BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[Via Garibaldi 8]

1 hour ago, 7-express said:

They have a special MLK Day/Day After Thanksgiving schedule which basically shows hourly service.  I guess the MTA is too lazy to add Presidents Day to this schedule.

It's hourly service today too for the QM20, but it's a guessing game as to when the bus will come. 

[checkmatechamp13]

5 hours ago, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

They only have the departures from 211 Street (6:20 AM to 10:20 PM every hour) & 6 Avenue & 36 Street (9:40 AM to 11:40 PM every hour), but besides that, you're SOL if you want to time it. My guess is that they expect people to use bustime.

 

1 hour ago, 7-express said:

They have a special MLK Day/Day After Thanksgiving schedule which basically shows hourly service.  I guess the MTA is too lazy to add Presidents Day to this schedule.

 

The problem is they overcomplicated it by running a different schedule than the MLK/Day After Thanksgiving, with inbound buses leaving 211th Street at 5:45am, 6:39am, 7:36am, 8:41am, and then every hour until 9:41pm, and then outbound buses leaving 36th Street every hour from 9am to midnight. Instead of keeping the schedule the same for Presidents' Day, they have it running as BM5 described it.

They should've just had one schedule for all 3 days, and published it accordingly. (And of course, there's still the issue of them having no schedule whatsoever on the NYCT express lines, even though they have the heavy lines running every 20-30 minutes as opposed to the show-up-and-go type frequencies they usually have them running at). When my dad worked those holidays, I told him he should just go Downtown and catch whatever bus comes first (X10, X11, X12, X17A) as opposed to going to Midtown and depending on the X17J. (In the morning, we sort of figured out what time the bus would get to our stop, so it wasn't a big deal). 

Edited February 20, 2018 by checkmatechamp13

[NewFlyer 230]

Something I noticed today which it's about time and 12 years late, is that on my home lines the Q25/Q34 a lot of the old rectangle bus stop signs are being replaced with the newer modern "lollipop" signs. It's a welcome change since in Queens ex PBL routes never had their signs updated like the ones in the Bronx and Brooklyn did. I wonder what took them so long to change the signs.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

10 minutes ago, NewFlyer 230 said:

Something I noticed today which it's about time and 12 years late, is that on my home lines the Q25/Q34 a lot of the old rectangle bus stop signs are being replaced with the newer modern "lollipop" signs. It's a welcome change since in Queens ex PBL routes never had their signs updated like the ones in the Bronx and Brooklyn did. I wonder what took them so long to change the signs.

You'd be surprised. Sometimes it takes elected officials in the area giving the City money to re-do the stops, even though supposedly the DOT is in charge of the bus stop signs.  Most of the signs in my area are updated, with the exception of a few, and those only have Bus buses stopping there, so for some reason they don't get the same priority as stops with NYCT buses stopping there.

[trainfan22]

 

 

 

 

Seeing this bus today took me back to my childhood, so many memories of seeing these buses on the BM's prior to the takeover, never got the chance to ride one. I wish they would have at least towed the thing to Atlantic Antic so fanners could check out the bus one last time before it got scrapped, oh well.

[Calvin]

Did XN-60 1016 passed its test yet?

[Future ENY OP]

17 hours ago, trainfan22 said:

 

 

 

 

Seeing this bus today took me back to my childhood, so many memories of seeing these buses on the BM's prior to the takeover, never got the chance to ride one. I wish they would have at least towed the thing to Atlantic Antic so fanners could check out the bus one last time before it got scrapped, oh well.

This is good memory lane photo right here! Miss seeing some of these bad boys on the BM1 & BM2. Its truly bad that the doesn't want to preserve this bus. I could only guess with the maintenance costs its only safe to say that the bus has to go.

[paulrivera]

14 minutes ago, Future ENY OP said:

This is good memory lane photo right here! Miss seeing some of these bad boys on the BM1 & BM2. Its truly bad that the doesn't want to preserve this bus. I could only guess with the maintenance costs its only safe to say that the bus has to go.

Getting those CNG tanks certified is no small task. And since the doesn't have a physical bus museum and the bus can't move on its own power, the bus was pretty much taking up space, and since they're tight with money on the bus side of things in general, they must not have had any other viable option.

I would've had that bus stripped for parts first tho; they still have RTS's to maintain on the active roster...

[Future ENY OP]

Just now, paulrivera said:

Getting those CNG tanks certified is no small task. And since the doesn't have a physical bus museum and the bus can't move on its own power, the bus was pretty much taking up space, and since they're tight with money on the bus side of things in general, they must not have had any other viable option.

I would've had that bus stripped for parts first tho; they still have RTS's to maintain on the active roster...

You got a point. Especially since the tank expired. No need to have it running.

[Yankees4life]

22 hours ago, trainfan22 said:

 

 

 

 

Seeing this bus today took me back to my childhood, so many memories of seeing these buses on the BM's prior to the takeover, never got the chance to ride one. I wish they would have at least towed the thing to Atlantic Antic so fanners could check out the bus one last time before it got scrapped, oh well.

These pics were DELIGHTFUL. My childhood memories. Had the chance to catch a ride on the Q35 multiple times before the takeover. Haven't caught ANY of the old COMMAND buses. Maybe the B100 one time when I was a toddler but thats that.

Edited February 21, 2018 by Yankees4life

[Cait Sith]

On 2/20/2018 at 8:24 PM, trainfan22 said:

Seeing this bus today took me back to my childhood, so many memories of seeing these buses on the BM's prior to the takeover, never got the chance to ride one. I wish they would have at least towed the thing to Atlantic Antic so fanners could check out the bus one last time before it got scrapped, oh well.

It's not getting scrapped, it's on hold.

[danielhg121]

I don't know if anyone mentioned this but I noticed on C40LF #650, they also installed passenger counters aside from the new info screens.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

To the BxM18 driver at night... Do you really need an entire posse to drive a friggin' bus? There has to be 5-10 people with him riding the express bus taking up all of the damn seats from paying passengers. Ridiculous.

[Orion6025]

2 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

To the BxM18 driver at night... Do you really need an entire posse to drive a friggin' bus? There has to be 5-10 people with him riding the express bus taking up all of the damn seats from paying passengers. Ridiculous.

Were they busfans or MTA employees? Sounds like a fan-friendly driver had a bunch of visitors over.

[P3F]

Does the B9 really need to make the S-turn from Avenue M onto Avenue N via Ocean Pkwy? If it continues on Avenue M all the way to Dahill Rd (and then uses 23rd Av to get to 60th Street), the route will be a bit more streamlined in that area, and still serve the Avenue N  station via its Avenue M entrance.

[checkmatechamp13]

11 minutes ago, P3F said:

Does the B9 really need to make the S-turn from Avenue M onto Avenue N via Ocean Pkwy? If it continues on Avenue M all the way to Dahill Rd (and then uses 23rd Av to get to 60th Street), the route will be a bit more streamlined in that area, and still serve the Avenue N  station via its Avenue M entrance.

I agree. Plus, Avenue M is a little more commercial in that area compared to Avenue N.

The only logical reason would be that it provides a little more coverage in the area (since the next east-west route is down on Kings Highway), but most likely, it's just that they never bothered to change the routing.

[Q43LTD]

20 years ago, the unlimited metro card was born. I remember the first prices. $16 for a week ($8 reduced), $63 dollars for a month. ($31.50 reduced). I think the 10% bonus was introduced in 1998 too. Last year, it marked 20 years since the then PBL's and LIB accepted Metrocard. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

11 hours ago, Orion6025 said:

Were they busfans or MTA employees? Sounds like a fan-friendly driver had a bunch of visitors over.

He has both or at least some of them wear paraphernalia.  It's one thing to do it on occasion, but he does this practically every time I get him when it's rush hour.  I could see one or two people riding off-peak or something when there are less people, but don't bring your whole posse on the bus and have all of them take up two seats each when they aren't paying. Not only is it tacky, but it's unprofessional.  I've also seen drivers bring their family on the bus and then they make comments either directly to the passengers or at them.  The times I rode with my uncle, I kept my mouth shut and took one seat.

Edited February 23, 2018 by Via Garibaldi 8

[WestFarms36]

2 hours ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

He has both or at least some of them wear paraphernalia.  It's one thing to do it on occasion, but he does this practically every time I get him when it's rush hour.  I could see one or two people riding off-peak or something when there are less people, but don't bring your whole posse on the bus and have all of them take up two seats each when they aren't paying. Not only is it tacky, but it's unprofessional.  I've also seen drivers bring their family on the bus and then they make comments either directly to the passengers or at them.  The times I rode with my uncle, I kept my mouth shut and took one seat.

Jesus Christ, I'd understand having 1 or 2 freinds joining him along, but a whole posse is just out the window. It is very disgraceful to see the MTA not pay attention to that, and I would be angry too seeing a Bus Operator rolling around with a Posse everytime I board his bus.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Just now, WestFarms36 said:

Jesus Christ, I'd understand having 1 or 2 freinds joining him along, but a whole posse is just out the window. It is very disgraceful to see the MTA not pay attention to that, and I would be angry too seeing a Bus Operator rolling around with a Posse everytime I board his bus.

I had him previously on the BxM18 and he did the same thing. You're looking around and you're like whoa who are all of these people?  The bus is usually not that crowded, so you're immediately wondering what's going on. Then when you look more carefully, you realize these aren't passengers.  Mainly people that he knows hogging up the seats.  He keeps the lights out so at first it's hard to see.

[paulrivera]

I just reported a Bx21 B/O that flagged me with a NIS sign while having passengers on board. So instead of a simple 5 minute wait I had to wait 20 minutes because the following bus was late.

No f**king wonder everyone takes Uber now.

[S78 via Hylan]

2 minutes ago, paulrivera said:

I just reported a Bx21 B/O that flagged me with a NIS sign while having passengers on board. So instead of a simple 5 minute wait I had to wait 20 minutes because the following bus was late.

No f**king wonder everyone takes Uber now.

Maybe he or she was running late, so dispatch could have called and instructed the B/O to go NIS to a certain point along the route. I’ve witnessed it.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

2 minutes ago, paulrivera said:

I just reported a Bx21 B/O that flagged me with a NIS sign while having passengers on board. So instead of a simple 5 minute wait I had to wait 20 minutes because the following bus was late.

No f**king wonder everyone takes Uber now.

I hope you didn't call 511.  I walked to get the BxM1 this morning and on my way another lady was running to the stop. We both arrived early.  I go to check BusTime and I'm like wait a minute.... What is this BxM1 via Lex?  Turns out the guy had come almost 10 minutes early.  She was livid. She's like I have two kids at home and I ran to get this bus and he comes early... So she calls 511.  What do they do?  They're like oh well some buses come early and some buses come late, as if it's acceptable for buses to come whenever. I told her don't bother with 511.  Eventually a BxM2 came with a BxM1 behind it.  Once I got on the bus, I promptly reported the guy via e-mail, with the time and the bus# so that it is sent to the appropriate people for action.  The people at 511... Their jobs is to take the information and report it, not argue with customers about what they think is okay and not okay behavior by the B/O.  

[paulrivera]

15 minutes ago, S78 via Hylan said:

Maybe he or she was running late, so dispatch could have called and instructed the B/O to go NIS to a certain point along the route. I’ve witnessed it.

There was a 15 minute gap between that bus and the next one. If anything the follower was even later than the one that skipped.

15 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

I hope you didn't call 511.  I walked to get the BxM1 this morning and on my way another lady was running to the stop. We both arrived early.  I go to check BusTime and I'm like wait a minute.... What is this BxM1 via Lex?  Turns out the guy had come almost 10 minutes early.  She was livid. She's like I have two kids at home and I ran to get this bus and he comes early... So she calls 511.  What do they do?  They're like oh well some buses come early and some buses come late, as if it's acceptable for buses to come whenever. I told her don't bother with 511.  Eventually a BxM2 came with a BxM1 behind it.  Once I got on the bus, I promptly reported the guy via e-mail, with the time and the bus# so that it is sent to the appropriate people for action.  The people at 511... Their jobs is to take the information and report it, not argue with customers about what they think is okay and not okay behavior by the B/O.  

I use Twitter on the field and then I send a email with more detail when I get home.

i get a log number much faster on Twitter however.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

2 minutes ago, paulrivera said:

There was a 15 minute gap between that bus and the next one. If anything the follower was even later than the one that skipped.

I use Twitter on the field and then I send a email with more detail when I get home.

i get a log number much faster on Twitter however.

Hmm Interesting... That's the way to do it.