Exam 6601 Conductor 6601 Hiring Process

[Milano]

17 minutes ago, goliver28 said:

I went by what my TSS said but now I’m posting and my trainer said you can sit between stations. So I stand corrected

Here's a big tip as you're posting....

Don't listen to the TSS or the training conductors 100%. find the bulletins yourself. School car has a lot of scared straight tactics, and some of these conductors been here so long their information is out of date. Not (necessarily) their fault, even though they should stay up to date, a lot of bulletins come out and it's easy to miss one.

And part of me wants to tell you to sit corrected, not stand corrected. 🤣

Edited May 17, 2023 by Milano

[Lov3 qu33n]

13 minutes ago, BigMike85 said:

Strangle you with the tape measure. That’s at least what happened to me. 

Ha. That too. 

[Darrius]

32 minutes ago, Milano said:

They're only going to list things that you're allowed to have. Don't worry about it You can order anything on there.

In prior jobs and this one, I've been wearing caterpillar boots (steel toe for NYCT) for over 13 years and find them durable and comfortable, although they usually need a different insole..

Get whatever you think you like, but make sure you return it fast if you don't like it.... I made the mistake of ordering a second set (tried a new brand) and waiting too long and now I just have a pair of boots sitting here that I hate. 

Our TSSs were easy going on the boots.. If you do get a pair you don't like and you need to return them, talk to them and tell them. Don't just show up the next day in tennis shoes because the transit boots hurt your feet. Lol talk to them first and they'll let you know how to approach that.

Thanks ! Bout to order my boots now.. just wanted the lightest weight boot possible .wasn't sure which brand. 

 

And are we required to bring the duffle bag the very first day or.. I don't see where it says.

[Milano]

3 minutes ago, Darrius said:

Thanks ! Bout to order my boots now.. just wanted the lightest weight boot possible .wasn't sure which brand. 

 

And are we required to bring the duffle bag the very first day or.. I don't see where it says.

First day is orientation. Are they doing it in person these days? For COVID we did ours online... You'll want some kind of a bag. Not necessarily a duffle bag. You're going to have a lot of paperwork to transport.

 

They will eventually talk to you guys about bags, and I'm still not convinced a duffle bag is necessary even though I know it's written in 10 places. I brought a small book bag from day one. Then I bought the kaka bag.  Tell you what though, that bag attracts the attention of TSSs and dispatchers when you hit the road. Not because it's the wrong kind of bag, but because they know you're new when they see it. I would buy something else if I did it over again. 😂

[Darrius]

16 minutes ago, Milano said:

First day is orientation. Are they doing it in person these days? For COVID we did ours online... You'll want some kind of a bag. Not necessarily a duffle bag. You're going to have a lot of paperwork to transport.

 

They will eventually talk to you guys about bags, and I'm still not convinced a duffle bag is necessary even though I know it's written in 10 places. I brought a small book bag from day one. Then I bought the kaka bag.  Tell you what though, that bag attracts the attention of TSSs and dispatchers when you hit the road. Not because it's the wrong kind of bag, but because they know you're new when they see it. I would buy something else if I did it over again. 😂

Good thanks.. think I'll bring a book bag the first day just to see what's up. Then wait and see what's next. 

[Amir]

5 hours ago, Jsalcedo718 said:

U gotta bring ya admission letter, valid ID and get a $25 money order from the postal office. For the first session you'll be in a class with several ppl. You gonna have an answer sheet which u bubble in your info just like when you took the conductor test. For the test, Theyll have a CD playing, it'll be like 4 different announcements btwn and dispatcher and conductor, and u have to pay attention to the details of the convo. For Each ONE announcement, you'll have to answer 5 questions from a booklet they will give u, to answer based on what you heard. So in total it'll be 20 questions. They'll pause the CD after each dispatch, and u have 2 mins to answer the 5 questions.

Second session is about 5 to 10 mins..you'll be interviewed by someone and they'll record your answers. The questions are based on the pictures in the booklet in front of u. They'll basically ask u what would you do in each situation. 

Thank you! I appreciate it. 

[Amir]

Just now, Amir said:

Thank you! I appreciate it. 

 

1 minute ago, Amir said:

Thank you! I appreciate it. 

Is a passport counted as a valid ID? 

[tsanchez2828]

Just now, Amir said:

 

Is a passport counted as a valid ID? 

Yes

[Amir]

Just now, tsanchez2828 said:

Yes

Thank you!! Appreciate your response. 🙏🏽

[alexx]

28 minutes ago, Milano said:

First day is orientation. Are they doing it in person these days? For COVID we did ours online... You'll want some kind of a bag. Not necessarily a duffle bag. You're going to have a lot of paperwork to transport.

 

They will eventually talk to you guys about bags, and I'm still not convinced a duffle bag is necessary even though I know it's written in 10 places. I brought a small book bag from day one. Then I bought the kaka bag.  Tell you what though, that bag attracts the attention of TSSs and dispatchers when you hit the road. Not because it's the wrong kind of bag, but because they know you're new when they see it. I would buy something else if I did it over again. 😂

I'm dead laughing here.. I got the ultimate rookie starter pack.. ordered the cat steel toe boots because it was the best one imo out of the selection when we logged in (defaulted to the page with a dozen of boots only) , then I got the kaka bag because I actually lowkey like the look and all the things it provides and lastly, I already had MTA colors uniform.. I guess many of us went through this at some point, lol..

 

My question is, when is the dress code more lenient? I see people wearing tshirts, cargo pants, fitted/beanies, better looking jackets, etc... Are those specifically allowed for other departments and not train employees? Are people doing it at their own risk?

I personally really want to wear those law enforcement cargo pants which looks the same but up close, is obviously cargo pants. As for the MTA uniform given to us, that is regular work uniform material which is normally hard rough material, right? Can I get something of better quality, same colors and all and put the patch on or some other solution? I know many professions, mainly law enforcements, can do a lot of this stuff at any uniform store as those stores primary focus on first respondents.

[Darrius]

3 minutes ago, alexx said:

I'm dead laughing here.. I got the ultimate rookie starter pack.. ordered the cat steel toe boots because it was the best one imo out of the selection when we logged in (defaulted to the page with a dozen of boots only) , then I got the kaka bag because I actually lowkey like the look and all the things it provides and lastly, I already had MTA colors uniform.. I guess many of us went through this at some point, lol..

 

My question is, when is the dress code more lenient? I see people wearing tshirts, cargo pants, fitted/beanies, better looking jackets, etc... Are those specifically allowed for other departments and not train employees? Are people doing it at their own risk?

I personally really want to wear those law enforcement cargo pants which looks the same but up close, is obviously cargo pants. As for the MTA uniform given to us, that is regular work uniform material which is normally hard rough material, right? Can I get something of better quality, same colors and all and put the patch on or some other solution? I know many professions, mainly law enforcements, can do a lot of this stuff at any uniform store as those stores primary focus on first respondents.

How are the Cat boots. Are the lightweight or comfortable 

[Milano]

16 minutes ago, alexx said:

I'm dead laughing here.. I got the ultimate rookie starter pack.. ordered the cat steel toe boots because it was the best one imo out of the selection when we logged in (defaulted to the page with a dozen of boots only) , then I got the kaka bag because I actually lowkey like the look and all the things it provides and lastly, I already had MTA colors uniform.. I guess many of us went through this at some point, lol..

 

My question is, when is the dress code more lenient? I see people wearing tshirts, cargo pants, fitted/beanies, better looking jackets, etc... Are those specifically allowed for other departments and not train employees? Are people doing it at their own risk?

I personally really want to wear those law enforcement cargo pants which looks the same but up close, is obviously cargo pants. As for the MTA uniform given to us, that is regular work uniform material which is normally hard rough material, right? Can I get something of better quality, same colors and all and put the patch on or some other solution? I know many professions, mainly law enforcements, can do a lot of this stuff at any uniform store as those stores primary focus on first respondents.

People do this at their own risk. MTA issue cargo pants are authorized.

You may not be allowed to sign into (or out !) of work if you're not wearing MTA authorized uniform. Dispatchers enforce this. And they will call the Superintendent to see what to do with you when you show up in the wrong stuff.

Cleaners are the biggest challenge to this rule. They seem to wear whatever. They might even be allowed. I don't know, I never spoke to a station supervisor about it. I'm not sure what their dress code is. 

Edited May 17, 2023 by Milano

[alexx]

12 minutes ago, Milano said:

People do this at their own risk. MTA issue cargo pants are authorized.

You may not be allowed to sign into (or out !) of work if you're not wearing MTA authorized uniform. Dispatchers enforce this. And they will call the Superintendent to see what to do with you when you show up in the wrong stuff.

Cleaners are the biggest challenge to this rule. They seem to wear whatever. They might even be allowed. I don't know, I never spoke to a station supervisor about it. I'm not sure what their dress code is. 

That's the thing, what exactly is a MTA authorized uniform? Is it just exactly what they give you are is there requirements to what is to be worn and uniform shops or wherever can help with getting the company logo on it? For example, you have the button down  MTA dress shirt given to us but the material is rough from what I can tell, is there a way that we get the same style shirt but much better quality? and how? Same for pants, something much more comfortable but same style.

I figured a lot of people are doing it at their own risk but I would also think that there are a lot more options than the regular default ones given, expected that it will cost out of pocket which is fine since I would be wearing it more often, based on comfort. 

[alexx]

29 minutes ago, Darrius said:

How are the Cat boots. Are the lightweight or comfortable 

Imo, very heavy and bulky and I don't think I will want to wear it during the summer unless steel toes are required. 

 I'm seeing mixed answers about steel toes about how it's not needed or allowed and also how it doesn't matter as long as its brown/black shoes/boots.

At the end, it seems like with the allowance, we can order anything on the site, rather than just the selection to the page that was directed to us upon login so if anyone can confirm that, that would be nice to know for next years allownace, lol.

[Milano]

11 minutes ago, alexx said:

Imo, very heavy and bulky and I don't think I will want to wear it during the summer unless steel toes are required. 

 I'm seeing mixed answers about steel toes about how it's not needed or allowed and also how it doesn't matter as long as its brown/black shoes/boots.

At the end, it seems like with the allowance, we can order anything on the site, rather than just the selection to the page that was directed to us upon login so if anyone can confirm that, that would be nice to know for next years allownace, lol.

Have you ever worn work boots before? They're average like most others. You can not buy whatever you want, you have to buy something that meets the MTA specs and then need it approved, new in box, in person with a supervisor.

Steel toes are not allowed with the exception of the CAT boots. Don't ask me why, I don't make the rules, I just read them. 

15 minutes ago, alexx said:

That's the thing, what exactly is a MTA authorized uniform? Is it just exactly what they give you are is there requirements to what is to be worn and uniform shops or wherever can help with getting the company logo on it? For example, you have the button down  MTA dress shirt given to us but the material is rough from what I can tell, is there a way that we get the same style shirt but much better quality? and how? Same for pants, something much more comfortable but same style.

I figured a lot of people are doing it at their own risk but I would also think that there are a lot more options than the regular default ones given, expected that it will cost out of pocket which is fine since I would be wearing it more often, based on comfort. 

MTA authorized unform is whatever unipro provides you. This is a filthy subterranean job, not a fashion show.

If you're lucky, some terminals have uniform donation areas. Usually people retiring or cleaning out their closet from when they used to be thin will leave clothes behind. Some of the older issue stuff is allowed if you can find it. I find the old VF imagewear dress shirts to be more comfortable than the current issue stuff. 

Edited May 17, 2023 by Milano

[alexx]

39 minutes ago, Milano said:

Have you ever worn work boots before? They're average like most others. You can not buy whatever you want, you have to buy something that meets the MTA specs and then need it approved, new in box, in person with a supervisor.

Steel toes are not allowed with the exception of the CAT boots. Don't ask me why, I don't make the rules, I just read them. 

MTA authorized unform is whatever unipro provides you. This is a filthy subterranean job, not a fashion show.

If you're lucky, some terminals have uniform donation areas. Usually people retiring or cleaning out their closet from when they used to be thin will leave clothes behind. Some of the older issue stuff is allowed if you can find it. I find the old VF imagewear dress shirts to be more comfortable than the current issue stuff. 

Oh, I meant that work boots are heavy and bulky compared to regular shoes/boots that is allowed, not in general that the cat boots are heavier than other work boots. That's the pair I've ordered and am looking forward to wearing after the summer if I don't need to wear specific "work" boots now.

As for the annual allowance to be used on the safguard site, some others have said it can be used for anything on the site if i've read properly, however, cannot confirm it myself. 

Ahh, I see, I hope unipro has a lot more options for us when we get access.. I'm less worried about the look as i'm not trying to make a fashion statement but the quality and comfort level would go a long way and I would assume that wouldn't be a big problem as long as reasonable requirements are in tact. 

Interesting thing to know about the uniform donation areas. Will keep an eye out, thank you.

 

[Milano]

9 minutes ago, alexx said:

Oh, I meant that work boots are heavy and bulky compared to regular shoes/boots that is allowed, not in general that the cat boots are heavier than other work boots. That's the pair I've ordered and am looking forward to wearing after the summer if I don't need to wear specific "work" boots now.

As for the annual allowance to be used on the safguard site, some others have said it can be used for anything on the site if i've read properly, however, cannot confirm it myself. 

Ahh, I see, I hope unipro has a lot more options for us when we get access.. I'm less worried about the look as i'm not trying to make a fashion statement but the quality and comfort level would go a long way and I would assume that wouldn't be a big problem as long as reasonable requirements are in tact. 

Interesting thing to know about the uniform donation areas. Will keep an eye out, thank you.

 

There are no regular shoes or boots allowed. They're all work boots, composite toe or steel toe. They do have a pair of work shoes which some people seem to like, but they have the same specs as the work boots for electrical resistance, slip resistance and all that. Each title has different footwear, so if you're getting advice from somebody, be sure it's a conductor.

Supervisors will pull you from service for incorrect footwear. They might send you home and cut your hours for the day.

You don't have many options other than two different hats, two different winter hats, two different ties, and three different shirts. Then there's cargo pants or dress pants.  The polo shirts are 19.99 If you'd like to order extra for the summer. The pants and dress shirts are cheap. And they feel cheap. Get yourself some good name brand undershirts from Calvin Klein or Tommy Hilfiger so you don't have to feel that terrible material against your skin. 

 

[Jericho]

1 hour ago, alexx said:

That's the thing, what exactly is a MTA authorized uniform?

You are to wear the clothing issued to you by Unipro. You can wear the button down, or mock turtle neck shirt all year round. Polos can only be worn during the summer months. To be honest, unless your pants look too different from the issued pants, no one should bother you about it, except possibly during your time in training. We know those pants are not that great. You must must wear your MTA authorized boots or alternative safety footwear signed off by a superintendent. Don't think you can sign on and then change to your sneakers.

In the winter, you have to wear the tie and either hat issued to you. If you decide to buy a third party MTA hoodie, chances are no one will say anything, but you have to wear your uniform underneath.

 

1 hour ago, alexx said:

At the end, it seems like with the allowance, we can order anything on the site, rather than just the selection to the page that was directed to us upon login so if anyone can confirm that, that would be nice to know for next years allownace, lol.

Yes. If anyone gives you problems, tell them it was bought with the allowance.

Edited May 17, 2023 by Jericho

[Milano]

3 minutes ago, Jericho said:

You are to wear the clothing issued to you by Unipro. You can wear the button down, or mock turtle neck shirt all year round. Polos can only be worn during the summer months. To be honest, unless your pants look too different from the issued pants, no one should bother you about it, except possibly during your time in training. We know those pants are not that great. You must must wear your MTA authorized boots or alternative safety footwear signed off by a superintendent. Don't think you can sign on and then change to your sneakers.

In the winter, you have to wear the tie and either hat issued to you. If you decide to buy a third party MTA hoodie, chances are no one will say anything, but you have to wear your uniform underneath.

 

Yes. If anyone gives you problems, tell them it was bought with the allowance.

This is casually correct. Let's not forget, though, there are some sticklers around here that will go as far as looking at the tag inside the toe of the boots. For probation period I don't think anybody should mess around with their uniform standards.

[alexx]

1 hour ago, Milano said:

There are no regular shoes or boots allowed. They're all work boots, composite toe or steel toe. They do have a pair of work shoes which some people seem to like, but they have the same specs as the work boots for electrical resistance, slip resistance and all that. Each title has different footwear, so if you're getting advice from somebody, be sure it's a conductor.

Supervisors will pull you from service for incorrect footwear. They might send you home and cut your hours for the day.

You don't have many options other than two different hats, two different winter hats, two different ties, and three different shirts. Then there's cargo pants or dress pants.  The polo shirts are 19.99 If you'd like to order extra for the summer. The pants and dress shirts are cheap. And they feel cheap. Get yourself some good name brand undershirts from Calvin Klein or Tommy Hilfiger so you don't have to feel that terrible material against your skin. 

 

 

42 minutes ago, Jericho said:

You are to wear the clothing issued to you by Unipro. You can wear the button down, or mock turtle neck shirt all year round. Polos can only be worn during the summer months. To be honest, unless your pants look too different from the issued pants, no one should bother you about it, except possibly during your time in training. We know those pants are not that great. You must must wear your MTA authorized boots or alternative safety footwear signed off by a superintendent. Don't think you can sign on and then change to your sneakers.

In the winter, you have to wear the tie and either hat issued to you. If you decide to buy a third party MTA hoodie, chances are no one will say anything, but you have to wear your uniform underneath.

 

Yes. If anyone gives you problems, tell them it was bought with the allowance.

Thank you, very helpful!! 

 

 

[Elvis Gonzalez]

I notice there's a section that needs a notary public stamp...do they do it in person or I need to do it on my own 

[alexx]

3 hours ago, Elvis Gonzalez said:

I notice there's a section that needs a notary public stamp...do they do it in person or I need to do it on my own 

It also says somewhere it is not necessary to do it, I didn't do it

[Elvis Gonzalez]

18 minutes ago, alexx said:

It also says somewhere it is not necessary to do it, I didn't do it

I think you referring to the part if you don't want to participate in the retirement plan...I just moved heaven and hell looking for my birth certificate lol 

[alexx]

13 hours ago, Elvis Gonzalez said:

I think you referring to the part if you don't want to participate in the retirement plan...I just moved heaven and hell looking for my birth certificate lol 

If you look at the instructions sheet (first page of the new hire pdf), on the NYCERS Pension form and instructions line, it says "NOT FILLABLE, DO NOT GET THIS FORM NOTARIZED".

[Elvis Gonzalez]

15 minutes ago, alexx said:

If you look at the instructions sheet (first page of the new hire pdf), on the NYCERS Pension form and instructions line, it says "NOT FILLABLE, DO NOT GET THIS FORM NOTARIZED".

Welp I did lol and it was good to go