The MTA lies and distorts the truth for no reason.

[BrooklynBus]

It seems like they are just not capable of telling the truth. 

I was on a bus the other day with one of those digital screens. There was a trivia question which asked when was the first air conditioned bus first placed into regular service. The choices were 1956, 1966, 1976, or 1986. Knowing the way they think, I chose 1956 knowing it was not the correct choice and I chose correctly. 

Then the explanation appeared that in that year they had the first two experimental air conditioned buses purchased by Fifth Avenue a Coach.

Only ten other buses followed in 1960, after the first two were removed from service and it wasn't until the 1970s that buses became air conditioned. However, they were not maintained and by 1978, over 90 percent of the air conditioned buses were inoperable. It wasn't until the Blitz contract in the mid 80s, that they started to repair them. It wasn't until the 1990s, that you had a decent chance of boarding a bus that was air-conditioned, about 40 years after the first experimental air conditioned buses. 

The MTA was not created until 1968, so there is no reason to give the impression that New Yorkers began to experience air conditioned buses in 1956, with the implication that all buses were air conditioned not too long thereafter. 

No one would claim regular airline service began in 1903 just because that was when the Wright Brothers first flew out of Kitty Hawk for like 56 seconds. Yet the MTA considers the first experimental air conditioned bus which wasn't even a success, because none followed, the beginning of air conditioning for the bus system in New York. 

So how can we believe anything they tell us when they distort the truth about something so simple? 

[Eric B]

The question was specifically "when was the first air conditioned bus first placed into regular service". It didn't ask "when New Yorkers began to experience air conditioned buses" [i.e. in earnest], or when most of the fleet was air conditioned, or how well or how many of them worked. So even with that first experimental unit, it did go into "regular service", and so was the "first air conditioned bus placed into regular service".

[NoHacksJustKhaks]

Why do hyperbolic threads like these even exist?

[Gotham Bus Co.]

3 hours ago, NoHacksJustKhaks said:

Why do hyperbolic threads like these even exist?

To sell blood pressure meds.

[Cait Sith]

He's reaching way too far out with this thread....the question was solely based on the history of transit in New York and when the first air conditioned bus entered service in New York City, not solely for the MTA. @Eric B's response hits it right on the nail.

Thread locked, this was a rather terrible attempt at trying to shame the MTA. If you're really that bored to post something like this and still be wrong, you should probably find something better to do with your life, honestly.....