BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[1train2255railfan]

45 minutes ago, Lawrence St said:

Don't mean to go off topic, but what the heck is an M60 doing in Soundview?

Also, if the really wants to save on costs, I highly hope they revert to the old scheme. The new gold scheme costs somewhere between $9k-$11k for one.

Seems like it was a foreshadowing codebreak, as the bus was still out of Kingsbridge at the time. 

[Calvin]

I wonder if Kingsbridge is either in or not in plan to put the local bus wrap on the 55xx units. Most of the time, seeing them on either the Bx1, 2, 9 and 15, they kept the same paint but SBS readings removed. 

Edited August 12, 2021 by Calvin
5574-5578

[MHV9218]

Rode one of the XE60s on an empty route today. God damn do those things move. Haven't seen pickup like that anywhere except for LACMTA, and the EV torque is stronger if anything. Really impressive to feel one of those leaving a stop. Way faster than the XE40s, interestingly. 

[Iron Valiant]

35 minutes ago, Calvin said:

I wonder if Kingsbridge is either in or not in plan to put the local bus wrap on the 55xx units. Most of the time, seeing them on either the Bx1, 2, 9 and 15, they kept the same paint but SBS readings removed. 

I guess they're not prioritizing that because KB doesn't operate any SBS routes...so there wouldn't be much confusion.

[Kingsbridgeviewer382]

5 hours ago, Snorunts said:

I guess they're not prioritizing that because KB doesn't operate any SBS routes...so there wouldn't be much confusion.

The only ones that got blue wraps were 5439 and 5441. 5442 and the 5500s at KB haven't received them which is odd considering that the two units got their blue wraps last year.

Edited August 13, 2021 by Kingsbridgeviewer382

[MysteriousBtrain]

8 hours ago, Calvin said:

I wonder if Kingsbridge is either in or not in plan to put the local bus wrap on the 55xx units. Most of the time, seeing them on either the Bx1, 2, 9 and 15, they kept the same paint but SBS readings removed. 

 

7 hours ago, Snorunts said:

I guess they're not prioritizing that because KB doesn't operate any SBS routes...so there wouldn't be much confusion.

 

2 hours ago, Kingsbridgeviewer382 said:

The only ones that got blue wraps were 5439 and 5441. 5442 and the 5500s at KB haven't received them which is odd considering that the two units got their blue wraps last year.

KB is basically pulling a FB, the buses are not assigned to SBS duty and it is not a priority for then to revamp them into the local scheme. FB is just getting to do the wrap and there's still around 15 XD40s there in the SBS scheme.

[Future ENY OP]

For anyone wanting to catch the Old Gens this morning or anytime today:

6693, 6709 Manhattanville- in service

6706, 6757, 6765, 6771, 6776, 6778, 6786, 6789 : MCH- in service

6700, 6711, 6717, 6726, 6733, 6735-6738, 6740, 6746-6747. 6750, 6753- MQ in service

Following bus loans for this morning: (These were mentioned last night, buses stayed at loaned depots overnight)

7337, 7338: Flatbush Ave to Ulmer Park

4389: Kingsbridge to West Farms

[Iron Valiant]

1 hour ago, Future ENY OP said:

For anyone wanting to catch the Old Gens this morning or anytime today:

6693, 6709 Manhattanville- in service

6706, 6757, 6765, 6771, 6776, 6778, 6786, 6789 : MCH- in service

6700, 6711, 6717, 6726, 6733, 6735-6738, 6740, 6746-6747. 6750, 6753- MQ in service

Following bus loans for this morning: (These were mentioned last night, buses stayed at loaned depots overnight)

7337, 7338: Flatbush Ave to Ulmer Park

4389: Kingsbridge to West Farms

Don't forget about 4459 to Fresh Pond.

[Future ENY OP]

1 hour ago, Snorunts said:

Don't forget about 4459 to Fresh Pond.

Yes. That’s an actual move if I’m not mistaken. It was on the Q58 again this morning.  

[Kingsbridgeviewer382]

I had this thought for a while, but is there any protocol for bus drivers to wear masks or not? I ask this because I've seen many drivers go maskless while the MTA insists on having passengers wearing masks on board.

[Iron Valiant]

25 minutes ago, Kingsbridgeviewer382 said:

I had this thought for a while, but is there any protocol for bus drivers to wear masks or not? I ask this because I've seen many drivers go maskless while the MTA insists on having passengers wearing masks on board.

Idk if it's still required for them or not bc I hardly ever see them wear face coverings anymore. 🙄

[Lawrence St]

1 hour ago, Kingsbridgeviewer382 said:

I had this thought for a while, but is there any protocol for bus drivers to wear masks or not? I ask this because I've seen many drivers go maskless while the MTA insists on having passengers wearing masks on board.

You try wearing a mask for 8 hours of the day driving a bus in stressful conditions. I'm not excusing it, but give em a break...

[Kingsbridgeviewer382]

1 minute ago, Lawrence St said:

You try wearing a mask for 8 hours of the day driving a bus in stressful conditions. I'm not excusing it, but give em a break...

I was just wondering if the drivers were given more leniency with the mask policy. I should of worded my question better as it could of came off as a knock on operators like you just interpreted it to be.

[trainfan22]

Saw this sign in the window of a C40...

 

 

Caught the GMC RTS metrocard bus on Fordham a few weeks back

 

 

[Iron Valiant]

2 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

You try wearing a mask for 8 hours of the day driving a bus in stressful conditions. I'm not excusing it, but give em a break...

Chill, it was a simple question lol. No need to get all worked up. I have actually been wondering the same thing. Personally, I don't mind as much if they don't wear them, but passengers will use that to their advantage and do the same.

2 hours ago, Kingsbridgeviewer382 said:

I was just wondering if the drivers were given more leniency with the mask policy. I should of worded my question better as it could of came off as a knock on operators like you just interpreted it to be.

Nah, you're good.

[Lawrence St]

9 minutes ago, Snorunts said:

Chill, it was a simple question lol. No need to get all worked up. I have actually been wondering the same thing. Personally, I don't mind as much if they don't wear them, but passengers will use that to their advantage and do the same.

Nah, you're good.

I wasn't getting worked up lol. It was more of a statement since twitter is full of "this operator isnt wearing a mask" blah blah complaints from passengers.

[Calvin]

55 minutes ago, Snorunts said:

Chill, it was a simple question lol. No need to get all worked up. I have actually been wondering the same thing. Personally, I don't mind as much if they don't wear them, but passengers will use that to their advantage and do the same.

If the bus is close to mostly empty and me, for example sitting at the back of the bus while the other person is sitting at the right (single seater that's close to the bench). A mask is taken off but, for a while (not for the entire trip) which is somewhat okay. But, if it's starting to pick up that the middle section of the seats is getting seated, then the person puts on the mask. 

Edited August 14, 2021 by Calvin

[Lawrence St]

Either I'm extremely tired or I could've sworn I just saw some type of C40LF running down Hylan Blvd an hour ago with a "B34" sign on the back...

Edited August 14, 2021 by Lawrence St

[MysteriousBtrain]

7 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

You try wearing a mask for 8 hours of the day driving a bus in stressful conditions. I'm not excusing it, but give em a break...

You wanna be stressing about I'm not excusing it, but give em a break... yet why is it that when I'm a paying customer the rule is You mist wear a mask whether it be 1 minute or 1 hour. (even though most of us fare about that rule like we care about our fare.) Try traveling across the country in the plane. The policy is A LOT MORE STRICT.

Also nobody is stopping them from wearing a mask when they got no passengers aboard. I doubt anyone besides a supervisor gonna be on their bus for 8 hrs and that's not even the case most times so if you're alone I'm pretty sure you not gonna wear a mask.

[Baby Kee]

On 8/3/2021 at 2:45 PM, Kingsbridgeviewer382 said:

Its not as rare as people think. Many summer camps use the bus to go to nearby places.

I had that experience before, when I was at elementary school. During a field trip, we had to take the B62 then the B41 to the Prospect Park Zoo

[Via Garibaldi 8]

8 hours ago, Kingsbridgeviewer382 said:

I was just wondering if the drivers were given more leniency with the mask policy. I should of worded my question better as it could of came off as a knock on operators like you just interpreted it to be.

 

6 hours ago, Snorunts said:

Chill, it was a simple question lol. No need to get all worked up. I have actually been wondering the same thing. Personally, I don't mind as much if they don't wear them, but passengers will use that to their advantage and do the same.

Nah, you're good.

The rule is everyone is supposed to wear a mask, drivers and passengers, and yes there is a protocol. I'm obviously talking about when the operator is in service, not when they are alone on the bus out of service. The  isn't officially saying what they're doing to the public, but from what I was shown, they are keeping tabs on the amount of complaints about maskless drivers and they are being disciplined. Haven't been using the local buses much, but I have seen a lot of local bus drivers without masks on while in service (this was especially true during the height of the pandemic). This is now leading to more people thinking that they should board with a mask on, only to take it off when they sit down, which is not the point of wearing a mask on public transit. 

There are still people that are unvaccinated, and those people are the ones contracting COVID and becoming seriously ill or dying from it. In my mind, if I was dealing with the public with random people walking past me all day, I would get vaccinated and have a mask on. 

As far as passengers wearing masks, I have spoken with the  about the whole mask enforcement thing, as my group has certainly had complaints about maskless riders. They are expecting riders to be mature and police themselves rather than having enforcement come on the buses and pull passengers off, which only serves to hold up service. That said though, there have been some drivers that have been pulling buses out of service when they encounter maskless riders or they call to have them removed, so it varies from bus to bus what the driver will do. Just like the passengers, there are some drivers that are serious about following protocol.

This particular driver requested this passenger to be removed from the bus and would not move until the passenger was removed. I believe the issue was just the passenger being rude in general. 

8 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

You try wearing a mask for 8 hours of the day driving a bus in stressful conditions. I'm not excusing it, but give em a break...

Then there's no point in having anyone wear a mask. It's difficult for everybody...

Edited August 14, 2021 by Via Garibaldi 8

[B35 via Church]

10 hours ago, MysteriousBtrain said:

You wanna be stressing about I'm not excusing it, but give em a break... yet why is it that when I'm a paying customer the rule is You mist wear a mask whether it be 1 minute or 1 hour. (even though most of us fare about that rule like we care about our fare.) Try traveling across the country in the plane. The policy is A LOT MORE STRICT.

Also nobody is stopping them from wearing a mask when they got no passengers aboard. I doubt anyone besides a supervisor gonna be on their bus for 8 hrs and that's not even the case most times so if you're alone I'm pretty sure you not gonna wear a mask.

You must wear a mask for the entire duration of your trip, or some shit like that, is how it's put out there to the riding public.... Let's keep it a buck - it's automatically, undoubtedly assumed that the person that isn't wearing a mask automatically has this thing & that the person that is wearing the mask doesn't.... Public perception is a mf-er.... The real/main reason I wear a mask when I'm around people is that I won't have to hear anyone else's shit.... Everyone else's MMV (miles may vary)..... I'll just leave it at that.

I've been noticing b/o's, t/o's, c/r's, s/a's, and the station cleaners (or w/e their official job title is) without masks on & to be frank, I could care less at this juncture.... Let 'em have at it... Three cheers for freedom of expression (while we still have it in this country anyway).....

9 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Then there's no point in having anyone wear a mask. It's difficult for everybody...

More & more people are exuding this attitude; especially those that have been vaccinated as of late.... This is why the MTA has that graphic/notice out now that basically portrays that the vaccinated (whilst on MTA buses & trains) still gotta be masked up....

edit: found it

Edited August 14, 2021 by B35 via Church

[4 via Mosholu]

10 hours ago, MysteriousBtrain said:

You wanna be stressing about I'm not excusing it, but give em a break... yet why is it that when I'm a paying customer the rule is You mist wear a mask whether it be 1 minute or 1 hour. (even though most of us fare about that rule like we care about our fare.) Try traveling across the country in the plane. The policy is A LOT MORE STRICT.

Also nobody is stopping them from wearing a mask when they got no passengers aboard. I doubt anyone besides a supervisor gonna be on their bus for 8 hrs and that's not even the case most times so if you're alone I'm pretty sure you not gonna wear a mask.

That reminds me of two separate incidents I encountered on two separate days (one this past Sunday and the other on Tuesday). Both incidents centered around maskless people, and I found myself on Sunday having to stand on the train for most of the journey from 149 to Woodlawn, as there were about six to seven passengers without a mask on the conductor car where I was.

The one for Tuesday felt more awkward; that morning was my first ride on the 11 express in a year and I took it to 34 Street to get the train to Ralph Avenue in Bedford Stuyvesant for an eight hour security course there. As a result of first hearing about the first three rows being roped off on the express (even though the block is now to the first row before I first got on), I got on a seat where it was not likely I would be very close to the Liberty Lines Express bus driver. There was a lady that got on the bus without a mask at about 233 or 225. I was muttering in my mind: Why does she not have a mask on? This was especially the case since she was wearing a hospital uniform. By the time the 11 reached the first drop-off at 98 (right by Einstein), I noticed she had worn it on the bus mid trip as she got off with more than four passengers wanting to get off there.

On my way back from Ralph Avenue in Bedford Stuyvesant (because that was where I needed to go to for my eight hour annual security class), I just came off the Pelham Bay Park Express at Westchester Square and got on the 31 that was at Tremont. I had put my bag next to me on an empty seat just so that no passenger would try to sit next to me. But boy was I later wrong about that, because midway through my journey home (my place is right by Edenwald, but Laconia is closest to my place along the 31), there was a lady without a mask that got on at around Gun Hill on Eastchester. She asked me something like: "Could you give that seat to me?" I was really thinking in my mind: "Why should I give you a seat if you are not wearing a mask?" I just did not say or do anything to her; in other words, I acted like I did not realize she had the gall to come to me to ask for a seat when she was not wearing a mask. When she realized I did not move my bag, she told another passenger that was sitting in front of me something like: "I bet that young man is autistic because he did not reply to my request to him; he just wants to be alone." Now it is true that I am autistic, but I was more concerned about my own health; I wanted to just watch my back to protect myself, but she did not know that. She, unfortunately, did not get what I was thinking about by my refusal to let her sit next to me. She later sat in front of me before getting off around the other side of the Edenwald Houses at 229. Another lady that was next to me on the 31 earlier was more understanding than the one that got on around Gun Hill, given how she likely noticed my bag that I put next to me.

[B35 via Church]

21 minutes ago, 4 via Mosholu said:

....she told another passenger that was sitting in front of me something like: "I bet that young man is autistic because he did not reply to my request to him; he just wants to be alone."

21 minutes ago, 4 via Mosholu said:

Now it is true that I am autistic....

  She specifically said autistic? That is some coincidence.... That wouldn't remotely be the first thing to come to mind of a person with a mask on that didn't want me sitting next to them.....

Even though she used autism in an insulting fashion, I'd scoff at the entitlement exuded in that comment of hers to that other passenger about you... Mask on or not, who tf are you that I have to "reply to your request".... Like, f*** you & your punk ass "request".... People got nerve, I swear.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

4 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

You must wear a mask for the entire duration of your trip, or some shit like that, is how it's put out there to the riding public.... Let's keep it a buck - it's automatically, undoubtedly assumed that the person that isn't wearing a mask automatically has this thing & that the person that is wearing the mask doesn't.... Public perception is a mf-er.... The real/main reason I wear a mask when I'm around people is that I won't have to hear anyone else's shit.... Everyone else's MMV (miles may vary)..... I'll just leave it at that.

I've been noticing b/o's, t/o's, c/r's, s/a's, and the station cleaners (or w/e their official job title is) without masks on & to be frank, I could care less at this juncture.... Let 'em have at it... Three cheers for freedom of expression (while we still have it in this country anyway).....

More & more people are exuding this attitude; especially those that have been vaccinated as of late.... This is why the MTA has that graphic/notice out now that basically portrays that the vaccinated (whilst on MTA buses & trains) still gotta be masked up....

edit: found it

After our conference call about a number of things, I noticed that they have these hanging on the express buses now:

I appreciate that they were very straight forward with me about it and didn't just yes yes yes me and pretend all was well. Your post notes the chick that works in the medical field not wearing a mask on the bus. I had one on my bus yesterday. Got on, pulled her mask down, then took it off completely when she sat down. Then they put it on when they get off, so mask on outside, mask off in an enclosed space. That makes perfect sense. lol At this rate, we'll never get rid of this with people not using common sense.

I have confronted a few people about it. Most of them just put it on when I confront them. Only one said something back, but I didn't give a ****. I told him put your mask on and keep it on. I was pissed too. He wasn't happy, but he put it on. I was ready for a confrontation too. This was before when things were really bad and the vaccines weren't out yet.

Edited August 14, 2021 by Via Garibaldi 8