Random Pace

[Dawnlight]

I noticed that buses that go to NWTC are now displaying:

"SCHAUMBURG/"

"NORTHWEST TC"

rather than just "SCHAUMBURG". I seen this on routes 606 and 208. 208 no longer displays "WESTBOUND" but the opposite side still does.

[BusHunter]

There was a #330 that got stuck in the o'hare  remote lot that I was asked to help guide the bus with a tight turn. The operator instead of turning right away went all the way to the end and discovered double parked cars blocking her way. I didn't think she'd make the turn and she soon discovered that too. I tried to tell her she could back up into an unobstructed lane but she instead went right she eventually got herself straightened out but I walked to the people mover and was on it when she did cause who knows how long it would take her to discover the solution to her problem. I guess the operator was new. She was going slow on mannheim at least that's the vibe I got 

[Pace831]

There was a shooting on the south side involving a Pace van.

[Busjack]

Passenger Notice that some South routes will get service on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Anything significant about that?

[rotjohns]

1 hour ago, Busjack said:

Passenger Notice that some South routes will get service on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Anything significant about that?

Growing popularity would be my guess on these routes.  

[Pace831]

2 hours ago, Busjack said:

Passenger Notice that some South routes will get service on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Anything significant about that?

Union contract changes allowing more operators to work those days?

[Busjack]

15 hours ago, Pace831 said:

Union contract changes allowing more operators to work those days?

Obviously Pace needs that, but the drivers probably get something like 2-1/4 time pay so that probably isn't the issue. As with everything else, Pace wouldn't do it unless there is a perceived demand.

It gets down to that Pace has certain routes that run Sunday and Holiday schedules, but only a subset of those that run Thanksgiving and Christmas. I'm not sure of the rationale.

[artthouwill]

Weird week on the 301.  I boarded an EB 301 on Roosevelt at Ardmore.  The driver missed the turn at Summit and had to go to Rt 83.  She then proceeded south on Rt 83 briefly then West on Butterfield to Summit and back on route.

Yesterday a WB 301 missed his turn on 22nd  just past the toll road and had to turn at Spring Rd to go to Commerce Dr.

I think the first driver wasused to operating the 313 which is detouring via Roosevelt from Meyers to Rt 83.  I couldn't  tell you why the 2nd driver missed  his turn unless he momentarily thought he was a 322.

Recently I had a WB 391 driver whowa NB on Summit/Midwest Rd that almost turned  West  on Butterfield until I said something.  Then he corrected himself and proceeded to Roosevelt.

Can't recall experiencing this on any otherPace route except the time I was operating the 616 and made the wrong  turn on Thorndale.  I was able to turn around and get back on rOute to the Itasca Metra station and ran the correct route back to Rosemont.  I just had a brain fart back then.  Fortunate  for me I was empty at the time.

 

 

[Busjack]

1 hour ago, artthouwill said:

Weird week on the 301.

Again, what I can't figure out is since they have gps on the bus, why it isn't set up as a navigation device.*

*Although I have ridden in private vans with navigation saying "it's on the right in 300 feet " and the driver turned immediately right into the type of infinite loop you described.

[Pace831]

1 hour ago, Busjack said:

Again, what I can't figure out is since they have gps on the bus, why it isn't set up as a navigation device.

Why would they need it? The drivers should know what the route is before they drive it.

[Pace831]

Route 508 has one AM and one PM trip that deviates from the normal route to serve a school. I was on the PM trip once when the driver did not turn on Briggs as if she was driving the normal route. When passengers started yelling, she turned on the next street which is a dead end. So she made a three point turn in the middle of the street, which is probably against Pace policy.

Another driver on the westbound 832 missed the turn on 153rd, so he made a u-turn in the middle of La Grange road, which required driving through the area that was blocked off for construction.

[Busjack]

7 minutes ago, Pace831 said:

Why would they need it? The drivers should know what the route is before they drive it.

As @artthouwill pointed out, apparently some don't, and I was responding to him.

And with respect to your last post, each trip should already be in the gps.

[Pace831]

Just now, Busjack said:

As @artthouwill pointed out, apparently some don't, and I was responding to him.

If you make a wrong turn, common sense should take over. Following the GPS is risky in that situation. And I'm not sure how the device could actually be set up to get drivers back on route if they deviate, which is what you seem to think it should be used for. Also, most navigation systems that are purportedly for large vehicles do not work very well. That might be the explanation for why Pace doesn't use them.

[Busjack]

 

14 minutes ago, Pace831 said:

If you make a wrong turn, common sense should take over. Following the GPS is risky in that situation. And I'm not sure how the device could actually be set up to get drivers back on route if they deviate, which is what you seem to think it should be used for. Also, most navigation systems that are purportedly for large vehicles do not work very well. That might be the explanation for why Pace doesn't use them.

I'm assuming (despite my van example) that the purpose of the gps is to keep the driver en route, i.e. it tells him or her to turn into Briggs rather than rescue him and her if he or she doesn't. But even in that case, it should have the authorized escape route programmed into it.

The analogy I draw is that at one time, there were CTA-> signs posted to help the 1 Drexel-Hyde Park bus snake through Michael Reese and Lake Meadows, and later one in Old Orchard pointing the way to the bus terminal. It hits me that a more modern solution is now technologically available.

[artthouwill]

34 minutes ago, Busjack said:

 

I'm assuming (despite my van example) that the purpose of the gps is to keep the driver en route, i.e. it tells him or her to turn into Briggs rather than rescue him and her if he or she doesn't. But even in that case, it should have the authorized escape route programmed into it.

The analogy I draw is that at one time, there were CTA-> signs posted to help the 1 Drexel-Hyde Park bus snake through Michael Reese and Lake Meadows, and later one in Old Orchard pointing the way to the bus terminal. It hits me that a more modern solution is now technologically available.

To your point and Pace831, I remember now when the driver missed her turn at Summit, Mrs Pace announces "Now approaching Roosevelt and Summit."  But she was passing Summit as the announcement  played which caused her to realize her mistake.  Sometimes the GPS guided announcements are off, which is problematic for a driver or visually impaired passenger depending on that.  

[Busjack]

24 minutes ago, artthouwill said:

To your point and Pace831, I remember now when the driver missed her turn at Summit, Mrs Pace announces "Now approaching Roosevelt and Summit."  But she was passing Summit as the announcement  played which caused her to realize her mistake.  Sometimes the GPS guided announcements are off, which is problematic for a driver or visually impaired passenger depending on that.  

What you seem to be noting is that the gps has a hard time recovering if the bus goes off route. If the bus is on the trace programmed into the computer (analogous to the line on WebWatch), there should be only one set of coordinates that sets off the announcement. I'm assuming (without proof) that the bus program is constrained to the route, as opposed to Google Maps on my tablet assuming the address of the house behind me (my WiFi hotspot is in the back of the apartment).

Obviously, the gps announcement system has an easier time on Metra, as trains usually stay on the tracks.

[artthouwill]

4 minutes ago, Busjack said:

What you seem to be noting is that the gps has a hard time recovering if the bus goes off route. If the bus is on the trace programmed into the computer (analogous to the line on WebWatch), there should be only one set of coordinates that sets off the announcement. I'm assuming (without proof) that the bus program is constrained to the route, as opposed to Google Maps on my tablet assuming the address of the house behind me (my WiFi hotspot is in the back of the apartment).

Obviously, the gps announcement system has an easier time on Metra, as trains usually stay on the tracks.

Actually  the GPS does recover well once back on route.  Sometimes the coordinates are off while the bus is on rOute which can be the problem.  For example, the 301  EB doesn't  announce Roosevelt and Westchester until a blockpast that intersection. Most of the other stops were on point

 

[mel bernero]

Had something strange happen to me at Golf Mill. A Pace Supervisor from NW came up to me and said that a driver had called and reported that I was taking photos of their buses. I told him that I have been taking bus photos for close to 50 years. He told me that if I want to take photos of Pace buses I need to get permission from Pace because of the "problems" that have been occurring. Since I was on Mall property, I did not want to get into a long drawn-out argument with him, and said I was leaving. If I had been on a public street, I would have stood my ground.

[MetroShadow]

8 hours ago, mel bernero said:

Had something strange happen to me at Golf Mill. A Pace Supervisor from NW came up to me and said that a driver had called and reported that I was taking photos of their buses. I told him that I have been taking bus photos for close to 50 years. He told me that if I want to take photos of Pace buses I need to get permission from Pace because of the "problems" that have been occurring. Since I was on Mall property, I did not want to get into a long drawn-out argument with him, and said I was leaving. If I had been on a public street, I would have stood my ground.

There’s no policy to direct that you can’t. 

[mel bernero]

4 hours ago, MetroShadow said:

There’s no policy to direct that you can’t. 

I know that. But since I was on Mall property I just left.

[garmon757]

On 11/19/2017 at 1:39 AM, mel bernero said:

I know that. But since I was on Mall property I just left.

The last time I've checked, Pace has absolutely no authority on any other property except for garages and their headquarters. 

[Busjack]

1 hour ago, garmon757 said:

The last time I've checked, Pace has absolutely no authority on any other property except for garages and their headquarters. 

Technically, Pace (unlike Metra) doesn't have any authority at all, but the next question would be whether @mel bernero wanted to next have a discussion with the Niles Police. What I can't figure out is why a NW supervisor or driver would get all horked off about a Niles bus The Niles Public Services employees are usually friendly (a bit too friendly for my taste, like one time when I was trying to determine if 2601 still had its fare box, asked me to take a ride).

[garmon757]

21 minutes ago, Busjack said:

Technically, Pace (unlike Metra) doesn't have any authority at all, but the next question would be whether @mel bernero wanted to next have a discussion with the Niles Police. What I can't figure out is why a NW supervisor or driver would get all horked off about a Niles bus The Niles Public Services employees are usually friendly (a bit too friendly for my taste, like one time when I was trying to determine if 2601 still had its fare box, asked me to take a ride).

I rather take a too friendly driver than a drama king/queen. The police probably would've had a wtf moment over that.  

[artthouwill]

4 hours ago, garmon757 said:

The last time I've checked, Pace has absolutely no authority on any other property except for garages and their headquarters. 

Greyhound prohibits videotaping its facilities, employees, equipment without prior consent from Greyhound.  Of course there are YouTube videos of. Greyhound buses and stations.

Interesting that someone had his cell phone out recording video of the Consolidated Rental Car Facility and F Lot as recorded from bus 6371 operating on the330.  It wasn't me.

 

 

 

[mel bernero]

9 hours ago, garmon757 said:

I rather take a too friendly driver than a drama king/queen. The police probably would've had a wtf moment over that.  

I should have mentioned earlier that about 10 minutes before that I photographed bus 6518 on its layover at Golf Mill.