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The Schoolcar Experience


mediccjh

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Scary. Hopefully this is a lesson to all of us who enjoy using our smartphones for so many things.

 

I'm thinking the best tactic is to turn off the phone (not put it on silent mode, shut the damn thing off) whenever going into the yard or on the train. And have it zipped into your bag, not your pocket.

 

Question - is phone use acceptable while waiting for an assignment? Can you be on your phone while other people are watching TV or socializing?

 

Or is it better to just have the phone off whenever you're on the clock?

 

Totally fine in the crew rooms...just avoid situations where you are in the public eye. That means on the platform in uniform, put it away. On the train is a complete no no.

 

Just remember to turn it off or put it on airplane mode (and vibrate) before you get on that train. You don't want the appearance of you operating the train and the phone you forgot to turn off rings. Even if you ignore it, it looks bad, and these days all it takes is 1 person to say something.

 

Pocket is fine for your phone, you don't have to put it in your bag. But the key phrase is out of sight. If you have one of those belt holsters for your phone, that's not good enough as the phone is still in view.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Today, we took the R62 down the 1 line from VC and back to the yard. Pretty sweet. No passengers.

 

Also got 100 on my signals quiz. Feeling pretty good for the moment. This will be short lived until the next thing comes. LOL!

 

343 days to perm.

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  • 1 month later...

I realized today that there are gonna be days where it seems like everything clicks and I have it all figured out. Then there are gonna be days so overwhelming that I'm gonna feel like I'm making the biggest mistake going thru all this.

 

The best analogy I can give to make sense of this crazy cycle is School Car is a scavenger hunt. Grab EVERYTHING they give you (knowledge and hands on experience), then sit quietly somewhere and piece it all together. It WILL come together if you're paying attention. I'm realizing that now.

 

312 days to perm.

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I realized today that there are gonna be days where it seems like everything clicks and I have it all figured out. Then there are gonna be days so overwhelming that I'm gonna feel like I'm making the biggest mistake going thru all this.

 

The best analogy I can give to make sense of this crazy cycle is School Car is a scavenger hunt. Grab EVERYTHING they give you (knowledge and hands on experience), then sit quietly somewhere and piece it all together. It WILL come together if you're paying attention. I'm realizing that now.

 

312 days to perm.

 

Yup and don't think for a minute learning stops when you pass schoolcar. If anything, it's just beginning. You need to keep learning until the day you retire. Things will change after you learn them too. No one here...NO ONE...knows everything. So keep learning and beware of anyone who claims to know everything...they always don't.

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this is why sometimes a lot of old school guys would take students , its like a refresher course for them and they learn new things from a student straight out of school car

Hopefully I'll get lucky enough to get someone who is not only knowledgable, but knows HOW to share that knowledge. Not everyone is a good teacher.

 

Yup and don't think for a minute learning stops when you pass schoolcar. If anything, it's just beginning. You need to keep learning until the day you retire. Things will change after you learn them too. No one here...NO ONE...knows everything. So keep learning and beware of anyone who claims to know everything...they always don't.

I've ran into to a few of the know-it-alls here. I listen, assess and evaluate the information I'm given. Most of it is BS. Train practical, reading iron and cuts and adds Monday. Signals on Wednesday. I feel ready. Our TSS's are beasts!

 

305 days to perm.

Edited by L Bo
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Just think, 2 and half years from now and you will be doing what I did 3 weeks ago........picking a job. Here's my bit of advice, unless you are in a crew room, outside, or not in uniform, don't even think about touching your phone. I wasn't even on the clock, walking to the CRC to sign in, was only putting my phone on airplane mode, when wham, TSS saw me and started going all ape shit on me. Just don't do it. 2nd, I'm in B Division, and now that I have a pick job, I will be taking on students. I think the students need someone who still follows school car rules to teach them. Not that the senior guys aren't good at teaching, it's just that the new students have been picking up bad habits waaaaaay to much and the B division has been seeing a lot of incidents involving students and instructors. Not a good thing for 248.

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Don't know, but it's a lot quicker than T/Os. Mistakes? I've noticed alot of new C/Rs are in a hurry. What i mean is, I've had a few that even before my train is stopped, they're taking indication away from me. I politely and quietly pull them aside and ask them not to do that. If they continue after the fact, sorry, but I'm getting a TSS to ride with you.

 

Had one pull the cord on me, probie C/R, didn't know or understand that an elevated structure sways or shakes a little when another train stops. Thought our train moved with the doors open. Good thing we were close to where a TSS was located and he took care of that little problem real quick. RcC wasn't too pleased though.

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while the train is in movement your losing indication? there trying to get those doors open before you even stop fully ,? geez reason I am asking these questions because if you remember me I was in schoolcar for t/o and I had to resign due to my father illness and forgot I took the C/R exam as well at the same time..now they got to my list# and was debating if I should go for it, I can go back as a t/o I believe but if I would do it all over again I would start off as a C/R then go for t/o etc..but for $21 per hour I am trying to see if its worth the hassle

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Just think, 2 and half years from now and you will be doing what I did 3 weeks ago........picking a job. Here's my bit of advice, unless you are in a crew room, outside, or not in uniform, don't even think about touching your phone. I wasn't even on the clock, walking to the CRC to sign in, was only putting my phone on airplane mode, when wham, TSS saw me and started going all ape shit on me. Just don't do it. 2nd, I'm in B Division, and now that I have a pick job, I will be taking on students. I think the students need someone who still follows school car rules to teach them. Not that the senior guys aren't good at teaching, it's just that the new students have been picking up bad habits waaaaaay to much and the B division has been seeing a lot of incidents involving students and instructors. Not a good thing for 248.

 

The problem isn't people with time or people without time. It's people who don't know what the hell they're doing showing shortcuts or methods of operating equipment that they don't themselves understand, and people with bad attitudes who are lazy / don't give a damn. I've seen people with wet stripes on their uniform shirts doing both, and I've seen people that have been here long enough to know better doing both.

 

The biggest skill you can pick up as a new transit employee is learning who is full of shit and who is not.

 

As for that TSS, he needs to calm down. If you're not on the clock, and simply turning your phone off before you sign in you are well within your rights to pull out your phone, even while in uniform, to put it on airplane mode.

Edited by SubwayGuy
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  • 2 weeks later...

Here's my story that I won't forget...

 

I was operating N/B on the 5 (PM rush hour), after leaving 138 station someone announced a 12-1 (clear the air) over the radio. No problem, I already knew what 12-1 meant so I carry on, minutes later RCC is telling a platform conductor to stay off the radio there's a 12-1 going on. I get to 149 3rd Ave punch for my express line up, which I kind of knew I would probably not receive, because of the 12-1 incident going-on north of 135 on the 2/3 line (I always listen to my radio when in operation). We close down and proceed...

 

I leave the portal of 149, and notice the home signal is for a local line up, I accept it and immediately tell my conductor over the intercom that I accepted the local line up (before I had time to finish my statement, "it's up to you if you want to pick up people locally due to the 12-1 directly behind us on the 2 line, or go express according to rule"), he immediately switches over to the PA,  "Attention passengers, we are going local.." blah blah. The conductor comes back on the IC telling me "I just can't do that, I'm suppose to stop the train and ask for the express line up, we are an express". The conductor is kind of scared/furious, and stated to me prior that he been a conductor for almost three years. I told the conductor, "You do not know what you are talking about, read your rule book, plus a 12-1 was announced over the radio, you can go express on the local track". He replies, "I never heard of that, I'm going to ask the dispatcher when we get to the terminal", I reply again, "read your rule book". So I start making local stops from Jackson Ave on. The next 2 train stated about twenty minutes behind, and there was a 12-1 directly behind us. 

 

The following 5 train behind us, of course stops and ask for the express line up over the radio, and gets screamed at by RCC. My conductor immediately comes on the IC and states "did you hear that..." 

 

We get to the terminal, leave the train, and immediately he says sorry, and that he never heard of going express on the local track. I state I'll show him the rule in the rule book, and you can ask the dispatcher as well. The conductor stated "It's a good thing I told him prior, cause he would have pulled the cord."

 

The lesson here is know the rules, and communicate. Although I was going to operate according to the rules, him not knowing the rules, pulling cords or whatever, would have messed up my day, and led to unnecessary paper work, had I bypassed stations on the local track. There are countless people out here who do not know the rules. Don't be a victim...

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Passed all practicals and signals test. Been Yard posting this week.

 

Lost a lot of people on the cuts and adds cause people banked on doing it on a R62, when if fact, we were told to be prepared to do it on anything. So what happens? We had to do it on a R142. Shit got real, REAL FAST! So a whole class was reading the book MINUTES before the practical. Given by superintendents James, Gibbs and Young. Those of you who know Young, knows he don't play!

 

Gaining so much knowledge from the seniors at the yards and writing down the moves on the schematics we got. This came in EXTREMELY handy!

 

292 days til permanent.

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  • 2 months later...

Today was the final signals exam. Everyone passed except one person. They're being real strict with the rules now. We also took the YX exam. EVERYONE failed that. Highest score was a 71. I somehow got a 69. Start road operations next week.

 

As a note, be VERY careful when moving trains! Follow the rules or be a victim of them!

 

220 days til permanent.

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Today was the final signals exam. Everyone passed except one person. They're being real strict with the rules now. We also took the YX exam. EVERYONE failed that. Highest score was a 71. I somehow got a 69. Start road operations next week.

 

As a note, be VERY careful when moving trains! Follow the rules or be a victim of them!

 

220 days til permanent.

 

What's the "YX exam"? Haven't heard of that one. Is that something new they're doing with you guys for practice now?

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Today was the final signals exam. Everyone passed except one person. They're being real strict with the rules now. We also took the YX exam. EVERYONE failed that. Highest score was a 71. I somehow got a 69. Start road operations next week.

 

As a note, be VERY careful when moving trains! Follow the rules or be a victim of them!

 

220 days til permanent.

When did they start doing that?

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hello guys, ive posted here a few months ago. Anyway I got my GED or the tasc dipolma AFTER I applied for this position the recent application for train operator. Not sure whats going to happen. I understand that when you apply for this position it says that you MUST HAVE BY THIS date of the application but I panicked. I applied. I got my diploma now. But it just so happens that it was after I applied.  I had to learn the math, I passed all the subjects easily. The math for the new TASC is harder. Its my fault. But do you think they will okay this ? I mean whats the big deal, I applied for the position and made the payment, and then got my GED/TASC diploma. I didn't know when they will give out the application. And when I saw when they posted the dates to apply, I was shocked. I applied, and then next day made appointment to take the GED/TASC exam took it, and failed just the math, had to take just the math part and past. Now the exam is coming in may. I hope im eligible. Should I call them and explain ? Will they be lenient ? I'm also going to apply for the bus operator too, can I apply to both dates ? 

 

ALSO, lets say im rejected, [because I didnt have a high school diploma by the time I applied] if there is another one, can I apply to that ? MUCH THANKS GUYS.

 

And yes, im also 40, and I didn't have a HS diploma, because I had a good job, and it was in my comfort zone, and now I need more and better. 

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Word to the Wise regarding these Signals you just posted, when you take the Signals Quiz the meaning of the signal MUST be what they teach you it is. Have anybody gotten their signals Book? If so Study that Effer left and right those are the signals you will be tested on.. Stay away from any Online stuff! All it will do is get you clipped if you fail that quiz and they arent playing!!!

 

Figured so..

Edited by MTATrainFuture
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Hello guys, ive posted here a few months ago. Anyway I got my GED or the tasc dipolma AFTER I applied for this position the recent application for train operator. Not sure whats going to happen. I understand that when you apply for this position it says that you MUST HAVE BY THIS date of the application but I panicked. I applied. I got my diploma now. But it just so happens that it was after I applied.  I had to learn the math, I passed all the subjects easily. The math for the new TASC is harder. Its my fault. But do you think they will okay this ? I mean whats the big deal, I applied for the position and made the payment, and then got my GED/TASC diploma. I didn't know when they will give out the application. And when I saw when they posted the dates to apply, I was shocked. I applied, and then next day made appointment to take the GED/TASC exam took it, and failed just the math, had to take just the math part and past. Now the exam is coming in may. I hope im eligible. Should I call them and explain ? Will they be lenient ? I'm also going to apply for the bus operator too, can I apply to both dates ? 

 

ALSO, lets say im rejected, [because I didnt have a high school diploma by the time I applied] if there is another one, can I apply to that ? MUCH THANKS GUYS.

 

And yes, im also 40, and I didn't have a HS diploma, because I had a good job, and it was in my comfort zone, and now I need more and better. 

If you read the notice of examination you pretty much answered your own question. If you did not meet those requirements by the end of the filing period sorry to say you won't be eligible for the Train Operator position.

 

http://web.mta.info/nyct/hr/pdf_exams/7604.pdf

 

Page 2 on the NOE:

HOW TO QUALIFY

Education, Experience and License Requirements: By the last day of the application period, you

must have a four year high school diploma or its educational equivalent, approved by a State’s

Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization; and

1. A Motor Vehicle Driver License valid in the State of New York; and

2. One year of full-time satisfactory work experience that has been continuous with one employer.

If you have serious moving violations, a license suspension or an accident record, you may be disqualified.

 

You will be required to indicate if you met the education, experience and license requirements on the date

that you are scheduled to take the multiple-choice test. You may also be required to complete additional

forms in regards to the education, experience and license requirements at the time of appointment. You

will be given the multiple-choice test before we verify your qualifications. You are responsible for

determining whether or not you meet the qualification requirements for this examination prior to submitting your application. If you are marked “Not Qualified,” your application fee will not be refunded and you will not receive a score.

 

Edited by elantra06
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If you read the notice of examination you pretty much answered your own question. If you did not meet those requirements by the end of the filing period sorry to say you won't be eligible for the Train Operator position.

 

http://web.mta.info/nyct/hr/pdf_exams/7604.pdf

 

Page 2 on the NOE:

HOW TO QUALIFY

Education, Experience and License Requirements: By the last day of the application period, you

must have a four year high school diploma or its educational equivalent, approved by a State’s

Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization; and

1. A Motor Vehicle Driver License valid in the State of New York; and

2. One year of full-time satisfactory work experience that has been continuous with one employer.

If you have serious moving violations, a license suspension or an accident record, you may be disqualified.

 

You will be required to indicate if you met the education, experience and license requirements on the date

that you are scheduled to take the multiple-choice test. You may also be required to complete additional

forms in regards to the education, experience and license requirements at the time of appointment. You

will be given the multiple-choice test before we verify your qualifications. You are responsible for

determining whether or not you meet the qualification requirements for this examination prior to submitting your application. If you are marked “Not Qualified,” your application fee will not be refunded and you will not receive a score.

 

 

  

 

 

Thanks man, I understand. Hopefully they won't care. They changed this test so many times, its been delayed so many times, and then boom, it comes out. I panicked. I'm going to do apply anyway. I meet the other requirements.  I had already one job for more than 10 years. No drug issues, never a moving violation. I noticed you need a drivers license now. Thank god no issues with tickets or points ever or even an accident. 

 

ALSO it says 

 

"You will be required to indicate if you met the education, experience and license requirements on the date

that you are scheduled to take the multiple-choice test."    I might have a shot man. I'm going to give it a shot. Also going to apply for bus operator too. I originally wanted to do bus operator. One step at a time for me.

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