BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[checkmatechamp13]

I caught the 07:45 S59 (it's usually hit or miss as far as catching this bus. Sometimes it doesn't show up, but at least I have the 07:53 S44 and 07:55 S89 as backups)

 

At Richmond Avenue/Vedder Avenue (northbound, by ShopRite), I saw somebody who looked like a traffic checker.

 

Going from school to my first after-school activity, I started waiting for the S46 but then I decided to start walking. Good thing I did because the bus never showed up. I made it all the way to Maple Parkway (from Port Richmond High School, which is around a mile away) with no bus in sight.

 

Going to my next after-school activity, I knew I missed the S46 so I went straight for the S48. I caught the same B/O that didn't let me on last week because I wasn't at the stop (because the damn S46 didn't show up, so I ran to Forest Avenue and couldn't cross because the light was against me. I crossed the street and she pulled up slowly to the red light, but didn't let me on. :mad: I ended up chasing her all the way to Richmond Avenue, and almost got hit by a car, but I made it :cool:), but there were no problems this week.

 

Going back, I saw 3 S53s bunch up, and then the S98 pulled up. We were making most of the lights, but at Richmond Avenue, I saw the lights of a bus pulling away in the distance, so I went to ShopRite (I planned to go there unless I saw a Richmond Avenue bus pull in as I was getting off the S98. Then I would've just ran for it).

 

Going out of ShopRite, I got my hopes up when I saw lights in the distance, but the bus was out of service. I ended up waiting for close to 15 minutes for the S59 to show up (because they give the S89 too much time to get between points so he always comes early).

[Joel Up Front]

Considering how homogeneous LI buses are in terms of powerplants, and how none of the buses I've been on have succumbed to transmission issues, I can safely say that the Allison B400R is a great transmission. The power clunk seems to have disappeared in the Orion Vs and the VIIs reduce the clunk to a quiet grinding noise, but it's a great addition to any bus. The ZFs are just annoying to hear and aren't too great from what I've heard and I haven't been on a Voith bus (I think the old Orion Vs used these... guess where they are now?) so I have no opinion.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Considering how homogeneous LI buses are in terms of powerplants, and how none of the buses I've been on have succumbed to transmission issues, I can safely say that the Allison B400R is a great transmission. The power clunk seems to have disappeared in the Orion Vs and the VIIs reduce the clunk to a quiet grinding noise, but it's a great addition to any bus. The ZFs are just annoying to hear and aren't too great from what I've heard and I haven't been on a Voith bus (I think the old Orion Vs used these... guess where they are now?) so I have no opinion.

 

Well it's clear what your favorite thread is...

[Joel Up Front]

And now one not so nice story.

 

Earlier today I finished my science lab early so I left class and waited outside. Only two buses came, an N35 to Westbury and an N16 to the mall. Only 30 minutes later an N16 rolled up, but it was already crowded and I didn't feel like going through Westbury Boulevard, so I got on the N35 that came up behind it. The ride was nice and there weren't too many people on, and I got into Hempstead with time to spare.

 

After I bought a drink, I looked outside and saw this massive line near the N15 and 32 bays. There was an N15 nearby when the N35 made the turn onto Columbia Street but when that N15 came in and left the line was still there. Only after looking at the line did I realize it was for the N32, and that the 1:42 PM bus never showed. I wanted to ask a dispatcher what was going on, but I gave up and decided to get on. It was SRO immediately after I got on and took a seat all the way in the back. Surprisingly, the bus operator was able to make it to Franklin Avenue in only 25 minutes, and the 2:30 N25 came up right on cue.

 

That good feeling didn't last too long because when I pulled the cord for my stop (Orion V CNG #9846 from WF) the bus operator just kept going. I told her I wanted to get off and she just pointed at some sticker, when I wasn't even in front of the line or anything. I was about to lose it when she immediately stopped in front of Franklin Hospital and I was finally able to get off.

 

Seriously, why the hell did she not stop until she saw passengers waiting?

[trainfan22]

This week I have been on every bus model JG operates except for the buses in the 230 - 263 batch

 

1)Old C40LF

2)Orion VII CNG

3)Orion V CNG

4)RTSs

 

while I didn't get to enjoy it, I heard JG had a very diverse fleet slimar to the above in the late 90s, they even had diesel Orions back then!

 

IIRC, they had....

 

1)buses in the 800 - 989 batch

2) 99 RTSs

3)TMC RTSs

5)GMC RTSs

6)581 - 610 (Orion V CNG)

5)Diesel Orion Vs (Not sure of fleet #)

[MHV9218]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[checkmatechamp13]

I was running late to school, bus the 07:53 S44 came on time (or a few minutes early). However, at Walker Street/Morningstar Road, I saw an S46 (or possibly an S96) pull out. :mad: It was an Orion V, so it was probably the S46 (the S96 around that time runs with an LFS bus). In any case, I ran down from the S44 stop to my school, and I saw it pull out, so it would've only saved me a minute or two.

 

Going to my after-school activity, the 15:31 S46 came a little early, so I got there a bit early.

 

Leaving to go, home, I didn't see the 17:15 S46 that I expected, so I decided to walk to Morningstar Road for the S89 or S94. I didn't see the S46 pass me (which means it was either late or early), and at Walker Street/Pulaski Street (a short block before Morningstar Road), I saw an S46 to the West Shore Plaza, and I was debating on whether I should take it or take my chances with the S89 or S94. I took my chance and it paid off: The S94 pulled in just as I came around the corner, and I was home at 17:31, only 16 minutes after I had left. :cool:

[checkmatechamp13]

Today I wasn't so lucky. I ran down to Richmond Avenue and saw the 07:55 S89. Unfortunately, there was a school bus across the street and we were stuck there for 5 minutes, so I showed up 5 minutes late to school (even though I was able to transfer to the S46, which wasn't too crowded)

 

Going to my after-school activity, I decided to walk to save the rides on my Student MetroCard for another after-school activity. The S46 didn't pass until I was almost there.

 

I left at 17:15, and ran to Richmond Terrace, hoping to catch the S40, but I saw it pulling out when I was a block away. :mad: The next one showed up on time, but it missed the ferry by a few minutes (He pulled out when a little boy was tapping on the window, which was pointless because we missed the ferry anyway and he knew it). I ended up getting the 18:00 ferry rather than the 17:45 one.

 

Luckily, there was a train waiting at South Ferry, and then at Chambers Street, I caught the and then transferred to an earlier at Times Square (I had to go to around Columbus Circle)

 

I escorted 2 of my friends back. We caught the , waited for the at Times Square (apparently, there was an investigation at Atlantic Avenue, delaying and trains in both directions), and ended up transferring back to the same at Chambers Street (though we passed it at 14th Street). We had left at around 19:10, and got to South Ferry at 19:35, with enough time to catch the 19:40 ferry.

 

I then left my friends and caught the 20:10 S62. Two guys were getting into an argument, but they got off at the stop before Jersey Street so the rest of the passengers didn't have to deal with it for a long time. I ended up getting home at 20:47.

Edited December 17, 2011 by lance25
double post

[checkmatechamp13]

Yesterday, I caught the 07:53 S44, but it was the wrong decision, as the 07:55 S89 passed us at Armand Street. I barely made it on time to class.

 

Going back, I left school late, so I couldn't catch a tripper, so I decided to walk to Walker Street/Trantor Place (intending to follow the S44 route down to Forest Avenue, so I'd have the option of the S59 as well). I saw an S59 in the distance going down Port Richmond Avenue, but the S44 came a few minutes later. It was crowded (a few people got off, but then me and the rest of the schoolkids at the stop got on, so it was crowded, except for the back). Another S44 was behind us, so we were able to flag the rest of the stops, and we ended up catching up to the S59 at Jules Drive. At the next stop, nobody needed to get off, so we passed it and the S59 was even more crowded than our bus, so it was a blessing in disguise that I didn't go to Port Richmond Avenue (there you can also get the S44 or S59, but I usually follow the principle that it's better to walk in the direction you're headed when waiting for a bus).

[trainfan22]

This morning I finally seen a new C40 on the B8, 232. It was going the other way.

 

Clock still ticking for one to show up on my commute...

[checkmatechamp13]

My trip to school actually went pretty well: The S59 showed up a little bit late (as did I), but the B/O floored it and I made it to school on time.

 

Going back, the S44 showed up 10 minutes late, but I still made it home earlier than if I had waited for a tripper.

[Mysterious2train]

I've started walking to the Bx33 and taking that to the train now. I want to be really familiar with the route... otherwise, making a proposal to extend it would just be hot air.

 

There's a bus leaving 135th St ( 7 minutes after I get out of school, but I can't really make it unless I run, which I don't want to do everyday... so I take the bus 15 minutes after that one. It turns out there's an M8 train going to Harrison that reaches the 138th St station right around the same time my Bx33 bus does, that's pretty cool. And when I was walking home from the train, I looked down to Avenue D and just happened to see one of the new C40LFs on the B8. Made my day.

[Metro CSW]

hmph..... and I wanted to see 5227 this year! _B)

[trainfan22]

I don't think JG has Orion V CNGs anymore, the guy that usually has one on the B8 during the AM rush had old C40s these past two days, also all the B16 school trippers was Orion VII CNGs & C40LF, I usually always see a V CNG on the B16...

 

RIP to HF buses at JG....?

[checkmatechamp13]

I was able to wake up a little earlier and catch the 07:43 S44 (lately, I've been trying to catch up on my schoolwork, so I've been leaving later and catching a later bus).

 

After school, the S46 came up and me, a Mexican girl, two black kids, and 2 white girls got on. The B/O let the 2 white girls on, and then closed the door (but after I showed "Hey!", he reopened them). I hope that was just a coincidence. :eek: I'll give the B/O the benefit of the doubt, but that was just weird.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I was able to wake up a little earlier and catch the 07:43 S44 (lately, I've been trying to catch up on my schoolwork, so I've been leaving later and catching a later bus).

 

After school, the S46 came up and me, a Mexican girl, two black kids, and 2 white girls got on. The B/O let the 2 white girls on, and then closed the door (but after I showed "Hey!", he reopened them). I hope that was just a coincidence. :eek: I'll give the B/O the benefit of the doubt, but that was just weird.

 

lol... Now and days racists will do things that aren't so obvious. What I notice a lot on the express bus, esp. on Staten Island is that they'll do the look like the space is too cramped to sit there if a black person is there, or they keep looking back when a black person comes to sit on the bus and sits behind them. I think it's funny actually. It's a way of trying to make them feel uncomfortable and doing it without saying anything or making an obvious racist comment and the B/Os do little things sometimes too. I also notice that anytime there's a black person standing in front of a store say just hanging out or whatever, people start paying attention more and literally gawking, esp. here in Midtown where you have a large European tourist prescence. I used to think it was a just a coincidence, but as I have spent more time in the city and on Staten Island, I realize that's not the case. It's very obvious here in Midtown. I think if I were darker I would most certainly see more women clutching their purses and so on.

 

And overall, I do find Staten Island to be rather racist esp. considering that it's 2011. I can't tell you how many times I've taken car service and the cab drivers will start talking to me about how many "damn" immigrants are moving to Staten Island. This one cab driver once made a comment to me about an Asian guy that was riding his bike and I said to myself this guy doesn't even realize how racist he sounds. Then he turned back to me as if he was baffled as to why I didn't start laughing because he thought it was funny and then I started laughing just so that he wouldn't feel weird, but clearly for him those sorts of comments are the norm. I think on Staten Island because the majority is white there is a sense that some do things and make comments that are completely inappropriate but they don't have much interaction with other non white folks, so they think it's normal. And yeah I know the politicians will say, well hey Staten Island is very diverse and try to downplay how racist it is here, but there is a lot of hidden racism here. Italians and Irish are still the ones that run the show here and that's not changing anytime soon.

Edited December 23, 2011 by Via Garibaldi 8

[NYCtrainfan01]

I saw a RTS yesterday on the Bx40. It had the West farms depot sticker on it though. I have the picture of it but it came out Really blurry(That's my fault because I pressed my camera's shutter button too early by mistake and because of that it did not focus right. ) I caught it going westbound when it was about to make a right turn from University av to west Burnside ave.

 

Speaking of West farms, I also saw O5 CNG 9873 yesterday(I have a picture of it too. This one came out much better ) It's been a while since I've seen an O5 CNG on the BX36....

 

Edit: As of 7:22 PM I just saw LFSA 5781 on the BX1! saw it through my window.

Edited December 24, 2011 by NYCtrainfan01

[checkmatechamp13]

And overall, I do find Staten Island to be rather racist esp. considering that it's 2011. I can't tell you how many times I've taken car service and the cab drivers will start talking to me about how many "damn" immigrants are moving to Staten Island. This one cab driver once made a comment to me about an Asian guy that was riding his bike and I said to myself this guy doesn't even realize how racist he sounds. Then he turned back to me as if he was baffled as to why I didn't start laughing because he thought it was funny and then I started laughing just so that he wouldn't feel weird, but clearly for him those sorts of comments are the norm. I think on Staten Island because the majority is white there is a sense that some do things and make comments that are completely inappropriate but they don't have much interaction with other non white folks, so they think it's normal. And yeah I know the politicians will say, well hey Staten Island is very diverse and try to downplay how racist it is here, but there is a lot of hidden racism here. Italians and Irish are still the ones that run the show here and that's not changing anytime soon.

 

I've always thought of driving cabs as sort of an immigrant job (I mean, we all know that a lot of taxi drivers are South Asian, and a lot of them are immigrants). I guess that's moreso in Manhattan.

 

Well, hopefully the attitudes will change as SI becomes more diverse. My neighborhood was 12.1% Hispanic in 2000 and is now 17.3% Hispanic as of the 2010 census. When we first moved here, my grandmother said one of the neighbors exhibited a certain attitude when we moved in (but then again, she tends to exaggerate, LOL), but then later on, he just realized we were like any other family (like I said, I don't know if what she said was true in the first place because he seemed nice enough when we first moved here). In any case, a Mexican family moved in two doors down a couple of years later, so I guess if that was the case, he'd have to adapt to the new presence of "those people" in his area.

 

I mean, it's still going to be a mostly White area for the foreseeable future, but hopefully whatever few (if any) racists there are here will come to accept that SI is getting more diverse.

 

So on the express bus, does that discomfort with Black people (assuming they're just minding their own business and not being rude and obnoxious) apply to routes like the X30 or only those that spend most of their time on the South Shore?

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I've always thought of driving cabs as sort of an immigrant job (I mean, we all know that a lot of taxi drivers are South Asian, and a lot of them are immigrants). I guess that's moreso in Manhattan.

 

Well, hopefully the attitudes will change as SI becomes more diverse. My neighborhood was 12.1% Hispanic in 2000 and is now 17.3% Hispanic as of the 2010 census. When we first moved here, my grandmother said one of the neighbors exhibited a certain attitude when we moved in (but then again, she tends to exaggerate, LOL), but then later on, he just realized we were like any other family (like I said, I don't know if what she said was true in the first place because he seemed nice enough when we first moved here). In any case, a Mexican family moved in two doors down a couple of years later, so I guess if that was the case, he'd have to adapt to the new presence of "those people" in his area.

 

I mean, it's still going to be a mostly White area for the foreseeable future, but hopefully whatever few (if any) racists there are here will come to accept that SI is getting more diverse.

 

So on the express bus, does that discomfort with Black people (assuming they're just minding their own business and not being rude and obnoxious) apply to routes like the X30 or only those that spend most of their time on the South Shore?

 

LOL... Well let me tell you... A friend of mine back in junior high school, Chris, who was Cuban and Italian... His mother (Cuban, but she could pass for an olive skin Italian) left Sheepshead Bay and moved with her husband to Tottenville and she had to leave because she said Tottenville was extremely racist and since my friend Chris had a few black friends and such, she said she would feel terrible inviting them down there and something happening to them. I actually heard of a hispanic guy (dark skinned Puerto Rican guy) who moved down there with his family, and they basically threatened to burn his house down. Since he wasn't white, they basically gave him grief. This was back in 90s though and obviously some time has passed, but I would say that I've seen this sort of behavior on the X10, x12, X16, and Mid Island & South Shore buses. The X30 has it too to some degree, but since a sizable amount of the ridership on the X30 is in Mariner's Harbor, Graniteville and Port Richmond, areas of the island with sizable black populations, it is less of an issue, but still noticeable at times. The X14 is less so, but I think that's because there aren't that many blacks that ride the X14 to begin with. The X12, I definitely see it in the morning when I get on at Victory & Manor, but less so at night, probably because I usually get the last bus which isn't too crowded. Those folks have some serious looks of disgust on their faces. I would imagine they get on in Westerleigh, which is mainly white and of course it's all white where I get on at in Castleton Corners as well. I would imagine that the blacks board in Mariner's Harbor and Graniteville.

 

On the X10 I've seen whites have a look like they came in contact with a bad odor when a black person sits next to them. Not all of the time, but I have noticed it and they most certainly do the seat thing where whites will try to sit by whites and such or at least not blacks. The stops like Wooley, Gansevoort and so on are just about all white, with some Asians here and there but no blacks.

 

On the X16, I remember getting on at Forest & Broadway and this regular rider gets on at Forest and Bard. Later on for some reason, this black lady came and sat next to her, and she reacted like what in the world was she doing sitting next to her.

 

X1 and X2... Have seen the same thing... The stares, esp. on those lines because not many blacks ride. The X17... I've seen it also. Usually it's the gawking thing. They just keep looking back and looking around like something is wrong like they're watching someone. On the X10 once I remember this white guy was being obnoxious but in a way to piss the black guy off and the black guy got annoyed and said you act like you doing that on purpose and the white guy just chuckled. I think he reclined on his leg really hard or something to that effect.

 

I also mentioned before I believe an incident on the X1. The bus was crowded but there were a few seats left and so we're coming near to one of the last stops on the bus and this white chick gets on and one of her friends was black. This Italian guy sitting near me threw a fit and started yelling about how he wanted to get off of the bus. Clearly it was because the black girl was sitting near him and he got into with the white chick as if it was her fault for bringing one of "them" on the bus talking about "Let me deal with you" and told the black girl to shut up because no one was talking to her. It was a real big explosion with a lot of words exchanged. Let's just leave it at that. It has certainly toned down over the years, but I still see the little subtle things going on and don't think it's only the whites doing it either, because some minorities on the island are guilty of it too. That guy on the X1 did indeed get off because there was another X1 that pulled up next to us over by the last stop.

Edited December 24, 2011 by Via Garibaldi 8

[Mysterious2train]

Right when I got off the train this morning I saw a LFSA on the Bx19. I love these chance sightings.

[MHV9218]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[Via Garibaldi 8]

The express bus. I don't even have to say anything, you just said it!

 

Oh please... This isn't about the express bus as it is more about racist folks. Hell I can remember years ago riding the ferry and this white guy was near me talking on his cell phone about how there were so many of "them" on the ferry. He went on to say how he could basically avoid them by taking the express bus, so racists ride all forms of transportation buddy.

 

 

I've always thought of driving cabs as sort of an immigrant job (I mean, we all know that a lot of taxi drivers are South Asian, and a lot of them are immigrants). I guess that's moreso in Manhattan.

 

Well, hopefully the attitudes will change as SI becomes more diverse. My neighborhood was 12.1% Hispanic in 2000 and is now 17.3% Hispanic as of the 2010 census. When we first moved here, my grandmother said one of the neighbors exhibited a certain attitude when we moved in (but then again, she tends to exaggerate, LOL), but then later on, he just realized we were like any other family (like I said, I don't know if what she said was true in the first place because he seemed nice enough when we first moved here). In any case, a Mexican family moved in two doors down a couple of years later, so I guess if that was the case, he'd have to adapt to the new presence of "those people" in his area.

 

I mean, it's still going to be a mostly White area for the foreseeable future, but hopefully whatever few (if any) racists there are here will come to accept that SI is getting more diverse.

 

 

Yeah well there may be more folks moving here, but that doesn't mean that you have more and more folks living side by side that are of different backgrounds, esp. not on the South Shore. The South Shore is still heavily white, even if they are immigrants, they're still white immigrants.

 

As for the cab drivers here, yeah, most of the drivers that I get are white.

[MHV9218]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Lol, "avoid them by taking the express bus!" Exactly.

 

I'm not saying that there aren't racists all over, but there are disproportionately more on the express bus, I'm sorry.

 

That's true to some degree, but I haven't seen this on the Bronx express buses at all, but then again, I also don't recall many blacks if any riding on the lines that I used either.

[checkmatechamp13]

LOL... Well let me tell you... A friend of mine back in junior high school, Chris, who was Cuban and Italian... His mother (Cuban, but she could pass for an olive skin Italian) left Sheepshead Bay and moved with her husband to Tottenville and she had to leave because she said Tottenville was extremely racist and since my friend Chris had a few black friends and such, she said she would feel terrible inviting them down there and something happening to them. I actually heard of a hispanic guy (dark skinned Puerto Rican guy) who moved down there with his family, and they basically threatened to burn his house down. Since he wasn't white, they basically gave him grief. This was back in 90s though and obviously some time has passed, but I would say that

 

 

By the way, the Hispanic population in all of those areas (along the western end of the X30) is larger than the Black population. Do you see many Hispanics on the X30 or no? (Looking at a demographic map, the thing that you notice is that there are more Hispanics on SI than Blacks, but they tend to be more spread out than Blacks)

 

And a friend of the family (Hispanic) used to live in either Princes' Bay or Huguenot (I forget which), and they ended up moving to the area around Clove Road/Richmond Terrace. To be honest, they didn't have to go to that extreme (from an area that's close to 90% White to an area that's a little over 10% White, and of course, not the greatest area to boot). I mean, there are a few areas that are safe and have decent-sized Hispanic populations (Graniteville, Rosebank, and sections of Westerleigh and West Brighton), so I don't know what was the deal with him.