elantra06 Posted September 22, 2012 Share #226 Posted September 22, 2012 I got the letter to come in for the drug test for T/0! Yes! MTA here I come! 4 years of waiting and having no life are over! What list number are you????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantra06 Posted September 22, 2012 Share #227 Posted September 22, 2012 Having no life will continue while you're extra extra, no set RDOs or tour. That's pretty much how my current job is now and has been for the past 3 yrs. I never know what my days off are until my boss puts out the itineraries every Wednesday. I'm also on call 24/7 as an ops manager. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan05979 Posted September 23, 2012 Share #228 Posted September 23, 2012 I got the letter to come in for the drug test for T/0! Yes! MTA here I come! 4 years of waiting and having no life are over! hahahaha having no life just started buddy. I can't wait to see how many open people resign or get thrown out now. Keep it moving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocky072 Posted September 23, 2012 Share #229 Posted September 23, 2012 Can someone give an idea of how bad the extra life will be, ex: what kind of tours and will it involve multiple reporting locations in a week? How long will it take to get steady hours? Also, I worked as a Collection Agent a few yrs ago & besides starting as an extra there too, there we're no vacation days allotted in the first yr at all, and no sick days I believe. If u need off, you have to take a day without pay? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RTOMan Posted September 23, 2012 Share #230 Posted September 23, 2012 (edited) That's pretty much how my current job is now and has been for the past 3 yrs. I never know what my days off are until my boss puts out the itineraries every Wednesday. I'm also on call 24/7 as an ops manager. I have heard those stories as well as long as you got the Mindset for the job you will do fine, ill say it again and again NOT everybody can be a Train operator no matter how much they dream about it... Those are real facts i came from Off the Street way back in 2001 i seen it all with us Open Competitive folks seen it all... Hopefully i will get a few of you folks as Students... Oh and One more thing... If any of you folks go to the A Div.. BEWARE 145TH STREET!!!!!! Edited September 23, 2012 by RTOMan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pelham Bay Dave Posted September 23, 2012 Share #231 Posted September 23, 2012 You got to really watch out in A Div as soon as you road post no room for rookie mistakes if you do you going to develop a rap sheet. The good old days are gone. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Success7 Posted September 23, 2012 Share #232 Posted September 23, 2012 What's wrong with 145th street? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pelham Bay Dave Posted September 23, 2012 Share #233 Posted September 23, 2012 It's the hot spot lots of T/O and C/R's are messIng up some lost their jobs at that location. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulrivera Posted September 23, 2012 Share #234 Posted September 23, 2012 On top of 145th only fitting 5 cars, isnt the rear half of the train still over the switch heading southbound? Sometimes I wonder why that station is even open... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin08 Posted September 23, 2012 Share #235 Posted September 23, 2012 PelhamDave what is it about that station that is getting every1 if u don't mind me asking?? Appreciate any info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin08 Posted September 23, 2012 Share #236 Posted September 23, 2012 Is there really that much of a difference from A and B division as far as Supervision Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricknologist Posted September 23, 2012 Share #237 Posted September 23, 2012 PelhamDave what is it about that station that is getting every1 if u don't mind me asking?? Appreciate any info T/Os overshooting the station and C/Rs opening up the entire train instead of the first 5 cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin08 Posted September 23, 2012 Share #238 Posted September 23, 2012 Tricknologist thanks haha I was goin to literally post I just saw a YouTube vid and it said only the first 5 cars open up..so I assume the CR would get in trouble opening up all 10 I assume that why's Dave said rookie mistake..the station didn't seem hot the train seems to come in reasonable speed of course I can't see on the vid if it's downgrade or not thanks guys for the info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LexAveExp5 Posted September 24, 2012 Share #239 Posted September 24, 2012 How much practice do you get at stopping at the mark before youre out on your own? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubwayGuy Posted September 24, 2012 Share #240 Posted September 24, 2012 (edited) Tricknologist thanks haha I was goin to literally post I just saw a YouTube vid and it said only the first 5 cars open up..so I assume the CR would get in trouble opening up all 10 I assume that why's Dave said rookie mistake..the station didn't seem hot the train seems to come in reasonable speed of course I can't see on the vid if it's downgrade or not thanks guys for the info Except it's a short station. If a train operator is used to coming into a station and having 10 car lengths to stop, they will be rather surprised if they are not paying full attention and happen to realize the platform is only 5 cars long when they are already 3 cars into the station, instead of sooner. Edited September 24, 2012 by SubwayGuy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubwayGuy Posted September 24, 2012 Share #241 Posted September 24, 2012 (edited) Can someone give an idea of how bad the extra life will be, ex: what kind of tours and will it involve multiple reporting locations in a week? How long will it take to get steady hours? Also, I worked as a Collection Agent a few yrs ago & besides starting as an extra there too, there we're no vacation days allotted in the first yr at all, and no sick days I believe. If u need off, you have to take a day without pay? Extra extra life means this: -You will learn your days off (RDO's) for the following week (Sunday through Saturday) on FRIDAY. You will also learn your tour (AM's - all jobs that week start between 4AM and 1159AM, PM's - all jobs that week start between 12PM and 959PM, or MIDNITE's - all jobs that week start between 10PM the night before and 359AM). -You will learn your specific assignments (reporting time and reporting location) 2 days in advance, as well as a job, if you have been assigned one. Any reporting time that falls within your TOUR for the week is fair game, as is any reporting location in your division (A or B) -If you have not been assigned a job, you are given a reporting time and location to be "on the board" aka available. If you are on the board, you may sit for 8 hours and do nothing. However, at any time during those 8 hours, you can be sent anywhere within your division (A or B) to pick up a job, which does not have to belong to your tour, but must start during your 8 hours. You can also be asked to do a trip (ie not work a whole job, just work part of one), deliver mail, etc. When you report on board, you will not know what time you can reasonably expect to go home, nor will you know where you will be when you finish. -You will, as a result, often get short turnarounds between jobs. You are entitled to 12 hours off minimum when extra extra (not the usual 8), and the crew office often likes to push you to do less many times. You have the right of refusal if there are less than 12 hours between jobs, however, even with 12 hours off between jobs, that does not count your travel time to go home. -You can be assigned non-road jobs like platforms. Train operators can be assigned to switching in the yards or in stations. -Your days off and tour can change from week to week. You will have no prior warning when this occurs...you will find out on the Friday the week before. This means if you are sent midnights, you will know slightly more than 1 day in advance, and you will also find out your reporting times and locations and job info about 24-36 hours in advance, instead of 2 days because this "is" 2 days technically. -Your days off can be split (you get Sunday, and then the following Saturday). Also it's possible to work up to 10 consecutive days (they are not supposed to do this to people, but it could happen...needs of the service). -You can lose a day off due to a tour change. If you are working a PM job on Friday night, say from 3PM to 11PM, have Saturday off, but find out you are midnights and have to come in at 10PM Saturday night for your Sunday job....is Saturday really a day off? -Since you don't have enough days at a given location, you won't get a locker. You have to carry all your equipment to and from work every single day. You will also have to prove yourself at every location to which you report as you won't be familiar with local supervision, and just as you start to, the supervisor's preference pick will go into effect and that will all change (their picks don't line up with ours). -All of this makes planning things that require advance notice very hard - doctors and dentist appointments, family visits, significant other, looking for an apartment, friends/social life, travel on days off, etc. -This will continue until you have enough seniority to pick a job. Edited September 24, 2012 by SubwayGuy 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gherigfan1 Posted September 24, 2012 Share #242 Posted September 24, 2012 Just called DCAS and I am on an outstanding certification for the list. Now it's hurry up and wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin08 Posted September 24, 2012 Share #243 Posted September 24, 2012 Gherigfan what's ur list# and how does DCAS have this info I thought the MTA handles all this now appreciate any info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin08 Posted September 24, 2012 Share #244 Posted September 24, 2012 Actually just called dcas I'm on outstanding certification as well my list# 69* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RTOMan Posted September 24, 2012 Share #245 Posted September 24, 2012 Extra extra life means this: -You will learn your days off (RDO's) for the following week (Sunday through Saturday) on FRIDAY. You will also learn your tour (AM's - all jobs that week start between 4AM and 1159AM, PM's - all jobs that week start between 12PM and 959PM, or MIDNITE's - all jobs that week start between 10PM the night before and 359AM). -You will learn your specific assignments (reporting time and reporting location) 2 days in advance, as well as a job, if you have been assigned one. Any reporting time that falls within your TOUR for the week is fair game, as is any reporting location in your division (A or B) -If you have not been assigned a job, you are given a reporting time and location to be "on the board" aka available. If you are on the board, you may sit for 8 hours and do nothing. However, at any time during those 8 hours, you can be sent anywhere within your division (A or B) to pick up a job, which does not have to belong to your tour, but must start during your 8 hours. You can also be asked to do a trip (ie not work a whole job, just work part of one), deliver mail, etc. When you report on board, you will not know what time you can reasonably expect to go home, nor will you know where you will be when you finish. -You will, as a result, often get short turnarounds between jobs. You are entitled to 12 hours off minimum when extra extra (not the usual 8), and the crew office often likes to push you to do less many times. You have the right of refusal if there are less than 12 hours between jobs, however, even with 12 hours off between jobs, that does not count your travel time to go home. -You can be assigned non-road jobs like platforms. Train operators can be assigned to switching in the yards or in stations. -Your days off and tour can change from week to week. You will have no prior warning when this occurs...you will find out on the Friday the week before. This means if you are sent midnights, you will know slightly more than 1 day in advance, and you will also find out your reporting times and locations and job info about 24-36 hours in advance, instead of 2 days because this "is" 2 days technically. -Your days off can be split (you get Sunday, and then the following Saturday). Also it's possible to work up to 10 consecutive days (they are not supposed to do this to people, but it could happen...needs of the service). -You can lose a day off due to a tour change. If you are working a PM job on Friday night, say from 3PM to 11PM, have Saturday off, but find out you are midnights and have to come in at 10PM Saturday night for your Sunday job....is Saturday really a day off? -Since you don't have enough days at a given location, you won't get a locker. You have to carry all your equipment to and from work every single day. You will also have to prove yourself at every location to which you report as you won't be familiar with local supervision, and just as you start to, the supervisor's preference pick will go into effect and that will all change (their picks don't line up with ours). -All of this makes planning things that require advance notice very hard - doctors and dentist appointments, family visits, significant other, looking for an apartment, friends/social life, travel on days off, etc. -This will continue until you have enough seniority to pick a job. You got all of that rocky072?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gherigfan1 Posted September 24, 2012 Share #246 Posted September 24, 2012 Extra extra life means this: -You will learn your days off (RDO's) for the following week (Sunday through Saturday) on FRIDAY. You will also learn your tour (AM's - all jobs that week start between 4AM and 1159AM, PM's - all jobs that week start between 12PM and 959PM, or MIDNITE's - all jobs that week start between 10PM the night before and 359AM). -You will learn your specific assignments (reporting time and reporting location) 2 days in advance, as well as a job, if you have been assigned one. Any reporting time that falls within your TOUR for the week is fair game, as is any reporting location in your division (A or B) -If you have not been assigned a job, you are given a reporting time and location to be "on the board" aka available. If you are on the board, you may sit for 8 hours and do nothing. However, at any time during those 8 hours, you can be sent anywhere within your division (A or B) to pick up a job, which does not have to belong to your tour, but must start during your 8 hours. You can also be asked to do a trip (ie not work a whole job, just work part of one), deliver mail, etc. When you report on board, you will not know what time you can reasonably expect to go home, nor will you know where you will be when you finish. -You will, as a result, often get short turnarounds between jobs. You are entitled to 12 hours off minimum when extra extra (not the usual 8), and the crew office often likes to push you to do less many times. You have the right of refusal if there are less than 12 hours between jobs, however, even with 12 hours off between jobs, that does not count your travel time to go home. -You can be assigned non-road jobs like platforms. Train operators can be assigned to switching in the yards or in stations. -Your days off and tour can change from week to week. You will have no prior warning when this occurs...you will find out on the Friday the week before. This means if you are sent midnights, you will know slightly more than 1 day in advance, and you will also find out your reporting times and locations and job info about 24-36 hours in advance, instead of 2 days because this "is" 2 days technically. -Your days off can be split (you get Sunday, and then the following Saturday). Also it's possible to work up to 10 consecutive days (they are not supposed to do this to people, but it could happen...needs of the service). -You can lose a day off due to a tour change. If you are working a PM job on Friday night, say from 3PM to 11PM, have Saturday off, but find out you are midnights and have to come in at 10PM Saturday night for your Sunday job....is Saturday really a day off? -Since you don't have enough days at a given location, you won't get a locker. You have to carry all your equipment to and from work every single day. You will also have to prove yourself at every location to which you report as you won't be familiar with local supervision, and just as you start to, the supervisor's preference pick will go into effect and that will all change (their picks don't line up with ours). -All of this makes planning things that require advance notice very hard - doctors and dentist appointments, family visits, significant other, looking for an apartment, friends/social life, travel on days off, etc. -This will continue until you have enough seniority to pick a job. Doesn't sound bad at all. I have been in construction for 20 years and working double shifts, 7/12's for months at a time and never knowing where the next job could be. Building Scaffold in the city is a very demanding job physically as well as mentally. It takes a toll on your personal life and only the strong survive. This sounds GREAT. This is the real deal big boy shit life is about. If you want to get ahead in life you must sacrifice. So you either put up, shut up or get the hell out. I love Big Boy work, no other work like it if you ask me!Thanks for the breakdown, can't wait. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Success7 Posted September 24, 2012 Share #247 Posted September 24, 2012 Justin08: Yes MTA did take over the testing as of this year but everything that was administered while under DCAS will still be handled by DCAS until there isn't anything left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantra06 Posted September 24, 2012 Share #248 Posted September 24, 2012 I just called the DCAS automated line this morning. I'm in the mid 140's on Train Operator Exam 8098 list. I've been placed on an outstanding certification. My letter and anyone below me should be getting letters in the next few days to report to Livingston St to start the hiring process. Good luck to everyone. It's been a long wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TransitGuru Posted September 24, 2012 Share #249 Posted September 24, 2012 So guys, I have a question... When choosing divisions, are there any pros or cons to A vs B? Are there general reporting locations for each, or are they spread out all over? Im coming from long island so I just wanted to see if either division was more convenient. And yeah I know this wont be an issue for a while with me ( list# mid 90's) but I am curious. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elantra06 Posted September 24, 2012 Share #250 Posted September 24, 2012 Gherigfan what's ur list# and how does DCAS have this info I thought the MTA handles all this now appreciate any info I think it's because this exam was prior to the MTA taking over thier own exams so the city would still be responsible for it. Anything MTA exams after November 2011 DCAS no longer deals with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts