Lots of young & new MTA bus drivers lately?

[BugsyPal]

Originally Posted by Abe Vigoda

MTA has been hiring non stop since 2013 anticipating a retirement blitz, which is indeed happening. They gave two consecutive tests so they are planning to refill the ranks with a new generation.

When you graduate 7 day training you pick from a short list of depots with openings. You then do line training for a month with a different bus operator each day to learn the route, stops, turns, layover areas, dangerous areas, bathrooms, places to eat etc.

My first trip in passenger service was at night in the rain in an RTS. I accidently passed the first two stops because there were double parked cars, wierd glares and reflections - I never drove a bus at dark or in the rain, and only trained on an RTS for 30 min. This was in manhattan.

When you are new it takes you a long time to memorize the stops, you might miss a stop because youre watching a cyclist on your left, or watching someone open a door on your right.

My depot had 6 lines. My transfer went through pretty soon after to a depot closer to where I live that had 12. When you transfer you dont line train again. They drive a bus full of new transfers each route and you take notes and hope you dont get lost!

When you are new its very hard to operate the bus - different lines, different bus models, an impossible schedule, and if you get too many accidents on probation youre fired.

Excellent post!


Thank you for the insider's view.

[Abe Vigoda]

Originally Posted by bklynkenny

Great info, thanks! How much emphasis do they put on schedules? And why do buses bunch up sometimes?

No problem!

The schedules are dangerous most of the time in order to be on time you need to drive pretty fast, blow yellow lights, get in and out of bus stops asfast as possible, etc - things that can cause problems. They dispatchers want you on time because it makes their job easier and gets the stupidintendents off their backs. From superintendent and up, mta brass just looks at numbers. They are out of touch w the reality of nyc traffic.

Buses can be late.without a heavy passenger load or heavy traffic because the schedule gives you no time. At the end of the line you may have 6 minutes layover time. If you need to use the restroom - now youre late. Buses usually bunch up because of traffic, but supervision is supposed to fix that by sending buses ahead next bus please -which they rarely do. Instead we operators get the stank face from everybody all day

[Abe Vigoda]

Originally Posted by BugsyPal

Excellent post!


Thank you for the insider's view.

Youre welcome - the mta is terrible at communicating with the public. For example most people dont know that if an operator lets you on or off outside of a bus stop, they are 100% liable for anything that happens...a fall, hit by cyclist, hit my meteor..etc.

We can get suspended without pay, fired, all for trying to ne nice! Thats why I dont do that anymore, only request a stop after 10pm.