Strange behavior on the #8 Halsted route...

[Scionic]

So the other day I was walking up Halsted, near Belmont. A #8 approached, bus number 1249. The first thing that struck me as odd is the font used on the digital signs. It was a much heavier font, kind of like a balloon font. It also kept advertising the "NEW CTA BUS! FEATURING 61 SEATS!" or something like that. I had to come here and research the various buses to find that the signage was advertising the beloved 7500-series NABIs!

So what's the deal with these seasonal/special messages? I saw a #77 the other day advising that I have a Happy Holidays. Do the operators have control over these messages, or have those particular buses been sitting idle for a few months/years? Second, what's the story with the crazy fonts? I only ever seem to see that heavy font on the Halsted route.

[New Flyer]

They don't pay attention to the sign all they have to do when they program it is to turn the first dial on the left side to 0 that deletes any special messages that were put into it.

[Busjack]

As far as fonts, the manufacturers say that the fonts are ADA compliant and the messages use Windows programming and allow scrolling and special effects. IIRC, scrolling was one of the features of the "New 61 Seats" sign. Apparently, the Luminator ones are not as good with respect to lower case fonts as the Twinvision ones.

However, one would think that after a year, CTA would have taken that sign out of the system.

I think we previously discussed (in connection with signs like "via Green Line") that the public relations sign had to be cleared in the manner New Flyer described, but, if I remember correctly, through logging in on the Clever Device, since the sign ODK is covered. It sounds like New Flyer is discussing the Vultron controllers on the 4400s and some 5300s.

[jajuan]

And as for that different font style you mentioned, I think it's unique to 1249 since I haven't seen it on other NFs other than that one. I rode it on the 82 last week, Monday or Tuesday I believe, and noticed the same. At first I thought maybe my eyes were playing a little trick on me, but after getting off at my stop and seeing the bus pulling away I saw that the '82' in the rear route display had an almost Helvetica-like style to it instead of the usual style seen on destination displays for buses starting with the NABIs and after. That 'HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAY' message could have been a reference to yesterday's Easter holiday. In the past, that message would appear on Americanas, TMCs, and both Flx models on occasion before a big holiday like Easter as well as the Christmas holiday season. The full message as I recall was 'HAVE A SAFE & HAPPY HOLIDAY' which of course needed two flips because of the 15 character space limit on bus destination signs before the NOVAs.

[Busjack]

The question is whether the "new font" was only on the public relations sign, or every sign on the bus? I suppose that it could be in firmware, but it would be uprising that 1 out of 1258 (actually out of 1480 or so, considering the dead NABIs) would be different.

[rmadisonwi]

They don't pay attention to the sign all they have to do when they program it is to turn the first dial on the left side to 0 that deletes any special messages that were put into it.

CTA no longer has any buses with that kind of destination sign.

I've noticed that there are certain bus operators who intentionally put irrelevant P/R messages on the signs, figuring they can get away with it.

(I had one operator written up, and gave a stern warning to another operator for doing so.)

The process for setting the P/R signs through the Clever Devices units is so tedious, there's really no good reason for anyone to do so anyway.

[Scionic]

CTA no longer has any buses with that kind of destination sign.

I've noticed that there are certain bus operators who intentionally put irrelevant P/R messages on the signs, figuring they can get away with it.

(I had one operator written up, and gave a stern warning to another operator for doing so.)

The process for setting the P/R signs through the Clever Devices units is so tedious, there's really no good reason for anyone to do so anyway.

Can operators program their own custom messages, given enough time? I, for one, would rush to ride a bus that was warning us of the impending Zombie Apocalypse. That's the bus driver I want to be with when it all goes down!

[busfan2847]

And as for that different font style you mentioned, I think it's unique to 1249 since I haven't seen it on other NFs other than that one. I rode it on the 82 last week, Monday or Tuesday I believe, and noticed the same. At first I thought maybe my eyes were playing a little trick on me, but after getting off at my stop and seeing the bus pulling away I saw that the '82' in the rear route display had an almost Helvetica-like style to it instead of the usual style seen on destination displays for buses starting with the NABIs and after. That 'HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAY' message could have been a reference to yesterday's Easter holiday. In the past, that message would appear on Americanas, TMCs, and both Flx models on occasion before a big holiday like Easter as well as the Christmas holiday season. The full message as I recall was 'HAVE A SAFE & HAPPY HOLIDAY' which of course needed two flips because of the 15 character space limit on bus destination signs before the NOVAs.

1249 is out on the 157 this morning with no displays working (and not even a paper notice in the window!)

[cta_44499_FG]

Can operators program their own custom messages, given enough time? I, for one, would rush to ride a bus that was warning us of the impending Zombie Apocalypse. That's the bus driver I want to be with when it all goes down!

Sadly....................no.

[jajuan]

The question is whether the "new font" was only on the public relations sign, or every sign on the bus? I suppose that it could be in firmware, but it would be uprising that 1 out of 1258 (actually out of 1480 or so, considering the dead NABIs) would be different.

It was more than the public relations sign because when I rode it on the 82 it just used the regular 82 service sign with no public relation message. I was thinking that out of all buses with this style destination sign (the dead NABIs and all NFs currently in service) it is odd this one is different from all the rest seen.

[jajuan]

CTA no longer has any buses with that kind of destination sign.

I've noticed that there are certain bus operators who intentionally put irrelevant P/R messages on the signs, figuring they can get away with it.

(I had one operator written up, and gave a stern warning to another operator for doing so.)

The process for setting the P/R signs through the Clever Devices units is so tedious, there's really no good reason for anyone to do so anyway.

Are they still allowed to put in a holiday message or one cheering on one of the local sports teams when one wins and does well in a playoff series to get city residents in the spirit these days like in past years or no?