qjtransitmaster Posted December 18, 2012 Share #26 Posted December 18, 2012 Damn, I wouldn't expect that many pro-tech people here. And to think 6-7 years ago I still used payphones and didn't own a PC. Even still I don't own a smartphone and rely on paper schedules. I gave up paper schedules UNLESS the paper ones have more info on them like in the form of a booklet while the online forces me to see em one by one while paperback allows me to see em all in one place there are exceptions to the rule Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDTA Posted December 18, 2012 Share #27 Posted December 18, 2012 Do you get charged for wi-fi for using BusTime if you text? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qjtransitmaster Posted December 18, 2012 Share #28 Posted December 18, 2012 Do you get charged for wi-fi for using BusTime if you text? nope most wi-fi hotspots are free or cheap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDTA Posted December 19, 2012 Share #29 Posted December 19, 2012 nope most wi-fi hotspots are free or cheap *sigh... facepalm* That's not what i'm asking here. If you don't have an internet plan on your phone, and you text the number, would you get charged for internet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qjtransitmaster Posted December 19, 2012 Share #30 Posted December 19, 2012 *sigh... facepalm* That's not what i'm asking here. If you don't have an internet plan on your phone, and you text the number, would you get charged for internet? nope unless your using a data pulling app to perform your texts. But no you get charged for text. I have used that ability with NJT many times. but no it must be internet enabled app to charge data. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RookiePhenom Posted December 20, 2012 Share #31 Posted December 20, 2012 *sigh... facepalm* That's not what i'm asking here. If you don't have an internet plan on your phone, and you text the number, would you get charged for internet? If you text, you're normally charged the text rate (unless you've got a unlimited text rate). Standard Messaging Rates Apply. Any transit tracker program is flexible to use on both data and on the standard wireless/messaging. Yes, it does have kinks in the system (CTA has this problem, and Pace is playing catch up with their existing WebWatch system), but you'd have to give it time (and especially if you all have to still cleanup with the hurricane. Give it time, the technology will catch up and make it better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acela Express Posted December 20, 2012 Share #32 Posted December 20, 2012 Honestly, all I would have to do is put the wrong info into bus time on the fare box and guess what? I become a ghost bus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted December 20, 2012 Share #33 Posted December 20, 2012 Honestly, all I would have to do is put the wrong info into bus time on the fare box and guess what? I become a ghost bus. Yeah that's something I picked up on a while ago. The buses are ghost buses usually when they first start their runs. So for example if you're getting on at the first stop the bus can be right in front of you but it won't appear on Bus Time until the information the B/O inputs is transmitted to the servers that Bus Time uses or the bus may show up on Bus Time but still have the old destination info appearing. Another thing that's funny is detours. The buses will go off of Bus Time temporarily or may come up as if they're going in one direction when in fact they're going in the opposite direction. On Staten Island this is less of an issue, but with routes that allow the B/Os to deviate from the route a lot it's quite interesting to watch and could be a bit confusing for the average rider trying to use Bus Time. All in all though, the fare box hasn't been that much of an issue. In speaking with the Bus Time team, some of the problems have been related to hardware or server issues. More buses have the hardware now so there should be fewer problems as time goes on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q101 E Midtown Posted December 24, 2012 Share #34 Posted December 24, 2012 I have a question for the smartphone users: When you are using BusTime, does it actually give the destination the bus is heading to?. Because I used an Android from Metro PCS (Yes, we all know the issues with that carrier.), and one thing I notice is that in my case, I can't tell if the bus makes a short-turn looking at the text. Is this an issue with the smartphones? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SevenEleven Posted December 24, 2012 Share #35 Posted December 24, 2012 No, that's how texts come in. Stop 150138 Q50: 4.0 miles Send: R for refresh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m7zanr160s Posted December 25, 2012 Share #36 Posted December 25, 2012 I have a question for the smartphone users: When you are using BusTime, does it actually give the destination the bus is heading to?. Because I used an Android from Metro PCS (Yes, we all know the issues with that carrier.), and one thing I notice is that in my case, I can't tell if the bus makes a short-turn looking at the text. Is this an issue with the smartphones? But Deron Williams' has Metro PCS, how can it have issues!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion VII 4 Life Posted December 27, 2012 Share #37 Posted December 27, 2012 But Deron Williams' has Metro PCS, how can it have issues!? lol I saw that billboard by Kings Plaza. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QM1to6Ave Posted December 28, 2012 Share #38 Posted December 28, 2012 Ok, I used bustime via text for the first time tonight on the BxM9 and was really disappointed. The bus was scheduled to come at 11 minutes past the hour. At 20 past the hour, I text the number on the sign post (I don't have an internet phone) and it says "no buses are en route to the stop" and I think "oh crap." Then, 5 minutes later, the bus pulls in! I mention to the B/O that the system didn't work right, but he had no idea about the system. Anyway, here is my question: When I text the number, is it supposed to tell me when the next scheduled run is supposed to arrive, or is it supposed to actually tell me how far away the bus is from me? I suspect the bus was already running the route when I texted the number, since the first stop is about 10 minutes away from where I was. Should the text I received have told me that the bus was actually 5 minutes away? Either way, I'm glad I waited around, because otherwise I would have left the stop after I got that text. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QM1to6Ave Posted December 28, 2012 Share #39 Posted December 28, 2012 In speaking with the Bus Time team, some of the problems have been related to hardware or server issues. More buses have the hardware now so there should be fewer problems as time goes on. This system would be a lot more useful if there were fewer hardware problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted December 28, 2012 Share #40 Posted December 28, 2012 This system would be a lot more useful if there were fewer hardware problems. True... I haven't had any ghost buses in a while now but I still see buses disappear and then reappear which signals to me that they still have problems with tall buildings blocking interference at times. Still awesome to have access to this though esp. when you're in a rush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N4 Via Merrick Rd Posted December 28, 2012 Share #41 Posted December 28, 2012 Well, all ima say is that it makes no sense to have two of the same thing. So Its either they keep the boards or remove 'em. Obviously the boards are waste of money if BusTime is here makes no sense to have 'em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted December 28, 2012 Share #42 Posted December 28, 2012 Well, all ima say is that it makes no sense to have two of the same thing. So Its either they keep the boards or remove 'em. Obviously the boards are waste of money if BusTime is here makes no sense to have 'em. And all ima say is Bus Time is here to stay... They came out with an app for the iPhone that lets you see where the train is too. Eventually it will be available on Androids and for Windows phones and will be for all stations... Heard it on Good Day NY this morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QM1to6Ave Posted December 28, 2012 Share #43 Posted December 28, 2012 True... I haven't had any ghost buses in a while now but I still see buses disappear and then reappear which signals to me that they still have problems with tall buildings blocking interference at times. Still awesome to have access to this though esp. when you're in a rush. I dunno man, I was in a rush last night and the system let me down. Not impressed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted December 28, 2012 Share #44 Posted December 28, 2012 I dunno man, I was in a rush last night and the system let me down. Not impressed. How so?? I use the desktop version on my phone and it works great... Using the text message version is too tedious... Once I tap on the bus I'm tracking it gives me an automatic update of where it is.... I walk with the phone in my hand when I need to this way I know exactly where it is and I can pace myself accordingly rather than having to rush to the stop if the bus is running behind. It's especially great when you have long walks this way you're not worn out by the time you reach the stop. The thing is I've been working with it for over a year now so I know the sorts of problems that occurs and how to deal with them. The one thing they haven't been able to explain to me yet is those damn ghost buses and I don't mean buses that are running that aren't really on Bus Time. Sometimes what happens is a bus will appear on Bus Time that really doesn't exist and you think it's on the route but it isn't. They haven't explained why that happens on occasion either, but it must be a software issue. A word of advice though... I would not rely on Bus Time if you're getting on a bus at the beginning of the route because if the B/O doesn't put in the info correctly or immediately into the farebox when he or she pulls off then the bus won't show up on Bus Time right away. In my case I remember that if I'm getting on at say the first stop and just arrive a bit earlier than I usually would just in case the bus is there earlier than it should be, which does happen, but if you're getting on in the middle of the route or further down, it's great because my wait can be nearly a minute or so since I know how long it takes me roughly to get to the stop and how long it should take the bus to get to whatever stop I'm at. FYI... It does not tell you how much time you have until the bus arrives, just the distance, but you should already have an idea by just looking at the schedule. If you take that bus on a regular basis then you should have a feel for the traffic patterns... Another thing I've figured out is if you use the desktop version when it says 0.5 miles away within the next few blocks if you see "One Stop Away", then you know that the bus is less than 10 blocks away. I haven't been able to figure out yet how they go about that "One Stop Away" thing in terms of distance though, but it must be about 5 - 6 blocks and then when it says "Approaching" it's within a few blocks or less. All depends on how well the connection is with the bus you're tracking and how fast the bus is going too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
checkmatechamp13 Posted December 28, 2012 Share #45 Posted December 28, 2012 Anyway, here is my question: When I text the number, is it supposed to tell me when the next scheduled run is supposed to arrive, or is it supposed to actually tell me how far away the bus is from me? I suspect the bus was already running the route when I texted the number, since the first stop is about 10 minutes away from where I was. Should the text I received have told me that the bus was actually 5 minutes away? Either way, I'm glad I waited around, because otherwise I would have left the stop after I got that text. How far away the bus is. It should've said "1.0 miles away" or whatever. But of course, you have to have some idea of the traffic conditions. As Amtrak7 said, a mile in Downtown Brooklyn is a lot different from a mile along Arthur Kill Road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.