BUS - Random Thoughts Thread

[EastFlatbushLarry]

2 hours ago, LegoBrickBreaker101 said:

I think it has something to do with the fact that some of their artic routes are using standard buses today and so since the M42 is a crosstown route with no steep hills, it's somewhat fine if they put artics on the route.

That is interesting. If that's the case, then quill has started a s&*tstorm on this forum of people wondering why artics can't run the line full time 😂

[BreeddekalbL]

1 hour ago, EastFlatbushLarry said:

I'm not attempting to be rude or disrespectful, but you've asked the quill question twice. I worked at quill in 2012. I'm not considering working there again unless i see a run that suits my life & circumstance. I'd honestly prefer not to be asked about what depots i may consider working at, because i make decisions based on what is amicable and suitable for my current life situation, and am not seeking input from anyone. No offense intended.

oh i did my bad 

and i also forgot to add im suprised union did not add a guide on how to read the bid sheets and paddle etc 

Edited March 21, 2018 by BreeddekalbL

[EastFlatbushLarry]

25 minutes ago, BreeddekalbL said:

oh i did my bad 

and i also forgot to add im suprised union did not add a guide on how to read the bid sheets and paddle etc 

It's all circumstantial. Every depot's union office does things differently. Some depots have welcoming committees for rookies with packets chock full of useful info (red light cameras located on depot lines/run on & run offs etc) other depots... You have to ask in order to get help ('closed mouth won't get fed' philosophy) 100 street is a great example of closed mouth won't get fed theory. No info comes unless you ask for it. Ultimately, with this job, we're all adults, and trial by fire is the name of the game. You have to experience this job/department for yourself in order to grasp the reality that exists. No matter how many questions one may ask or how much info one may gather  before you are given your own badge, nothing can equates for real life experience in this department. I was blessed to have multiple family members who showed me the immense complexity of this job, but i had to still get to where I'm at on my own, living thru my own experiences and being able to have my own unique story.

[EastFlatbushLarry]

5 hours ago, danielhg121 said:

I was eavesdropping on a convo between two C/P operators and one of them said they had to refuel their buses at WF because the CNG pumps at CP were frozen. Apparently, it’s a somewhat commin practice for them. Poor guy, his shift just ended too and he was 2 blocks away from the depot. Doesn’t this add way more mileage to the bus? Turns out om his way back, they got the pumps working again. Oh! The irony

Guaranteed the operator won't feel too bad about it on payday. To travel to WF, wait on the WF fuel line (which has been documented as  notoriously long & treacherous at times) wait for the bus to be fueled, then travel back to CP, probably wait on line again to pull in... Probably added another 3 hours to the operators pay. Not a typical way one would like to spend an evening, regardless. 

[EastFlatbushLarry]

5 hours ago, Future ENY OP said:

I'd be pissed too if I was a College Point OP refueling to the Bronx than deadhead back to Queens. I could only guess hence the borrowing of buses between the other depots within Queens Division. 

This exact scenario is why there cannot be a CNG depot on Staten Island. If the equipment fails, who's the safety net?Gleason & Spring Creek have each other (regardless of TA/Bus company or the fact that they're clearly across town from each other) and CP to WF (or Zerega for that matter) aren't too far away from one another. 

[Future ENY OP]

25 minutes ago, EastFlatbushLarry said:

This exact scenario is why there cannot be a CNG depot on Staten Island. If the equipment fails, who's the safety net?Gleason & Spring Creek have each other (regardless of TA/Bus company or the fact that they're clearly across town from each other) and CP to WF (or Zerega for that matter) aren't too far away from one another. 

I didn't consider the distances between CP and WF. However up the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge straight to Zerega isn't a far trip at all. However, it's getting to West Farms is another story. If my sense of direction is correct I believe u can pick up I-95 to the Cross Bronx to Sheridan. Correct me if I'm wrong. 

Correct with Gleason and Spring Creek even though Spring Creek belongs in the Brooklyn Division on location and on paper. 

[Brillant93]

On my way home the other night and heard this lady while she was on the phone "i'm about to get on this raggedy ass bus, lets hope this shit doesn't break down" It was an RTS and I'm glad I'm not the only who thinks that.  

[IAlam]

1 hour ago, Brillant93 said:

On my way home the other night and heard this lady while she was on the phone "i'm about to get on this raggedy ass bus, lets hope this shit doesn't break down" It was an RTS and I'm glad I'm not the only who thinks that.  

I swear some of those RTS at Jamaica are being held up with duct tape and zip ties so I'm not even surprised.

[Brillant93]

18 minutes ago, IAlam said:

I swear some of those RTS at Jamaica are being held up with duct tape and zip ties so I'm not even surprised.

This one was an ENY bus but nothing wrong happened on that bus in particular but its just the RTS in general are so old that some that I have rode on have broken down and had issues. Its just was relieving to know that I wasn't the only one who thinks the RTS are just showing age. I mean riding them it just look so old inside. 

[East New York]

8 hours ago, EastFlatbushLarry said:

That is interesting. If that's the case, then quill has started a s&*tstorm on this forum of people wondering why artics can't run the line full time 😂

They can run in the line full time, they just aren't needed.

31 minutes ago, Brillant93 said:

This one was an ENY bus but nothing wrong happened on that bus in particular but its just the RTS in general are so old that some that I have rode on have broken down and had issues. Its just was relieving to know that I wasn't the only one who thinks the RTS are just showing age. I mean riding them it just look so old inside. 

They look "so old" inside because they are lol. Pretty sure they are older than you. 

Funny thing the breakdown rate is still lower than many of the new buses. 🤷🏾‍♂️ The ones at Bus are 22 years old. None of this new stuff will likely ever be around that long.

Edited March 22, 2018 by East New York

[Brillant93]

3 minutes ago, East New York said:

 

They look "so old" inside because they are lol. Pretty sure they are older than you. 

Funny thing the breakdown rate is still lower than many of the new buses. 🤷🏾‍♂️ The ones at Bus are 22 years old. None of this new stuff will likely ever be around that long.

Not the times I ever rode them. I never had an issue with any other bus model. The RTSs has always been the buses that had issues and needed to be put out of service. I can tell a few incidents I had. For some odd reason back when I was in high school and before FB got NGs they only had the RTSs. When it rained it always leaked inside. Another time the lift in the back broke down and some how caused fluid to pour out and the driver had to put the bus out of service. One RTS caught fire on my way home and people yelled out the bus was on fire and the funny thing was I was right in the back. When the buses get crowded they always have to turn off the bus so the bus get level back up. There’s petty things I can name but I feel those buses are being pushed well far beyond their usage. I know it may be a staple icon of nyc transit but it’s time to let them go. That’s just how I feel personally. I haven’t had any problems with the newer buses yet but I’m sure I’m time I will. 

[East New York]

41 minutes ago, Brillant93 said:

Not the times I ever rode them. I never had an issue with any other bus model. The RTSs has always been the buses that had issues and needed to be put out of service. I can tell a few incidents I had. For some odd reason back when I was in high school and before FB got NGs they only had the RTSs. When it rained it always leaked inside. Another time the lift in the back broke down and some how caused fluid to pour out and the driver had to put the bus out of service. One RTS caught fire on my way home and people yelled out the bus was on fire and the funny thing was I was right in the back. When the buses get crowded they always have to turn off the bus so the bus get level back up. There’s petty things I can name but I feel those buses are being pushed well far beyond their usage. I know it may be a staple icon of nyc transit but it’s time to let them go. That’s just how I feel personally. I haven’t had any problems with the newer buses yet but I’m sure I’m time I will. 

Those things are expected with a bus that age. At the end of the day, they are still extremely reliable. I had one of my own, (it was 34 years old) and I will be getting another one soon. 

If we didn't still have as many as we do they (TA) wouldn't be able to make service. The Orion V's would have likely still been around as well until this year but they were falling apart. Many of the RTS', including all of the 1996 buses were already supposed to be retired. True some are falling apart as well, but the Orion V's and Orion VII CNG's were/are in worse shape and we're priority.

If they were, we would be in SERIOUS trouble right now. They make up a small percentage of the fleet, and aren't going anywhere anytime soon. I don't see what the big deal is. And that's good you've never had an issue with any other bus. Guess you just got lucky. 

 

Edited March 22, 2018 by East New York

[EastFlatbushLarry]

3 hours ago, IAlam said:

I swear some of those RTS at Jamaica are being held up with duct tape and zip ties so I'm not even surprised.

That's hilarious because JFK Depot's been duct taping RTS's & NG engine doors for a few years now, so i guess "culture" spreads

[MHV184]

The Depot that duct tapes everything has to be KingsBridge those buses are way tooo poor maintained it almost makes me want to say that kingsbridge is worse than gunhill 

[Kingsbridgeviewer382]

26 minutes ago, MHV184 said:

The Depot that duct tapes everything has to be KingsBridge those buses are way tooo poor maintained it almost makes me want to say that kingsbridge is worse than gunhill 

I'm not sure what KB buses you've had, but I have yet to see any of their buses in poor condition that aren't any units they took from Gun Hill and West Farms like the D60's and hybrids that aren't the 4300's. Everything else is fine as a daily rider of some of the KB routes.

[MHV184]

15 minutes ago, Kingsbridgeviewer382 said:

I'm not sure what KB buses you've had, but I have yet to see any of their buses in poor condition that aren't any units they took from Gun Hill and West Farms like the D60's and hybrids that aren't the 4300's. Everything else is fine as a daily rider of some of the KB routes.

As a daily rider of the M100 and Bx7 the buses that kingsbridge puts out there has to be the worst I remember I took one of the NGs and oh boy were they just unbelievable literally the back piece of the bus was broken literally you can see the inside of the bus. In addition to that it had tape over it trying to cover the hole. Overall kingsbridge needs to improve is all I'm saying 

[Future ENY OP]

10 hours ago, MHV184 said:

The Depot that duct tapes everything has to be KingsBridge those buses are way tooo poor maintained it almost makes me want to say that kingsbridge is worse than gunhill 

.... and you wonder why the Bronx Division is always taking buses from Brooklyn.  Bronx Division maintenance has to be by far the worse.  (Guess they took the title from Staten Island)

To me Gun Hill is worse than Kingsbridge. I don't know for the artics at KB. However, the 43xx buses are well maintained at KB.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

2 hours ago, Future ENY OP said:

.... and you wonder why the Bronx Division is always taking buses from Brooklyn.  Bronx Division maintenance has to be by far the worse.  (Guess they took the title from Staten Island)

To me Gun Hill is worse than Kingsbridge. I don't know for the artics at KB. However, the 43xx buses are well maintained at KB.

Well Kingsbridge had buses from Yukon yet again this morning.  I mean for what? There wasn't even that much snow on the ground. I saw one of the SBS buses on the Bx20 as I was waiting for the BxM2.

[Future ENY OP]

1 minute ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Well Kingsbridge had buses from Yukon yet again this morning.  I mean for what? There wasn't even that much snow on the ground. I saw one of the SBS buses on the Bx20 as I was waiting for the BxM2.

I could only guess those buses will go back on the Island later today. I don't foresee these buses staying in the Bronx for the interim future.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

 

13 hours ago, Kingsbridgeviewer382 said:

I'm not sure what KB buses you've had, but I have yet to see any of their buses in poor condition that aren't any units they took from Gun Hill and West Farms like the D60's and hybrids that aren't the 4300's. Everything else is fine as a daily rider of some of the KB routes.

Their buses are pretty beat up, especially on the outside. I'm not sure what those drivers do with those buses.  Some of their 2015 buses look pretty crappy too considering that they're 2-3 years old tops.

[paulrivera]

12 hours ago, Future ENY OP said:

.... and you wonder why the Bronx Division is always taking buses from Brooklyn.  Bronx Division maintenance has to be by far the worse.  (Guess they took the title from Staten Island)

To me Gun Hill is worse than Kingsbridge. I don't know for the artics at KB. However, the 43xx buses are well maintained at KB.

At Gun Hill the LFSA's run like shitboxes, but the Xcelsiors run okay. I don't ride the hybrids or the 40 foot Novas from GH enough to compare it to KB.

My one critique for both depots: Have they ever heard of a mop and a broom? GH and KB should try to procure some and clean the interiors of those buses. GH just got new artics and they already look disgusting on the inside.

[Cait Sith]

On 3/22/2018 at 12:07 AM, MHV184 said:

As a daily rider of the M100 and Bx7 the buses that kingsbridge puts out there has to be the worst I remember I took one of the NGs and oh boy were they just unbelievable literally the back piece of the bus was broken literally you can see the inside of the bus. In addition to that it had tape over it trying to cover the hole. Overall kingsbridge needs to improve is all I'm saying 

Cosmetic issues means they have bad maintenance?

You have no idea what bad maintenance really is. Let's not even get started on the Yukon & Castleton horror stories Pre-2010.......

[B35 via Church]

3 hours ago, Cait Sith said:

Cosmetic issues means they have bad maintenance?

You have no idea what bad maintenance really is. Let's not even get started on the Yukon & Castleton horror stories Pre-2010.......

I mean really.... All jokes aside, It's quite depressing just how many (and at what rate) buses end up breaking down out here in Nassau county....

[RestrictOnTheHanger]

Do express bus drivers get to pick what bus they take out of the depot? 

Whenever I take a certain time bus with the same driver from CP in the morning, he always has a 2002 MCI, and I'm thinking that can't be a coincidence given how few are left there. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

42 minutes ago, RestrictOnTheHanger said:

Do express bus drivers get to pick what bus they take out of the depot? 

Whenever I take a certain time bus with the same driver from CP in the morning, he always has a 2002 MCI, and I'm thinking that can't be a coincidence given how few are left there. 

I've wondered about this myself. It seems to vary. I think the senior guys pick what they want. The newer guys may either get whatever or get assigned a bus.