bus operator or conductor

[sealteam1962]

my question i was a ta bus driver for 7 months had to resign for my broken leg which is fine now.my list number for 8006 will be coming soon in the 700s i no its a big headache driving a bus i been spit on,coffee thrown at me.and cursed at and threatened.i was hoping conductor would come first low 600s but it wont ill be back driving the bus.when i complete my probation ill still have time to cross over to conductor which is what i want less headaches and b.s.question if i do cross over to conductor and for any reason i dont get through school car or decide its not for me.is there anyway can i come back to bus driver or thats it once you decide to go to a different job just asking thought there would be some hope to this please reply on this thank you .:confused:

[Will-Bx-718]

my question i was a ta bus driver for 7 months had to resign for my broken leg which is fine now.my list number for 8006 will be coming soon in the 700s i no its a big headache driving a bus i been spit on,coffee thrown at me.and cursed at and threatened.i was hoping conductor would come first low 600s but it wont ill be back driving the bus.when i complete my probation ill still have time to cross over to conductor which is what i want less headaches and b.s.question if i do cross over to conductor and for any reason i dont get through school car or decide its not for me.is there anyway can i come back to bus driver or thats it once you decide to go to a different job just asking thought there would be some hope to this please reply on this thank you .:confused:

 

You have up to a year to retreat to your previous title once you take a promotion. But since it sounds like you took a O/C exam unfortunately you won't be able to retreat to your previous title. Reason being is in order for you to take the O/C C/R title you will have to resign as a B/O. If you took a promo exam you would have that option to come back.

[sealteam1962]

You have up to a year to retreat to your previous title once you take a promotion. But since it sounds like you took a O/C exam unfortunately you won't be able to retreat to your previous title. Reason being is in order for you to take the O/C C/R title you will have to resign as a B/O. If you took a promo exam you would have that option to come back.

 

im stuck on this one guess i be a bus operator again or just wait for the conductor list to get called if its not for me i could reinsted my list number back to bus operator but the way things are going with the ta i cant risk doing that either must take anything that come first and deal with it there aint no jobs just glad ill be coming back no jobs out there that pay 30.00 hr.thank you for your help will !!!:tup:

[Will-Bx-718]

No problem, that's what we are hear for. To help others with questions they may have. :tup:

[Xentor]

Dam that sucks. You almost had the best of both worlds. I'de take whatever comes first of course then when the subway comes calling i'de reevaluate my position. Thats a pretty hard decision but I would go for broke and head for schoolcar. Its just a much easier job plain and simple. Lucky for you, youll have the chance to decide undoubtably.

[Donald]

A little off topic, but what did you do after you had coffee thrown at you? If it was me, I would have a hard time not jumping off the bus and beating the daylights out of the person.

[sealteam1962]

 

A little off topic, but what did you do after you had coffee thrown at you? If it was me, I would have a hard time not jumping off the bus and beating the daylights out of the person.

yes i was going to go after him but once he threw it at me he took off running like a bat out of hell no way i could have caught him i was on probation said you cant do anything but i forgot all rules that was a bad week spit at he ran then the coffee incident good for him he ran dont even want to think what i would have done to him but it wasnt goona be good:mad:

[Locomotion69]

And I am sure the first thing that console said to you was what did

you say to the person before he threw the coffee on you? like they

are implying that you provoked him.

 

Buses get their share of abuse as well, rocks,eggs thrown,etc.

Let them take out their frustrations out on the bus rather then

on the B/O.

[sealteam1962]

And I am sure the first thing that console said to you was what did

you say to the person before he threw the coffee on you? like they

are implying that you provoked him.

 

Buses get their share of abuse as well, rocks,eggs thrown,etc.

Let them take out their frustrations out on the bus rather then

on the B/O.

 

i told them my bus was full i put my hand over metro machine so they could not put the card in and told everyone to please step back out of the bus no more room in the back of bus i was packed cant drive with them in the stairwell thats a major safety violation on probbation and even after your done with probation .there was another bus behind me.thats when the insults and coffee came.it went in one ear out the other they did not care about it from console .it gets crazy in downtown brooklyn during the holiday shopping season tempers are out of whack and i was at fresh pond depot doing my line training.i hope all new drivers coming on that are new to this can learn what to expect you could encounter out there

['89 Liberty MCI]

*shameless plug* What the hell line were you working for this to happen to you? I must guess the B52. Sorry that happened. Would be sweet if you could be a conductor. Anything can happen anywhere but definitely less often down there than on the surface. Unfortunately it doesn't look like there is much you can do now. Maybe later on though. Don't lose sight of it if you really want it.

 

These days I always figure that as a surface operator the best place you could possibly go is the Select since ( 1 ) you actually get to DRIVE the bus ( 2 ) you don't deal with the fare and ( 3 ) you know the TA ain't cutting that tomorrow since it's cheap for them to operate and carries a lot of people. Only problem is it's a senior line since most operators like it and the TA cut (and will continue to cut) lines that don't carry enough people (Q74, Q75, Q79).

 

I don't know how many years you need to pick the Select. What's nice about it is that they're going to make more of them and that the program has room to grow. So it'll get easier to pick. Then there's the dispatcher's exam but you better be on top of your game to pass that one. Lots of math.

['89 Liberty MCI]

What might also help is letting them stand on the stairs or in the doorway and letting them know that as long as they're there you can't move because you will lose your job. Make up something. Tell them you're being watched by a supervisor or some shit. Hell, you don't even know especially with beakies since they're in plain clothes. Like as long as they're standing there and you can't see out the door windows or you can't see your R/S mirror you ain't going nowhere. And tell them this in a low, calm voice because you know you're already at work and the paddle means nothing because you weren't the one that created it. It's the authority's job to give you necessary running time and if they don't, take that personal or get that short sign.

[sealteam1962]

 

What might also help is letting them stand on the stairs or in the doorway and letting them know that as long as they're there you can't move because you will lose your job. Make up something. Tell them you're being watched by a supervisor or some shit. Hell, you don't even know especially with beakies since they're in plain clothes. Like as long as they're standing there and you can't see out the door windows or you can't see your R/S mirror you ain't going nowhere. And tell them this in a low, calm voice because you know you're already at work and the paddle means nothing because you weren't the one that created it. It's the authority's job to give you necessary running time and if they don't, take that personal or get that short sign.

yes it was the #52 line bus i was driving yes i hear what your saying thank you.i will keep my attendance perfect this time ill try and take the dispatchers exam dont want to be driving the bus for my whole life before this i drove tour buses for many years and it does take its toll on your back and knees.but like someone else said if it gets to be to much stress on me and have the same b.s as i had before driving the bus ill have no choice but to resign and reinstate my list # for conductor give it my best shot im glad i have this option thank you everyone for the info and help you gave me !!!:tup:

['89 Liberty MCI]

I knew it. LOL Gates Avenue, worst east-west block in Bed-Stuy.

[Donald]

Being a condcutor is definitely A LOT less work than being a B/O. I would go with C/R. You mentioned that if you flunk out of schoolcar you won't have a job to go back to, but if you were able to make it as a B/O, I highly HIGHLY doubt you will have any trouble becoming a C/R.

[Y2Julio]

C/R is not easy either. Both require work.

[Locomotion69]

*shameless plug* What the hell line were you working for this to happen to you? I must guess the B52. Sorry that happened. Would be sweet if you could be a conductor. Anything can happen anywhere but definitely less often down there than on the surface. Unfortunately it doesn't look like there is much you can do now. Maybe later on though. Don't lose sight of it if you really want it.

 

These days I always figure that as a surface operator the best place you could possibly go is the Select since ( 1 ) you actually get to DRIVE the bus ( 2 ) you don't deal with the fare and ( 3 ) you know the TA ain't cutting that tomorrow since it's cheap for them to operate and carries a lot of people. Only problem is it's a senior line since most operators like it and the TA cut (and will continue to cut) lines that don't carry enough people (Q74, Q75, Q79).

 

I don't know how many years you need to pick the Select. What's nice about it is that they're going to make more of them and that the program has room to grow. So it'll get easier to pick. Then there's the dispatcher's exam but you better be on top of your game to pass that one. Lots of math.

 

I bet the dispatcher exam is difficult just from looking at the list and scores. However somebody found the exam easy.

 

05-20-2008, 12:43 PM

DevilBus65

Surface Dispatcher

 

"Easy test

You wanna see an easy test? Look at the Dispatcher test that MTA Bus gave in May of 2007. 50 questions and only 8 were math ones. I spent the weeks leading up to the test learning formulas for calculating bus speed and buses needed for headways and none of it was on the test. And to top it all off even though I was # 6 on the list they hired by depot seniority."

['89 Liberty MCI]

Usually with the city jobs many people think the promotional exams are BS. They are; it takes so long and so much hassle for them to move you up. I guess occasional exams like the one you mentioned slip through the cracks but everything you said is indicative of any promo exam involving a city agency. You need to hack away to get what you want from them.

[Will-Bx-718]

Don't mind Donald Y2Julio he loves to makes comments like that, that he has no idea about. I'm sure his father the c/r told him about the abuse that conductors incur while at work. Such as being spit on, slapped or punched etc. No job in TA is harder or easier than another just different. We all have different jobs to accomplish with all our different titles.

[Xentor]

Well wouldnt EVERYONE love for that to be the truth Will. I think what you rather be saying is which title's caveats would you rather put up with? As they all have their problems. In your case it's SA. Some jobs are harder than others, its almost a well known fact.

[Will-Bx-718]

Well wouldnt EVERYONE love for that to be the truth Will. I think what you rather be saying is which title's caveats would you rather put up with? As they all have their problems. In your case it's SA. Some jobs are harder than others, its almost a well known fact.

 

Yeah that may be true for some jobs, but for all front line titles it's not, there just different. A conductor is just as exposed to the public at large as a B/O and thus will still have similar problems during their day. He can still be assaulted just like a B/O. Me being a S/A I have bullet resistant glass between me to keep the assaults to a minimum, but I will still need to go to lunch or the bathroom and thus can be assaulted just like a c/r or b/o. Being either of those titles are not easier or harder than each other. They just have different responsibilities. If we went by who's job is harder I could say mines, many may disagree. But you really have no idea how much extra my job involves than selling metrocards. And the issue with TA employees feeling their job is harder or more important than someone else's is what already causes a rift between some titles and departments. Everyone just needs to learn we are all pieces of a clock and if one of fails it will cause a chain reaction and we all will stop working. Here's an example, while I was working at 110th street on the B and C lines some kinds Spit in the C/R's face and throw a bottle of beer at him. The train needed to go out of service and I had at least 1200 angry passengers come to me for block tickets and alternate travel choices. Now you see the chain effect? since the C/R was assaulted, the T/O could not move the train and I had to now deal with 1200 people all at once. Now did I feel my job was more important or harder than their's?? no!!. Because we are all pieces of that same clock. And while that situation was going on many of those people went on the bus line that was right upstairs more than likely giving the B/O grief for the inconvenience.

[Locomotion69]

Are those incidents involving somebody pouring a flammable liquid

and setting the booth on fire a thing of the past? I remember back in

the 90's it happened quite often.

[Will-Bx-718]

Are those incidents involving somebody pouring a flammable liquid

and setting the booth on fire a thing of the past? I remember back in

the 90's it happened quite often.

 

Pretty much. They still have the contingency plan in effect for it though, as every booth is equip with a halon system.

[Donald]

Don't mind Donald Y2Julio he loves to makes comments like that, that he has no idea about. I'm sure his father the c/r told him about the abuse that conductors incur while at work. Such as being spit on, slapped or punched etc. No job in TA is harder or easier than another just different. We all have different jobs to accomplish with all our different titles.

 

 

I never said conductors don't take any abuse. WHat I Said was that it was an easier job. WHen a train pulls out of the station, the condcutor's job is done. A B/O, however, is responsible for the bus from the second it leaves the depot to the second it pulls back in. The B/O has no breaks. A condcutor, however, can read the newspaper in between stations (and yes, I've seen them do it).

[Will-Bx-718]

I never said conductors don't take any abuse. WHat I Said was that it was an easier job. WHen a train pulls out of the station, the condcutor's job is done. A B/O, however, is responsible for the bus from the second it leaves the depot to the second it pulls back in. The B/O has no breaks. A condcutor, however, can read the newspaper in between stations (and yes, I've seen them do it).

 

The conductors job is not easier, and their job is not over the second they leave the station. And you've seen conductors read newspapers between stations? So you can see through the cabin door as well?. Even in older trains where most conductors leave the cabin door open and switch between cars i've never seen them read a paper. You really need to stop making assumptions and accusations of things you have no idea about. I can see why people highly doubt you had a father that was a conductor because you would not be so clueless on the job fuctions of one. Now I don't know you personally or have anything against you but you really are seriously misinformed about subject matters pertaining to titles.

[Donald]

"And you've seen conductors read newspapers between stations? "

 

When I was wating for the train at the local stops along Queens Blvd., a couple of times I saw the condcutors on the passing express trains reading newspapers. Not that hard to see when the trains have a yellow signal and are moving slow.

 

I don't get why you find it inconceivale that a condcutor was reading the paper. If they are on an express train and it's a long ride to the next stop, what else are they going to do?