you to have both hands on the wheel,so do you make the announcements while driving or when the bus pulls into a stop?

 

I would figure most bus passengers would know what stop to get off since they are regular customers or they would ask you before paying the fare..does this bus go to here? You drive in Manhattan so you must get a lot of tourists and I am sure you see a lot of puzzled,lost looks on their faces,lol.

 

I hear that a lot,what is the paddle? like a trip sheet? What does it mean when they say "On the Manhattan patch?"

 

I also hear different people say "29 alpha, 79 bravo, 29 charlie,79 delta,is that like some kind of a radio check? they don't sound like B/O's or dispatchers,this goes on for like 5 minutes.

 

there is a paddle on the floor use by your left foot, once press it, you can record what you are saying and then play it back. it's call 'speak easy'. basically, your left foot is to operate 1. turn signal 2. speak easy 3. high beam 4. emergency button - (to eject your seat when you crash like the fighter jet:cool:)

ADA announcement stands for American disable Act. they are for disable. gov paid MTA to request us to make those announcement. it's not for tourists;)

i don't drive in manhattan, working in brooklyn. yea, paddle report includes the detail for your run. like time to report, time to P/O, time to P/I, total pay, ada announcements, etc...

i have no idea what is 29 alpha....

[Locomotion69]

Like stated before DO NOT put off the book jobs down on your work history. When i went threw the process they said not to but that down cause it is a crime.

 

Ok,I hear you,just as long as they don't ask you how you spent your time while you were unemployed..I should just worry about being able to drive the training bus during the qualifying period. That is the make it or break it point.

[Locomotion69]

there is a paddle on the floor use by your left foot, once press it, you can record what you are saying and then play it back. it's call 'speak easy'. basically, your left foot is to operate 1. turn signal 2. speak easy 3. high beam 4. emergency button - (to eject your seat when you crash like the fighter jet:cool:)

ADA announcement stands for American disable Act. they are for disable. gov paid MTA to request us to make those announcement. it's not for tourists;)

i don't drive in manhattan, working in brooklyn. yea, paddle report includes the detail for your run. like time to report, time to P/O, time to P/I, total pay, ada announcements, etc...

i have no idea what is 29 alpha....

 

Very interesting,thanks ditja. I wish these bus fans on here would take pics/videos of the dashboard,drivers area of the buses. I am sure there are a lot of gauges and switches.

 

I heard that a b/o got punched on the corner of rockaway/hegeman outside his bus. He said that he lost 5 teeth..get this..the dispatcher says I didn't see anything unusual inside the bus except for some spots of blood right near the stairwell of the front door. So he cleaned it with some wiper fluid. Cops picked somebody up on saratoga but the b/o had been taken to the hospital already. This happened around 3:30 am,didn't hear anything else since I was falling asleep. The bus was from the jackie gleason depot,B60.

[Noflexdont]

when i went threw the process a year ago they pretty much told you what you need to know and how to fill out the paper work. For training all you need to do is 1.Keep you bus 4 feet to the left of cars on your right hand side(key to right hand turns) 2. Two hands on the wheel checking all three mirrors Min 2x durning a turn,Left mirror,center mirror right mirror. 3. never i say NEVER press the gas when making a turn, RTS roll like cars do(NG and Hybrid dont). 4. Blinker when ever you move , If you going left, left Blinker if you go straight from a stop Left Blinker and of course Right blinker when going right. 5.Horn For anything you think does not see you or you come close to that has it back to you. 6. Push Pull steering method, Hands at 4 O'clock and 8 O'clock never crossing hand over each other. You pretty much pulling downwith right hand while left hand pushes up for a right hand turn. I hope im not scaring you LOL. Learn you Pre Trip and your brake test and be safe.

[Noflexdont]

I will take pics of the "cockpits" of RTS, and Artics and NG. Im on my RDO's Thurs and Fri.

[Locomotion69]

I will take pics of the "cockpits" of RTS, and Artics and NG. Im on my RDO's Thurs and Fri.

 

Thanks,nah your not scaring me,actually looking forward to it when the time comes. Enjoy your back to back RDO's.

[1daysoon]

Thanks,nah your not scaring me,actually looking forward to it when the time comes. Enjoy your back to back RDO's.

speak for yourself (lol) I am scared....I never drove anything bigger than a minivan (lol). Thats why I am going to take my class b road test before,if we ever get called down to zereaga. I will be training on a school bus for two weeks straight even though its not the same as an mta bus I figure I wont be as nervous if I ever start training with the mta. I figure you have enough to worry about just trying to drive like how they want you too besides being nervous of driving something that big for the first time. I take my road test on the 20th of this month.

[Noflexdont]

School bus and what the MTA use are different animals. School buses have there tires in front of the driver and also have huge rear overhang. MTA's RTS, Orions and Flyers have the front tire behind the driver. Anyways Good luck on the road test.

[Locomotion69]

speak for yourself (lol) I am scared....I never drove anything bigger than a minivan (lol). Thats why I am going to take my class b road test before,if we ever get called down to zereaga. I will be training on a school bus for two weeks straight even though its not the same as an mta bus I figure I wont be as nervous if I ever start training with the mta. I figure you have enough to worry about just trying to drive like how they want you too besides being nervous of driving something that big for the first time. I take my road test on the 20th of this month.

 

I feel the same way,got my CDL B last spring,1 less thing to worry about,however I am still coming off the street with no real experience driving buses. The school bus that I trained on was the same length as the RTS bus,driving big vehicles is really no big deal after you get some experience.

[1daysoon]

I feel the same way,got my CDL B last spring,1 less thing to worry about,however I am still coming off the street with no real experience driving buses. The school bus that I trained on was the same length as the RTS bus,driving big vehicles is really no big deal after you get some experience.

I took my first lesson yesterday. I was nervous because I could barely see in front of the hood of the bus. I have to get used to using the convex mirrors for turns. Also I have to practice on not turning so wide when going left. How long did it take you to get used to driving, and turning?

[Olegkha]

I took my first lesson yesterday. I was nervous because I could barely see in front of the hood of the bus. I have to get used to using the convex mirrors for turns. Also I have to practice on not turning so wide when going left. How long did it take you to get used to driving, and turning?

What school are you in ?

how much do they charge per lesson and road test ?

 

the school i found is 60 per lesson, and 160 road test

[Locomotion69]

I took my first lesson yesterday. I was nervous because I could barely see in front of the hood of the bus. I have to get used to using the convex mirrors for turns. Also I have to practice on not turning so wide when going left. How long did it take you to get used to driving, and turning?

 

I got the hang of it on my second lesson. But I drove really slow,cars,trucks and even bicycles were passing me by,lol. The more you drive the easier it gets,it is just a matter of repetition. Give yourself some extra room in between the vehicle in front of you while stopped.

 

I actually had a harder time making the right hand turns vs the left hand ones. Keep in mind that everything that we learned through the driving schools goes out the window once we are in training,we have to learn how to drive the buses the MTA way.

[Locomotion69]

What school are you in ?

how much do they charge per lesson and road test ?

 

the school i found is 60 per lesson, and 160 road test

 

The school that I went to charged me $150.00 for the dmv road test. I had 3 different instructors,one guy went on vacation,etc..each one had their own method of driving,the last instructor was the best one,passed on my 2nd try. I failed the 1st time for 2 reasons,being nervous and taking it in Maspeth where the examiner was a major prick.

[1daysoon]

The school that I went to charged me $150.00 for the dmv road test. I had 3 different instructors,one guy went on vacation,etc..each one had their own method of driving,the last instructor was the best one,passed on my 2nd try. I failed the 1st time for 2 reasons,being nervous and taking it in Maspeth where the examiner was a major prick.

Academy Driving School in Bushwick. I got reffered to them by this CDL training School in Brooklyn called RED hook on the Road.

[Locomotion69]

Academy Driving School in Bushwick. I got reffered to them by this CDL training School in Brooklyn called RED hook on the Road.

 

When it comes time to make the dmv road test appointment,take it in Red Hook,don't let them talk you into taking it in Maspeth(which is closer to the school you are going to).

 

I didn't know any better,I choose Maspeth because it was closer. There are inactive railroad crossings all over,tractor trailers double parked all over the road test area. I am not the only one who thinks Red Hook is better than Maspeth.

 

Funny story when I took it in Red Hook and passed on my 2nd attempt,my instructor(old guy)left the keys inside the bus and accidentally locked us out of the bus after we parked,he went to the deli to get something to drink. He then blames me,but he was the one who was driving(duh)..there were just 2 other people ahead of us in line,we were both sweating bullets trying to pry open the doors and emergency exit windows from the outside,lol. We finally got in through the back door with about 5 minutes to spare..:eek:

[1daysoon]

When it comes time to make the dmv road test appointment,take it in Red Hook,don't let them talk you into taking it in Maspeth(which is closer to the school you are going to).

 

I didn't know any better,I choose Maspeth because it was closer. There are inactive railroad crossings all over,tractor trailers double parked all over the road test area. I am not the only one who thinks Red Hook is better than Maspeth.

 

Funny story when I took it in Red Hook and passed on my 2nd attempt,my instructor(old guy)left the keys inside the bus and accidentally locked us out of the bus after we parked,he went to the deli to get something to drink. He then blames me,but he was the one who was driving(duh)..there were just 2 other people ahead of us in line,we were both sweating bullets trying to pry open the doors and emergency exit windows from the outside,lol. We finally got in through the back door with about 5 minutes to spare..:eek:

lol...thats funny, I think The Road Test is going To be in Whitestone. They scheduled the roadtest B4 we even started training. The only thing I hate about training is calling out all of those hazards....."hazard to the left pedestrian is Jay walking....school crossing.....Height of the overpass" So much talkiing I feel like Im giving a state of the union speech.

[LovelyDay]

:)Hi everyone. I was informed by DCAS that MTA requested for another group of B/O about a week or so ago & it was approved. I was told that notices will be sent out with in the next 30 days. I don't know how many B/O the request was for....But the last number appointed was 2795 from Exam 5025. If anybody had their list numeber restored you could call to see if you are in that group. To all have a lovely day.

[gabchi0909]

:)Hi everyone. I was informed by DCAS that MTA requested for another group of B/O about a week or so ago & it was approved. I was told that notices will be sent out with in the next 30 days. I don't know how many B/O the request was for....But the last number appointed was 2795 from Exam 5025. If anybody had their list numeber restored you could call to see if you are in that group. To all have a lovely day.

 

So this group will be coming from the 5025 list? You caled Dcas at the 212 number?

 

Thanks for the info!

 

[LovelyDay]

Yes (Exam 5025) DCAS 212