BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[Deucey]

16 minutes ago, EastFlatbushLarry said:

funny... I've had quite a few B/O's out of Far Rock start to say that to me when I've waited to board either the Q21/41 or QM15 at the 89th St & 155 Av stop in Lindenwood.. then i flash my pass with the "give me a friggin' break" look on my face (even being masked up, they know that i know that's BS) 

8 years I’ve been a resident; better part of 25 years I’ve been swiping MetroCards or putting coins in the fare boxes and today’s the only time a driver at a stop with multiple routes on it expected me to hail them to stop instead of honoring the global custom of waving to tell them not to stop.

Got my Moderna jab though.

[MHV9218]

6 minutes ago, Deucey said:

Got my Moderna jab though.

Got mine on Friday. Dumb luck at a pharmacy throwing out leftover doses... How you feeling?

[Deucey]

37 minutes ago, MHV9218 said:

Got mine on Friday. Dumb luck at a pharmacy throwing out leftover doses... How you feeling?

Mad that S52 is unofficially running hourly, so I had to S44 to Jewett Av (where I had the driver “comment”) then S48 to Slosson/Bay to walk home since 52 never showed up.

But the arm is fine. And I can still smell and taste.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

2 hours ago, Deucey said:

That your way of saying I’m getting a DM shortly? 😂 

Don't deal with the local lines. Sorry. I can tell you though that Staten Island is still dealing w/a driver shortage. Been a real struggle of late in fact. I can't go into specifics right now but I am waiting to hear back regarding the chains on the express buses. Are the chains still up on the local buses? Getting conflicting reports about that. 

[MysteriousBtrain]

1 hour ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Don't deal with the local lines. Sorry. I can tell you though that Staten Island is still dealing w/a driver shortage. Been a real struggle of late in fact. I can't go into specifics right now but I am waiting to hear back regarding the chains on the express buses. Are the chains still up on the local buses? Getting conflicting reports about that. 

It's mostly on the Novabus units where the one seat behind the driver is chained off to what I seen. 

Edited March 21, 2021 by MysteriousBtrain

[Deucey]

1 hour ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Don't deal with the local lines. Sorry. I can tell you though that Staten Island is still dealing w/a driver shortage. Been a real struggle of late in fact. I can't go into specifics right now but I am waiting to hear back regarding the chains on the express buses. Are the chains still up on the local buses? Getting conflicting reports about that. 

They are on the Nova Buses for that one seat in front of the left wheel well behind the driver.

[paulrivera]

I think I jinxed my BxM4 and BxM7 since yesterday. About a dozen missed runs between the two since last night, oops.

[B35 via Church]

5 hours ago, Deucey said:

NYC bus driver to me: “You didn’t wave at me so I thought you were waiting for a different bus.”

I guess we have to hail bus drivers when standing at bus stops now.

FOH.

I flag them to ensure that the b/o realizes that his/her bus is the bus I need, instead of some other route at a shared stop.... Hell, I find myself flagging buses when only the one route serves it.... When a bus I don't need arrives first, I either shake my head no & wave them off, or walk a decent distance away from the stop without making any kind of eye contact with the b/o....

What irritates me is the very flipside of this - as in, when a b/o stops at a bus stop, with the person full knowing that they're either not getting on that particular route, or a(ny) bus at all.... That shit is a waste of time, especially when that person is the only person at the stop.

Edited March 21, 2021 by B35 via Church

[Lex]

4 hours ago, Deucey said:

8 years I’ve been a resident; better part of 25 years I’ve been swiping MetroCards or putting coins in the fare boxes and today’s the only time a driver at a stop with multiple routes on it expected me to hail them to stop instead of honoring the global custom of waving to tell them not to stop.

Got my Moderna jab though.

Personally, if it's not what I'm looking for, I just back away from the curb.

Regardless, waving to flag the driver down is something that should only need to be done if you're approaching the bus from behind.

[B35 via Church]

Just now, Lex said:

Personally, if it's not what I'm looking for, I just back away from the curb.....

I used to do that, but I found that more often than not, b/o's would still stop for me (with nobody getting off, or anyone else at the stop at the time)....

[Lex]

1 minute ago, B35 via Church said:

I used to do that, but I found that more often than not, b/o's would still stop for me (with nobody getting off, or anyone else at the stop at the time)....

Apparently, some just can't take the hint...

[R10 2952]

Unfortunately, a lot of these bad practices (stopping for someone who's clearly not getting on, deliberately waiting for a green light to turn red, not passing a bus of the same route even though there's a service gap and bad crowding) stem from the byzantine, trivial, nit-picky rules put in place by the people in charge.  For better or worse, truth is most bus drivers are scared shitless of being written up by their supervisors over some BS...

That said, nothing is going to change as long as the agency continues to be run by out-of-touch executives and an absolutely toxic level of middle management.

Edited March 21, 2021 by R10 2952

[Via Garibaldi 8]

2 hours ago, paulrivera said:

I think I jinxed my BxM4 and BxM7 since yesterday. About a dozen missed runs between the two since last night, oops.

Those lines overnight are all based on who signs up for the service. Nobody wants it, it doesn't run.

[paulrivera]

8 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Those lines overnight are all based on who signs up for the service. Nobody wants it, it doesn't run.

Actually I’m talking about this afternoon too.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

9 minutes ago, paulrivera said:

Actually I’m talking about this afternoon too.

Yeah, a number of depots are dealing with driver shortages. It's COVID related for the most part. I actually took the BxM2 today to the City and got an Uber afterwards. I just got the 7:30 BxM2 home from my Uber. No problems.

Edited March 21, 2021 by Via Garibaldi 8

[checkmatechamp13]

4 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

I flag them to ensure that the b/o realizes that his/her bus is the bus I need, instead of some other route at a shared stop.... Hell, I find myself flagging buses when only the one route serves it.... When a bus I don't need arrives first, I either shake my head no & wave them off, or walk a decent distance away from the stop without making any kind of eye contact with the b/o....

What irritates me is the very flipside of this - as in, when a b/o stops at a bus stop, with the person full knowing that they're either not getting on that particular route, or a(ny) bus at all.... That shit is a waste of time, especially when that person is the only person at the stop.

I used to go a step further, and if I was waiting for the SIM8/8X and saw a handful of people (say, 3-4 express bus "regulars" and a couple of people who I haven't seen before), I would go up and ask everyone if anybody needed the local bus. Then one time, somebody shook his head no, and I waved the bus (S94) on, and then all of a sudden he woke up and realized he needed the bus (and somebody shouted down the bus and he stopped down the block). So that was pretty much the last time I did that. For myself, though, I still flag it down/wave it off, since I hate it when the bus pointlessly stops. 

[jaf0519]

11 hours ago, Deucey said:

NYC bus driver to me: “You didn’t wave at me so I thought you were waiting for a different bus.”

I guess we have to hail bus drivers when standing at bus stops now.

FOH.

It’s ridiculous. Almost every time I have to catch the Q65 in the morning its the same deal. It’s a local stop so I watch the limited fly by, but still have to flag down the local almost every time. What am I doing, standing outside before 7 AM next to a bus stop just for my health? No, I’m waiting for the bus smh

[Lawrence St]

1 hour ago, jaf0519 said:

It’s ridiculous. Almost every time I have to catch the Q65 in the morning its the same deal. It’s a local stop so I watch the limited fly by, but still have to flag down the local almost every time. What am I doing, standing outside before 7 AM next to a bus stop just for my health? No, I’m waiting for the bus smh

A driver on the Bx12 actually passed me up and I had to run to the next stop (thank God for traffic on Fordham) and when I asked him why he passed me he said "oh I thought you were taking pictures of the bus".

The amount of self control it took to not cuss him out...my phone wasn't even in my hand how the hell am I gonna take photos of the bus??

[Around the Horn]

On 3/20/2021 at 12:55 PM, Future ENY OP said:

There was a mention about the B51. No need to revive the 51 at this point. You have all the subway lines serving the immediate area of Chinatown, City Hall and Fulton/Nassau. If they wanted to keep the 51 back in the day it would been useful for a Canal Street Crosstown and end at W. Houston and West Street (Pier 40) over by UPS/FED-EX/Sanitation sharing the M21 bus stop. 

I'd bring back the B51 to finally end the pitiful B57 to Red Hook experiment and give them the direct Manhattan link they've been begging for for like 25 years now. Start/end at Ikea, take Smith/Court to Borough Hall then straight on the bridge to City Hall.

[B35 via Church]

4 hours ago, Around the Horn said:

I'd bring back the B51 to finally end the pitiful B57 to Red Hook experiment and give them the direct Manhattan link they've been begging for for like 25 years now. Start/end at Ikea, take Smith/Court to Borough Hall then straight on the bridge to City Hall.

While I like the idea of reverting the B51 to have it take over the B57 south of Downtown (in cutting the B57 back to Downtown Brooklyn, I'd just leave that portion of the route with the & the B61), City Hall isn't far enough south to fulfill what they've been clamoring for.... You'd basically have to run it deeper into FiDi all the way to S. Ferry.... Problem then becomes the indirectness of such a route (as in, Lower Manhattan via Downtown Brooklyn).... It's why a local route from that part of Brooklyn via the BBT often gets proposed.

7 hours ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

I used to go a step further, and if I was waiting for the SIM8/8X and saw a handful of people (say, 3-4 express bus "regulars" and a couple of people who I haven't seen before), I would go up and ask everyone if anybody needed the local bus. Then one time, somebody shook his head no, and I waved the bus (S94) on, and then all of a sudden he woke up and realized he needed the bus (and somebody shouted down the bus and he stopped down the block). So that was pretty much the last time I did that. For myself, though, I still flag it down/wave it off, since I hate it when the bus pointlessly stops. 

Although minor, that's something that slowly got on my nerves when I used to take the BM's home back when I worked in the 'village.... Pax. asking what bus are you waiting for, or did _____ (whatever bus they need) come yet.... The practice is more commonly done with express bus pax. over that of local bus pax. & it's something I never bothered doing... While I get miffed when I'm on a bus that unnecessarily stops at a stop nobody's getting on or off at, I don't go around asking people what bus they need when I'm waiting for a bus myself, quite frankly because IDRC....

Edited March 22, 2021 by B35 via Church

[biGC323232]

16 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

I flag them to ensure that the b/o realizes that his/her bus is the bus I need, instead of some other route at a shared stop.... Hell, I find myself flagging buses when only the one route serves it.... When a bus I don't need arrives first, I either shake my head no & wave them off, or walk a decent distance away from the stop without making any kind of eye contact with the b/o....

What irritates me is the very flipside of this - as in, when a b/o stops at a bus stop, with the person full knowing that they're either not getting on that particular route, or a(ny) bus at all.... That shit is a waste of time, especially when that person is the only person at the stop.

I know what u mean.....U right it does waste time ..They should do like NJT does...If you dont put out your hand regardless of how many buses acutally stops at a stop...Drivers will blow right by you like you not there

[Future ENY OP]

9 hours ago, Around the Horn said:

I'd bring back the B51 to finally end the pitiful B57 to Red Hook experiment and give them the direct Manhattan link they've been begging for for like 25 years now. Start/end at Ikea, take Smith/Court to Borough Hall then straight on the bridge to City Hall.

That Red Hook experiment has been a disaster for the better part of 15+ years since Grand Avenue occupied that route. It's been a bigger disaster since they did the whole Downtown Brooklyn realignment. Although we all have good ideas on how to revive the B51 can it garner good ridership between Red Hook to City Hall via Downtown Brooklyn & Manhattan Bridge.

5 hours ago, B35 via Church said:

While I like the idea of reverting the B51 to have it take over the B57 south of Downtown (in cutting the B57 back to Downtown Brooklyn, I'd just leave that portion of the route with the & the B61), City Hall isn't far enough south to fulfill what they've been clamoring for.... You'd basically have to run it deeper into FiDi all the way to S. Ferry.... Problem then becomes the indirectness of such a route (as in, Lower Manhattan via Downtown Brooklyn).... It's why a local route from that part of Brooklyn via the BBT often gets proposed.

Another route I'd like to bring back would be the B77 back to its origin 10th and 5th---> Red Hook ----> Battery Park City/South Ferry via BBT.

Looks like that B71 proposal that was making it's rounds a while ago went very quiet.

[NewFlyer 230]

17 hours ago, jaf0519 said:

It’s ridiculous. Almost every time I have to catch the Q65 in the morning its the same deal. It’s a local stop so I watch the limited fly by, but still have to flag down the local almost every time. What am I doing, standing outside before 7 AM next to a bus stop just for my health? No, I’m waiting for the bus smh

Lol right especially if it's those stops without a bus shelter. I could understand somewhat if I were sitting down and not paying attention but if I'm standing next to the sign, then it should be obvious that I want to get on the bus. This issue I feel has become much more prevalent after the pandemic. 

[checkmatechamp13]

10 hours ago, biGC323232 said:

I know what u mean.....U right it does waste time ..They should do like NJT does...If you dont put out your hand regardless of how many buses acutally stops at a stop...Drivers will blow right by you like you not there

I think that's a bit extreme. If they're carrying grocery bags or something heavy, some sort of general motion should be sufficient. 

4 hours ago, NewFlyer 230 said:

Lol right especially if it's those stops without a bus shelter. I could understand somewhat if I were sitting down and not paying attention but if I'm standing next to the sign, then it should be obvious that I want to get on the bus. This issue I feel has become much more prevalent after the pandemic. 

I've seen people chilling and having conversations while leaning against the bus stop poles. 

[QM1to6Ave]

12 hours ago, biGC323232 said:

I know what u mean.....U right it does waste time ..They should do like NJT does...If you dont put out your hand regardless of how many buses acutally stops at a stop...Drivers will blow right by you like you not there

I'm sure there would be backlash to this if it was an official policy from disabled rider groups...not everyone can lift/wave their arm, and they shouldn't have to