BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[B35 via Church]

21 hours ago, paulrivera said:

Wanna know how some B/Os are doing their route training?

The driver learning the route takes a NIS bus out and tails behind an in service bus.

Route training with a social distancing twist, folks.

...which begs the question:

What did line training previously entail, if having an entire bus to yourself as a trainee & playing tag along with a bus in front of you, suffices for part of the training process?

[XcelsiorBoii4888]

5 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

...which begs the question:

What did line training previously entail, if having an entire bus to yourself as a trainee & playing tag along with a bus in front of you, suffices for part of the training process?

Basically only three things : 

1) riding on a bus with multiple training B/Os and an instructor. 

2) standing next to the driver on an in service trip. 

3) a big book that lists all the routes and which way to turn down a street, all the stops (you think those stops are up to date? Pff, please) along each route, and the directions/streets to turn on when deadheading back. 

Its honestly a lazy carefree method, and they expect you to learn the routes yourself. That's why you have so many people on the extra list that'll get assigned something and not know where they're going because there's no repetition and reading a bunch of routes and streets to turn on from a book gets overwhelming and a big mix-up. 

 

The perfect way to train, IMO, is to mirror the routes so you can get the muscle memory and when on the route, you can just easily identify what comes next (for the most part). There's a few B/Os that I know, I told them to do it with their cars up and down the routes, and they easily learned the routes in that depot within 2 weeks (4 off days + a few extra hours before work (everyone gets PM hours at the beginning). The hardest part was remembering stops. I created a diagram map for them by using clues along each stop (for example, the S79). I would have. 

Start point :

Bus Stop: 4th Ave, 86st. NS (near side, before the traffic light)
-At traffic light (this means the light at the NS stop), turn right onto 86st
-Continue to the 3rd traffic light. Turn right on Fort Hamilton Pkwy. 
-Continue to 2nd traffic light. Turn left on 92nd st. 
-Bus Stop: 92nd St, Fort Hamilton Pkwy (FS) 
I also had the transfers listed as well as what lane to stay in on turns, etc. 

This was a lot easier to read on paper because I had the paper set up so you can literally turn it as you turn your bus, to give a visual as to what to do next on the route, along with how many stops and where they're located on each segment. So when they were first driving by themselves, they had their paddle and that piece of paper on the dash, and was good to go. Being late wasn't even a thought with them, that's for amateurs. And obviously the times I was free I would help them by riding with them and that was also the most easiest as they would be able to ask any questions as we go. 

Literally two weeks to learn (excuse me, MASTER) all the routes at their depots. 
 

The best thing I did for them was the map (back then it was just like an updated MTA PDF schedule map, but with the lines showing the actual turns along the route, and requiring you to turn it after you turn your bus. If the MTA can have something like that for each route, drivers would be better off. Idk why the buses don't have a mini GPS system screen next to the farebox but that's too "complex" for NYC🥴. 

Edited April 18, 2020 by XcelsiorBoii4888
Near stop to near side, transfers, home to how, grammar issues

[paulrivera]

9 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

...which begs the question:

What did line training previously entail, if having an entire bus to yourself as a trainee & playing tag along with a bus in front of you, suffices for part of the training process?

The 2 bus tag-along is a new concept.

4 hours ago, XcelsiorBoii4888 said:

Basically only three things : 

1) riding on a bus with multiple training B/Os and an instructor. 

2) standing next to the driver on an in service trip. 

3) a big book that lists all the routes and which way to turn down a street, all the stops (you think those stops are up to date? Pff, please) along each route, and the directions/streets to turn on when deadheading back. 

Basically method #2 is not social distance friendly and clashes with the new policy of keeping B/Os away from passengers, which more than likely explains the bus shadowing.

As for #1, I don’t know if they’re even training new hires anymore... They’re only doing #2 because there are drivers from all over the place doing runs their depots don’t normally cover (ie: a MV B/O on the Bx3, a WF B/O on the Bx9, a Quill B/O on the Bx12)

[XcelsiorBoii4888]

1 hour ago, paulrivera said:

The 2 bus tag-along is a new concept.

Basically method #2 is not social distance friendly and clashes with the new policy of keeping B/Os away from passengers, which more than likely explains the bus shadowing.

As for #1, I don’t know if they’re even training new hires anymore... They’re only doing #2 because there are drivers from all over the place doing runs their depots don’t normally cover (ie: a MV B/O on the Bx3, a WF B/O on the Bx9, a Quill B/O on the Bx12)

I know but @B35 via Church asked what did training "previous entail". Which I why I said what I said. 

[SoSpectacular]

2 hours ago, paulrivera said:

The 2 bus tag-along is a new concept.

Basically method #2 is not social distance friendly and clashes with the new policy of keeping B/Os away from passengers, which more than likely explains the bus shadowing.

As for #1, I don’t know if they’re even training new hires anymore... They’re only doing #2 because there are drivers from all over the place doing runs their depots don’t normally cover (ie: a MV B/O on the Bx3, a WF B/O on the Bx9, a Quill B/O on the Bx12)

The 3/16 class got suspended until further notice, those that were due to start 3/30 that whole class was postponed.

[MHV9218]

One of the MCH lead acid NGs has the new LED headlights as well (like 4562 way back when). Seems safe to say that's the replacement inventory for now.

[WestFarms36]

3 minutes ago, MHV9218 said:

One of the MCH lead acid NGs has the new LED headlights as well (like 4562 way back when). Seems safe to say that's the replacement inventory for now.

3963 from MHV also has them as well.

[Lawrence St]

Was the X27/28/68 always NYCT? Weren't they originally ran by MTA Bus?

[Future ENY OP]

7 minutes ago, Lawrence St said:

Was the X27/28/68 always NYCT? Weren't they originally ran by MTA Bus?

I hope I'm reading this wrong. This has to be a dream.. SMH.

[Cait Sith]

9 minutes ago, Lawrence St said:

Was the X27/28/68 always NYCT? Weren't they originally ran by MTA Bus?

Always NYCT, never MTA Bus.

If they were MTA Bus, NYCT wouldn't have them.

[EastFlatbushLarry]

5 minutes ago, Lawrence St said:

Was the X27/28/68 always NYCT? Weren't they originally ran by MTA Bus?

no. x27/x28 originated as the B27x (1972) & B28x (1971) ran by NYCTA Brooklyn. x68 was originally the Q18x, then the x18, under NYCTA Queens. MTA Bus Company only came into existence in 2005.

[Lawrence St]

29 minutes ago, Cait Sith said:

Always NYCT, never MTA Bus.

If they were MTA Bus, NYCT wouldn't have them.

 

28 minutes ago, EastFlatbushLarry said:

no. x27/x28 originated as the B27x (1972) & B28x (1971) ran by NYCTA Brooklyn. x68 was originally the Q18x, then the x18, under NYCTA Queens. MTA Bus Company only came into existence in 2005.

Ah thank you. So any of the X routes are operated by NYCT?

[Iron Valiant]

1 minute ago, Lawrence St said:

 

Ah thank you. So any of the X routes are operated by NYCT?

X27/X28/X37/X38/X68

Edited April 20, 2020 by Snorunts

[Iron Valiant]

6 hours ago, WestFarms36 said:

3963 from MHV also has them as well.

Did it have them when the bus was Grand Avenue’s?

[LegoBrickBreaker101]

12 minutes ago, Snorunts said:

X27/X28/X37/X38/X68

Add the X63 and X64 to that list 

[EastFlatbushLarry]

13 minutes ago, Lawrence St said:

 

Ah thank you. So any of the X routes are operated by NYCT?

all 'x' prefix routes are NYCTA

[B35 via Church]

23 minutes ago, Lawrence St said:

Ah thank you. So any of the X routes are operated by NYCT?

C'mon fam, you're disappointing us here... Lol...

You've been around the block now... You should know that the express bus routes with the 'x' prefix are all NYCTA

[bobtehpanda]

On 4/18/2020 at 6:28 AM, XcelsiorBoii4888 said:

Basically only three things : 

1) riding on a bus with multiple training B/Os and an instructor. 

2) standing next to the driver on an in service trip. 

3) a big book that lists all the routes and which way to turn down a street, all the stops (you think those stops are up to date? Pff, please) along each route, and the directions/streets to turn on when deadheading back. 

Its honestly a lazy carefree method, and they expect you to learn the routes yourself. That's why you have so many people on the extra list that'll get assigned something and not know where they're going because there's no repetition and reading a bunch of routes and streets to turn on from a book gets overwhelming and a big mix-up. 

Tbh, it sounds like you could insert an extra step here and the process would be a lot better:

• a reverse shadow, where the trainee is driving the bus and a driver who already knows the route is standing by.

[paulrivera]

Unless this is a extra run, this is the final Bx1 of the night and the bus is like 45 minutes behind the normal schedule

Someone explain to me how a run falls behind by nearly an hour with hardly any traffic to speak of? Props for not abandoning the run, but still....

Edited April 20, 2020 by paulrivera

[EastFlatbushLarry]

20 minutes ago, paulrivera said:

Unless this is a extra run, this is the final Bx1 of the night and the bus is like 45 minutes behind the normal schedule

Someone explain to me how a run falls behind by nearly an hour with hardly any traffic to speak of? Props for not abandoning the run, but still....

having had this happen, the operator may have taken a personal (or more than one) and was never adjusted... and console wouldn't adjust the operator. the trip needed to be completed, especially at the time it was scheduled, not to mention ESPECIALLY now, seeing as all service provided is considered essential, so abandoning the run was never an option. that's the dumbest thing an operator could do in this climate... not complete scheduled trips. and it wouldn't enter the mind of the operator. more than likely, that's an operator that has under 5 years on the job 

Edited April 20, 2020 by EastFlatbushLarry

[B35 via Church]

9 minutes ago, paulrivera said:

Unless this is a extra run, this is the final Bx1 of the night and the bus is like 45 minutes behind the normal schedule

Someone explain to me how a run falls behind by nearly an hour with hardly any traffic to speak of? Props for not abandoning the run, but still....

How are we to quantify what the MTA's defining as essential service? You're using the normal schedule as a point of reference... Who even knows if this particular trip is 45 mins. behind something.....

[EastFlatbushLarry]

6 minutes ago, B35 via Church said:

How are we to quantify what the MTA's defining as essential service? You're using the normal schedule as a point of reference... Who even knows if this particular trip is 45 mins. behind something.....

thank you for that. outstanding point made. at 2:33am, it's not out of the realm of possibility that that run could be a pull in trip. more than likely, it was. and the way the system currently is, what with everything being out of wack (normal service currently NOT being provided) this shouldn't even be a surprise. 

[XcelsiorBoii4888]

9 hours ago, bobtehpanda said:

Tbh, it sounds like you could insert an extra step here and the process would be a lot better:

• a reverse shadow, where the trainee is driving the bus and a driver who already knows the route is standing by.

They actually did have those as well. I forgot to mention that. I'm not sure if it was "official", but it happened years ago. 

I'm not sure it's throughout all depots though, someone else can probably answer that. 

[Lawrence St]

11 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

C'mon fam, you're disappointing us here... Lol...

You've been around the block now... You should know that the express bus routes with the 'x' prefix are all NYCTA

My bad, had a brain fart lol.

[XcelsiorBoii4888]

This bus...the mission is not being executed correctly: 🤢