SUBWAY - Random Thoughts Topic

[SeanH525]

On 2/16/2021 at 6:49 AM, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

The plan is still to layoff station clerks. Fine by me. Most are rude anyway. You won't see me out there yelling to stop the cuts. I haven't heard of any advocacy groups talking about that either.

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-subway-token-booths-closed-20201231-d5xyb36fkfgrrjb5kwb2sgndeq-story.html

Transit can’t lay anyone off so long as they continue to rely on federal stimulus aid.

With that being said, pretty rude of YOU to assume all station agents are the same. Then there’s the loss of livelihood that you’re so casually discussing.

No one’s fault but transit themselves that they’re gaming the system to short their fare revenue/swipes. When the machines are down (which they are regularly for long periods of the day), and customers claim they only have cash as payment, they’re let through the service gate for free. That is what we are told to do. The problem is they now haven’t swiped, and the swipes are what transit uses to account for their “ridership numbers”.
 

There isn’t one station agent I know that doesn’t want to be performing their primary job function. Not our fault that NYCT decided to neuter us to help themselves cry broke.

[Mtatransit]

21 minutes ago, SeanH525 said:

Transit can’t lay anyone off so long as they continue to rely on federal stimulus aid.

With that being said, pretty rude of YOU to assume all station agents are the same. Then there’s the loss of livelihood that you’re so casually discussing.

No one’s fault but transit themselves that they’re gaming the system to short their fare revenue/swipes. When the machines are down (which they are regularly for long periods of the day), and customers claim they only have cash as payment, they’re let through the service gate for free. That is what we are told to do. The problem is they now haven’t swiped, and the swipes are what transit uses to account for their “ridership numbers”.
 

There isn’t one station agent I know that doesn’t want to be performing their primary job function. Not our fault that NYCT decided to neuter us to help themselves cry broke.

I'm sure there are good ones out there, but I have yet to experience one. Too often, in multiple boroughs, the only thing I would receive from the booths is a bad altitude. I'm sure you serve your customers with pride, but there are too may bad apples out there.

NYCT does not cover its cost. Even if they cover all the swipes, they will still have a shortfall. The fact of the matter is that the operating cost for the MTA is too high even compared to the deplorable United States low standards, let alone European or Asian countries. MTA can not rely on federal aid forever. MTA was heading for financial disaster way before COVID-19. There is no doubt they will head that way again. 

[SeanH525]

8 minutes ago, Mtatransit said:

I'm sure there are good ones out there, but I have yet to experience one. Too often, in multiple boroughs, the only thing I would receive from the booths is a bad altitude. I'm sure you serve your customers with pride, but there are too may bad apples out there.

NYCT does not cover its cost. Even if they cover all the swipes, they will still have a shortfall. The fact of the matter is that the operating cost for the MTA is too high even compared to the deplorable United States low standards, let alone European or Asian countries. MTA can not rely on federal aid forever. MTA was heading for financial disaster way before COVID-19. There is no doubt they will head that way again. 

I appreciate your objectivity. It’s true that transit is terrible with their habit of wasteful spending. However, there was a plan in place long before COVID for the future of the station agent position (Wayfinder). I highly doubt the approximately 2700 people that perform the job will be laid off regardless of the financial situation. The move to cut lunch relief jobs is more than likely to address the current OT situation, for example. Wasteful spending and unnecessary amounts of OT work go hand in hand.

If you downsize the amount of necessary agents, you don’t have to fill future or current vacancies with new agents or excessive OT. It’s a good move to combat the wasteful spending you’re talking about. It also avoids layoffs, since there’s already an agent shortage. All the move will do is dramatically decrease overtime. When retirements come, future job picks could simply reflect a reduced head account once again. Downsizing via attrition makes a lot more sense than spitting in the faces of people who worked through a pandemic.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

1 hour ago, SeanH525 said:

Transit can’t lay anyone off so long as they continue to rely on federal stimulus aid.

With that being said, pretty rude of YOU to assume all station agents are the same. Then there’s the loss of livelihood that you’re so casually discussing.

No one’s fault but transit themselves that they’re gaming the system to short their fare revenue/swipes. When the machines are down (which they are regularly for long periods of the day), and customers claim they only have cash as payment, they’re let through the service gate for free. That is what we are told to do. The problem is they now haven’t swiped, and the swipes are what transit uses to account for their “ridership numbers”.
 

There isn’t one station agent I know that doesn’t want to be performing their primary job function. Not our fault that NYCT decided to neuter us to help themselves cry broke.

You can believe whatever you want to believe. That doesn't change the fact that they will continue to push to lay them off. I'm entitled to my opinion, period, and as far as I'm concerned, they can go. There are a number of station agents now appealing to the public about pushing the  to advocate to keep them, and other riders are saying the same thing I am. You don't have to like it. They're a public agency, and we're the riders, and we can state what our opinions are.

[SeanH525]

2 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

You can believe whatever you want to believe. That doesn't change the fact that they will continue to push to lay them off. I'm entitled to my opinion, period, and as far as I'm concerned, they can go. There are a number of station agents now appealing to the public about pushing the  to advocate to keep them, and other riders are saying the same thing I am. You don't have to like it. They're a public agency, and we're the riders, and we can state what our opinions are.

You know what they say about opinions. And I’m certainly glad your opinion doesn’t dictate what happens with my occupation or dozens of others that I know.

I’m not surprised where you stand given your standing in many other topics that I’ve seen here. An entitled Trumper through and through. I pray what you wish on others isn’t what you deal with in your life.

 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

3 minutes ago, SeanH525 said:

You know what they say about opinions. And I’m certainly glad your opinion doesn’t dictate what happens with my occupation or dozens of others that I know.

I’m not surprised where you stand given your standing in many other topics that I’ve seen here. An entitled Trumper through and through. I pray what you wish on others isn’t what you deal with in your life.

 

My political affiliation is irrelevant to this discussion. The fact of the matter is the agency is looking to cut costs, and all signs point to the jobs of booth clerks being changed or eliminated. If you're looking to the public for help, good luck, as many other customers don't appear to care, and I'm sure many of them are Democrats, so spare me with the Trump BS, as if that matters. Technology is here, and fewer people are using cash, so the need of a booth agent either changes or will eventually no longer be needed. That's just the reality of it.

[SeanH525]

3 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

My political affiliation is irrelevant to this discussion. The fact of the matter is the agency is looking to cut costs, and all signs point to the jobs of booth clerks being changed or eliminated. If you're looking to the public for help, good luck, as many other customers don't appear to care, and I'm sure many of them are Democrats, so spare me with the Trump BS, as if that matters. Technology is here, and fewer people are using cash, so the need of a booth agent either changes or will eventually no longer be needed. That's just the reality of it.

Lmao you literally have no idea what you’re talking about. There are more people that want to use cash in the subway than you evidently know. Way more.
 

This is just biased dribble from someone whose political affiliation absolutely does matter. Your arrogance, condescension and sense of entitlement screams what you believe.

Maybe if you didn’t so strongly push for people to lose their jobs, and the “change” part was where you were coming from, you wouldn’t come off as such a... well you know.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

20 minutes ago, SeanH525 said:

Lmao you literally have no idea what you’re talking about. There are more people that want to use cash in the subway than you evidently know. Way more.
 

This is just biased dribble from someone whose political affiliation absolutely does matter. Your arrogance, condescension and sense of entitlement screams what you believe.

Maybe if you didn’t so strongly push for people to lose their jobs, and the “change” part was where you were coming from, you wouldn’t come off as such a... well you know.

I have seen them, and of course there will be some people that will want to use cash, but that doesn't mean that we haven't been moving towards more people not using cash. Furthermore, that also doesn't mean that the  won't continue with their plan. Many people were opposed to coins going away on the express bus, myself included. They still got rid of them, and cost was a big factor. The plan is to eventually eliminate them on the local buses, so again, laugh, but it comes down to money, period, and spending your time trying to deride me because I am stating something you don't like to hear is not going to change the situation at hand. 

I'm not strongly pushing for anyone to lose their job. I'm simply saying I'm not going out of my way to advocate for keeping them. I buy my Metrocards from MVMs, so I really don't have a need for station clerks and haven't for years, so I could care less either way. If I'm arrogant for that, so be it. MVMs take cash too, so the  could argue that those people can use the machines. 

Edited February 18, 2021 by Via Garibaldi 8

[SeanH525]

16 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

I have seen them, and of course there will be some people that will want to use cash, but that doesn't mean that we haven't been moving towards more people not using cash. Furthermore, that also doesn't mean that the  won't continue with their plan. Many people were opposed to coins going away on the express bus, myself included. They still got rid of them, and cost was a big factor. The plan is to eventually eliminate them on the local buses, so again, laugh, but it comes down to money, period, and spending your time trying to deride me because I am stating something you don't like to hear is not going to change the situation at hand. 

I'm not strongly pushing for anyone to lose their job. I'm simply saying I'm not going out of my way to advocate for keeping them. I buy my Metrocards from MVMs, so I really don't have a need for station clerks and haven't for years, so I could care less either way. If I'm arrogant for that, so be it.

Sure, you didn’t push for anyone to lose their job... Except your little soliloquy generalizing nearly 3,000 people before I chimed in. I’m not sure why it’s so hard for you to admit that you’re being not at all objective about this, but okay.

And as I said previously to someone else, there was a plan for the future of the station agent position before the covid outbreak. The Wayfinder program was agreed upon by NYCT and TWU before we ever got into the Covid mess. If you want to speculate and assume that’s off the table simply because you have something against the people who do the job, that’s fine. Just say that instead of talking out of your you know what.

I’m glad you’re such a big advocate for the system or whatever your obsession with this forum is, but it really is shameful to wish bad on others simply because you don’t agree (?) that the job they do is essential or worth the pay. Or whatever the hell your problem is.

MVMs were not designed to handle the amount of volume they’ve been tasked with after cash transactions were suspended at the booths. This is why, as I stated before, people are often given free entry via the service gate. If there’s no way to pay in cash, and customers only have cash to use, they have to have a way to enter the system.

I really take no enjoyment out of shooting down your talking points, so I’d appreciate it if you at least tried to educate yourself more about what it is we’re there to do before putting us all down. I don’t have kids, but many of my colleagues do. And it’s beyond me that you’d be so callous about them earning a living because they aren’t “useful” to you.

Edited February 18, 2021 by SeanH525
MVM knowledge

[Lawrence St]

[Via Garibaldi 8]

16 minutes ago, SeanH525 said:

Sure, you didn’t push for anyone to lose their job... Except your little soliloquy generalizing nearly 3,000 people before I chimed in. I’m not sure why it’s so hard for you to admit that you’re being not at all objective about this, but okay.

And as I said previously to someone else, there was a plan for the future of the station agent position before the covid outbreak. The Wayfinder program was agreed upon by NYCT and TWU before we ever got into the Covid mess. If you want to speculate and assume that’s off the table simply because you have something against the people who do the job, that’s fine. Just say that instead of talking out of your you know what.

I’m glad you’re such a big advocate for the system or whatever your obsession with this forum is, but it really is shameful to wish bad on others simply because you don’t agree (?) that the job they do is essential or worth the pay. Or whatever the hell your problem is.

Aww well I'm sorry to have hurt your little feelings. One of YOUR colleagues went and posted on a community page recently about how your jobs were on the line; we sure as hell didn't ask her to, so maybe you should complain to them about them speculating, not me. From there a number of commuters chimed in. I would assume that she did that for good reason, not unless she is terribly confused, but she posted how she felt and what she thought, and asked for the riding public to support the agents.

What I have stated about the elimination of coins on the buses is something that has been stated down at 2 Broadway off the record, and maybe you've oblivious to the  's financial situation, but ridership is down big time. If you watch their board meetings, they are constantly looking at their costs. It's all public, as they are a public agency, so spare me with this like this is such a shock.

And for the last time, I don't care what happens with booth clerks and their jobs. Yeah, I said some of them have nasty attitudes. Get over it. You're pretty much exemplifying what I said earlier. 

Edited February 18, 2021 by Via Garibaldi 8

[SeanH525]

1 minute ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Aww well I'm sorry to have hurt your little feelings. One of YOUR colleagues went and posted on a community page recently about how your jobs were on the line; we sure as hell didn't ask her to, so maybe you should complain to them about them speculating, not me. From there a number of commuters chimed in. I would assume that she did that for good reason, not unless she is woefully informed, but she posted how she felt and what she thought, and asked for the riding public to support the agents.

What I have stated about the elimination of coins on the buses is something that has been stated down at 2 Broadway off the record, and maybe you've oblivious to the  's financial situation, but ridership is down big time. If you watch their board meetings, they are constantly looking at their costs. It's all public, as they are a public agency, so spare me with this like this is such a shock.

And for the last time, I don't care what happens with booth clerks and their jobs. Yeah, I said some of them have nasty attitudes. Get over it. You're pretty much exemplifying what I said earlier. 

It’s ironic to read you trying to lecture me on a nasty attitude when you clearly lack any and all empathy. If you want to take my defending people as me being “nasty”, I’m not sure what else there is to say to you. We’re all painfully aware of the financial straits many state and local agencies are facing due to COVID. I’m more than aware especially that NYCT is anything but exempt in that regard.

The public should back the agents. We want to be serving you, not having to answer for the decisions made at 2 Broadway and 130 Livingston about what parts of our job description we are and are not able to perform. There’s nothing I’d rather do more than be able to accept payment for your fare, especially over having to defend my right to future employment. I’m sorry for whatever experiences you may have had in the past with others performing the same profession. I am not rude; I am simply tired of having to defend the job I perform to the best of my ability on a weekly basis. It’s hard to come on here every so often and see us being put down or trivialized when we simply cannot make the call to do what we signed up to do.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

1 minute ago, SeanH525 said:

It’s ironic to read you trying to lecture me on a nasty attitude when you clearly lack any and all empathy. If you want to take my defending people as me being “nasty”, I’m not sure what else there is to say to you. We’re all painfully aware of the financial straits many state and local agencies are facing due to COVID. I’m more than aware especially that NYCT is anything but exempt in that regard.

The public should back the agents. We want to be serving you, not having to answer for the decisions made at 2 Broadway and 130 Livingston about what parts of our job description we are and are not able to perform. There’s nothing I’d rather do more than be able to accept payment for your fare, especially over having to defend my right to future employment. I’m sorry for whatever experiences you may have had in the past with others performing the same profession. I am not rude; I am simply tired of having to defend the job I perform to the best of my ability on a weekly basis. It’s hard to come on here every so often and see us being put down or trivialized when we simply cannot make the call to do what we signed up to do.

Well if it doesn't apply to you, then no reason to be offended, but the ones I have interacted with over the years have been rude, so excuse me for having that perception. For what it's worth, I have advocated with other advocacy groups over the last several months on a number of measures that I am sure have helped to save  employee jobs, but if you feel the need to continue to attack me, have at it. 

[SeanH525]

1 minute ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Well if it doesn't apply to you, then no reason to be offended, but the ones I have interacted with over the years have been rude, so excuse me for having that perception. For what it's worth, I have advocated with other advocacy groups over the last several months on a number of measures that I am sure have helped to save  employee jobs, but if you feel the need to continue to attack me, have at it. 

Fair enough. I don’t feel it serves either of us to continue to bicker. If you truly do advocate to save jobs, then I was wrong to judge you as I did. I hope one day you are able to go to a booth and you have a different experience. It’s in all not a difficult job. Because of that, and in fairness to you as a rider, there’s no need for any agent to be rude to the riding public. It’s a privilege to do what we do, especially these days.

[Mtatransit]

1 hour ago, SeanH525 said:

If you downsize the amount of necessary agents, you don’t have to fill future or current vacancies with new agents or excessive OT. It’s a good move to combat the wasteful spending you’re talking about. It also avoids layoffs, since there’s already an agent shortage. All the move will do is dramatically decrease overtime. When retirements come, future job picks could simply reflect a reduced head account once again. Downsizing via attrition makes a lot more sense than spitting in the faces of people who worked through a pandemic.

Ideally, attrition should be used to reduce the effect on the employee, but that is something the union and the MTA will have to negotiate. The TWU and the unions on the commuter railroads are known to not make any concessions. They are good at preserving jobs, but does not do any favors for the finances for the company. 

MTA management is not innocent here too, they are wasteful and have too many politically connected in there, but MTA as an organization simply is not sustainable. Operating cost needs to come down.

[MHV9218]

50 minutes ago, SeanH525 said:

Fair enough. I don’t feel it serves either of us to continue to bicker. If you truly do advocate to save jobs, then I was wrong to judge you as I did. I hope one day you are able to go to a booth and you have a different experience. It’s in all not a difficult job. Because of that, and in fairness to you as a rider, there’s no need for any agent to be rude to the riding public. It’s a privilege to do what we do, especially these days.

Don't worry, he doesn't! And you were not! 

Unless filing complaints about B/Os and reporting them to supervision daily, in the hopes of getting them punished and/or fired, counts as saving jobs...

Thanks for your posts. The rest of us get exhausted. Most people on this site really do support transit workers and believe in their work.

[SeanH525]

1 hour ago, MHV9218 said:

Don't worry, he doesn't! And you were not! 

Unless filing complaints about B/Os and reporting them to supervision daily, in the hopes of getting them punished and/or fired, counts as saving jobs...

Thanks for your posts. The rest of us get exhausted. Most people on this site really do support transit workers and believe in their work.

Thank you for taking the time to read and responding back as well. I have no job without you guys. My father before me as well.

[Lawrence St]

3 hours ago, MHV9218 said:

Don't worry, he doesn't! And you were not! 

Unless filing complaints about B/Os and reporting them to supervision daily, in the hopes of getting them punished and/or fired, counts as saving jobs...

Thanks for your posts. The rest of us get exhausted. Most people on this site really do support transit workers and believe in their work.

Glad someone said it. There's a line between having a true reason to complain about something, and another just to get get someone in trouble. 

[Theli11]

As fun, exciting and dreadful as that conversation was..

https://new.mta.info/transparency/fares-and-tolls-2020/proposals#:~:text=In the event that the existing base fare for cash,increase to up to %24139.00.

I know this is old but is there any time in place for when they're going to implement it.. 

 

Quote

Walk-Up Reduced Fare:

Eliminate option for eligible riders to show identification at ticket booth or on buses to obtain reduced fare (which would require riders to register for reduced fare benefit), or maintain the walk-up reduced fare option.

Also can someone clarify what this means exactly?

[Mtatransit]

46 minutes ago, Theli11 said:

As fun, exciting and dreadful as that conversation was..

https://new.mta.info/transparency/fares-and-tolls-2020/proposals#:~:text=In the event that the existing base fare for cash,increase to up to %24139.00.

I know this is old but is there any time in place for when they're going to implement it.. 

 

Also can someone clarify what this means exactly?

Currently if you walk up to the agent and pay the full fare and show identification to show you qualify for reduced fare, you will receive a two trip reduced fare metrocard. 

Current station agents are not allowed to accept cash as per COVID-19 so technically I believe it already ended. 

 

@SeanH525 mentioned something to the tune of if you can only pay with cash, agents are instructed to let you in for free.

[SeanH525]

6 hours ago, Mtatransit said:

Currently if you walk up to the agent and pay the full fare and show identification to show you qualify for reduced fare, you will receive a two trip reduced fare metrocard. 

Current station agents are not allowed to accept cash as per COVID-19 so technically I believe it already ended. 

 

@SeanH525 mentioned something to the tune of if you can only pay with cash, agents are instructed to let you in for free.

If all of the MVMs are not accepting bills, and that’s the only form of payment you have, supervision has said to let customers through the service gate.

[R68ACTrain]

22 hours ago, Deucey said:

Riding a  local on Eastern Pkwy, and the stop announcements now say if there’s elevators at the next station.

When did this start?

I heard about this before, it's a new program on the  and  for wheelchair passengers.

[LGA Link N Train]

I just realized that the idea of deinterlining the system changes the way I look at potential subway expansion (that'll all probably never happen anyways unless I or someone else someday grabs a postition of power... within the cuty, state or the MTA some day...)

[shiznit1987]

On 2/17/2021 at 7:16 PM, SeanH525 said:

I appreciate your objectivity. It’s true that transit is terrible with their habit of wasteful spending. However, there was a plan in place long before COVID for the future of the station agent position (Wayfinder). I highly doubt the approximately 2700 people that perform the job will be laid off regardless of the financial situation. The move to cut lunch relief jobs is more than likely to address the current OT situation, for example. Wasteful spending and unnecessary amounts of OT work go hand in hand.

If you downsize the amount of necessary agents, you don’t have to fill future or current vacancies with new agents or excessive OT. It’s a good move to combat the wasteful spending you’re talking about. It also avoids layoffs, since there’s already an agent shortage. All the move will do is dramatically decrease overtime. When retirements come, future job picks could simply reflect a reduced head account once again. Downsizing via attrition makes a lot more sense than spitting in the faces of people who worked through a pandemic.

Very good post. Kudos to being rational and levelheaded as an MTA worker since some do sincerely believe the agency exists to "provide jobs".

 

I agree that attrition is the way to go and that all crafts and departments need to be made aware that positions simply aren't going to be replaced once folks retire. This balances both the compassion side (not laying anyone off) and the realist side (the math isn't working and hasn't for a long time)

[Calvin]

There's something I'm wondering on the front sign on either the R46 or R68/A [1st or last car of the train]. At 96 St, if a arrives at the last stop but as via Sea Beach. Changing the sign to an , how does one know if the sign is set correct as an  ? 

*Similar as  to a  

Edited February 22, 2021 by Calvin