BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[B35 via Church]

2 hours ago, EastFlatbushLarry said:

as far as I've heard, local 100 (all sides) had been bitching to management about the lack of privacy, exposing B/O's full run paddles... myself being one of them. i wrote a simple inquiry as to what were they hoping to accomplish by potentially putting B/O's in harms way (the general public being more savvy than one may assume)

what i currently know is that they're not available online, and depots like CP, BP & LG have taken further steps to encrypt their online pick run boards which used to be accessible to the general public. I'd have to ask around to find out for absolute certain if there are any other avenues where run work could potentially float into the wrong hands 

38 minutes ago, SoSpectacular said:

Not something the public should be able to see... That's what bus schedules are for... Bus operators and dispatchers can only pull those up as needed (I usually print mine at home every pick)

But how are regular people getting access to BusTrek? Isn't that for the dispatchers??

This isn't even about the hobby/general interest of transit at that point.... These same people that are interested in some b/o's schedule are the same people that won't want you knowing their government, nor where they work & what position they hold within it either.... This is the shit I've always hated about the onset & eventual flourishing of social media - the culture it created, where people either feel like they have to tell the world their business, and/or the right to know SOMEONE ELSE's......

[EastFlatbushLarry]

1 hour ago, SoSpectacular said:

Not something the public should be able to see... That's what bus schedules are for... Bus operators and dispatchers can only pull those up as needed (I usually print mine at home every pick)

But how are regular people getting access to BusTrek? Isn't that for the dispatchers??

to this day i haven't accessed BusTrek... it took me reading it HERE to realize that the general public had full out access like that. my automatic reaction was negative, and i sent letters to my union chair @ KB, and to higher up MaBSTOA reps. then, after speaking to a classmate that flipped to La Guardia from OA who informed me that they had the same issues at CP/LG/BP with their picks being broadcasted, is when i sent in my personal inquiry. to this day, i don't know who eff'd that up or didn't think it thru, but i do know certain precautions have been taken.

 

1 hour ago, B35 via Church said:

This isn't even about the hobby/general interest of transit at that point.... These same people that are interested in some b/o's schedule are the same people that won't want you knowing their government, nor where they work & what position they hold within it either.... This is the shit I've always hated about the onset & eventual flourishing of social media - the culture it created, where people either feel like they have to tell the world their business, and/or the right to know SOMEONE ELSE's......

you're preaching to the converted as far as I'm concerned. I've spoken about it even here. the entitlement is uncanny. my issue stems from conflict. there are operators that I personally know that in certain depots, due to assault(s) or personal/work-related conflict cannot work certain lines, so they only can pick a certain way which is permitted by management & the union. one operator i know cannot work the B41, B49 or B44, so all he can pick are the 2, 31 or 46. what good can come from broadcasting paddles to people who may mean him harm, be it crazy/wicked exes/baby mamas, their a**hole families, etc. 

[Kevin Madson]

In light of the recent announcement on the NICE bus thread about NICE getting new Gillig CNGs, what are the odds of the MTA getting new buses from Gillig next? I hate to say it, but the current scheme would look pretty decent on an Advantage BRT and considering how broke the MTA is and how weird 2020 has been, the sky's the limit.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

6 hours ago, EastFlatbushLarry said:

as far as I've heard, local 100 (all sides) had been bitching to management about the lack of privacy, exposing B/O's full run paddles... myself being one of them. i wrote a simple inquiry as to what were they hoping to accomplish by potentially putting B/O's in harms way (the general public being more savvy than one may assume)

what i currently know is that they're not available online, and depots like CP, BP & LG have taken further steps to encrypt their online pick run boards which used to be accessible to the general public. I'd have to ask around to find out for absolute certain if there are any other avenues where run work could potentially float into the wrong hands 

I think what happened is when that passenger bitched to the  on Twitter about bus bunching and took a screenshot of BusTrek with the paddle of the bus he was tracking, they pretty much had to act. I mean that was totally public. It popped up in our feed for the advocacy group. I looked and said, wait a minute, is that BusTrek? I had always heard of it, but assumed it was always private. I mean why wouldn't it be since it was supposed to be for the dispatchers and other  personnel. I'm guessing they thought the general public wouldn't bother accessing it, but clearly they were wrong. lol It was only after that episode that I think they locked it. Pretty wild.

[B35 via Church]

1 hour ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

I think what happened is when that passenger bitched to the  on Twitter about bus bunching and took a screenshot of BusTrek with the paddle of the bus he was tracking, they pretty much had to act. I mean that was totally public. It popped up in our feed for the advocacy group. I looked and said, wait a minute, is that BusTrek? I had always heard of it, but assumed it was always private. I mean why wouldn't it be since it was supposed to be for the dispatchers and other  personnel. I'm guessing they thought the general public wouldn't bother accessing it, but clearly they were wrong. lol It was only after that episode that I think they locked it. Pretty wild.

IDK, I'm not so certain that it always was public... Bustrek's been out for a minute, since like what, sometime in the early 2010's..... It seemed to me like it initially was private/pw protected, but for whatever the reason, the decision was made to ease up on security measures of the site's contents (not for the general public's consumption per se, but more for the sole use of anyone internally)... I always got the sense that somehow word got out to the general public, which is what led to the floodgates opening - to the point where you had that incident you mentioned, occur.... Clearly not too long after that, they pw protected it - they had to.... That exposé (or whatever you wanna call it) got too much negative publicity....

Not saying this was the case, but there are occasions where something requiring authentication can cause a bit of a lag (not that that should ever be a thing, but still)......

Edited September 16, 2020 by B35 via Church
accentuation

[Via Garibaldi 8]

2 minutes ago, B35 via Church said:

IDK, I'm not so certain that it always was public... Bustrek's been out for a minute, since like what, sometime in the early 2010's..... It seemed to me like it initially was private/pw protected, but for whatever the reason, the decision was made to ease up on security measures of the site's contents (not for the general public's consumption per se, but more for the sole use of anyone internally)... I always got the sense that somehow word got out to the general public, which is what led to the floodgates opening - to the point where you had that incident you mentioned, occur.... Clearly not too long after that, they pw protected it - they had to.... That expose (or whatever you wanna call it) got too much negative publicity....

Not saying this was the case, but there are occasions where something requiring authentication can cause a bit of a lag (not that that should ever be a thing, but still)......

It's wild. Then again, there are some real characters working there. Did you hear about the IT guy that was fired after he tried to steal a work issued iPhone? He went to Africa and gave his girlfriend the phone, then pretended that it was lost or something, and they tracked the phone back to Africa. How do you work in IT and not realize that the phone can be tracked? LOL

[B35 via Church]

6 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

It's wild. Then again, there are some real characters working there. Did you hear about the IT guy that was fired after he tried to steal a work issued iPhone? He went to Africa and gave his girlfriend the phone, then pretended that it was lost or something, and they tracked the phone back to Africa. How do you work in IT and not realize that the phone can be tracked? LOL

Lol, Nah, I didn't hear about that one... Yet another example of people getting dumber by the minute (or, never was smart to begin with)....

You make all that money working for the MTA, yet you can't buy some ole broad in Africa a god damn phone... Can't make this stuff up.

I never forgot a quote this sysadmin I knew back in college said... And he said it so nonchalantly too... He said "IT professionals don't know everything about the computers, just like you shit everyday & don't know everything about the fecal matter, yes"

I gave him one of the biggest side-eye's afterwards.. Didn't know how to respond to that.

[QM1to6Ave]

5 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

It's wild. Then again, there are some real characters working there. Did you hear about the IT guy that was fired after he tried to steal a work issued iPhone? He went to Africa and gave his girlfriend the phone, then pretended that it was lost or something, and they tracked the phone back to Africa. How do you work in IT and not realize that the phone can be tracked? LOL

That's probably the same genius that came up with the garbage-y new MTA website

[Lawrence St]

Disregard.

Edited September 16, 2020 by Lawrence St

[B35 via Church]

6 minutes ago, Lawrence St said:

@Union Tpke Do you have any info on the M58 bus route that was merged with the M31? The only info I've found about the M58 is under the M31 history on Wikipedia, but theres no M58 section.

False, just keep scrolling down the page, dude.... there's a whole little section there for the M58
 

Quote

M58

Eighth Avenue and 57th StreetYork Avenue and 72nd Street57th Street

The M58 was created on September 10, 1989 as part of the restructuring of crosstown bus service along 57th Street and 72nd Street. The route was created to provide direct service between 57th Street and York Avenue. The route initially ran between Eighth Avenue/57th Street and York Avenue/72nd Street.[59]

The M58 merged with the M31 in January 1994.[80][81]

 

[Lawrence St]

3 minutes ago, B35 via Church said:

False, just keep scrolling down the page, dude.... there's a whole little section there for the M58
 

 

Where did you find that? All I see is M57 then it goes to M60.

EDIT: Never mind I was looking in the wrong section, oops! 

Edited September 16, 2020 by Lawrence St

[Q43LTD]

Seems like the M58 was the predecessor to the M30

[trainfan22]

Earlier today there was an 2013 model, 2200 MCI on the SIM3C... I wonder how often an 2013 MCI finds it's way onto the SIM3C. 

 

 

IIRC, it was 2286, I knew it was not an 2008 unit cause the sign was different.

Edited September 17, 2020 by trainfan22

[SevenEleven]

1 hour ago, trainfan22 said:

Earlier today there was an 2013 model, 2200 MCI on the SIM3C... I wonder how often an 2013 MCI finds it's way onto the SIM3C. 

 

 

IIRC, it was 2286, I knew it was not an 2008 unit cause the sign was different.

2286 is a loaner to Castleton. 

[QM1to6Ave]

20 hours ago, EastFlatbushLarry said:

 

 

you're preaching to the converted as far as I'm concerned. I've spoken about it even here. the entitlement is uncanny. my issue stems from conflict. there are operators that I personally know that in certain depots, due to assault(s) or personal/work-related conflict cannot work certain lines, so they only can pick a certain way which is permitted by management & the union. one operator i know cannot work the B41, B49 or B44, so all he can pick are the 2, 31 or 46. what good can come from broadcasting paddles to people who may mean him harm, be it crazy/wicked exes/baby mamas, their a**hole families, etc. 

That is fascinating. I never would have thought of that, but it makes a lot of sense and is a good protective measure. 

My thought is that of course it makes no sense to publicize all of the run info, because that makes it too easy for someone to try and stalk a particular B/O or whatever.

But, if someone REALLY cared enough to figure out a particular paddle, it's probably doable between tracking buses on the desktop Bustime (since it often lets you continue tracking a specific bus even if it changes runs, etc), and riding the line often enough, especially on EXP runs). Since my commute often has me commuting Queens  <---> Manhattan in the mornings, I've been able to figure out some paddles just by getting the same B/O going in opposite directions (for example, an early morning QM6 to Manhattan that later becomes a QM5 to Queens a few hours later. It's funny seeing the B/O's expression when he gets me going in opposite directions on two consecutive mornings LOL. But I guess with a public-facing job, some of that is inevitable. 

[Infamous85]

With the bus lanes making their way to Merrick Blvd + a potential Archer Ave busway I’d like to see the MTA revisit the Merrick Blvd SBS, it’s the only corridor out of the original five that never came to fruition. South Queens (along w/SE Brooklyn) has the longest commute times in the city, SBS along one street won’t really change that, but it’s something.

Tbh this corridor really deserves an  extension, either under Merrick or along the LIRR, but that’s another topic.

[checkmatechamp13]

29 minutes ago, Infamous85 said:

With the bus lanes making their way to Merrick Blvd + a potential Archer Ave busway I’d like to see the MTA revisit the Merrick Blvd SBS, it’s the only corridor out of the original five that never came to fruition. South Queens (along w/SE Brooklyn) has the longest commute times in the city, SBS along one street won’t really change that, but it’s something.

Tbh this corridor really deserves an  extension, either under Merrick or along the LIRR, but that’s another topic.

Merrick is going to get some "dash" lines and a limited-stop route with wider stop spacing if the Queens bus redesign ever gets finished.

[trainfan22]

Every time I ride an BM Manhattan bound the driver always asks me what stop I'm getting off at lol. I know why they do it though... to skip the lower Manhattan portion if nobody's getting off there.

 

 

IDK what beef people have with SC Express bus fleet, every time I rode an SC exp bus in recent years, the bus was always clean and ran decent. Rode an CT today and there's nothing really wrong with the bus except the fact that the bus has an minor rattle when idling, but the bus is 12 years old so..

Edited September 17, 2020 by trainfan22

[Calvin]

1 hour ago, trainfan22 said:

Every time I ride an BM Manhattan bound the driver always asks me what stop I'm getting off at lol. I know why they do it though... to skip the lower Manhattan portion if nobody's getting off there.

 

IDK what beef people have with SC Express bus fleet, every time I rode an SC exp bus in recent years, the bus was always clean and ran decent. Rode an CT today and there's nothing really wrong with the bus except the fact that the bus has an minor rattle when idling, but the bus is 12 years old so..

That happens a lot on Saturdays. The question was mainly asked at Church Av. If it was from Manhattan, they would ask the last person on-board the bus to where they are getting off at. (Example: BM3 to Emmons Av, last person on-board gets off at Av.W and Ocean Av. After that, the bus goes out of service). 

Edited September 17, 2020 by Calvin

[Infamous85]

5 hours ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

Merrick is going to get some "dash" lines and a limited-stop route with wider stop spacing if the Queens bus redesign ever gets finished.

So basically nothing’s gonna change lol.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

2 hours ago, trainfan22 said:

Every time I ride an BM Manhattan bound the driver always asks me what stop I'm getting off at lol. I know why they do it though... to skip the lower Manhattan portion if nobody's getting off there.

 

 

IDK what beef people have with SC Express bus fleet, every time I rode an SC exp bus in recent years, the bus was always clean and ran decent. Rode an CT today and there's nothing really wrong with the bus except the fact that the bus has an minor rattle when idling, but the bus is 12 years old so..

The buses were in horrible shape prior to us getting on the  . Overhead area dangling such as on this BM4, and the floors were filthy.

There are still missing buses, particularly during rush hour, but yes, we've been having ongoing discussions about BM service and they are trying to hire enough drivers to make service.

[checkmatechamp13]

1 hour ago, Infamous85 said:

So basically nothing’s gonna change lol.

I mean the Q5 is local-only outside of rush hour, so a zone express and limited-stop on the corridor will definitely be faster than the current setup.

[NBTA]

Never seen a 12 SBS to University..until 5476 came around.

[Train92]

The train shuttle bus is "EBUS" on bustime and MyMTA

[Lawrence St]

4 hours ago, Train92 said:

The train shuttle bus is "EBUS" on bustime and MyMTA

Seems like the EBUS section is broken. If you press on a stop it just keeps loading and loading.