BusTalk

[Q65A]

I was in Midtown this afternoon, and I caught a SB M4 at 5th Avenue & 46 St. The young man at the wheel of the Orion VII HEV appeared to be a probationary B/O, and there was another gentleman in an MTA B/O uniform standing right alongside the small door that separates the B/O's compartment from the main aisle. The bus was crowded, even in the early afternoon, and I could overhear the standing B/O coaching the younger operator. A wheelchair bound passenger boarded, and the standing B/O helped to clear the left front hinged seat and to secure the motorized wheelchair. The young B/O drove maneuvered his HEV very cautiously, and he seemed to handle these situations gracefully. How many runs are conducted in this manner before a probationary B/O goes out on a run alone?

[Mr Mabstoa]

Generally speaking a student operator goes through two to three weeks of line training. This is done to familirize the operator with all the lines in the depot his going to be working.
Once the operator completes his line training then he's a probationary operator. Until then he's a student operator.

[nycbusfan]

My regular bus operator on the B82 often has students. From what I have seen the bus operator does the first trip and the student does the seccond trip.

[Q65A]

Thanks for the replies, guys!

[Mr. Linsky]

Things have certainly changed over the years!

We had two weeks of theory and 'at wheel' training and we were then on our own.

Routes were no problem because if we made a wrong turn (as I used to do on the Q60 in South Jamaica) passengers would yell "where do you think you're going?' - straightened me right out every time!

Maybe today's methods are better!

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, NY

[shortlineMCI]

LOL! Mr. L

We have about 90 different runs then from say, october thru may that number goes up to about 110 different runs during the summer months as we add some casino runs, so our drivers can get confused quite easily in the begining.

Anyway funny story that happened to me the first time they put me on an Atlantic City run. Now, these passengers have been riding these buses and been on these runs for probably no less then 10 years, so they know a new driver when they see one and they will take advantage.

There are 5 pick ups before you high-tail it to A/C. and there is a route descrition sheet. HOWEVER.... there is no route description for the return becuase you might not pick up at all five locations, so no need to return the locations.

I HAD to rely on the passengers to get me back. And boy did they. I had one shmuck took me off route, I didn't know.. had me make a stop, got off the bus and walked right into his stinking house. I popped the ICC, stood up, and said to the remaining 6 passengers very calmly the next one to do that will have a bus parked in your driveway. They all started to laugh, but I was serious.

[RailBus63]

[pc2871]

I guess the student training period for line training was lengthened because of miscellaneous runs. It is now more difficult because student operators may wind up learning more than one route riding with the instructor operator.

[shortlineMCI]