Random Thoughts Thread - Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE)

[FamousNYLover]

Only one passenger on the 11pm N20 bus? Yes last bus used to be 11;05

One time last 10:30 n20 Hicksville didn't show up, so they have to take 11pm n20 Roslyn bus.

NICE Bus runs different Saturday or Sunday schedules than MTA. For past 7/4, while all MTA Subway/Buses were on Saturday Schedule, NICE Bus was on Sunday schedule.

I'll post detail of Rate the Ride Adventure on seperate thread.

[John from Flushing]

Famous, I remember I used to see N20 bus that end at Great neck Lirr, did nice get rid of those short trips & extend them out to Roslyn?

[FamousNYLover]

Famous, I remember I used to see N20 bus that end at Great neck Lirr, did nice get rid of those short trips & extend them out to Roslyn?

Mostly they took some of n20 Great Neck, discontinue n20 Roslyn on weekdays and replaced with n20 Hicksville or n21 Glen Cove. I still has some old schedules, so I could check later.

During AM Rush Hour, some n57 Great Neck Loop continue as n20 Flushing from Great Neck.

During PM Rush Hour, some n20 Great Neck continue as n57 Great Neck Loop.

Edited July 30, 2015 by FamousNYLover

[Burrstone]

Yesterday I saw 1007 near the sports fields in Massapequa on the sides streets off Sunrise HWY near Sunrise Mall, the destination sign said "training bus." Because of the location I'd say they were probably learning the n19.  An hour or two later I saw 16xx that read out of service on the destination sign in Lindenhurst or West Babylon on Montauk HWY.  This bus caught my attention because it was moving very slow, I look at it and could see an instructor next to the driver (both wearing safety vests).

 

Like the first bus the second had to be learning the n19 because there are no other NICE routes there, unless NICE is having new employees learn SCT routes (insert evil laugh).

[mac5689]

Yesterday I saw 1007 near the sports fields in Massapequa on the sides streets off Sunrise HWY near Sunrise Mall, the destination sign said "training bus." Because of the location I'd say they were probably learning the n19.  An hour or two later I saw 16xx that read out of service on the destination sign in Lindenhurst or West Babylon on Montauk HWY.  This bus caught my attention because it was moving very slow, I look at it and could see an instructor next to the driver (both wearing safety vests).

 

Like the first bus the second had to be learning the n19 because there are no other NICE routes there, unless NICE is having new employees learn SCT routes (insert evil laugh).

Do NICE drivers actually follow a route when training on a bus for the first time? I would figure that they would just go out on the road and drive around like they do when you are learning for your regular licence. I would figure they would train on a route after they passed training on how to drive a bus. 

[John from Flushing]

Is nice bus training the same as mta? With mta I heard it is 7 day training in manhattan. Does nice bus train there drivers In manhattan too?

[Burrstone]

Is nice bus training the same as mta? With mta I heard it is 7 day training in manhattan. Does nice bus train there drivers In manhattan too?

 

Why would NICE send their drivers into Manhattan for training? They don't service Manhattan...   The same way no longer spends a week in Nassau County for training.  Back before NICE everyone who was going into fixed route would go through the same training whether they'd be in the city or hired by Long Island Bus.  Training took place in the Bronks...

[Tom Meadow]

Is nice bus training the same as mta? With mta I heard it is 7 day training in manhattan. Does nice bus train there drivers In manhattan too?

Somebody hopped the lirr hyped up train.

[Burrstone]

Do NICE drivers actually follow a route when training on a bus for the first time? I would figure that they would just go out on the road and drive around like they do when you are learning for your regular licence. I would figure they would train on a route after they passed training on how to drive a bus. 

 

I think this is the portion of the training where new drivers in training are shown the routes before being cut lose.  I don't know why but a lot of new drivers seem to lost in that little loop (IMO that should be cut out) going to/from Sunrise Mall & Merrick Rd.  Then again I live in the area so I know it well enough.  I know others have asked on this forum why drivers need training on routes like the n19, a rather simple route. Two things, 1) those asking these questions have never and don't realize just how helpful doing the route with someone first telling where to turn is...  2) People on this are bus fans, people who get hired simply aren't, this is a job.  They haven't spendt hours analogizing a bus map or riding routes for fun.  Many are coming from driving a school bus and have ridden a transit bus seldom if ever before they were hired. (this wasn't directed at anyone or to put anyone in this forum down).

 

Another thing to keep in mind, to be hired with NICE you must already have a CDL B with Passenger endorsement to be hired.  This is not the case with the or those hired back with LIB. The would help you get your CDL.  This is good but doing so only gis you a CDL with Passenger endorsement.  Your options in this area are kinda limited if you get fired or quit.  You need a CDL with Passenger and School Bus endorsements to drive a school so if you leave NICE you can take the city exam and wait around, or hopefully get hired by Suffolk Transit.

 

A friend of mine who has tried to convince me to go back to driving a school bus has pointed that school bus companies are paying a lot more.  I don't know what the starting rate is at NICE these days but I hear it's higher than NICE at Suffolk Transportation and Bauman.  People like Hound say driving a school bus is "not a real bus."  I used to laugh so hard at these people back when I drove school bus and to tell you the truth I looked down on transit drivers as being the lowest form of bus driver.  Now I don't care and think that's all silly! There are benefits to driving a school bus though, summers off, paid to sit on the couch for 2 months while you make $420 a week for doing nothing, not having scumbags talk down to you, not having to deal with crackheads in Jamaica and Hempstead, every weekend off unless you want the overtime and get paid for hours to sit in the bus, all the overtime you want (very easy to work 40+ hours especially during busy sports times!  They literally will beg you!)...

Somebody hopped the lirr hyped up train.

 

What the hell does that mean and what the hell does it have to do with what you quoted!?!

[Tom Meadow]

Well this John guy thinks that nice trains there drivers in Manhattan.If u read the comment and look up the word hyped I am sure u will understand it

[John from Flushing]

Does anybody know what it takes to be a nice bus driver? I would want to drive it sounds like a lot of

Fun to drive a bus.

[Tom Meadow]

I think this is the portion of the training where new drivers in training are shown the routes before being cut lose.  I don't know why but a lot of new drivers seem to lost in that little loop (IMO that should be cut out) going to/from Sunrise Mall & Merrick Rd.  Then again I live in the area so I know it well enough.  I know others have asked on this forum why drivers need training on routes like the n19, a rather simple route. Two things, 1) those asking these questions have never and don't realize just how helpful doing the route with someone first telling where to turn is...  2) People on this are bus fans, people who get hired simply aren't, this is a job.  They haven't spendt hours analogizing a bus map or riding routes for fun.  Many are coming from driving a school bus and have ridden a transit bus seldom if ever before they were hired. (this wasn't directed at anyone or to put anyone in this forum down).

 

Another thing to keep in mind, to be hired with NICE you must already have a CDL B with Passenger endorsement to be hired.  This is not the case with the or those hired back with LIB. The would help you get your CDL.  This is good but doing so only gis you a CDL with Passenger endorsement.  Your options in this area are kinda limited if you get fired or quit.  You need a CDL with Passenger and School Bus endorsements to drive a school so if you leave NICE you can take the city exam and wait around, or hopefully get hired by Suffolk Transit.

 

A friend of mine who has tried to convince me to go back to driving a school bus has pointed that school bus companies are paying a lot more.  I don't know what the starting rate is at NICE these days but I hear it's higher than NICE at Suffolk Transportation and Bauman.  People like Hound say driving a school bus is "not a real bus."  I used to laugh so hard at these people back when I drove school bus and to tell you the truth I looked down on transit drivers as being the lowest form of bus driver.  Now I don't care and think that's all silly! There are benefits to driving a school bus though, summers off, paid to sit on the couch for 2 months while you make $420 a week for doing nothing, not having scumbags talk down to you, not having to deal with crackheads in Jamaica and Hempstead, every weekend off unless you want the overtime and get paid for hours to sit in the bus, all the overtime you want (very easy to work 40+ hours especially during busy sports times!  They literally will beg you!)...

 

What the hell does that mean and what the hell does it have to do with what you quoted!?!

Read before u type

[Burrstone]

Does anybody know what it takes to be a nice bus driver? I would want to drive it sounds like a lot of

Fun to drive a bus.

 

1) Get a CDL B (or A) with Passenger endorsement...  2) Apply to NICE...

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

Does anybody know what it takes to be a nice bus driver? I would want to drive it sounds like a lot of

Fun to drive a bus.

Sounds like fun, but it's not as easy as it seems. Good luck being a NICE driver too.

[Burrstone]

Well this John guy thinks that nice trains there drivers in Manhattan.If u read the comment and look up the word hyped I am sure u will understand it

 

Read before u type

 

I might have a problem reading what you write because you write like you're illiterate.  

[Tom Meadow]

I might have a problem reading what you write because you write like you're illiterate.

 

Yawn

[Tom Meadow]

Well I am gonna go drive 1528 tmrw as I do every weekend setting farm stands in Calverton.She fully restored and brand spanking new Deere engine custom made for her.Well like I said gotta wake and bake tmrw

[FamousNYLover]

Speaking of school bus driver, I remember one time right after Veolia NICE Bus took over operation, female driver on n81 followed Operation Lifesaver procedure, stopped 15 ft away from railroad tracks, open front door, turned the radio down and look both way, then when it was clear, she look both ways, closed door and cross train track.

[John from Flushing]

Are nice bus drivers required to stop at active railroad crossings like a school bus does?

[Burrstone]

Speaking of school bus driver, I remember one time right after Veolia NICE Bus took over operation, female driver on n81 followed Operation Lifesaver procedure, stopped 15 ft away from railroad tracks, open front door, turned the radio down and look both way, then when it was clear, she look both ways, closed door and cross train track.

 

That's actually the way it's supposed to be in all buses, not just school buses, no one does it that way though.  You better stop though in any bus, you don't want the DOT or cop to see you not stopping, or god forbid get hit by a train or service vehicle on the tracks (if you survived and a passenger died, you'd be in prison for a very long time).

 

 

Are nice bus drivers required to stop at active railroad crossings like a school bus does?

 

Yes!  EVERY passenger bus in the US most stop for tracks unless the tracks are exempt or are marked out of service.

Edited August 1, 2015 by Burrstone

[John from Flushing]

Now we know all passenger buses have to stop at railroad crossing, does NICE BUS drivers actually stop at the railroad crossings? If not that is a major ticket right??

Famous you said she turned the radio down, was this bus driver listening to a portable am/fm radio? Nice bus doesn't let it's drivers listen to a am/fm radio.

[mac5689]

Now we know all passenger buses have to stop at railroad crossing, does NICE BUS drivers actually stop at the railroad crossings? If not that is a major ticket right??

 

 

If the driver is caught by a cop or the Department of Transportation, not stopping it would be a big ticket. As long as a driver checks to make sure they won't get caught then they wouldn't worry about getting a ticket since they probably don't think many people know that the rule applies to all buses.  I mean I didn't know that until Burrstone mentioned it. 

 

 

 

Famous you said she turned the radio down, was this bus driver listening to a portable am/fm radio? Nice bus doesn't let it's drivers listen to a am/fm radio.

The driver may have seniority, it's very hard to get rid of someone who has seniority when you have a union. Unless they did something really bad, but I doubt playing a radio would be a firable offence. 

 

There was a SCT driver my family knew, who had driving for one company for nearly 20 years, and she use to play a am/fm radio on part of her early morning run. She though has since retired from what I was told. 

 

Also I use when I was in the first year of middle school, the driver of my large school bus use to play the radio both in the morning and afternoon. He did the same thing the next year when he drove my sisters elementary school route, though only in the afternoons. 

[Joel Up Front]

That's actually the way it's supposed to be in all buses, not just school buses, no one does it that way though.  You better stop though in any bus, you don't want the DOT or cop to see you not stopping, or god forbid get hit by a train or service vehicle on the tracks (if you survived and a passenger died, you'd be in prison for a very long time).

 

 

 

Yes!  EVERY passenger bus in the US most stop for tracks unless the tracks are exempt or are marked out of service.

 

When I rode the N35 every day, B/O's would stop on Clinton Avenue at the Mitchel Field Secondary crossing even though the tracks were marked "exempt."

[John from Flushing]

On the back of each nice bus there is a sign that says this vehicle stops at all railroad crossing & they added a new sign , " drivers wanted call 516 xxx-xxxx" I didn't get the number. Where does n35 go? I would like to take a ride on a n35 & make sure the driver is stopping at the railroad crossing as he/ she is required too.

[NY1635]

On the back of each nice bus there is a sign that says this vehicle stops at all railroad crossing & they added a new sign , " drivers wanted call 516 xxx-xxxx" I didn't get the number. Where does n35 go? I would like to take a ride on a n35 & make sure the driver is stopping at the railroad crossing as he/ she is required too.

 

Why? No commuter train run on the tracks that cross Clinton Street/Road. Every once in a while, the circus uses those tracks whenever they have a show at Nassau Coliseum.

Edited August 1, 2015 by NY1635