BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[Lawrence St]

Does anyone know what bus used to stop in front of the York St entrance? There's an abandoned bus stop pole here.

[B35 via Church]

1 hour ago, Lawrence St said:

Does anyone know what bus used to stop in front of the York St entrance? There's an abandoned bus stop pole here.

Yeah, the northbound B67 to Williamsburg.

When that extension inaugurated, the Williamsburg bound buses used to stop there... The old routing in that general area went Jay-Front-Bridge-York... Not all that long ago, the Williamsburg routing got altered to where buses now go Jay-Prospect-Bridge to get back to York st, eastbound... The former routing was a time-waste & the current change/routing makes quite the difference.

1 hour ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

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.

I see plenty of that.... They do that so that the b/o won't give them no shit (as they're paying the fare).... What they don't bank on is other passengers giving them shit.

See, I work around a bunch of medical bldg's up along Marcus av. in NHP... Those n25/26 drivers don't play when it comes to that... As I'm waiting in traffic, I've seen ppl. flagged for waiting at the stop with no mask on... The f***ed up part is that there could be one person out of a group of 5+ (regardless if they're all with each other or not) & the b/o will still blow past the stop.... Seen it at least a dozen times since I've started working out there.... You gotta catch these hands if I'm waiting (however infrequent those routes are) for one of those buses & I get flagged because YOU, a total stranger, didn't have a f***ing mask on....

Here in the city OTOH, I'm noticing that more & more b/o's don't even bother telling people that they gotta mask up - likely for the same reason{s} that they don't bother (trying to) enforce fare payment....

[Via Garibaldi 8]

10 minutes ago, B35 via Church said:

Yeah, the northbound B67 to Williamsburg.

When that extension inaugurated, the Williamsburg bound buses used to stop there... The old routing in that general area went Jay-Front-Bridge-York... Not all that long ago, the Williamsburg routing got altered to where buses now go Jay-Prospect-Bridge to get back to York st, eastbound... The former routing was a time-waste & the current change/routing makes quite the difference.

I see plenty of that.... They do that so that the b/o won't give them no shit (as they're paying the fare).... What they don't bank on is other passengers giving them shit.

See, I work around a bunch of medical bldg's up along Marcus av. in NHP... Those n25/26 drivers don't play when it comes to that... As I'm waiting in traffic, I've seen ppl. flagged for waiting at the stop with no mask on... The f***ed up part is that there could be one person out of a group of 5+ (regardless if they're all with each other or not) & the b/o will still blow past the stop.... Seen it at least a dozen times since I've started working out there.... You gotta catch these hands if I'm waiting (however infrequent those routes are) for one of those buses & I get flagged because YOU, a total stranger, didn't have a f***ing mask on....

Here in the city OTOH, I'm noticing that more & more b/o's don't even bother telling people that they gotta mask up - likely for the same reason{s} that they don't bother (trying to) enforce fare payment....

Yeah the  doesn't want them escalating the situation, but some drivers have stated outright that they either won't pick-up passengers, or won't move the bus. I son't blame them.

[B35 via Church]

12 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Yeah the  doesn't want them escalating the situation, but some drivers have stated outright that they either won't pick-up passengers, or won't move the bus. I son't blame them.

At one point (during the onset of this whole thing about a year or so ago), b/o's here in NYC used to do that (flag waiting pax. with no masks on)... Back when the buses were free... Since fare payment was reinstated, I simply haven't seen/noticed b/o's doing it.... If an uptick back to doing that has occurred, I wouldn't know it... I wouldn't blame them either, out of sheer principle... Too many people think they're above rules.

[JAzumah]

1) There are people who cannot wear masks for medical reasons and the current environment creates grave difficulty for them. 

2) The masks do not do what you think they do. That's why those companies put a notice on the box that it is not for medical use. Typically, the masks in the stores block around 40% of the particles. That is certainly better than 0% (or 3% for cloth masks), but the N95 masks provide a much higher level of protection and they are sparsely used.

3) The unvaccinated are not the issue. The vaccinated are the issue because the vaccine is not as effective as they expected it to be. In countries where the health authorities lie less to their citizens, they have noted that while the vaccine reduces the severity of COVID-19 symptoms, it does not prevent transmission (which was part of the original expectation). The fear is that the vaccinated are able to transmit the virus to others. An Israeli study showed that their vaccine retained just 19% of its original effectiveness after 6 months and high-risk people  vaxxed in Round 1 have been getting infected.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

7 hours ago, JAzumah said:

1) There are people who cannot wear masks for medical reasons and the current environment creates grave difficulty for them. 

2) The masks do not do what you think they do. That's why those companies put a notice on the box that it is not for medical use. Typically, the masks in the stores block around 40% of the particles. That is certainly better than 0% (or 3% for cloth masks), but the N95 masks provide a much higher level of protection and they are sparsely used.

3) The unvaccinated are not the issue. The vaccinated are the issue because the vaccine is not as effective as they expected it to be. In countries where the health authorities lie less to their citizens, they have noted that while the vaccine reduces the severity of COVID-19 symptoms, it does not prevent transmission (which was part of the original expectation). The fear is that the vaccinated are able to transmit the virus to others. An Israeli study showed that their vaccine retained just 19% of its original effectiveness after 6 months and high-risk people  vaxxed in Round 1 have been getting infected.

You're free to debate all of that if you wish. The question was do bus operators and passengers have to wear masks on the bus and the answer is YES.

[Iron Valiant]

7 hours ago, JAzumah said:

1) There are people who cannot wear masks for medical reasons and the current environment creates grave difficulty for them. 

2) The masks do not do what you think they do. That's why those companies put a notice on the box that it is not for medical use. Typically, the masks in the stores block around 40% of the particles. That is certainly better than 0% (or 3% for cloth masks), but the N95 masks provide a much higher level of protection and they are sparsely used.

3) The unvaccinated are not the issue. The vaccinated are the issue because the vaccine is not as effective as they expected it to be. In countries where the health authorities lie less to their citizens, they have noted that while the vaccine reduces the severity of COVID-19 symptoms, it does not prevent transmission (which was part of the original expectation). The fear is that the vaccinated are able to transmit the virus to others. An Israeli study showed that their vaccine retained just 19% of its original effectiveness after 6 months and high-risk people  vaxxed in Round 1 have been getting infected.

Then they shouldn't be on the bus bc it ain't fair to anyone else. Anyone can say they have a medical reason to not follow pandemic rules and guidelines.

[MHV9218]

10 hours ago, JAzumah said:

1) There are people who cannot wear masks for medical reasons and the current environment creates grave difficulty for them. 

2) The masks do not do what you think they do. That's why those companies put a notice on the box that it is not for medical use. Typically, the masks in the stores block around 40% of the particles. That is certainly better than 0% (or 3% for cloth masks), but the N95 masks provide a much higher level of protection and they are sparsely used.

3) The unvaccinated are not the issue. The vaccinated are the issue because the vaccine is not as effective as they expected it to be. In countries where the health authorities lie less to their citizens, they have noted that while the vaccine reduces the severity of COVID-19 symptoms, it does not prevent transmission (which was part of the original expectation). The fear is that the vaccinated are able to transmit the virus to others. An Israeli study showed that their vaccine retained just 19% of its original effectiveness after 6 months and high-risk people  vaxxed in Round 1 have been getting infected.

No part of this statement is correct in any way.

There are like, 12 people in the country who have even a remotely serious medical condition that would require you to not wear a mask that allows full oxygen intake (this has been studied with exercise) for a brief period of time.

The unvaccinated are ENTIRELY the issue. The vaccines are strikingly effective, including against Delta (Moderna moreso than Pfizer), and the asymptomatic transmission possibility would not even be an issue were it not for the unvaccinated wallowing around. 

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

12 hours ago, JAzumah said:

3) The unvaccinated are not the issue. The vaccinated are the issue because the vaccine is not as effective as they expected it to be. In countries where the health authorities lie less to their citizens, they have noted that while the vaccine reduces the severity of COVID-19 symptoms, it does not prevent transmission (which was part of the original expectation). The fear is that the vaccinated are able to transmit the virus to others. An Israeli study showed that their vaccine retained just 19% of its original effectiveness after 6 months and high-risk people  vaxxed in Round 1 have been getting infected.

Other people have addressed the other points, but as far as 1 goes, while I wouldn't bar them from using the bus, I also don't think a lot of them would expose themselves to other people in that fashion (so in a way, that "self-regulates" itself). 

Also, how exactly are the vaccinated a problem for the reason you mentioned? The efficacy of a vaccine and whether MSM & health officials are accurate has nothing to do with people being vaccinated, that's a separate issue altogether.Even if the vaccines aren't as strong against this Delta (and any potential subsequent variants), the problem actually is with the unvaccinated. Reason is that many anti-vaxxers also tend to be anti-mask...and that's not a good combo.

Don't get me wrong, there's also a good chunk of people who have been vaccinated and act as if everything is over and we're back normal. But if we want to steeply decrease transmission and mutations (and get out of this pandemic), then we need to cut down on the number of areas of transmission. That includes using masks in places where transmission tends to be higher. People in other countries like Japan are doing it and have been also been doing it pre-covid. 

This isn't a foreign concept either, Americans have done it in the past when the first flu outbreak started, way before vaccines were available. Nowadays though, people's minds have been deluded enough that they believe that this is another supposed restriction of freedom. Give me a break. The sooner we can get this under control, the sooner we can move on. 

Edited August 15, 2021 by BM5 via Woodhaven

[Transit Enthusiast]

I hear rumors that the Bx35 could soon be going to Kingsbridge. Is it true or false? Would be nice seeing 1200s on the Bx35, but I'll miss the XN60s if that's the case.

[paulrivera]

1 hour ago, Transit Enthusiast said:

I hear rumors that the Bx35 could soon be going to Kingsbridge. Is it true or false? Would be nice seeing 1200s on the Bx35, but I'll miss the XN60s if that's the case.

That'd be one heck of a deadhead between Washington Heights and KB in the PM's...

[1train2255railfan]

59 minutes ago, paulrivera said:

That'd be one heck of a deadhead between Washington Heights and KB in the PM's...

It'd be similar to the Bx3/Bx13's deadheads to the depot. 

[paulrivera]

31 minutes ago, 1train2255railfan said:

It'd be similar to the Bx3/Bx13's deadheads to the depot. 

Oh yea, I forgot the Bx13 does the same deadhead.

Most of the Bx3's deadhead in/out of 238th/Broadway tho.

[MTA Bus]

3 hours ago, Transit Enthusiast said:

I hear rumors that the Bx35 could soon be going to Kingsbridge. Is it true or false? Would be nice seeing 1200s on the Bx35, but I'll miss the XN60s if that's the case.

I’ve heard when the redesign starts, the Bx35 is supposed to go to Kingsbridge and the M125 is supposed to be out of West Farms. Don’t quote me on it tho, just what I’ve heard through the grapevine.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

2 hours ago, MTA Bus said:

I’ve heard when the redesign starts, the Bx35 is supposed to go to Kingsbridge and the M125 is supposed to be out of West Farms. Don’t quote me on it tho, just what I’ve heard through the grapevine.

Seems a bit too early for such speculation when implementation won't happen until Summer 2022.

[trainfan22]

The B15 and B25 are by far the worst routes out of ENY. Every time I ride those routes it's a miserable experience. Just today there was a shopping cart, an unfolded stroller and the bus was SRO at the same time!

[Future ENY OP]

3 hours ago, trainfan22 said:

The B15 and B25 are by far the worst routes out of ENY. Every time I ride those routes it's a miserable experience. Just today there was a shopping cart, an unfolded stroller and the bus was SRO at the same time!

When the B15 was out of Grand. That route was treated like a step child. 

[Iron Valiant]

3 hours ago, trainfan22 said:

The B15 and B25 are by far the worst routes out of ENY. Every time I ride those routes it's a miserable experience. Just today there was a shopping cart, an unfolded stroller and the bus was SRO at the same time!

Idk, I feel like most EN routes are like that. Passengers who don't follow rules and moody or nasty operators who clearly need better training.

[EastFlatbushLarry]

1 hour ago, Future ENY OP said:

When the B15 was out of Grand. That route was treated like a step child. 

absolutely true... and it showed rather quickly. when the 15 was out of Grand, on time performance went into the shitter, because of the interline with the 47, and because of the lateness of pull-outs/ins from Grand to woodhull... the JFK pull-ins/outs didn't exist (iirc) hence, why EN got it back ASAP.

[trainfan22]

1 hour ago, Snorunts said:

Idk, I feel like most EN routes are like that. Passengers who don't follow rules and moody or nasty operators who clearly need better training.

The B17, B42 and B82 are a pleasant ride, those are the three ENY routes I ride the most and I have no complaints. Most ENY ops I came across are friendly from what I seen. 

 

 

One time I was boxed in the back of an RTS on a B25 cause damn near every rider sitting back there had a Walker. Had to do gymnastics moves just to get off the bus.

[B35 via Church]

2 hours ago, Future ENY OP said:

When the B15 was out of Grand. That route was treated like a step child. 

What route isn't treated like a stepchild out of that depot at this point

[Calvin]

1 hour ago, B35 via Church said:

What route isn't treated like a stepchild out of that depot at this point

What about the B13? It was at Grand Av right after the B15 left back to ENY. However, it's at Fresh Pond at this time

[MTAbus677]

2 hours ago, trainfan22 said:

The B17, B42 and B82 are a pleasant ride, those are the three ENY routes I ride the most and I have no complaints. Most ENY ops I came across are friendly from what I seen.

Yeah, I have been on the B82 local and it is very smooth!

[Jdog14]

24 minutes ago, MTAbus677 said:

Yeah, I have been on the B82 local and it is very smooth!

 

Until you're waiting 30 min on Sunday morning for one.....

[Future ENY OP]

1 hour ago, Calvin said:

What about the B13? It was at Grand Av right after the B15 left back to ENY. However, it's at Fresh Pond at this time

The B48 needs to go back to Fresh Pond or put in Flatbush or Gleason.