Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 1, 2011 Share #1 Posted June 1, 2011 Since there's a thread about trains and railfanning, I figured I'd add one about buses and fanning, such I'm not uber wild about the subway. :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 1, 2011 Author Share #2 Posted June 1, 2011 As far it concerns me... Simple. It's in the blood, esp. since my uncle is a B/O. I used to ride with him when he was working out of the 100th street depot on the M102. I think I was maybe 11 or 12 and on one outing w/him, I got to sit in the B/O chair during one of his breaks up in Harlem and he explained how a few things worked and such. I found the whole thing rather cool. :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LRG Posted June 1, 2011 Share #3 Posted June 1, 2011 I got into subways first and later buses, although I distinctly remember riding RTS' on the B44 and RTS' and Orion 5s on the B35 since I lived in a different area of Brooklyn at the time (Flatbush). When I started attending school in Staren Island two years ago I got interested in buses more, and since the subway cuts occurred last year, that pretty much kickstarted my interest into the Staten Island bus network as a whole. I hope to obtain more bus maps later on as I like to see how much has changed in the system. Everyone and their mother can recall the history of the subway, whereas with the bus network it requires much more extensive research and money to get the documents you want, but I certainly like the historian aspect of the situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q43LTD Posted June 1, 2011 Share #4 Posted June 1, 2011 The first bus map I got in 1992 got me addicted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 1, 2011 Author Share #5 Posted June 1, 2011 I think also the fact that I use the bus everyday has an effect also. I mean think about it. I spend a good 2-3 hours per day on the express bus alone, not including the time I spend during the day on the local going to and from lunch and such. Plus the fact that I think we have the most interesting and intricate buses and lines around. While I love the ones in Italy, they just aren't the same. You can't compare them to New York City Transit buses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoSpectacular Posted June 1, 2011 Share #6 Posted June 1, 2011 The sound of the 6V71/6V92/8V71 two-strokers and the designs of the buses from the late 1900s attracted me to them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B35 via Church Posted June 1, 2011 Share #7 Posted June 1, 2011 riding the fishbowls growing up on the B35, looking forward to taking the B67 from Mcdonald/Church (over the F train) to go to my father's house every weekend, in Park Slope, and my interest in studying street & bus maps... first it (the riding of routes outside my neighborhood) started out wanting to collect transfers to kinda "prove" to myself that I rode a certain route(s)... then eventually I stopped collecting xfers, and focused more on my love for maps, and that's where it all took off.... I wanted to see what visually/physically constituted (meaning, the areas; bldg's, attractions, etc.) the different colored "lines" on the maps..... the only way to do that then, was by riding the routes, themselves.... this is why it irks me when people come up w/ ideas, by simply looking at the maps.... Now you got the satellite views of online maps, but that's not enough for me.... I'd rather "enjoy the ride".... Knowing what lies where in our city w/o being at the mercy of a secondary source, makes traveling a hell of a lot easier also B) There's no street anyone can put me off at in the 5 boroughs where I would feel "lost".... In my later teens, since my father was a bike messenger, he had me beat, when it came to Manhattan... I got him in the 4 other boroughs though... lol... anyway, friends would call me "NYC's tunnel rat", as much as I knew where what was, when w/o asking anyone.... my eldest cousin still calls me that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
checkmatechamp13 Posted June 1, 2011 Share #8 Posted June 1, 2011 Since there's a thread about trains and railfanning, I figured I'd add one about buses and fanning, such I'm not uber wild about the subway. :cool: As you very well know, I prefer trains to buses, but buses still interest me. Simply put, my interest in buses began when I moved to Staten Island. Prior to that, when in lived in Brighton Beach, my favorite mode of transportation was the subway. Maybe it was because of the fast speeds, or maybe I just liked the sound of the wheels hitting the rails, but the subway was much more exciting than the bus. When my family originally moved to Staten Island, I kept on asking why we couldn't at least live near the SIR (not that I was in the position to make the decision on where to move or anything like that). Eventually, living in a bus-dependant (really car-dependant, but I'm talking about public transportation) area, I came to like buses more, and enjoyed riding them and looking at the maps and seeing ways in which they could be rerouted to better serve certain areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtattrain Posted June 1, 2011 Share #9 Posted June 1, 2011 Caitsith's bus videos, 'nuff said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 1, 2011 Author Share #10 Posted June 1, 2011 As you very well know, I prefer trains to buses, but buses still interest me. Simply put, my interest in buses began when I moved to Staten Island. Prior to that, when in lived in Brighton Beach, my favorite mode of transportation was the subway. Maybe it was because of the fast speeds, or maybe I just liked the sound of the wheels hitting the rails, but the subway was much more exciting than the bus. When my family originally moved to Staten Island, I kept on asking why we couldn't at least live near the SIR (not that I was in the position to make the decision on where to move or anything like that). Eventually, living in a bus-dependant (really car-dependant, but I'm talking about public transportation) area, I came to like buses more, and enjoyed riding them and looking at the maps and seeing ways in which they could be rerouted to better serve certain areas. WHY???? WHY??????? B) Considering the terrible shape of some of the SIR stations, I'd much rather the express bus anyday, not to mention how bad the SIR trains look. :eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B35 via Church Posted June 1, 2011 Share #11 Posted June 1, 2011 The only real interest (outside the norm, that is) I had in the subway, was riding to Coney Island as a kid... and later, wanting to ride to each line's terminals (both ends).... It was never bus v. train for me... I just enjoyed riding the bus more... and still do to this day... I would rather take 4 buses to get to a destination, over taking the subway... I find it a hell of a lot more calming.... Not on no, ughk, there's a rat... it's filthy... the crime... the stench.... I throw all that to the side, and find it highly annoying whenever someone runs to that, as a reason that our subway is SO damn downtrodden, to the point where said person finds absolutely no positives about it whatsoever.... If you ask me, you'll find a lot more people that despise the bus, that take the subway, over... the other way around.... That's another reason why I wanted to become a part of this community... Not so much to change people's minds (which I'm not about at all), but for people to read my posts & realize that there is more to transit, outside taking the subway... and I think I've done a fairly decent job w/ my stories, logs, and other posts, across RD & here on NYCTF over... what is it, 6 yrs now... so there ya have it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 1, 2011 Author Share #12 Posted June 1, 2011 The only real interest (outside the norm, that is) I had in the subway, was riding to Coney Island as a kid... and later, wanting to ride to each line's terminals (both ends).... It was never bus v. train for me... I just enjoyed riding the bus more... and still do to this day... I would rather take 4 buses to get to a destination, over taking the subway... I find it a hell of a lot more calming.... If you ask me, you'll find a lot more people that despise the bus, that take the subway, over... the other way around.... That's another reason why I wanted to become a part of this community... Not so much to change people's minds (which I'm not about at all), but for people to read my posts & realize that there is more to transit, outside taking the subway... and I think I've done a fairly decent job w/ my stories, logs, and other posts, across RD & here on NYCTF over... what is it, 6 yrs now... so there ya have it. Another reason I got into buses moreso than trains is because as a kid I didn't use the subway much since I didn't do much traveling outside of Brooklyn. Also, growing up in the 80s, the subways weren't exactly all that safe, so when I did travel, it was usually with my father or something. During my teenage years however, when I started going to and hanging out in the city and such either alone or with friends, then I had to take the subway more often, but I always preferred the bus, mainly because it was safer back then. You also don't have to worry about bums and panhandlers and such as much since you have to leave the bus once the last stop arrives. On the subway you can hang out underground for days or weeks if you wanted shelter and such. There's foodstands to get snacks and bathrooms (if you're lucky you can use), which I suppose you could wash up in if push came to shove, although I've never been near one, let along inside of one on down there. :eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
checkmatechamp13 Posted June 1, 2011 Share #13 Posted June 1, 2011 WHY???? WHY??????? B)Considering the terrible shape of some of the SIR stations, I'd much rather the express bus anyday, not to mention how bad the SIR trains look. :eek: You have to consider that all I knew was the subway. To me, the only bus routes that existed were the B1, B4, B36, B41, B49, B67 and B68 (the only reason I knew about the B41 and B67 was because of the times I went to Park Slope). I never knew that there were express buses that took you directly to Manhattan. I remember waiting for a B68 one time on Coney Island Avenue wondering what the hell that big coach bus (I don't even think I saw the X29 sign) that passed by was doing there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 1, 2011 Author Share #14 Posted June 1, 2011 You have to consider that all I knew was the subway. To me, the only bus routes that existed were the B1, B4, B36, B41, B49, B67 and B68 (the only reason I knew about the B41 and B67 was because of the times I went to Park Slope). I never knew that there were express buses that took you directly to Manhattan. I remember waiting for a B68 one time on Coney Island Avenue wondering what the hell that big coach bus (I don't even think I saw the X29 sign) that passed by was doing there. Now that I think about it I knew of them, but back then they were run under COMMAND, so I didn't know how you would pay for them and such since they clearly weren't a part of the . Also, there weren't schedules posted and such like there are now, so they were more obscure and hidden. That makes me wonder if COMMAND accepted Metrocards before it was taken over by Bus? Once I started using the express bus, I started looking at the map in Brooklyn because I really hated taking the train down to Sheepshead Bay. It was simply too slow, crowded and dirty, and since I had an Unlimited Express Bus card, I wanted to to take the express bus as much as possible. That's when I started using the X27 and X28 to get me over to Southern Brooklyn since I already knew about them. Then I did some investigating about Bus and found out that I could use my Unlimited Express Bus Plus card on those too and the rest is history. So much more relaxing on the BM3 on Saturday in comparison to the train. :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LRG Posted June 1, 2011 Share #15 Posted June 1, 2011 If I had the patience, or even the time, to ride three-four buses to get somewhere I would, but some bus routes are just too busy, although I can recall some instances that I would use a bus to get to a destination in particular in which I could take the train, but I don't: There are days in which I run errands for my mom's fiancée in Borough Park and Sheepshead Bay...my first stop would usually be in Borough Park, followed by Sheepshead Bay. If I have to make a stop in Borough Park first, I take the and after making a stop in that neighborhood, I either take the B9 to Avenue M for the to Sheepshead Bay, or from Borough Park I'll skateboard to Bay Ridge Parkway to the B4. It's a pain in the rear that the B4 no longer goes to Sheepshead Bay outside of rush hours, but I don't complain. When the B4 turns at Coney Island Avenue I skateboard to make my final errand by the train station and from there I'll take the B68 at Coney Island Avenue/Avenue Z and take it to the last stop in Windsor Terrace and then take the train and make my way home. Getting back to the case on busy bus routes, from Downtown Brooklyn I'll take the B26 over the B25 to get home if I don't feel like taking the train. I remember I was riding the Shuttle from Manhattan to Prospect Park one weekend and I needed to get to Bay Ridge to get the S53. Rather than take the to the , I took the B16 to Bay Ridge and even took a nap! :cool: Another instance I can recall was coming from Staten Island on the S79 and I rode the B16 to the B43 and skateboarded home, rather than taking the to the . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 1, 2011 Author Share #16 Posted June 1, 2011 If I had the patience, or even the time, to ride three-four buses to get somewhere I would, but some bus routes are just too busy, although I can recall some instances that I would use a bus to get to a destination in particular in which I could take the train, but I don't: There are days in which I run errands for my mom's fiancée in Borough Park and Sheepshead Bay...my first stop would usually be in Borough Park, followed by Sheepshead Bay. If I have to make a stop in Borough Park first, I take the and after making a stop in that neighborhood, I either take the B9 to Avenue M for the to Sheepshead Bay, or from Borough Park I'll skateboard to Bay Ridge Parkway to the B4. It's a pain in the rear that the B4 no longer goes to Sheepshead Bay outside of rush hours, but I don't complain. When the B4 turns at Coney Island Avenue I skateboard to make my final errand by the train station and from there I'll take the B68 at Coney Island Avenue/Avenue Z and take it to the last stop in Windsor Terrace and then take the train and make my way home. Getting back to the case on busy bus routes, from Downtown Brooklyn I'll take the B26 over the B25 to get home if I don't feel like taking the train. I remember I was riding the Shuttle from Manhattan to Prospect Park one weekend and I needed to get to Bay Ridge to get the S53. Rather than take the to the , I took the B16 to Bay Ridge and even took a nap! :cool: Another instance I can recall was coming from Staten Island on the S79 and I rode the B16 to the B43 and skateboarded home, rather than taking the to the . lol... The question is what do you do when it snows or rains?? :eek: Can't use the skateboard then. Well you could, but you would just be crazy to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trainfan22 Posted June 1, 2011 Share #17 Posted June 1, 2011 I honestly can't remember how I got into buses lol. My first memory of buses is seeing those GMC/TMC RTSs on the local routes and MCI classics on the BMs back in the 90s... and those CNG RTSs... Its crazy cause back then FLA, UP, , ENY, Gleason was all RTSs... except for JG as they had some CNGs which I never saw back then.... RTS dominated like a mofo back then... and I still got into buses... The C40LF currently in JG was my first taste of new buses... part of the reason why those buses will always hold a special place in my foamer heart, not to mention I rode on one the first day working at my first ever job which I'm still working at... Yes I hate the B8 with a passion but man I love C40LFs man, I really do. It may sound corny but they are just that awesome... but still the C40s will ALWAYS be #2 to me when it comes to these buses.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattTrain Posted June 1, 2011 Share #18 Posted June 1, 2011 I got fascinated into buses because there were two bus types I liked to look at frequently since they were right down the street at Coney Island and Oceanview Avenues (I lived there for like 15 years until 1999) the Orion 5 CNG and RTS-06 Buses, which ran on the B68 back in the day, when I was growing up in Brighton Beach. I remember the RTS dominating the city at one point. I miss those days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LRG Posted June 2, 2011 Share #19 Posted June 2, 2011 lol... The question is what do you do when it snows or rains?? :eek: Can't use the skateboard then. Well you could, but you would just be crazy to do so. In that case I have to walk...I've been daring to skate in the rain, but it's not the best thing as the water can mess up the wood. I remember a few days after the blizzard after Christmas I had to make a run to Sheepshead Bay and the wasn't running. I took the hoping I could get the B4 to Coney Island Avenue but it took almost half an hour before I got on an to Coney Island, as they were turning a lot of (F)s at Kings Highway. Then I found out the B4 wasn't running, meaning I had to walk from Avenue X to Sheepshead Bay by the to make a move and then walk back to Avenue X for the . On the way there and back I saw a lot of stuck buses. It was crazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 2, 2011 Author Share #20 Posted June 2, 2011 In that case I have to walk...I've been daring to skate in the rain, but it's not the best thing as the water can mess up the wood. I remember a few days after the blizzard after Christmas I had to make a run to Sheepshead Bay and the wasn't running. I took the hoping I could get the B4 to Coney Island Avenue but it took almost half an hour before I got on an to Coney Island, as they were turning a lot of (F)s at Kings Highway. Then I found out the B4 wasn't running, meaning I had to walk from Avenue X to Sheepshead Bay by the to make a move and then walk back to Avenue X for the . On the way there and back I saw a lot of stuck buses. It was crazy. Sh*t that's a looooooooooooong walk. That train station over these is basically Gravesend. There was a skate shop I used to go to by there to get my new wheels and bearing for my skates. :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santa Fe via Willow Posted June 2, 2011 Share #21 Posted June 2, 2011 Not really sure what got me "into" buses but it started ~back in 1998, perhaps the fall IIRC. I'm "into" all Mass Transit, Transportation, Traffic & Travel, or M4T as I call it for short. Not just buses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forest Glen Posted June 2, 2011 Share #22 Posted June 2, 2011 Since there's a thread about trains and railfanning, I figured I'd add one about buses and fanning, such I'm not uber wild about the subway. :cool: I'm not really into buses. I was always into trains. I guess since the MTA operated trains and buses I became a busfan by default. However, from the moment I first noticed the express bus routes on the bus maps (this occurred around 1993 or 1994), I instantly became an express bus fan. I was always the type of person who wanted something premium. Even when I used to play Monopoly, I always wanted to acquire Park Place and Boardwalk. I started noticing the RTS Suburbans on the X63 when I attended middle school in the late 1990's. Then, the MCI's debutted. I took my first express bus trip in 2000. Now, I'm still an express bus fan. There are also a few Limited routes I like. I'm not really a local bus fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 2, 2011 Author Share #23 Posted June 2, 2011 I'm not really into buses. I was always into trains. I guess since the MTA operated trains and buses I became a busfan by default. However, from the moment I first noticed the express bus routes on the bus maps (this occurred around 1993 or 1994), I instantly became an express bus fan. I was always the type of person who wanted something premium. Even when I used to play Monopoly, I always wanted to acquire Park Place and Boardwalk. I started noticing the RTS Suburbans on the X63 when I attended middle school in the late 1990's. Then, the MCI's debutted. I took my first express bus trip in 2000. Now, I'm still an express bus fan. There are also a few Limited routes I like. I'm not really a local bus fan. Yep, my first express bus trip was on the X16 back in 2006. I knew it went Downtown, but didn't know where exactly and by that time, after just one year of working professionally, I could afford the express bus. What pushed me to try it was because the S98 ran so poorly in the morning that I became fed up, not to mention the hoards of people and the seedy project folks riding the S98. Of course in my neighbourhood there were working professionals getting on, but we were still outnumbered overall. I was out sick for a few days and had decided that I would try it out for one week. I think I caught the 06:45 (the first express bus of the morning) at Forest & Broadway since I knew it stopped there and I got into the city around 07:25. I actually still remember the B/O too who over the last 5 years I've had on the X14 and the X12 most recently. I was ecstatic. Previously it had been taking me an hour just to get into the city between waiting for the late S98 and the ferry ride. Walked into the office early (at that time I was working in Chelsea by 5th & 18th, so I would hop on the train a few stops once I got off of the X16) with no stress or worries about the stupid ferry or people making a sh*t load of noise or anything. As much as I loved riding the express bus, paying what was $5.00 (I believe at the time) each way, plus the additional traveling I did was a bit pricey, especially since I had to give up my Unlimited Card to do so. Then I was talking with a co-worker and found out that she actually used the Express Bus (QM1) and I told her about how I wished there was an Unlimited card for the Express Bus, and she said she believed one existed and for me to check the vending machine for it, so I went and sure enough, there it was for just $41.00 a week. I felt like I had hit the jackpot and from there I started to study the SI Map to give myself alternatives once I started working in Midtown. Little had I known that I could've taken the X14 directly to my office in Chelsea, but eventually it would be my main bus for a while until I started taking the X30. Then I would branch out with the X13 and X16, as well as the X10 and then the X1 for my late night travel. The X12 I eventually started to use also and now I've used most of the express buses on SI, and Brooklyn, as well as some in Queens and the Bronx and one of the ones in Manhattan. :cool: So yeah now I certainly prefer the express bus over the local bus any day. :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LRG Posted June 2, 2011 Share #24 Posted June 2, 2011 Cool story...I remember riding the X1 for the first time in 2007 and the ride was awesome...going over the bridge on the upper level, cruising along the Gowanus and through the Battery Tunnel...the best part was that it was dark (like around 5:30 since it was December) and I almost fell asleep on the bus but didn't...I wasn't too familiar with the route and I didn't want to end up too far up in Manhattan. I got off by Chambers Street and took the train home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blitz Posted June 2, 2011 Share #25 Posted June 2, 2011 #1. My grandfather was a b/o for NYBS #2. watching 100st Depot being rebuilt almost everyday 1 summer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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