Conductors who shut the doors off-peak just as another train is entering

[RtrainBlues]

Uptown R train running on a modified 12+ minute headways due to trouble, arrives at 59th St Bklyn 1:20pm today.  N train conductor at 1:20pm (car 9128 which was the 6th or 7th car of the train, Caucasian male in his 30s to 40s) takes particular delight in shutting the doors on the N train just as the R train is about to open its doors.  N train is right on schedule at 1:20pm, so there was no reason not to make the connection.   I was already late due to the modified R schedule, and now was an additional 10 minutes late due to this insult.

 

This incident has been reported to the MTA.  Hopefully this conductor no longer works for the MTA in the future due to this EXTREME disrespect  to a large group of already delayed passengers.

[Around the Horn]

Uptown R train running on a modified 12+ minute headways due to trouble, arrives at 59th St Bklyn 1:20pm today.  N train conductor at 1:20pm (car 9128 which was the 6th or 7th car of the train, Caucasian male in his 30s to 40s) takes particular delight in shutting the doors on the N train just as the R train is about to open its doors.  N train is right on schedule at 1:20pm, so there was no reason not to make the connection.   I was already late due to the modified R schedule, and now was an additional 10 minutes late due to this insult.

 

This incident has been reported to the MTA.  Hopefully this conductor no longer works for the MTA in the future due to this EXTREME lack of disrespect.

even though i did the same thing a year ago,the MTA said that the N train was something like 30 seconds late so the conductor did the right thing in closing the door to "attempt to avoid further delays"...

[Via Garibaldi 8]

The conductor doesn't have to wait for the connection unless he's told to do so.  This isn't uncommon at all.  I see it all time on the Lexington line, though I do agree that in some cases where waits are long, they should try to hold the train where possible.  The runs a bit more frequent than the though but still.

 

The goal is try to get people making connections to do so quickly, but that is viewed as a COURTESY, and is not a automatic thing.  If making that connection will inconvenience more people than it will help with potential delays further down the line, then that train 9 times out 10 won't be held.  I find that when you pay more for service, courtesies become more common.  For example when making our connection to MetroNorth, if our shuttle bus just gets to the station when the train is due, the train will usually wait until everyone gets downstairs to the platform, which happened on Monday.  In this case though the train doesn't run as frequent, but at the same time, they know that passengers would be pissed paying such a high fare and still being late because they weren't able to make what is supposed to be a timed connection.  In other words, the MetroNorth Hudson Rail Link bus is supposed to meet up with every MetroNorth train.  

 

With the subway, I've never heard of any so called "timed-transfers".

[SevenEleven]

Like VG said, there's no scheduled transfers in the subway except for the and at Nevins Street during the late nights. The other times are when dispatch holds the train at the station. It's courteous yes but not required.

 

Transfers not being made happen everyday so accept your loss and listen to the old adage about leaving early.

[RTOPRO]

Uptown R train running on a modified 12+ minute headways due to trouble, arrives at 59th St Bklyn 1:20pm today.  N train conductor at 1:20pm (car 9128 which was the 6th or 7th car of the train, Caucasian male in his 30s to 40s) takes particular delight in shutting the doors on the N train just as the R train is about to open its doors.  N train is right on schedule at 1:20pm, so there was no reason not to make the connection.   I was already late due to the modified R schedule, and now was an additional 10 minutes late due to this insult.

 

This incident has been reported to the MTA.  Hopefully this conductor no longer works for the MTA in the future due to this EXTREME disrespect  to a large group of already delayed passengers.

Here's the one thing you're not mentioning. In having that N train wait for your R train, that is to further delay the 1,500 minimum already on that N train. You would be lucky to be one of 35 people making the transfer. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

[peacemak3r]

This happens sometimes in the morning for the but like the others say, it's not necessary unless told to do so.  If I'm not mistaken there those 3 yellow light indicators that tells the conductor to wait if necessary?  If I peak out and see that usually I'll go out and make the transfer.

[SubwayGuy]

Perhaps that train was already delayed and you were unaware, so while it seemed "on time" it may have in fact been late. There may have been other delays along the line, and that crew may have been actually scheduled to make an earlier trip, but was delayed. Do you know these things conclusively? What modified schedule? How would a regular customer be aware of a supplement schedule or other...perhaps what you are calling a modified schedule was in fact just a late/delayed train?

 

If you are aware enough to know that there is a modified schedule running (if there actually was), then you should be aware enough to leave earlier to accommodate such. If not, then the train was delayed obviously.

 

Stop blaming people who are trying to do their jobs and get on with their day for your inability to plan ahead or your frustration at the commonplace occurrence of missing a train. It's doubtful the conductor "took delight" in leaving people on the platform unless you saw him point and laugh at people on the platform, in which case the conductor should be reported, but I doubt that happened. It's NYC Transit, trains are never that far behind. Try going to other cities where if you miss a train the wait is 15-20 minutes during peak times.

 

How would you like it if someone went to your place of work and scrutinized everything you did, and made assumptions that you had evil intentions for every little thing that they didn't like about your performance?

[RTOMan]

Wow Just wow.....

[RtrainBlues]

- The R left on a modified schedule and I'm 100% sure of that as I've been taking the R train for over 15 years and I know the routine schedule. It came to 86th St at 1:01pm, then 1:13pm.  The normal times are 1:06pm, then 1:16pm.

- The MTA web site unfortunately didn't list this reduced modified schedule (a last minute decision due to R problems) so I was unaware of it until I went down to the platform and just missed the R train.

- The timetable says the uptown N comes to 59th Bklyn at 1:10pm, 1:20pm, 1:30pm, etc.  This was the 1:20pm N train and it was not very crowded. The MTA investigation can confirm that this was the 1:20 N train that was running exactly on schedule.

- MTA personnel told me it is mandated procedure for conductors to wait for trains they see approaching during OFF-PEAK hours.

- It WAS the conductor's fault as he definitely saw the R train, and he closed the doors on his N train just as the R was about to open its doors.  He made life miserable for a large portion of people.  Now he will have to respond to the investigation.

- Most conductors are very pleasant and will make the connection off-peak, and I thank them for that.  But I will inform the MTA of the few rotten apples that don't deserve to be working for the MTA.  I have learned to write down the "car number" so that they can be identified and disciplined.  And I have told other passengers what to do as well, who thanked me.

- The 59th St dispatcher should have given the "holding lights" to the N train, so this was a failure on the dispatcher's part as well.

- There are not 1500 people on an N train at 1:20pm and 35 trying to transfer from an R train.  In fact, the N is quite empty at that time and there are a large number of R train customers who need the transfer.

[QM1to6Ave]

Lol, yeah, I'm sure this complaint is going right to the top of the food chain at the MTA and not the circular file cabinet.

[B35 via Church]

Lol @ how many times this situation with the at 59th st has been brought up on this forum alone.... Just goes to show that as many people experiencing this can't be wrong.....

 

However (as others have mentioned thus far), as frustrating as it is, as a passenger, there's nothin saying that local/express subway lines along the same trunk line (or w/e you wanna call it) are timed & have to wait for each other.... However many people there are on either train has zero to do with anything in that regard.....

[Princelex]

To Rtrainblues, how do you know that the was on a modified schedule?  Do you know the schedule for the ?

 

I will say that the fact that you sent a letter to the over this leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  I don't see this as something that requires a letter to the unless this particular conductor has done this over and over again but if this was your first time seeing him, why go through all of the trouble to do this?  I just don't get it but that's me, whether I worked in transit or not.

[Abba]

I have to agree In this case though that if the N closed its doors JUST AS the R train opened its doors,that's not right.ive seen this other times too.if they start closing the doors before the the other train opens its doors thats one thing.But once the train (like in this case the R) opens its doors,it's very rude for,the N to close its doors.next time that happens take the R to 36th st if the will help.That comes a good 6 or 7 min after the N at that time of the day.

[Dan05979]

- The R left on a modified schedule and I'm 100% sure of that as I've been taking the R train for over 15 years and I know the routine schedule. It came to 86th St at 1:01pm, then 1:13pm.  The normal times are 1:06pm, then 1:16pm.

- The MTA web site unfortunately didn't list this reduced modified schedule (a last minute decision due to R problems) so I was unaware of it until I went down to the platform and just missed the R train.

- The timetable says the uptown N comes to 59th Bklyn at 1:10pm, 1:20pm, 1:30pm, etc.  This was the 1:20pm N train and it was not very crowded. The MTA investigation can confirm that this was the 1:20 N train that was running exactly on schedule.

- MTA personnel told me it is mandated procedure for conductors to wait for trains they see approaching during OFF-PEAK hours.

- It WAS the conductor's fault as he definitely saw the R train, and he closed the doors on his N train just as the R was about to open its doors.  He made life miserable for a large portion of people.  Now he will have to respond to the investigation.

- Most conductors are very pleasant and will make the connection off-peak, and I thank them for that.  But I will inform the MTA of the few rotten apples that don't deserve to be working for the MTA.  I have learned to write down the "car number" so that they can be identified and disciplined.  And I have told other passengers what to do as well, who thanked me.

- The 59th St dispatcher should have given the "holding lights" to the N train, so this was a failure on the dispatcher's part as well.

- There are not 1500 people on an N train at 1:20pm and 35 trying to transfer from an R train.  In fact, the N is quite empty at that time and there are a large number of R train customers who need the transfer.

Your a funny guy. Your writing car #'s and people being disciplined is a huge fantasy in your head. But keep believing that.

 

Uptown R train running on a modified 12+ minute headways due to trouble, arrives at 59th St Bklyn 1:20pm today.  N train conductor at 1:20pm (car 9128 which was the 6th or 7th car of the train, Caucasian male in his 30s to 40s) takes particular delight in shutting the doors on the N train just as the R train is about to open its doors.  N train is right on schedule at 1:20pm, so there was no reason not to make the connection.   I was already late due to the modified R schedule, and now was an additional 10 minutes late due to this insult.

 

This incident has been reported to the MTA.  Hopefully this conductor no longer works for the MTA in the future due to this EXTREME disrespect  to a large group of already delayed passengers.

hahahaha @ YOU

You are a fool!

[itmaybeokay]

- The R left on a modified schedule and I'm 100% sure of that as I've been taking the R train for over 15 years and I know the routine schedule. It came to 86th St at 1:01pm, then 1:13pm.  The normal times are 1:06pm, then 1:16pm.

- The MTA web site unfortunately didn't list this reduced modified schedule (a last minute decision due to R problems) so I was unaware of it until I went down to the platform and just missed the R train.

- The timetable says the uptown N comes to 59th Bklyn at 1:10pm, 1:20pm, 1:30pm, etc.  This was the 1:20pm N train and it was not very crowded. The MTA investigation can confirm that this was the 1:20 N train that was running exactly on schedule.

- MTA personnel told me it is mandated procedure for conductors to wait for trains they see approaching during OFF-PEAK hours.

- It WAS the conductor's fault as he definitely saw the R train, and he closed the doors on his N train just as the R was about to open its doors.  He made life miserable for a large portion of people.  Now he will have to respond to the investigation.

- Most conductors are very pleasant and will make the connection off-peak, and I thank them for that.  But I will inform the MTA of the few rotten apples that don't deserve to be working for the MTA.  I have learned to write down the "car number" so that they can be identified and disciplined.  And I have told other passengers what to do as well, who thanked me.

- The 59th St dispatcher should have given the "holding lights" to the N train, so this was a failure on the dispatcher's part as well.

- There are not 1500 people on an N train at 1:20pm and 35 trying to transfer from an R train.  In fact, the N is quite empty at that time and there are a large number of R train customers who need the transfer.

I'm sorry man, I'm trying to hear you out here, as I've had a cross-platform instant-transfer denied by doors-closing-in-face before too. But, I really think you're assumptions are careless and your response is disproportionate. 

 

Firstly - It's really not fair to rely on the schedules like one would on a non-rapid-transit railroad. Delays do happen, and when they do they usually "compound and stack". I usually look at the schedule as a "6 minute window", 3 minutes before and after the listed time as when the train will likely come. It's mostly useful for judging frequency. In fact, on most subway timetables, plenty of hours aren't listed and instead show up as "And then every 4-5 minutes until..." 1:01 and 1:13 could have been trains running early. They could have been trains running late. I doubt, however, that it was a "reduced, modified schedule"

 

Secondly - I'm not sure mid-day is what they meant by "off-peak". Late nights, at 20 minute headways, are one thing, but mid-day is another story. 

 

Thirdly -  Investigation? You think the MTA is going to devote a team of investigators to finding out why this guy didn't hold the doors?

 

Lets be real: At worst case, the guy made a minor procedural error. I understand it inconvenienced you - but if we started firing every MTA employee who ever had a passenger get angry at them, then you wouldn't have to worry about missed transfers because you'd have to walk to work. What if - and I'm just spitballing here - That N train was exactly 10 minutes late. The conductor held the doors, making someone on the train even later, who wrote down the car number and sent a complaint. Under your system of investigations and draconian terminations, the guy would get fired no matter what he did. 

 

Fourthly - serious point: What do you expect for your $2.50? And by that I don't mean that you should accept awful service as the norm, but the train crew has a lot of other people to cater to, and nobody is going to get the white glove pampering that everyone in this city feels they deserve, unfortunately. 

 

All this said - it is your right to voice your opinion. If enough people have sent in letters about this guy doing exactly this, maybe, maybe someone will take a look at it. Sometimes I'll send a letter - even knowing it won't do anything alone - because there's a certain democracy to these kinds of things. 1000 people whispering is louder than one man yelling. The converse of this is also true - send enough letters about the frivolous, and you might find yourself added to - well at an old job we had a list for these kinds of things we called "insanitywatch".

 

In closing, I will recount something told to me once that helps me best deal with commute frustrations. While getting shoved around by people jamming their way into a particularly crowded 1 train, a looked at my friend and scowled. He smiled, shrugged and said "What are you gonna do?, it's a train"

 

Sometimes you just have to shrug off the minor inconveniences and indignities that come with the territory, and just remember "What the subway giveth, the subway taketh away - what the subway taketh, the subway giveth back - with residual delays."

[Turbo19]

Uptown R train running on a modified 12+ minute headways due to trouble, arrives at 59th St Bklyn 1:20pm today.  N train conductor at 1:20pm (car 9128 which was the 6th or 7th car of the train, Caucasian male in his 30s to 40s) takes particular delight in shutting the doors on the N train just as the R train is about to open its doors.  N train is right on schedule at 1:20pm, so there was no reason not to make the connection.   I was already late due to the modified R schedule, and now was an additional 10 minutes late due to this insult.

 

This incident has been reported to the MTA.  Hopefully this conductor no longer works for the MTA in the future due to this EXTREME disrespect  to a large group of already delayed passengers.

Sorry, just have to laugh at the fact you come on here expecting loads of sympathy. On the contrary.

 

Actually here I am laughing at the fact the you expect for this T/O to be terminated, or at the very least disiplined. What did he do wrong? That's right, nothing. So your trip was delayed, big deal, move on. Just because you're delayed doesn't mean the entire system should be as well.

[RTOMan]

Wow again Just Wow...

[Dan05979]

 

This incident has been reported to the MTA.  Hopefully this conductor no longer works for the MTA in the future due to this EXTREME disrespect  to a large group of already delayed passengers.

& who the hell are you to be wishing the MTA fire someone because your feelings were hurt. If that was me that closed those doors and I lost my job because of it, be SURE I'd come after you and break your legs. Wishing to take food out of some ones mouth. Your a piece of shit.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Lol @ how many times this situation with the at 59th st has been brought up on this forum alone.... Just goes to show that as many people experiencing this can't be wrong.....

 

However (as others have mentioned thus far), as frustrating as it is, as a passenger, there's nothin saying that local/express subway lines along the same trunk line (or w/e you wanna call it) are timed & have to wait for each other.... However many people there are on either train has zero to do with anything in that regard.....

Well I'm sure you've experienced the same situation... I've experienced it too... I don't think the original poster should've reported the guy, but I can understand his frustration.  I think the real issue here is that the runs so poorly.  If the were more frequent then missing a transfer wouldn't be that big of a deal.  Instead of trying to get this guy fired for simply doing his job, he should be channeling his energy to get service improved.  I can't imagine what he did when the also ran like garbage. It wasn't until that survey came out about the about long waits and such that I recall the beefing up service and put new cars on the line.

[MattTrain]

I'll keep it short:

 

Is it really that big of a deal, I mean come on now. You were better off staying on that anyway! 

[B35 via Church]

Well I'm sure you've experienced the same situation... I've experienced it too... I don't think the original poster should've reported the guy, but I can understand his frustration.  I think the real issue here is that the runs so poorly.  If the were more frequent then missing a transfer wouldn't be that big of a deal.  Instead of trying to get this guy fired for simply doing his job, he should be channeling his energy to get service improved.  I can't imagine what he did when the also ran like garbage. It wasn't until that survey came out about the about long waits and such that I recall the beefing up service and put new cars on the line.

Yes, I've had it happen.... However, I couldn't see myself gettin no where near frustrated to the point where I resorted to reporting a c/r for closing the doors on me.... Then resorting to blaming the dispatcher too, on top of it..... Everyone else's fault but his.....

 

Where's that guy that blurts out his usual parroted rhetoric about professional complainers - This is where it would most definitely fit.....

 

Anyway, back to this character..... If only I could file incident reports on the personally irresponsible with the punishment of having their humanity card stripped...... I have my gripes with the line, but my god, this occurrence was not that egregious....

 

& who the hell are you to be wishing the MTA fire someone because your feelings were hurt. If that was me that closed those doors and I lost my job because of it, be SURE I'd come after you and break your legs. Wishing to take food out of some ones mouth. Your a piece of shit.

Couldn't have said this any better..... Real easy way to have someone come see this guy, and rightfully so.

[Fresh Pond]

So he caught a titty attack because the train doors closed on him? Really now?

 

Hell it happens to me almost every day, I just laugh it of and wait for the next one

 

I'll keep it short:

 

Is it really that big of a deal, I mean come on now. You were better off staying on that anyway!

^^^^ this

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Yes, I've had it happen.... However, I couldn't see myself gettin no where near frustrated to the point where I resorted to reporting a c/r for closing the doors on me.... Then resorting to blaming the dispatcher too, on top of it..... Everyone else's fault but his.....

 

Where's that guy that blurts out his usual parroted rhetoric about professional complainers - This is where it would most definitely fit.....

 

Anyway, back to this character..... If only I could file incident reports on the personally irresponsible with the punishment of having their humanity card stripped...... I have my gripes with the line, but my god, this occurrence was not that egregious....

I can't remember the last time I've ran for a subway even if I'm late... MetroNorth I can understand, as I ran down to get that on Monday in order to not face waiting another 30 minutes or whatever, but the subway?  I mean please... It's the for crying out loud... That train has one the best frequencies around!  This guy's sense of entitlement is astonishing.  Dare I say take a f*cking cab or drive?!?! I never thought I would be saying that on this forum!! 

[Fan Railer]

What a joke. I don't even know how to respond to this stupidity.

[Abba]

I'll keep it short:

 

Is it really that big of a deal, I mean come on now. You were better off staying on that anyway!

 

Correct.R never has delays in Brooklyn.