Exam 7604 T/O #7604 Hiring Process

[BrooklynN]

13 minutes ago, Schecter said:

Yes mandatory 3 days off, paid and drug test after 12-9 to make sure you weren't high and could of potentially avoided the 12-9 and for legality issues as well.

Wow, after learning all of these details, this job does sound kind of stressful now. Lol. Even more stressful than when I was in  military  in some ways. Military is hard on drug also, zero tolerance, but alcohol is fine. Lots of hangover days and still work fine. But I guess not for this job. 

[Schecter]

7 minutes ago, BrooklynN said:

Wow, after learning all of these details, this job does sound kind of stressful now. Lol. Even more stressful than when I was in  military  in some ways. Military is hard on drug also, zero tolerance, but alcohol is fine. Lots of hangover days and still work fine. But I guess not for this job. 

Nope no coming in under the influence of any kind drinking is okay on your day off just try not to do it a day before you come in you don't want to get called in for a random where they do a breathalyzer test and alcohol shows up, or if any incident happens.

[Zoey]

How many times on average does a TSS come in and bother you while you’re operating (road)? I think that would bother me the most lol

[SevenEleven]

1 hour ago, BrooklynN said:

Mandatory 3 days off? paid or unpaid? Drug test after 12-9, why? 

tl;dr - Because the feds said so

Since you are a safety sensitive employee, you are subject to a drug test under FTA guidelines if there is an incident involving the operation of your vehicle (the train) that results in a:

1. Death, 2. Injury, 3. Disabling of any vehicle that results in removal of service, 4. A fire AND/OR 5. Property damage that is above a certain threshold in value.

The only way you will be absolved from taking the FTA drug test is if the incident isn’t completely your fault. (Since you was operating, no supervisor will say that it wasn’t)

[Keikyu Motorman]

8 hours ago, BrooklynN said:

Wow, after learning all of these details, this job does sound kind of stressful now. Lol. Even more stressful than when I was in  military  in some ways. Military is hard on drug also, zero tolerance, but alcohol is fine. Lots of hangover days and still work fine. But I guess not for this job. 

Honestly, even if one took a twelve hour bottle to throttle rule like pilots, it's better to avoid showing up to work hungover and feeling miserable, especially when you're responsible for a train and the passengers on board. Alertness is key down here.

Let's just say that I've become a buyer of alcohol free beer and ginger ale since I started working here.

[Keikyu Motorman]

8 hours ago, BrooklynN said:

Mandatory 3 days off? paid or unpaid? Drug test after 12-9, why? 

Honestly, they don't want a jittery train operator with PTSD operating the train. At minimum, they want you to process what happened, and if you're able to come back, do so safely. 

[TOSironi]

On 10/17/2021 at 12:29 AM, Jericho said:

1. Entirely up to you. You can file a complaint with the TD, superintendent, union, etc and have it on record and investigated. In the end, you shouldn't have much trouble down here unless you're looking for it.

2. It has been changed that at minimum you will get days on the street. No need to leave the cell phone at home. For the most part, don't have it out in the cab.

3. If you can lift your feet, you can step over the third rail.

4. As written extensively before, most of the reporting locations for the A division is in the Bronx. B division pretty much everywhere else. What will matter is whether you have a car or not and what part of Manhattan. That's entirely up to you to decide whether you want to travel to the various locations you will be coming from.

5. From what I read from others, Pitkin, Livonia, and Lenox yards can be dangerous. Do what you gotta do.

Do any of the reporting locations have parking? I have a car. 

[MarkGuy]

12 hours ago, BrooklynN said:

Wow, after learning all of these details, this job does sound kind of stressful now. Lol. Even more stressful than when I was in  military  in some ways. Military is hard on drug also, zero tolerance, but alcohol is fine. Lots of hangover days and still work fine. But I guess not for this job. 

Well ofc. You're operating a 3-600 foot, 400 ton train. Why would they tolerate alcohol in such a situation?

[MarkGuy]

20 minutes ago, FilippoSironi said:

Do any of the reporting locations have parking? I have a car. 

Some do.

[MarkGuy]

11 hours ago, Zoey said:

How many times on average does a TSS come in and bother you while you’re operating (road)? I think that would bother me the most lol

There isn't a set number. But trust me, they will make their presence felt when you're on probation. Less so when you're off. You also get an assigned TSS each pick.

[TOSironi]

9 minutes ago, MarkGuy said:

Some do.

thank you

[BrooklynN]

53 minutes ago, MarkGuy said:

Well ofc. You're operating a 3-600 foot, 400 ton train. Why would they tolerate alcohol in such a situation?

Well, will definitely go sober if I ever become a T/O. I do need a big motivation to make me go sober completely. Getting this job will do it. Lol. 

[RTOMan]

All these questions being asked are the ones that should be asked as well during orientation and during Schoolcar...

If the Job isn't for you then i suggest leaving during training.

Its not a hard job and the level of stress is only what one makes...

[BrooklynN]

47 minutes ago, FilippoSironi said:

thank you

But from what I read there, it not the best choice to drive. Since beginning and ending location may be different. Let’s say beginning your shift at Coney Island, but ending your shift at 179th st Queen. 

[TOSironi]

I mean I'm sure if you just had a beer or 2 on your days off while eating dinner I don't think that would affect you or even come up on any drug/alcohol test. 

[TOSironi]

7 minutes ago, BrooklynN said:

But from what I read there, it not the best choice to drive. Since beginning and ending location may be different. Let’s say beginning your shift at Coney Island, but ending your shift at 179th st Queen. 

True. I mean if I have to work at 4 am it would be nice to drive even though I might have to take the train all the way back from 179th st Queens to Coney Island, but mostly I would take transit.  I was also referring to the question somebody ask about going to train yards late at nights in not so nice neighborhoods. 

[beanz]

7 minutes ago, FilippoSironi said:

I mean I'm sure if you just had a beer or 2 on your days off while eating dinner I don't think that would affect you or even come up on any drug/alcohol test. 

Just don't go on a bender the night before work and you will be fine, that's what I tell people. U can have a few beers with dinner the night before and it's not gonna make u fail a breathalyzer unless u decide to have 24 of them and come into work still twisted 😂

[TOSironi]

1 minute ago, beanz said:

Just don't go on a bender the night before work and you will be fine, that's what I tell people. U can have a few beers with dinner the night before and it's not gonna make u fail a breathalyzer unless u decide to have 24 of them and come into work still twisted 😂

LOL True that. I used to do that when I was younger but now I wont go over 2  or max 3 light beers, I'm a light weight now. I doubt that would show up on a breathalyzer 24 hours later...

[BrooklynN]

1 hour ago, FilippoSironi said:

LOL True that. I used to do that when I was younger but now I wont go over 2  or max 3 light beers, I'm a light weight now. I doubt that would show up on a breathalyzer 24 hours later...

Let’s discuss the positive side of things. I read online first year new MTA employees have 3 weeks of accrued vocation in first year. 4 weeks second year. Can you put in vocation request any time of the year? Is it easy to get approved? 
How about 12 paid holidays per year work? 
Is over time easy to get, or need to kiss some as to get? Lol. 

[Djx]

3 hours ago, BrooklynN said:

But from what I read there, it not the best choice to drive. Since beginning and ending location may be different. Let’s say beginning your shift at Coney Island, but ending your shift at 179th st Queen. 

I drive. I start at 179 and end in Brooklyn, I just park at Stillwell and take the train to 179 to start my shift so that when I get off I just hop in my car and go home. 

Edited October 18, 2021 by Djx

[SevenEleven]

2 hours ago, BrooklynN said:

Let’s discuss the positive side of things. I read online first year new MTA employees have 3 weeks of accrued vocation in first year. 4 weeks second year. Can you put in vocation request any time of the year? Is it easy to get approved? 
How about 12 paid holidays per year work? 
Is over time easy to get, or need to kiss some as to get? Lol. 

You get a vacation day every month you are an employee until you accrue a maximum of 10 days. You will be able to use those accrued vacation days the following year. For example, if you started today, you will have 2 or maybe 3 days accrued at the end of the year. When it comes to pick vacation, you will pick vacation weeks if you have at least 5 days. If you have less than 5, they stay as vacation days. 

If you have 5 or 10 days, that becomes 1 or 2 weeks. Vacation is picked in seniority order but whatever weeks you pick are yours. If you have days, they become usable on January 1st  (Hence why you get to use them the following year)

Come 2023, you will have 2 weeks. Rinse and repeat until you have completed 3 years. The January 1st after that, you will get 4 weeks. You stay at 4 weeks until you complete 15 years and then it goes up to 5 weeks. 

Someone from RTO can explain further the flexibility of the vacation day usage. I’m in Buses so any spare vacation days, we have to put in a request for them. 

You will also accrue holidays (known as AVAs for working TA holidays), OTO time (electing to convert your OT worked into days off you can use), a personal day (it’s really just another AVA that you get after one full year of service ) as well as your birthday (also after one full year of service)

[Jay-Oh]

2 hours ago, BrooklynN said:

Let’s discuss the positive side of things. I read online first year new MTA employees have 3 weeks of accrued vocation in first year. 4 weeks second year. Can you put in vocation request any time of the year? Is it easy to get approved? 
How about 12 paid holidays per year work? 
Is over time easy to get, or need to kiss some as to get? Lol. 

When you finish schoolcar and come out as XX, you won’t need to worry about looking for overtime, because they will assign you overtime via board time & the mix-match of assignments you’ll be receiving from the crew office.

Assuming that’s not enough, you can easily call the crew office asking what jobs they have available during your regular days off (RDO) and work that extra day, or you can listen out on the radio if they need someone to do late clears.

Dispatchers also sometimes go into crew rooms asking if anyone wants to do a late clear/extra trip etc.

During schoolcar though; you’ll be limited to 8 hrs a day. 
I’ve done late clears during YX and road posting, but that’s about the extent of the overtime available until you’re out on your own.

 

[Dave2836]

19 hours ago, Zoey said:

How many times on average does a TSS come in and bother you while you’re operating (road)? I think that would bother me the most lol

Whenever a TSS boards your train, take the opportunity to ask questions and get clarification.  Especially for anything you are not 100% sure of.

 

 

[TOSironi]

3 hours ago, Djx said:

I drive. I start at 179 and end in Brooklyn, I just park at Stillwell and take the train to 179 to start my shift so that when I get off I just hop in my car and go home. 

So both Stillwell and 179 have parking lots?

[TOSironi]

2 hours ago, SevenEleven said:

You get a vacation day every month you are an employee until you accrue a maximum of 10 days. You will be able to use those accrued vacation days the following year. For example, if you started today, you will have 2 or maybe 3 days accrued at the end of the year. When it comes to pick vacation, you will pick vacation weeks if you have at least 5 days. If you have less than 5, they stay as vacation days. 

If you have 5 or 10 days, that becomes 1 or 2 weeks. Vacation is picked in seniority order but whatever weeks you pick are yours. If you have days, they become usable on January 1st  (Hence why you get to use them the following year)

Come 2023, you will have 2 weeks. Rinse and repeat until you have completed 3 years. The January 1st after that, you will get 4 weeks. You stay at 4 weeks until you complete 15 years and then it goes up to 5 weeks. 

Someone from RTO can explain further the flexibility of the vacation day usage. I’m in Buses so any spare vacation days, we have to put in a request for them. 

You will also accrue holidays (known as AVAs for working TA holidays), OTO time (electing to convert your OT worked into days off you can use), a personal day (it’s really just another AVA that you get after one full year of service ) as well as your birthday (also after one full year of service)

So you don't really get 3 weeks paid vacation the first year plus 12 days paid holiday? What if I need to take a day or two off before I have accrued the time off, is that possible (unpaid of course).