SUBWAY - Random Thoughts Topic

[40MntVrn]

16 minutes ago, shiznit1987 said:

I always thought the tradition was if a train is in an outer borough and heading towards Manhattan you'd say "This is a Manhattan-bound ____ train" and if heading outbound or already in Manhattan it's the actual destination that's used. Plus, I think words like "Uptown" and "Downtown" would be a better fit. 

 

 

 

I agree, but interpret this differently. If a train is enroute to a different borough, I'd like announcements to say "This is a X bound Z". Up/Downtown should really only be used in Manhattan.

My biggest pet peeve still remains on how they describe express service. A 5 peak-hour express train is very different from a 5 off-peak hour express train.

[B3 Via Av U]

I've noticed new "Danger - High Voltage" stickers under the door sills on a number of R160s recently. Whats that about?

[Deucey]

19 minutes ago, B3 Via Av U said:

I've noticed new "Danger - High Voltage" stickers under the door sills on a number of R160s recently. Whats that about?

Warning yard workers and trespassers that there’s a risk of injury from high voltage under the train doors?

[MHV9218]

Well, damn. Here I was excited to see 2874 with the old rollsign on the . But some dickhead stole the roll out yesterday.

[Calvin]

http://www.twulocal100.org/story/update-judge-orders-mta-stay-schedule-changes-pending-arguments-tuesday?fbclid=IwAR3cUflPd_EMZjchrgxA8d-ALpiPlC61AURsDXjfnDVhHsqwUdHH7JOEcy0

More to the  train update

[brakethrow]

Management aside, do most train operators enjoy their job?

Despite different braking characteristics of different equipment, I can't help but feel that running up/down the same line multiple times a day gets boring real quick.

[paulrivera]

3 hours ago, Calvin said:

http://www.twulocal100.org/story/update-judge-orders-mta-stay-schedule-changes-pending-arguments-tuesday?fbclid=IwAR3cUflPd_EMZjchrgxA8d-ALpiPlC61AURsDXjfnDVhHsqwUdHH7JOEcy0

More to the  train update

Good.

Outer borough ridership is actually still a thing, unlike what the traffic checkers in Manhattan are probably looking at.

[RedLine]

16 hours ago, Deucey said:

Warning yard workers and trespassers that there’s a risk of injury from high voltage under the train doors?

Yes, after an accident involving a worker and a live shoe.

[R10 2952]

21 hours ago, brakethrow said:

Management aside, do most train operators enjoy their job?

Despite different braking characteristics of different equipment, I can't help but feel that running up/down the same line multiple times a day gets boring real quick.

I think you're seriously underestimating just how big an aspect of the job dealing with petty supervisors and non-stop micromanagement can be; every acquaintance I had growing up who worked in NYCT said putting up with shitty bosses was at least 50% of the job.  No job can truly be enjoyable if the person directly overseeing you, his boss, and most layers of management above are rotten to the core, and will try to get you severely disciplined or even fired for the slightest or even perceived (i.e. nonexistent) infraction.

You talk of job enjoyment, but the reality is that for the majority of us ordinary folks in this country, life is not about doing what you want to do, but doing what you have to do to not end up on the streets.

Edited March 21, 2021 by R10 2952

[4 via Mosholu]

9 hours ago, RedLine said:

Yes, after an accident involving a worker and a live shoe.

Did this happen inside the IRT?

[Lawrence St]

1 hour ago, R10 2952 said:

I think you're seriously underestimating just how big an aspect of the job dealing with petty supervisors and non-stop micromanagement can be; every acquaintance I had growing up who worked in NYCT said putting up with shitty bosses was at least 50% of the job.  No job can truly be enjoyable if the person directly overseeing you, his boss, and most layers of management above are rotten to the core, and will try to get you severely disciplined or even fired for the slightest or even perceived (i.e. nonexistent) infraction.

You talk of job enjoyment, but the reality is that for the majority of us ordinary folks in this country, life is not about doing what you want to do, but doing what you have to do to not end up on the streets.

I agree with the mentioned statement. In both rapid transit & bus operations, the job is only fun if your supervisors aren't rotten to the core. Sadly there only a few good people left within the agency and it sucks that your always constantly looking over your shoulder, worried that the smallest infraction can get you fired or worse.

Ive actually been thinking about moving to an entirely new career. I love being an operator, but the climate here is horrible...

Edited March 21, 2021 by Lawrence St

[brakethrow]

2 hours ago, R10 2952 said:

I think you're seriously underestimating just how big an aspect of the job dealing with petty supervisors and non-stop micromanagement can be; every acquaintance I had growing up who worked in NYCT said putting up with shitty bosses was at least 50% of the job.  No job can truly be enjoyable if the person directly overseeing you, his boss, and most layers of management above are rotten to the core, and will try to get you severely disciplined or even fired for the slightest or even perceived (i.e. nonexistent) infraction.

I've read many of the horror stories of crews having to deal with management but didn't know it was horrible to this extent.

 

Quote

You talk of job enjoyment, but the reality is that for the majority of us ordinary folks in this country, life is not about doing what you want to do, but doing what you have to do to not end up on the streets.

No mom and dad, had to get it on my own since the age of 15 - trust I'm well aware. Seeing as this is a job that many enthusiasts dream of doing I was simply curious. Just like the guy in the video below, I wondered if that's the case with most other operators. 

 

 

Edited March 21, 2021 by brakethrow

[vioreen]

On 3/15/2021 at 3:52 PM, Vulturious said:

Yep, car 7021 has it, but it is the only car that has it so far. Found them on DJ Hammer's Discord server.

It probably is going to be used for  service once the R262's start rolling in which makes a lot of sense. If that is the case, I speculate that the , , and  might be the ones receiving them while the , , and  get the R142/A's.

I think the   and  needs to get the R262.

[vioreen]

12 hours ago, R10 2952 said:

I think you're seriously underestimating just how big an aspect of the job dealing with petty supervisors and non-stop micromanagement can be; every acquaintance I had growing up who worked in NYCT said putting up with shitty bosses was at least 50% of the job.  No job can truly be enjoyable if the person directly overseeing you, his boss, and most layers of management above are rotten to the core, and will try to get you severely disciplined or even fired for the slightest or even perceived (i.e. nonexistent) infraction.

You talk of job enjoyment, but the reality is that for the majority of us ordinary folks in this country, life is not about doing what you want to do, but doing what you have to do to not end up on the streets.

I want to Know, what are the main functions of the TSS ?

[B35 via Church]

13 hours ago, R10 2952 said:

You talk of job enjoyment, but the reality is that for the majority of us ordinary folks in this country, life is not about doing what you want to do, but doing what you have to do to not end up on the streets.

The younger generations are on that tip.... There has been an exponential focus of "work-life balance" over the years (which is almost always used as a convenient cloak; they really want more of an imbalance that's much more in favor on the "life" side of things).... They understand that the older generations were all (or, primarily) about work work work work work, so it's kind of their "answer" to combating, or rebelling against that.....

The problem I have with it isn't necessarily wanting to doing away with work-a-holicism, the problem I have with it is that they're not being completely forthright.... The advocacy is for idealism way more than it is for any real balancement of idealism & pragmatism....

[bobtehpanda]

30 minutes ago, B35 via Church said:

The younger generations are on that tip.... There has been an exponential focus of "work-life balance" over the years (which is almost always used as a convenient cloak; they really want more of an imbalance that's much more in favor on the "life" side of things).... They understand that the older generations were all (or, primarily) about work work work work work, so it's kind of their "answer" to combating, or rebelling against that.....

The problem I have with it isn't necessarily wanting to doing away with work-a-holicism, the problem I have with it is that they're not being completely forthright.... The advocacy is for idealism way more than it is for any real balancement of idealism & pragmatism....

The way I see it, employers are holding up less and less of a bargain. First it was pensions, then it was health insurance, then in some jobs you don't even get a stable week-to-week working schedule, etc. You hear older folks talk about "if you're looking for a job you just ask to speak to the manager and hand in a resume they didn't ask for, and you get a job that pays enough for 20% down at 25" and it sounds like some wacky bizzaro world. It's only natural that employees follow suit.

It reminds me of what they say across the pond. "Europeans work to live and Americans live to work." My cohort is starting to realize that whatever we were getting out of that arrangement is no longer working.

It is also a reflection of the fact that most jobs that check for butt-in-seat time, you actually end up doing nothing for a good chunk of that, so some people just want to cut the bullshit and get some time back for themselves while producing the same amount of work and getting paid the same.

Edited March 21, 2021 by bobtehpanda

[B35 via Church]

3 hours ago, bobtehpanda said:

The way I see it, employers are holding up less and less of a bargain. First it was pensions, then it was health insurance, then in some jobs you don't even get a stable week-to-week working schedule, etc. You hear older folks talk about "if you're looking for a job you just ask to speak to the manager and hand in a resume they didn't ask for, and you get a job that pays enough for 20% down at 25" and it sounds like some wacky bizzaro world. It's only natural that employees follow suit.

It reminds me of what they say across the pond. "Europeans work to live and Americans live to work." My cohort is starting to realize that whatever we were getting out of that arrangement is no longer working.

It is also a reflection of the fact that most jobs that check for butt-in-seat time, you actually end up doing nothing for a good chunk of that, so some people just want to cut the bullshit and get some time back for themselves while producing the same amount of work and getting paid the same.

Employers leveraging whatever power they have over an employee is definitely an aspect of it, but I'm more speaking to (enough of) these younger folks hanging their hats on idealistic views of life.... I listen to enough of these young 20-somethings (online & offline) & they're on that entrepreneurial spirit tip (instead of slaving away, working for the man (so to speak))... That's all well & good, but there is this belief that they can just start a business & the money will just come rolling in... That collective mindset to me is dangerous & sets our youth up for straight up failure....

[4 via Mosholu]

5 hours ago, vioreen said:

I want to Know, what are the main functions of the TSS ?

They are there to make sure that you are doing what you are supposed to.

[Lex]

5 hours ago, vioreen said:

I think the   and  needs to get the R262.

Only the  has any real justification for the R262s, and even then, it shouldn't get any until after the R142s are moved off of White Plains Road.

[Calvin]

CBTC on Queens Blvd is currently active between Kews Gardens and Queens Plaza/21 St-Queensbridge (Express tracks for now), with the 53rd St line for the  . More work being done but on its finishing point. 

The  is still on-hold due to software issues. 

 

https://new.mta.info/projects/CBTC-on-Queens-Boulevard?fbclid=IwAR1_-OpZ_ftTYhDJ-gpbFy5oC5kQ0HXlRIEgKn5z-AQBV7lNlSA_sreG_00

Edited March 21, 2021 by Calvin

[bobtehpanda]

1 hour ago, B35 via Church said:

Employers leveraging whatever power they have over an employee is definitely an aspect of it, but I'm more speaking to (enough of) these younger folks hanging their hats on idealistic views of life.... I listen to enough of these young 20-somethings (online & offline) & they're on that entrepreneurial spirit tip (instead of slaving away, working for the man (so to speak))... That's all well & good, but there is this belief that they can just start a business & the money will just come rolling in... That collective mindset to me is dangerous & sets our youth up for straight up failure....

Youth has been set up for failure for a while now. The math hasn't added up for at least a decade, maybe two or three. Jobs that didn't used to require a BA now do, and you need so many years of minimum experience. Takes too much money to do basic ongoing life things, let alone the big-ticket things like a house. And most people are one bad-luck event away from crashing to the ground.

It's more of a coping mechanism than anything. But no one knows when the music will stop and it's time to grab a chair.

[R10 2952]

Eventually the music will stop, and it will all come crashing down, albeit in slow-motion over a period of several years.  Late-stage capitalism in a nutshell; this country is beginning to resemble the last days of the Soviet Union in certain respects.  Socially divided, politically bankrupt, and economically crippled.

But just like those in modern-day Russia who praise Brezhnev, there are still idiots in America who think Reagan was a savior...

Edited March 21, 2021 by R10 2952

[B35 via Church]

40 minutes ago, bobtehpanda said:

Youth has been set up for failure for a while now. The math hasn't added up for at least a decade, maybe two or three. Jobs that didn't used to require a BA now do, and you need so many years of minimum experience. Takes too much money to do basic ongoing life things, let alone the big-ticket things like a house. And most people are one bad-luck event away from crashing to the ground.

It's more of a coping mechanism than anything. But no one knows when the music will stop and it's time to grab a chair.

Yes, the youth has been set up for failure by previous generations (that's the single biggest gripe against the boomer generation & quite frankly, it's justified) - but at the same time, the youth believes they're going to reinvent the wheel with this entrepreneurial, optimistic, idealistic, paradiso way of going about life.... All that's going to do is continue the cycle of failure that they were born into; I'd go as far as to say that'd expedite the inevitable..... There's a saying that regards chiefs & indians that fits here & it isn't in reference to anything sports related either.... But yeah, sticking the figurative & literal middle finger at current employers that nickel & dime/shortchange/undervalue and/or otherwise mistreat their employees & pushing becoming your own boss is an individualistic, short-sighted solution at best...

29 minutes ago, R10 2952 said:

Eventually the music will stop, and it will all come crashing down, albeit in slow-motion over a period of several years.  Late-stage capitalism in a nutshell; this country is beginning to resemble the last days of the Soviet Union in certain respects.  Socially divided, politically bankrupt, and economically crippled.

Lol.... Who cares about the infamous two-party system when you're "woke"

[T to Dyre Avenue]

21 hours ago, R10 2952 said:

I think you're seriously underestimating just how big an aspect of the job dealing with petty supervisors and non-stop micromanagement can be; every acquaintance I had growing up who worked in NYCT said putting up with shitty bosses was at least 50% of the job.  No job can truly be enjoyable if the person directly overseeing you, his boss, and most layers of management above are rotten to the core, and will try to get you severely disciplined or even fired for the slightest or even perceived (i.e. nonexistent) infraction.

You talk of job enjoyment, but the reality is that for the majority of us ordinary folks in this country, life is not about doing what you want to do, but doing what you have to do to not end up on the streets.

 

19 hours ago, brakethrow said:

I've read many of the horror stories of crews having to deal with management but didn't know it was horrible to this extent.

 

This is why I didn’t want to work for Transit. A lot of people I knew said I should and I did think about when I was younger, much younger. I wanted to be a T/O when I was a kid - yes, back in the 80s when the subway was at its absolute worst. But the last thing I want/need is a petty micromanager looking for a way to put me in a “Gotcha!” situation. I don’t handle micromanaging very well and nearly lost two jobs many years ago because of it. One of the the things I learned from my years of posting on SubTalk, SubChat and here is how the jobs of Conductor T/O and Bus Driver are not easy. And management personnel play a big role in that. At my current assignment in Supreme Civil Court, I don’t have a “gotcha” culture and I’m very thankful for that.  

7 hours ago, bobtehpanda said:

The way I see it, employers are holding up less and less of a bargain. First it was pensions, then it was health insurance, then in some jobs you don't even get a stable week-to-week working schedule, etc. You hear older folks talk about "if you're looking for a job you just ask to speak to the manager and hand in a resume they didn't ask for, and you get a job that pays enough for 20% down at 25" and it sounds like some wacky bizzaro world. It's only natural that employees follow suit.

It reminds me of what they say across the pond. "Europeans work to live and Americans live to work." My cohort is starting to realize that whatever we were getting out of that arrangement is no longer working.

It is also a reflection of the fact that most jobs that check for butt-in-seat time, you actually end up doing nothing for a good chunk of that, so some people just want to cut the bullshit and get some time back for themselves while producing the same amount of work and getting paid the same.

I really do think we need to have a bit more of a “work to live” mentality in this country. Even if you truly enjoy your work, you still need to make time to get out and do other things. And for much more than just two weeks out of the entire year. That’s waaaay too little time! Your work circumstances could suddenly change and you could still experience burn-out later in life.

Jobs checking for butt-in seat time truly is an attitude that needs to get lost. Employers need to focus more on the quality of work, not the quantity of work. More time isn’t necessarily better time.

Edited March 22, 2021 by T to Dyre Avenue

[B35 via Church]

3 minutes ago, T to Dyre Avenue said:

This is why I didn’t want to work for Transit. A lot of people I knew said I should and I did think about when I was younger, much younger. I wanted to be a T/O when I was a kid - yes, back in the 80s when the subway was at its absolute worst. But the last thing I want/need is a petty micromanager looking for a way to put me in a “Gotcha!” situation. I don’t handle micromanaging very well and nearly lost two jobs many years ago because of it. One of the the things I learned from my years of posting on SubTalk, SubChat and here is how the jobs of Conductor T/O and Bus Driver are not easy. And management personnel play a big role in that. At my current assignment in Supreme Civil Court, I don’t have a “gotcha” culture and I’m very thankful for that.

I had family members when I was growing up that flat out told me "never work for the MTA" (which didn't make all that much sense to me as a kid hearing that from them, with them working for the MTA at the time)..... Then of course, I grew up & realized just how disgustingly bureaucratic this agency really is... In any case, that cover my ass & "gotcha" culture is the single biggest reason why I could never work for an entity like the MTA.... I'm not exactly fond of working for large-scale employers anyway....