B35 via Church Posted June 24, 2017 Share #476 Posted June 24, 2017 It's not exactly the same with a subway. If you have your MetroCard ready and there is an empty turnstile and you don't get a "Please swipe again", the only extra time of going through the turnstile is negligible. With SBS, you have to look for the machine which sometimes isn't where you expect it to be. You have to read the instructions. Press start and then it takes a second or two for the receipt to come out. There also is a greater chance someone is in front of you than with a turnstile..... It isn't any worse than someone in front of you on a non-SBS route dipping their metrocard 50 million times to get it to read properly... Or better yet, the person that hoards a crapton of metrocards & jussssttttt can't "figure" out which one has at least $2.75 on it by time the bus pulls up to the stop & opens the front doors before that person can step one single solitary damn foot onto the bus... I mean, come on with this crap..... It takes a second or two for the receipt to come out.... As opposed to what? Hell, at this point, what difference would it make with you... It's always something with you & SBS - For someone who claims not to be an anti, you sure have had, and continue to have a hell of a lot of negative things to say about the service..... This round of critiquing amounts to nothing more than being nitpicky for the simple sake of it..... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B35 via Church Posted June 24, 2017 Share #477 Posted June 24, 2017 (edited) Getting a SBS ticket takes less all of 10-15 seconds (literally). Let's stop with the drama please like it's so difficult. I keep my Metrocard in the same spot and have it ready and out when it's time to get my ticket. People need to be coddled too damn much and it's annoying. It's like the idiots walking around "lost" with their cell phone in their hand the entire time... IDK if he is, or quite frankly, care.... But that latest bit of his to me, comes across as someone who's anti-technology.... I don't have much tolerance for anyone in 20-damn-17 that continues to want to live in the stone ages... At some point you really have to wonder when personal responsibility comes into play for someone not being able to get a ticket on time. The SBS machines are not that hard to use. I don't show up to LaGuardia for a 8:40 flight at 8:30. That general line of thinking/commuting is the problem right there..... Edited June 24, 2017 by B35 via Church 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 24, 2017 Share #478 Posted June 24, 2017 That general line of thinking/commuting is the problem right there..... Exactly. I mean really... You cannot wait until the last damn minute to get to your destination, and yet people do this constantly running to get that train or bus as if they're won't be another one. I generally give myself an extra half hour during the rush to get where I need to be, maybe more. Living like that (in a hurry constantly) takes its toll. I have a colleague like this. He's already having heart problems in his 40's. Better him than me... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BreeddekalbL Posted June 24, 2017 Share #479 Posted June 24, 2017 plus hopefully they enforce the policy if the bus doors are closed they are GONE 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B35 via Church Posted June 24, 2017 Share #480 Posted June 24, 2017 Exactly. I mean really... You cannot wait until the last damn minute to get to your destination, and yet people do this constantly running to get that train or bus as if they're won't be another one. I generally give myself an extra half hour during the rush to get where I need to be, maybe more. Living like that (in a hurry constantly) takes its toll. I have a colleague like this. He's already having heart problems in his 40's. Better him than me... I say it so many times (on & offline) - People are so in a rush to get nowhere fast. It's to the point now when if I'm descending down steps or whatever & the train (I need) is right there, I walk gingerly on purpose, make a hand wave gesture (as if to say, "Oh, f*** it) & commence waiting for the next train.... I'm even doing this with the RR now, and at this juncture, it really doesn't have anything to do with waning health or whatever.... I'd have to say that type of a lifestyle is really being pushed/forced onto a lot of these young kids/the younger generation by employers.... I know of a couple firms where people have gotten fired for being late ONCE..... It's disgusting.... Competition is NOT that serious..... Shit happens in life. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 24, 2017 Share #481 Posted June 24, 2017 I say it so many times (on & offline) - People are so in a rush to get nowhere fast. It's to the point now when if I'm descending down steps or whatever & the train (I need) is right there, I walk gingerly on purpose, make a hand wave gesture (as if to say, "Oh, f*** it) & commence waiting for the next train.... I'm even doing this with the RR now, and at this juncture, it really doesn't have anything to do with waning health or whatever.... I'd have to say that type of a lifestyle is really being pushed/forced onto a lot of these young kids/the younger generation by employers.... I know of a couple firms where people have gotten fired for being late ONCE..... It's disgusting.... Competition is NOT that serious..... Shit happens in life. Agreed. My office has a relaxed set up with being late. It's understood that things happen and you will be late, but I generally arrive 15-30 minutes before I'm due anyway. It works out so much better. I relax, cool down, eat if I bring breakfast and take it easy. I take an earlier train or express bus and that's it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B35 via Church Posted June 24, 2017 Share #482 Posted June 24, 2017 (edited) Agreed. My office has a relaxed set up with being late. It's understood that things happen and you will be late, but I generally arrive 15-30 minutes before I'm due anyway. It works out so much better. I relax, cool down, eat if I bring breakfast and take it easy. I take an earlier train or express bus and that's it. These days, If it's somewhere I have to be, I give myself at least a 1/2 hour window.... What's going on with too many commuters (as BobPanda alluded to) is this whole, planning your commute to get to where you need to be within << a 10 minute window - which to me is rather irresponsible.... Trying to squeeeeeze out that extra 5-10 minutes of rest in the morning isn't worth compromising your mental & physical health (and in some cases, your life)..... That's something I had to get out of quickly; used to wake up lightheaded almost everyday back when I was in college..... I can understand a schoolkid with that mindset, but a 30, 40 year old working adult supporting a family? Guess what they say is true - Old habits die hard..... This isn't limited to public transit either (not in the slightest, believe me) - as you have enough knuckleheads on the road playing games & endangering other motorists on the ride in (and out) or whatever..... Seriously, tailgating gets under my skin - it is the epitome of impatience..... Anyway, never understood why you would want to be the person running/power-walking to work (women tend to do this A LOT) - then want to go on twitter or w/e other platform coming up with cute little hashtags like #neverontime, #lateagain, #stuckintunnel, #justmadeit, etc..... Edited June 24, 2017 by B35 via Church 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 24, 2017 Share #483 Posted June 24, 2017 (edited) If it's somewhere I have to be, I give myself at least a 1/2 hour window.... What's going on with too many commuters (as BobPanda alluded to) is this whole, planning your commute to get to where you need to be within << a 10 minute window - which to me is rather irresponsible.... I can understand a schoolkid with that mindset, but a 30, 40 year old working adult supporting a family? Guess what they say is true - Old habits die hard..... This isn't limited to public transit either (not in the slightest, believe me) - as you have enough knuckleheads on the road playing games & endangering other motorists on the ride in (and out) or whatever..... Seriously, tailgating gets under my skin - it is the epitome of impatience..... Anyway, never understood why you would want to be the person running/power-walking to work (women tend to do this A LOT) - then want to go on twitter or w/e other platform coming up with cute little hashtags like #neverontime, #lateagain, #stuckintunnel, #justmadeit, etc..... LMAO @ Twitter comments. Some people think they're too important to leave earlier. Oh I have this this and this to do. Well we all have busy lives. Maybe I have to DVR something or make a sacrifice to ensure that I have enough time to be where I need to be. That's what adults do.... Edited June 24, 2017 by Via Garibaldi 8 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B35 via Church Posted June 24, 2017 Share #484 Posted June 24, 2017 LMAO @ Twitter comments. Some people think they're too important to leave earlier. Oh I have this this and this to do. Well we all have busy lives. Maybe I have to DVR something or make a sacrifice to ensure that I have enough time to be where I need to be. That's what adults do.... The same ideology I have regarding people claiming they're broke, is the same ideology I have regarding people & their I'm so busy/very busy rhetoric..... I've cut ties with former acquaintances over that crap..... Your hard knock life isn't more important to me than my hard knock life & quite frankly, I don't have to consider it..... Matter fact, I don't believe it more than half the time.... When something's gotta get done that requires your knowledge/expertise, you so damn pre-occupied - but when you want something done, the world has to come to a halt & your request must get catered to immediately.... Never mind what constitutes having "this & that" to do..... I mean, some people cannot prioritize if their lives depended on it. Gotta tweet my boo before catchin the 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 24, 2017 Share #485 Posted June 24, 2017 The same ideology I have regarding people claiming they're broke, is the same ideology I have regarding people & their I'm so busy/very busy rhetoric..... I've cut ties with former acquaintances over that crap..... Your hard knock life isn't more important to me than my hard knock life & quite frankly, I don't have to consider it..... Matter fact, I don't believe it more than half the time.... When something's gotta get done that requires your knowledge/expertise, you so damn pre-occupied - but when you want something done, the world has to come to a halt & your request must get catered to immediately.... Never mind what constitutes having "this & that" to do..... I mean, some people cannot prioritize if their lives depended on it. Gotta tweet my boo before catchin the That's the thing now... Everyone is SO important, and SO busy that they can't possibly spare extra time to leave earlier. You also have some people that really are too busy and have everything measured down to the minute. Those are the people that burn out and die young. They time EVERYTHING... Sex, kids, family time... Everything. Makes me sick thinking about it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JubaionBx12+SBS Posted June 25, 2017 Share #486 Posted June 25, 2017 Interesting little side discussion here. I can't help but echo sentiments made by checkmatechamp several times on here when folks try to deflect faults of the agency onto the commuter saying he/she should just leave earlier. There are two problems with this mentality... a) if it were adopted by the majority of commuters the agency could justify widening headways and increasing commute times. Both of those are bad for transit regardless of the mentality people have. b) The whole point of any logistical service is not just to get to the right place but to get to the right place at the right time. If when you buy an electronic online, the company goes to say that you should have other priorities besides electronics and then will take 6 months to deliver your gadget, that company won't be in business for long. The whole point of needing something involves a time constraint. Even commuters who don't last minute everything have a time constraint to get where they're going and it's the job of the transit agency to ensure that commuters can get where they are going within those constraints. Yes, you have people whose commute is a 15 minute ride on the and they feel too constrained to accomplish that in time. However, a well planned transit network should enable some rather lengthy trips and it shouldn't be the commuter's job who is already giving up an hour's worth of time each way (or more) to tack on even more because the system runs with a level of nonchalance where punctual is essentially a gibberish word. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B35 via Church Posted June 25, 2017 Share #487 Posted June 25, 2017 Interesting little side discussion here. I can't help but echo sentiments made by checkmatechamp several times on here when folks try to deflect faults of the agency onto the commuter saying he/she should just leave earlier. There are two problems with this mentality... a) if it were adopted by the majority of commuters the agency could justify widening headways and increasing commute times. Both of those are bad for transit regardless of the mentality people have. b) The whole point of any logistical service is not just to get to the right place but to get to the right place at the right time. If when you buy an electronic online, the company goes to say that you should have other priorities besides electronics and then will take 6 months to deliver your gadget, that company won't be in business for long. The whole point of needing something involves a time constraint. Even commuters who don't last minute everything have a time constraint to get where they're going and it's the job of the transit agency to ensure that commuters can get where they are going within those constraints..... ...and as was stated by BobPanda, personal responsibility somewhere along the line plays a part in it all.... The MTA aren't saints here whatsoever, but at the same time, to facilitate this culture of using the convenient trump card of blaming the MTA every single time for having been late, doesn't do much of anyone justice in the longrun either..... Just as easy as you say having people leave earlier is some sort of absolving (or deflection) of the MTA's faults in this regard, I could just as easily say that expecting a service to try to cater to the needs of millions of people concurrently like clockwork, without planning for/expecting some delay or hiccup along the way, is plain old unrealistic.... To expect a supplier to ship a package & have it be sent to you on the same day you made the order (regardless of where it's shipping from) or something, would be exceptional, but again, not all that unrealistic.... Your 1st point [a] or whatever... Well hell, this agency is looking for any avenue to trim costs, so to have the scenario of them using an increasing amt. of people leaving earlier as one of the reasons for doing so, doesn't make them any more noble or forthright.... That whole mindset of cut, cut, cut, cut, cut, cut, is bad for public transit & it's no wonder you have people at an increasing rate in this city of wanting nothing to do with the buses & trains..... It isn't about justifying anything. As to your 2nd point, of course it's not just about getting somewhere & that's it.... I'm not sure where (or why) a parallel of [leaving earlier] and [timeliness being a lessened factor] are being drawn here.... Be there as it may, "right place at the right time" isn't a one size fits all concept.... If I have to be at work by 7 in the morning (with a commute that entails leaving the center of Brooklyn, heading to Mineola), I'm quite sure that doesn't mean SHIT to you - leaving from your neck of the woods in the Bronx, heading to wherever you are by whatever time in the morning.... This varies from manager to manager, but there is a train of thought/unwritten rule that goes "Being 10 minutes early is being on time, Being on time is late, Being late is not acceptable" There are too many that are content with getting to where they have to be, AT the time they're supposed to be there.... That is not the MTA's fault.... Goes back to personal responsibility, no matter how you slice it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JubaionBx12+SBS Posted June 25, 2017 Share #488 Posted June 25, 2017 ...and as was stated by BobPanda, personal responsibility somewhere along the line plays a part in it all.... The MTA aren't saints here whatsoever, but at the same time, to facilitate this culture of using the convenient trump card of blaming the MTA every single time for having been late, doesn't do much of anyone justice in the longrun either..... Just as easy as you say having people leave earlier is some sort of absolving (or deflection) of the MTA's faults in this regard, I could just as easily say that expecting a service to try to cater to the needs of millions of people concurrently like clockwork, without planning for/expecting some delay or hiccup along the way, is plain old unrealistic.... To expect a supplier to ship a package & have it be sent to you on the same day you made the order (regardless of where it's shipping from) or something, would be exceptional, but again, not all that unrealistic.... Your 1st point [a] or whatever... Well hell, this agency is looking for any avenue to trim costs, so to have the scenario of them using an increasing amt. of people leaving earlier as one of the reasons for doing so, doesn't make them any more noble or forthright.... That whole mindset of cut, cut, cut, cut, cut, cut, is bad for public transit & it's no wonder you have people at an increasing rate in this city of wanting nothing to do with the buses & trains..... It isn't about justifying anything. As to your 2nd point, of course it's not just about getting somewhere & that's it.... I'm not sure where (or why) a parallel of [leaving earlier] and [timeliness being a lessened factor] are being drawn here.... Be there as it may, "right place at the right time" isn't a one size fits all concept.... If I have to be at work by 7 in the morning (with a commute that entails leaving the center of Brooklyn, heading to Mineola), I'm quite sure that doesn't mean SHIT to you - leaving from your neck of the woods in the Bronx, heading to wherever you are by whatever time in the morning.... This varies from manager to manager, but there is a train of thought/unwritten rule that goes "Being 10 minutes early is being on time, Being on time is late, Being late is not acceptable" There are too many that are content with getting to where they have to be, AT the time they're supposed to be there.... That is not the MTA's fault.... Goes back to personal responsibility, no matter how you slice it. I see where you and VG8 are coming from but this line of thought has been used in other topics where the discussion was far more focused on the increase in delays then here. Even here, the fact that personal responsibility of commuters is being brought up on a transit forum discussing a system used by millions is a giant smoke screen. Folks who lack personal responsibility will end up late to important functions regardless of what commute they take so I don't see how this even applies to what's going on with the MTA as a whole. I agree with you and VG8 in the sense that there are masses of commuters who don't take their commutes seriously enough but I feel that such an issue is much ado about nothing when millions of commuters have to be considered and all of them are seeing the effects in some way, shape or form of the worsening service. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Sith Posted June 25, 2017 Share #489 Posted June 25, 2017 I see where you and VG8 are coming from but this line of thought has been used in other topics where the discussion was far more focused on the increase in delays then here. Even here, the fact that personal responsibility of commuters is being brought up on a transit forum discussing a system used by millions is a giant smoke screen. Folks who lack personal responsibility will end up late to important functions regardless of what commute they take so I don't see how this even applies to what's going on with the MTA as a whole. I agree with you and VG8 in the sense that there are masses of commuters who don't take their commutes seriously enough but I feel that such an issue is much ado about nothing when millions of commuters have to be considered and all of them are seeing the effects in some way, shape or form of the worsening service. It's not necessarily a giant smoke screen. It's a pretty relevant discussion. Even people with personal responsibility can hold up service and cause delays and/or slowdowns. SBS is a giant example of that. The problem is, you can't really tell who's who in that matter. You have folks that pay way before the bus shows up, and then you have those that pays when the bus shows up and is now boarding. They could be either or, but there's no question that folks like that are some of the factors that slows down SBS service, and they are the first to complain when they get left behind. The MTA has always said to not only pay before you board, but pay before the bus shows up. And there's a lot of people that still don't do the latter properly. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B35 via Church Posted June 25, 2017 Share #490 Posted June 25, 2017 (edited) I see where you and VG8 are coming from but this line of thought has been used in other topics where the discussion was far more focused on the increase in delays then here. Even here, the fact that personal responsibility of commuters is being brought up on a transit forum discussing a system used by millions is a giant smoke screen. Folks who lack personal responsibility will end up late to important functions regardless of what commute they take so I don't see how this even applies to what's going on with the MTA as a whole. I agree with you and VG8 in the sense that there are masses of commuters who don't take their commutes seriously enough but I feel that such an issue is much ado about nothing when millions of commuters have to be considered and all of them are seeing the effects in some way, shape or form of the worsening service. Alright, but what is it with this continued mindset of deflections & smokescreens, as if the MTA is being given some sort of pass here though.... You say you concur with there being a bunch of riders that don't take their commutes seriously, but at the same time, deem personal responsibility as it relates to this discussion being a smokescreen & much ado about nothing? So you're agreeing with the very thing you're trying to downplay then... Using this platform (a transit forum) to talk about this subject is some sort of a problem.... Why? Furthermore, any discussion being had doesn't have to be within the broadest of realms of the MTA as a whole.... There may as well be no NYCTF if there weren't as many subforums & the discussion threads within them on here..... Edited June 25, 2017 by B35 via Church 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
checkmatechamp13 Posted June 25, 2017 Share #491 Posted June 25, 2017 (edited) There are too many that are content with getting to where they have to be, AT the time they're supposed to be there.... That is not the MTA's fault.... Goes back to personal responsibility, no matter how you slice it. ....except a lot of people are taking personal responsibility.....by driving or walking or taking taxis/Ubers or other modes besides mass transit. Is that what we should be encouraging? Everybody's focused on the home-to-work commute (as if there aren't people with two jobs. Sure, maybe they could negotiate a later start time for the second job, but maybe that's not possible, or maybe it's possible but it means a cut in hours/pay). But even still, what's wrong with somebody wanting to get home (or out to a social event or whatever) in a reasonable amount of time? There's times when I'm leaving work, and going home, and I have an unlimited MetroCard. I text BusTime, see that I'm going to end up waiting 20 minutes for a bus at the end of my shift....and get a coworker or relative to come pick me up. Puts extra pollution into the environment, but you know what, I want to go home. Edited June 25, 2017 by checkmatechamp13 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 25, 2017 Share #492 Posted June 25, 2017 ....except a lot of people are taking personal responsibility.....by driving or walking or taking taxis/Ubers or other modes besides mass transit. Is that what we should be encouraging? Everybody's focused on the home-to-work commute (as if there aren't people with two jobs. Sure, maybe they could negotiate a later start time for the second job, but maybe that's not possible, or maybe it's possible but it means a cut in hours/pay). But even still, what's wrong with somebody wanting to get home (or out to a social event or whatever) in a reasonable amount of time? There's times when I'm leaving work, and going home, and I have an unlimited MetroCard. I text BusTime, see that I'm going to end up waiting 20 minutes for a bus at the end of my shift....and get a coworker or relative to come pick me up. Puts extra pollution into the environment, but you know what, I want to go home. Actually not at all. My procedure is the same whether I'm going to work or doing one of my side gigs. The only difference is I make it clear to clients beforehand what time I expect to arrive and that we'll adjust the time once it's figured out. I don't want to wait around for 30 minutes before starting a session, but I WILL have some time to kill after the session most of the time. Usually the way it works, if I have an extra 10 minutes to kill, it's not the end of the world. In the case of SBS, arriving earlier is only a few minutes at the most. Ultimately I've learned that whether I'm in Manhattan or elsewhere, there is only so much maximizing that can be done to a commute to save time. There are times when I take a taxi over the bus too. It's not necessarily about encouragement, but rather I can get to my destination faster and I'm willing to pay more to do so. In those cases, the bus can't compete anyway. If my taxi ride is 10 minutes versus a 30 minute ride with the local bus, there's a clear winner. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B35 via Church Posted June 25, 2017 Share #493 Posted June 25, 2017 (edited) ....except a lot of people are taking personal responsibility.....by driving or walking or taking taxis/Ubers or other modes besides mass transit. Is that what we should be encouraging? Everybody's focused on the home-to-work commute (as if there aren't people with two jobs. Sure, maybe they could negotiate a later start time for the second job, but maybe that's not possible, or maybe it's possible but it means a cut in hours/pay). But even still, what's wrong with somebody wanting to get home (or out to a social event or whatever) in a reasonable amount of time? There's times when I'm leaving work, and going home, and I have an unlimited MetroCard. I text BusTime, see that I'm going to end up waiting 20 minutes for a bus at the end of my shift....and get a coworker or relative to come pick me up. Puts extra pollution into the environment, but you know what, I want to go home. In terms of those that are taking mass transit, you have as many people that aren't taking personal responsibility.... Telling me that you have a lot of people that are taking taxi's & other modes (while still being true) FWIW is moving the goalpost.... I wouldn't be talking about the responsibility of commuters as it relates to the MTA, if my stance was centered around people taking non-MTA services..... So to answer your question, since I've always been about options, my answer is a resounding NO..... Take what you want. Furthermore, why are you asking me what's wrong with someone wanting to get home (or wherever) somewhere in a reasonable amount of time, if that's the very premise behind leaving early (again, in terms of taking mass transit)? Nobody is faulting you or anyone for taking alternative means of travel, so AFAIC, I don't know why this is being posed at me - and really, where this is even coming from all of a sudden.... This isn't necessarily aimed at you, but don't try to get to wherever you're going at the exact time, or in too small of a window & then bitch about being late when you end up being late.... There is simply too much of that going on in this city..... Never the commuter's fault, always someone/something else's..... This goes for motorists as well... This goes for the traditional AM commute, the traditional PM commute, and any timeframe outside of those two..... The MTA has always said to not only pay before you board, but pay before the bus shows up. And there's a lot of people that still don't do the latter properly. There is this general attitude of (the expectation of) instantaneousness; a bus/train should arrive, the second I get to that stop... To expect not to wait for a bus or a train is grossly unrealistic - that's what irks me more than anything... Public transportation exists for the masses & I have to say that are way too many people that treat public transportation like it's private transportation..... Apparently waiting 1 or 2 seconds for the SBS ticket isn't good enough.... That should be instantaneous too, I suppose.... Edited June 25, 2017 by B35 via Church 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 25, 2017 Share #494 Posted June 25, 2017 In terms of those that are taking mass transit, you have as many people that aren't taking personal responsibility.... Telling me that you have a lot of people that are taking taxi's & other modes (while still being true) FWIW is moving the goalpost.... I wouldn't be talking about the responsibility of commuters as it relates to the MTA, if my stance was centered around people taking non-MTA services..... So to answer your question, since I've always been about options, my answer is a resounding NO..... Take what you want. Furthermore, why are you asking me what's wrong with someone wanting to get home (or wherever) somewhere in a reasonable amount of time, if that's the very premise behind leaving early (again, in terms of taking mass transit)? Nobody is faulting you or anyone for taking alternative means of travel, so AFAIC, I don't know why this is being posed at me - and really, where this is even coming from all of a sudden.... This isn't necessarily aimed at you, but don't try to get to wherever you're going at the exact time, or in too small of a window & then bitch about being late when you end up being late.... There is simply too much of that going on in this city..... Never the commuter's fault, always someone/something else's..... This goes for motorists as well... This goes for the traditional AM commute, the traditional PM commute, and any timeframe outside of those two..... There is this general attitude of (the expectation of) instantaneousness; a bus/train should arrive, the second I get to that stop... To expect not to wait for a bus or a train is grossly unrealistic - that's what irks me more than anything... Public transportation exists for the masses & I have to say that are way too many people that treat public transportation like it's private transportation..... Apparently waiting 1 or 2 seconds for the SBS ticket isn't good enough.... That should be instantaneous too, I suppose.... LMAO... Agree 1000% There's also this thinking that the subway comes oh so quickly but the bus... You miss one and you're going to be waiting an eternity. These days there really isn't a difference between the two unless the bus in running on obscene headways. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrooklynBus Posted June 25, 2017 Share #495 Posted June 25, 2017 One person here in particular has criticized me for writing much negativity about SBS without actually using the service that much. Well, yesterday I used the SBS four times as well as the Second Avenue subway and these were my impressions. First of all, I was disappointed in how slow the SAS traveled. It seemed like the top speed was about 15 mph with the trip between the last two stations exceedingly slow. I also read about all the wonderful artwork, but didn't see anything worthwhile at the station level or at 96th Street, the only station I got off at. Both bathrooms at 96 Street were also out of order which is inexcusable. As far as SBS, I was impressed at how frequent the service was. I think I didn't wait for more than four minutes for any of the trips. I used the M79 twice for very short trips and the M15 for longer trips. I was disappointed that my friend and I twice encountered problems with the fare machines. Once it was out of paper, but the second machine worked. The other problem was more serious. My friend's unlimited card yielded a receipt that was only a quarter inch long. Either it was out of paper or the machine jammed. The second machine said "just used". The driver waited for us and told us just to board. We had an extra old receipt that was one hour forty five minutes old. So we took our chances. Could we have been fined after two hours? What is someone supposed to do in that instance? The longer M15 trip was from 79 Street to Delancey Street. I didn't time it but it was reasonable. The biggest problems were two delays because of multiple lane closures for construction and the Queensboro Bridge and Midtown Tunnel traffic to a lesser extent, none of which the MTA could do much about. We saw all M15 SBS buses bunched two at a time and all buses had more than half the seats empty. The bus lanes were not in effect and at no time were there more than three or four people getting on and off. The time if any saved by prepaying your fare seemed negligible and I doubt the buses were much faster than the Limited. The amount of service seemed excessive unless there were parts of the route where wait times were excessive. So although I was pretty satisfied with the service we received, I still question if SBS is worth it. I might feel different if I used it when the lanes are in effect or if the buses were more crowded. I still think that having multiple problems with the machines on one day is excessive but I didn't miss any bus because of it. It also makes you wonder why the MTA can afford to run buses more than 50 percent empty in Manhattan, while people on the Q35 and Q53 going to the beach have to miss multiple buses to get to the beach because of inadequate service. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B35 via Church Posted June 25, 2017 Share #496 Posted June 25, 2017 LMAO... Agree 1000% There's also this thinking that the subway comes oh so quickly but the bus... You miss one and you're going to be waiting an eternity. These days there really isn't a difference between the two unless the bus in running on obscene headways. That is something I never cared for about the pro-subway, anti-bus crowd..... Now that, I fault the MTA for - as they simply promote the subway more than the bus & have this tendency to always want to speak negatively about bus travel.... The only positivity you see out of the MTA when it comes to the bus, is when it's dealing with SBS... Non-SBS routes, oh, they're the worst thing in the world, they're the slowest thing in the world & are often the first option to go to when it comes to trimming the budget..... Your last statement is exactly how I'm seeing things these days.... I never held the subway to this exalted level of regard that it had (and still has) anyway, but any difference in the level of reliability I felt the subway had over the bus AFAIC has evaporated..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 25, 2017 Share #497 Posted June 25, 2017 One person here in particular has criticized me for writing much negativity about SBS without actually using the service that much. Well, yesterday I used the SBS four times as well as the Second Avenue subway and these were my impressions. First of all, I was disappointed in how slow the SAS traveled. It seemed like the top speed was about 15 mph with the trip between the last two stations exceedingly slow. I also read about all the wonderful artwork, but didn't see anything worthwhile at the station level or at 96th Street, the only station I got off at. Both bathrooms at 96 Street were also out of order which is inexcusable. As far as SBS, I was impressed at how frequent the service was. I think I didn't wait for more than four minutes for any of the trips. I used the M79 twice for very short trips and the M15 for longer trips. I was disappointed that my friend and I twice encountered problems with the fare machines. Once it was out of paper, but the second machine worked. The other problem was more serious. My friend's unlimited card yielded a receipt that was only a quarter inch long. Either it was out of paper or the machine jammed. The second machine said "just used". The driver waited for us and told us just to board. We had an extra old receipt that was one hour forty five minutes old. So we took our chances. Could we have been fined after two hours? What is someone supposed to do in that instance? The longer M15 trip was from 79 Street to Delancey Street. I didn't time it but it was reasonable. The biggest problems were two delays because of multiple lane closures for construction and the Queensboro Bridge and Midtown Tunnel traffic to a lesser extent, none of which the MTA could do much about. We saw all M15 SBS buses bunched two at a time and all buses had more than half the seats empty. The bus lanes were not in effect and at no time were there more than three or four people getting on and off. The time if any saved by prepaying your fare seemed negligible and I doubt the buses were much faster than the Limited. The amount of service seemed excessive unless there were parts of the route where wait times were excessive. So although I was pretty satisfied with the service we received, I still question if SBS is worth it. I might feel different if I used it when the lanes are in effect or if the buses were more crowded. I still think that having multiple problems with the machines on one day is excessive but I didn't miss any bus because of it. It also makes you wonder why the MTA can afford to run buses more than 50 percent empty in Manhattan, while people on the Q35 and Q53 going to the beach have to miss multiple buses to get to the beach because of inadequate service. The M15 isn't "excessive". You just answered your own question... BUNCHING... The other thing is SAS... Naturally it will take some riders off of the M15, and there's also the fact that it's the summertime. Buses were relatively empty EVERYWHERE. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 25, 2017 Share #498 Posted June 25, 2017 That is something I never cared for about the pro-subway, anti-bus crowd..... Now that, I fault the MTA for - as they simply promote the subway more than the bus & have this tendency to always want to speak negatively about bus travel.... The only positivity you see out of the MTA when it comes to the bus, is when it's dealing with SBS... Non-SBS routes, oh, they're the worst thing in the world, they're the slowest thing in the world & are often the first option to go to when it comes to trimming the budget..... Your last statement is exactly how I'm seeing things these days.... I never held the subway to this exalted level of regard that it had (and still has) anyway, but any difference in the level of reliability I felt the subway had over the bus AFAIC has evaporated..... I took the BxM2 and BxM6 twice, the BM3 and X28 yesterday... Both Brooklyn trips were over an hour, but the subway wouldn't have been much faster, and I since I had planned the commute with the extra time, I was fine with it. What's funny about yesterday was like most Saturdays, I have the option of taking the M86SBS, but I always decide to walk instead from Madison to 3rd and always manage to outwalk any bus that may be coming (usually "three" stops away)... There's also a part of me that thinks some people may switch over to the M79SBS now. Walking down 79th street a few times now, I think the bus is more attractive than the M86SBS. Newly repaved streets, countdown clocks at just about every stop I've passed and it's cleaner too. The M86SBS needs more sprucing up. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrooklynBus Posted June 25, 2017 Share #499 Posted June 25, 2017 The M15 isn't "excessive". You just answered your own question... BUNCHING... The other thing is SAS... Naturally it will take some riders off of the M15, and there's also the fact that it's the summertime. Buses were relatively empty EVERYWHERE. As I said, if it isn't excessive, then there must be huge gaps in places on the route which isn't good either. With the bunching, the SBS buses were still arriving every four minutes. The locals were much less frequent and a little more crowded. Yes buses are relatively empty everywhere except for beach buses which are overflowing. That is not good management. Perhaps the summer schedule needs to take affect two or three weeks earlier with extra service on beach routes and less service on routes such as the M15. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Via Garibaldi 8 Posted June 25, 2017 Share #500 Posted June 25, 2017 (edited) As I said, if it isn't excessive, then there must be huge gaps in places on the route which isn't good either. With the bunching, the SBS buses were still arriving every four minutes. The locals were much less frequent and a little more crowded. Yes buses are relatively empty everywhere except for beach buses which are overflowing. That is not good management. Perhaps the summer schedule needs to take affect two or three weeks earlier with extra service on beach routes and less service on routes such as the M15.Uh no. They can add service to the beach lines accordingly, not steal service from other lines. Buses are less used in the summer on most lines. Doesn't mean you cut service because then you have packed buses unnecessarily. Edited June 25, 2017 by Via Garibaldi 8 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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