M15 SBS driver refused to let me board in front

[mdude04]

So I got on the M15 SBS at 79th/2nd the other night. I paid my fare at the coin machine and needed a transfer. According to the SBS literature, in this situation you actually do need to board at the front and ask the driver for a transfer, but when I tried to do this the driver shouted at me and said I needed to board through the back doors. I said I needed a transfer and he just shouted at me to board in the rear doors. He simply kept shouting, "You have to use the back doors. You have to use the back doors. You have to use the back doors." As I started walking back, I heard him say to come back to the front once I was inside the bus. I got on through the rear doors and to my surprise he actually had walked back and gave me my transfer right there.

 

That's weird, right? Do you think it just took a moment for him to realize what I asked, or would there be another reason why boarding through the front would be disallowed?

[rr4567]

So I got on the M15 SBS at 79th/2nd the other night. I paid my fare at the coin machine and needed a transfer. According to the SBS literature, in this situation you actually do need to board at the front and ask the driver for a transfer, but when I tried to do this the driver shouted at me and said I needed to board through the back doors. I said I needed a transfer and he just shouted at me to board in the rear doors. He simply kept shouting, "You have to use the back doors. You have to use the back doors. You have to use the back doors." As I started walking back, I heard him say to come back to the front once I was inside the bus. I got on through the rear doors and to my surprise he actually had walked back and gave me my transfer right there.

 

That's weird, right? Do you think it just took a moment for him to realize what I asked, or would there be another reason why boarding through the front would be disallowed?

 

I don't know what that was all about, but you're supposed to be able to board through any door on those select buses.

[Gorgor]

So I got on the M15 SBS at 79th/2nd the other night. I paid my fare at the coin machine and needed a transfer. According to the SBS literature, in this situation you actually do need to board at the front and ask the driver for a transfer, but when I tried to do this the driver shouted at me and said I needed to board through the back doors. I said I needed a transfer and he just shouted at me to board in the rear doors. He simply kept shouting, "You have to use the back doors. You have to use the back doors. You have to use the back doors." As I started walking back, I heard him say to come back to the front once I was inside the bus. I got on through the rear doors and to my surprise he actually had walked back and gave me my transfer right there.

 

That's weird, right? Do you think it just took a moment for him to realize what I asked, or would there be another reason why boarding through the front would be disallowed?

 

Unless there was a wheelchair getting on or off then there's no reason why you shouldn't be allowed to board through the front. Typically most people don't board through the front doors, but it's definitely allowed.

[mdude04]

Unless there was a wheelchair getting on or off then there's no reason why you shouldn't be allowed to board through the front. Typically most people don't board through the front doors, but it's definitely allowed.

 

Could have been a wheelchair passenger, but even if that was the case, wouldn't it have made sense to just give me my transfer and then let the passenger off? I'm blanking a bit right now, but how does wheelchair passenger deboarding work on regular buses?

[Orion VII 4 Life]

You get that B/O's badge number? I'd be giving the a call.

[YoungFoch]

You get that B/O's badge number? I'd be giving the a call.

 

People will call and complain about anything these days...... Is it that serious?

[Gorgor]

People will call and complain about anything these days...... Is it that serious?

 

Once I was at 44th and 1st and there was an M15 SBS stopped at a red light, so I quickly got a ticket and tapped on the front door, but he refused to let me on. I tapped on it harder and he just looked straight ahead and ignored me. I took my phone out, went in front of the bus, and snapped a picture of the driver, except when I went back to the curb and he took off I hit the erase button instead of save. :mad:

 

From what I've seen, a lot of SBS drivers act as if they're operating a subway train, in the sense that they'll start trying to close the door when there's clearly still people trying to board and they'll shoot off once the doors close, even if there's still people at the stop. They'll also never wait for you if you're in the middle of getting a ticket and they have a green light.

[BZGuy]

People will call and complain about anything these days...... Is it that serious?

 

No it's not that serious. He got on the bus, he got his transfer and got to where he needed to go. So what's the complaint? There is NO complaint.....Jesus H Christ, it's public transportation not the Hampton Jitney.

 

And as far as Gorgor's complaint....the main thing is to keep the buses moving. It's not the B/Os fault that you got to the stop late. The 15s run like water...so you have to wait a couple of minutes....BFD!

 

Like I've said in earlier post....I'm absolutely tired of posts like this when people start that "Call the or (NJT)" over every little thing. Some of you people really need to buy a car or find another mode of transportation if you have a problem with riding the bus or train.

[Mysterious2train]

I believe bus operators aren't supposed to pick up people anymore once they've gotten ready to leave a stop, but don't quote me on that.

 

I can understand why a B/O might not want to pick up somebody when the light is green, and when the light is red, why not keep the doors open if someone's coming to board? I mean, unless the light is about to turn green, it's not like any time is being lost.

 

But if the driver actually came to the back to give you your transfer, something weird must've been going on. That definitely doesn't happen alot.

[YoungFoch]

Once I was at 44th and 1st and there was an M15 SBS stopped at a red light, so I quickly got a ticket and tapped on the front door, but he refused to let me on. I tapped on it harder and he just looked straight ahead and ignored me. I took my phone out, went in front of the bus, and snapped a picture of the driver, except when I went back to the curb and he took off I hit the erase button instead of save. :mad:

 

From what I've seen, a lot of SBS drivers act as if they're operating a subway train, in the sense that they'll start trying to close the door when there's clearly still people trying to board and they'll shoot off once the doors close, even if there's still people at the stop. They'll also never wait for you if you're in the middle of getting a ticket and they have a green light.

 

When I drove the SBS M15 the other drivers told me to treat it like a train. Once the last passenger gets on, thats it. Close the doors and go. And once the doors close, dont open them again. Waiting for people defeats the purpose of having a faster select bus. The more time you spend at bus stops, the later you will be to the next stop, and your follower will eventually catch up to you. Passengers are supposed to have their tickets already purchased and ready when the bus gets to the stop. People are supposed to wait for the bus, not the other way around. Even if you had saved that picture, nothing would have happened to the driver. Do you think the MTA would discipline the driver for not opening the door for someone who wasnt ready to board when the bus got to the stop and all the other passengers got on? You getting to the stop late is not the driver's fault. When operators wait for people or open the doors after they have been closed, it is out of courtesy, not because they have to. When I did my initial training, the superintendent told us, once the doors close, dont open them back up....

[Gotham Bus Co.]

...how does wheelchair passenger deboarding work on regular buses?

 

IIRC, the wheelchair passenger must ALWAYS be let on or off first. Even at the end of the line, everybody else stays on the bus until the wheelchairs are off safely.

[YoungFoch]

I believe bus operators aren't supposed to pick up people anymore once they've gotten ready to leave a stop, but don't quote me on that.

 

I can understand why a B/O might not want to pick up somebody when the light is green, and when the light is red, why not keep the doors open if someone's coming to board? I mean, unless the light is about to turn green, it's not like any time is being lost.

 

But if the driver actually came to the back to give you your transfer, something weird must've been going on. That definitely doesn't happen alot.

 

Exactly...alot of drivers keep the doors open until they see the red hands on the pedestrian crosswalk signs start flashing. If you wait for somebody while you have a green light, by the time that person boards and you're ready to go, the light may turn red. Now you have to wait and additional 2min or so for the light to turn green. If this happens a few more times on your trip, you may end up 10-15min late because you were being nice and waiting for people. Passengers waiting down the line will complain that the bus is late, so you can't win either way. Either they will complain that you didnt wait, or they will complain that youre late.

[Joel Up Front]

I think with the NGs/other low floor buses the bus operator opens the rear doors for people who need to get off (they close automatically anyway after the last person leaves so farebeaters who try to get in through the back can't do so) while s/he operates the ramp for the person in the wheelchair so they can get off. It happens here, at least.

[mdude04]

No it's not that serious. He got on the bus, he got his transfer and got to where he needed to go. So what's the complaint? There is NO complaint.....Jesus H Christ, it's public transportation not the Hampton Jitney.

 

What exactly was it in my OP that led you to believe I was complaining? :confused: I just thought it was weird and wondered if anyone might know what the issue could have been. Like everyone else here, I am interested in the intricacies of MTA operations and wanted to get insight on this since I am not a frequent SBS rider.

[YoungFoch]

He was referring to post #5

[BZGuy]

Exactly...alot of drivers keep the doors open until they see the red hands on the pedestrian crosswalk signs start flashing. If you wait for somebody while you have a green light, by the time that person boards and you're ready to go, the light may turn red. Now you have to wait and additional 2min or so for the light to turn green. If this happens a few more times on your trip, you may end up 10-15min late because you were being nice and waiting for people. Passengers waiting down the line will complain that the bus is late, so you can't win either way. Either they will complain that you didnt wait, or they will complain that youre late.

 

Young Foch, Thank you for that post....but knowing Gorgor he'll argue some other point.

 

I'll refer you to our epic M15 thread:http://www.nyctransitforums.com/forums/f90/m15-sbs-running-red-lights-32162.html

[checkmatechamp13]

I think with the NGs/other low floor buses the bus operator opens the rear doors for people who need to get off (they close automatically anyway after the last person leaves so farebeaters who try to get in through the back can't do so) while s/he operates the ramp for the person in the wheelchair so they can get off. It happens here, at least.

 

It's called holding the door.

 

Seriously, on some routes the bus is so crowded that there is literally no room to enter in the front, so the people line up at the back door and after the people get off, they hold the door so everybody can get on. This sometimes happens when the buses isn't so crowded, but they're boarding at a stop where most of the people either have a transfer or a Student MetroCard and the B/O just wants to keep it moving.

 

Exactly...alot of drivers keep the doors open until they see the red hands on the pedestrian crosswalk signs start flashing. If you wait for somebody while you have a green light, by the time that person boards and you're ready to go, the light may turn red. Now you have to wait and additional 2min or so for the light to turn green. If this happens a few more times on your trip, you may end up 10-15min late because you were being nice and waiting for people. Passengers waiting down the line will complain that the bus is late, so you can't win either way. Either they will complain that you didnt wait, or they will complain that youre late.

 

But the thing is that sometimes they don't open the door when the light is red, or if it just turned green and the person has the ticket in their hand. They literally save no time and inconvenience the passenger to boot.

 

I remember a couple of weeks ago, the S46 didn't show up, so I ran down to Forest Avenue for the S48. The B/O pulled out of the stop slowly (seeing I was running for the bus) and at the light she refused to open the door. I ended up having to chase her down from Van Pelt Avenue to Richmond Avenue (after having already run 1/2 mile from DeRuyter Place to Forest Avenue) to get on. She wasted more time arguing with me at the traffic light at Van Pelt Avenue (she ended up missing the light because I grabbed the door so she couldn't move) than if she just let me on, so what did she really save? She got her ego trip and nothing more.

 

I mean, I could sort of understand if it's an elderly person or a person with bags who might take a long time to enter the bus (even then I could only understand it if the light is green), but if it's a young kid who could jump on the bus in a split second, you save nothing by not letting them on.

[Fan Railer]

What exactly was it in my OP that led you to believe I was complaining? :confused: I just thought it was weird and wondered if anyone might know what the issue could have been. Like everyone else here, I am interested in the intricacies of MTA operations and wanted to get insight on this since I am not a frequent SBS rider.

 

I don't think he's specifically talking to you, but the people who posted after you. So don't take anything personally here.

[mdude04]

I don't think he's specifically talking to you, but the people who posted after you. So don't take anything personally here.

 

Yeah you are probably right. Just wanted to make sure the intention here was not to blast the MTA.

[Hawk Operator]

You get that B/O's badge number? I'd be giving the a call.

:tdown:

 

Passenger was on, got transfer, got where needed to go, whats the compaint? Save it for real stuff, not because you "think" it may be something.

 

People will call and complain about anything these days...... Is it that serious?

:tup:

 

Thank you, and they do complain about nonsense. I remember one complaint had to with pulling up to top of stop with another bus right behind mine. The woman bitched about walking from the shelter to the pole, then wrote a complaint about it because she felt I did it on "purpose," it was stupid shit.

 

Once I was at 44th and 1st and there was an M15 SBS stopped at a red light, so I quickly got a ticket and tapped on the front door, but he refused to let me on. I tapped on it harder and he just looked straight ahead and ignored me. I took my phone out, went in front of the bus, and snapped a picture of the driver, except when I went back to the curb and he took off I hit the erase button instead of save. :mad:

 

From what I've seen, a lot of SBS drivers act as if they're operating a subway train, in the sense that they'll start trying to close the door when there's clearly still people trying to board and they'll shoot off once the doors close, even if there's still people at the stop. They'll also never wait for you if you're in the middle of getting a ticket and they have a green light.

 

So if they do this to everybody what is the problem? Isn't the purpose of SBS to move faster? If you wait at each stop, the time increases defeating the SBS purpose.

 

No it's not that serious. He got on the bus, he got his transfer and got to where he needed to go. So what's the complaint? There is NO complaint.....Jesus H Christ, it's public transportation not the Hampton Jitney.

 

And as far as Gorgor's complaint....the main thing is to keep the buses moving. It's not the B/Os fault that you got to the stop late. The 15s run like water...so you have to wait a couple of minutes....BFD!

 

Like I've said in earlier post....I'm absolutely tired of posts like this when people start that "Call the or (NJT)" over every little thing. Some of you people really need to buy a car or find another mode of transportation if you have a problem with riding the bus or train.

:tup:

 

I agree with 100%. People now a days need a life and stop bitching over every little perceived slight from public employees. Most of us don't know you (passengers) so stop taking it personal, we just doing our job as instructed. People have become so sensitive, jeez toughen up a little :tup:

 

I believe bus operators aren't supposed to pick up people anymore once they've gotten ready to leave a stop, but don't quote me on that.

 

I can understand why a B/O might not want to pick up somebody when the light is green, and when the light is red, why not keep the doors open if someone's coming to board? I mean, unless the light is about to turn green, it's not like any time is being lost.

 

But if the driver actually came to the back to give you your transfer, something weird must've been going on. That definitely doesn't happen alot.

 

Normally, once I left the stop, except after 9 PM, doors won't be opened again til next stop. As for after 9PM, people just want ot get where they going and the next bus might be awhile. On a few occassions when I couldn't get the farebox to work at the moment, when I did get it to work I would print out some transfers and depending might,at the next red light, walk back and give it to the person.

 

IIRC, the wheelchair passenger must ALWAYS be let on or off first. Even at the end of the line, everybody else stays on the bus until the wheelchairs are off safely.

 

No, at the end of line all doors out, once everybody is off I would deal with chair, it is a lot easier with less people on board. Along the route normally if there was chair in stop, everybody would be told back door out, then I would board the chair, then back up front for the rest. If the chair exiting bus, again everybody out back door, work the lift, back up front let them on. Some guys just leave all the doors open to whenever dealing with rear lift.

[KNIGHTRIDER3:16]

Could have been a wheelchair passenger, but even if that was the case, wouldn't it have made sense to just give me my transfer and then let the passenger off? I'm blanking a bit right now, but how does wheelchair passenger deboarding work on regular buses?

I cant see how you can miss a WHEELCHAIR if it was there

You get that B/O's badge number? I'd be giving the a call.

what happened chucky not enough porn out there to keep yourself busy ?Hey whats your number at your job? I need it to tell them what a milkylicker you are and to tell them how you have no life ....yeah so what ,I got you thinking now huh....go get a girl or something,Hey go find JABRONI and have some wine together and dont forget to swallow ya ****

People will call and complain about anything these days...... Is it that serious?

your right 100 and it sounds like you a Bus op so let KR welcome you to the BROTHERHOOD and do your job by the RULEBOOK ...:tup:Goodluck brother ,I got your back as I do with all my OPERATORS out there doing an impossible job

Once I was at 44th and 1st and there was an M15 SBS stopped at a red light, so I quickly got a ticket and tapped on the front door, but he refused to let me on. I tapped on it harder and he just looked straight ahead and ignored me. I took my phone out, went in front of the bus, and snapped a picture of the driver, except when I went back to the curb and he took off I hit the erase button instead of save. :mad:

yup I need the number to your job and your house so I could tell them what a prick you are ,Not to mention a TATTLETALE spaz....please give me your number cuz writing just isnt as much fun as to YELLING at you ....Once the doors are shut ,The op does not have to open them so gtet your ass to the stop faster next time

From what I've seen, a lot of SBS drivers act as if they're operating a subway train, in the sense that they'll start trying to close the door when there's clearly still people trying to board and they'll shoot off once the doors close, even if there's still people at the stop. They'll also never wait for you if you're in the middle of getting a ticket and they have a green light.

 

 

This goes out to y'all people with no lives and get bitch slapped .....Don't start nothing ,WON'T be nothing .

What you probably need is a good kick in the pants to wake up and realize ,The world is hard enough but you seem to think by shaping it to be better ,YOU want to do something totally UNCALLED for ,Then you want to know why people aren't happy ....Well it's cuz of JACKOFFS like you're selves who bring it to this point ,When all you had to do was rethink and solve your OWN problem with an EDUCATED guess .....

 

I'll be thanked and hated for this allow KR to set y'all straight

[mdude04]

I cant see how you can miss a WHEELCHAIR if it was there

 

M15s are big buses and this one was very crowded. Not exactly easy to see what's going on at the front of the bus from the back.

[Cait Sith]

M15s are big buses and this one was very crowded. Not exactly easy to see what's going on at the front of the bus from the back.

 

That was probably the reason he told you to board from the back to begin with. If the front end was crowded, that is most likely the reason why(because of course, you dont want to force yourself to the rear from the front if it was crowded).

[Gorgor]

God, you people need to learn to read. I specifically stated that the driver had a RED LIGHT when I attempted to board, and the crosswalk wasn't flashing or anything.

 

If the driver had a green light then it would be a completely different story, but he was stopped at a red and refused to open the doors for something that would've taken under 10 seconds, but instead he stood there at the red light for at least 30 seconds just staring straight ahead trying to ignore me. The next SBS came about 12 minutes later, so that doubled my trip time.

[Cait Sith]

God, you people need to learn to read. I specifically stated that the driver had a RED LIGHT when I attempted to board, and the crosswalk wasn't flashing or anything.

 

If the driver had a green light then it would be a completely different story, but he was stopped at a red and refused to open the doors for something that would've taken under 10 seconds, but instead he stood there at the red light for at least 30 seconds just staring straight ahead trying to ignore me. The next SBS came about 12 minutes later, so that doubled my trip time.

 

The thing is, they are not required to pick up passengers after they leave the stop and hit a red light. Once they are out of the stop/off of the curb of said stop, they don't have to pick anyone up. Some do it for the sake of courtesy, others don't. That is how it mostly is for 99.9% of the bus routes here in the city (the .1% being the Bx24). It's nothing new at all.