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So today on the Q44 SBS, some of the buses I saw were still displaying "Q44 Limited" instead of the Q44 +Select Bus programs... either those buses don't have the SBS codes in them or there was a glitch in the system. Would have been real confusing considering the buses still said "Limited" yet SBS started...

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So today on the Q44 SBS, some of the buses I saw were still displaying "Q44 Limited" instead of the Q44 +Select Bus programs... either those buses don't have the SBS codes in them or there was a glitch in the system. Would have been real confusing considering the buses still said "Limited" yet SBS started...

were they artics?

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I noticed how Quill Depot loaned Casey Stengel some LFSA's the day Q44 SBS debuted, I wonder if they still on the Q44 SBS. Speaking of the Q44 SBS, the (2)(4)(7)(E)(F)(J) might get new announcements for the Transfer to the Q44 +SelectBusService+ , I'm going to listen for that.

Edited by Priincenene
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were they artics?

 

Everything... Artics, and that one XD40 that ran today.

 

I noticed how Quill Depot loaned Casey Stengel some LFSA's the day Q44 SBS debuted, I wonder if they still on the Q44 SBS. Speaking of the Q44 SBS, the (2)(4)(7)(E)(F)(J) might get new announcements for the Transfer to the Q44 +SelectBusService+ , I'm going to listen for that.

 

Didn't hear anything on the (E), and those Quill buses were there a few days before SBS started.

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Here's an interesting story an operator told me yesterday.  I frequently ride routes with her, and almost right after I got seated she says, "You're not going to believe this":

 

She's doing a Woodward run (think M101/102/103-type corridor, straight line route), one that she doesn't normally do, but it's a pretty simple north-south route with heavy use.  Middle of the afternoon, medium load.  Starts off at northern terminal, and about 2 miles down the road, looks in her mirror and sees some guy taking off his coat and shirt in the seat.  Looks up again and sees him reaching into his bag, pulling out a bra and acting like he's going to put it on.  Other riders are all centered in on this guy, incredulous, seated in one of the forward-facing seats before the back door.  Operator says, "Sir you can't be changing clothes on the bus."  Also notes that there are about 5-6 more bras visible in his bag.  He pays her no mind and keeps going.

 

She warns him again, "Sir, you can't be doing that on the bus, and if you don't stop I'll have to call the police."  He mumbles something similar to "I'll do what I want."  She calls into dispatch, supervisor asks exactly where she was, and since she was going through a city which doesn't fund SMART (and the route operates non-stop through there), supervisor asks her if she can be safe enough for the 4-5 minutes to get to downtown Birmingham (about 2 miles down the road).  She says yes.  Gets up to northern-end of Birmingham and sees one police car waiting with flashing lights.  She pulls into the bus stop at the intersection and that car angle-blocks the bus in front, and another comes from the sidestreet blocking the front door.  Police come to front door, ask her where he is, one enters on back door and one in front, confront guy, tell him he needs to get off the bus since he's being disruptive.  Guy gets a little agitated, police calm him down, ask him where he's going, and said they'll get him a ride to the end of the route.  Situation diffused in about 5 minutes.  (Police told her they've dealt with him before, and that the neighboring departments along Woodward know him as well.  Which was the reason he didn't cause a big disturbance once they arrived.)

 

She said it was a first for her in her 14 years of driving, and needless to say, everyone was talking for the rest of the route, telling other people boarding later what happened.

 

Just a bit odd for us, but maybe not for you subway/bus riders.  Probably just a typical day in NYC.

Edited by DetSMART45
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I sick of having to deal with the unreliability from the MTA. I don't know how many continue to put up with it.

BP destroyed the Q64's reputation of being fast and on time. Every time I turn around I'm waiting 10-15 minutes when the route is suppose to show up every 3-5 minutes like come on. People need to start complaining. I wish they would hurry up and give CP back the Q64 because reliability sucks.

The Q56 is another one. What is up with only one bus per direction or sometimes none. Yeah at the time the headways are 20 minutes but damn it take longer to get to the terminal.

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7368 has that "Please pay before boarding" notice on the farebox like the other SBS buses do.

Wouldn't have that if MTA did more than put a little "notice" on the mainpage (that is totally invisible to any mobile users), plus tell everyone about what they were doing to the route.

 

Oh ... that's right ... keep people in the dark, it works out better that way.  Plus it "saves", except when it comes to printing notices to pay people to stick all over buses.

 

BUT at least you got new wrapped buses up and down the street!  WOO HOO!  (That still don't run on time ... but you're not supposed to pay attention to that.  Only the shiny new stainless-steel fare machines on the street.)

 

Well ....... aren't you excited?

 

/end of sarcasm

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Wouldn't have that if MTA did more than put a little "notice" on the mainpage (that is totally invisible to any mobile users), plus tell everyone about what they were doing to the route.

 

Oh ... that's right ... keep people in the dark, it works out better that way.  Plus it "saves", except when it comes to printing notices to pay people to stick all over buses.

 

BUT at least you got new wrapped buses up and down the street!  WOO HOO!  (That still don't run on time ... but you're not supposed to pay attention to that.  Only the shiny new stainless-steel fare machines on the street.)

 

Well ....... aren't you excited?

 

/end of sarcasm

 

How low is the bar? Really, exactly how ignorant should the MTA assume customers are? Not understanding the procedure for SBS buses--which are, in fact, labeled with fare procedures, as are the stops and machines--at this point in time says more about the customer than the service. SBS is not new, not complicated, and not poorly-announced. If anything, you could argue it receives too much press rather than too little. 

 

Not everything is a conspiracy against customers...

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Wouldn't have that if MTA did more than put a little "notice" on the mainpage (that is totally invisible to any mobile users), plus tell everyone about what they were doing to the route.

 

Oh ... that's right ... keep people in the dark, it works out better that way.  Plus it "saves", except when it comes to printing notices to pay people to stick all over buses.

 

BUT at least you got new wrapped buses up and down the street!  WOO HOO!  (That still don't run on time ... but you're not supposed to pay attention to that.  Only the shiny new stainless-steel fare machines on the street.)

 

Well ....... aren't you excited?

 

/end of sarcasm

WOW like the signs, posters, people, pamphlets, and B/O's telling people they can't pay on board. Guess what people don't even use the MTA website. The MTA knows that, that's they physically show people what SBS is 

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Man I wish the Nassau county bus system was still apart of the MTA... they probably would have there first joint NYCT - LIB order to replace every remaining green sign Orion CNG, Nassau would have a SBS route, etc.

They didn't want to pay up so there was nothing the MTA could do. Now NICE bus is facing more cuts. I wonder how things would be today if Nassau was willing to pay the MTA what they wanted. I could see every last Orion V CNG being retire except for some higher 1600's and possibly added service and maybe even increased ridership overall. Service is so poor people don't want to ride NiCE anymore.

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One problem with SBS IMO, some B/Os don't wait for everyone at the stop to pay. If there's a line to pay at the machines, you should wait until everyone gets their receipt. This will or already has lead to fare beating if some B/Os won't wait.

Edited by XcelsiorBoii4888
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One problem with SBS IMO, some B/Os don't wait for everyone at the stop to pay. If there's a line to pay at the machines, you should wait until everyone gets their receipt. This will or already has lead to fare beating if some B/Os won't wait.

They're not supposed to wait unless they know there's a problem with the machines.  If there's a line to get tickets, well that's not their problem.  That's the (MTA) 's problem for not having enough machines.  The idea is to keep the bus moving and sit around at stops waiting and waiting which causes extensive delays, so those who have their tickets get on, and the others can wait for the next bus.  Now when the machines are a mess, then I understand.  A few months ago, I walked over from the BxM1 and waited for the M15 at 2nd and 34th, only to discover the machines all off.  We got on and notified the driver, and I got off at the front of the bus at the next stop, dipped my card, got my ticket, and got back on, and he waited, as he should have.

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Wouldn't it be better if those 3-row seats(2 seater) on 2011 C40LF(right side) become 1 seat, while those 5-row(1 seat) on the left side becomes 2 seats like the old 1999 model. Would that save more additional seats?

No I say leave it the way it is. The single seats on they left and two seaters on the right side are good for keeping the crowd towards the left side away from the back door. With the single seats on the right, the crowd moves towards the right and the door area that comes out leaves a single isle to walk through. Becomes very tight.

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Wouldn't it be better if those 3-row seats(2 seater) on 2011 C40LF(right side) become 1 seat, while those 5-row(1 seat) on the left side becomes 2 seats like the old 1999 model. Would that save more additional seats?

the way its layed out is for extra standing space

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