Bus driver life

[MRChiCity]

This is a recruiting video for being a bus operator in LA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJT7XgDtsRI any similarities between CTA and PACE? And since this is LA it should have included this line "aspiring actors/actresses this is better then being a waiter/waitress" LOL.

Edited May 24, 2014 by MRChiCity

[sw4400]

And since this is LA it should have included aspiring actors/actresses this is better then waiting on tables LOL.

Aspiring? How about veteran? Can you imagine Samuel L. Jackson playing the role of a L.A Bus Operator?

"That's it... I've had it with these mother######g bums on this mother######g bus!!!" *Proceeds to beat and toss all the non-paying homeless people off his bus*

[Busjack]

This is a recruiting video for being a bus operator in LA ... any similarities between CTA and PACE? And since this is LA it should have included aspiring actors/actresses this is better then waiting on tables LOL.

I'm not in a position to comment whether those sentiments are shared by CTA or Pace bus drivers.

The obvious thing, though, is that CTA doesn't need a propaganda video to recruit bus drivers, and the bus drivers wouldn't cooperate in making one. The long lines when CTA was recruiting the 400 part time drivers for the Red Line shuttles shows there is not any need. If any CTA driver was going to cooperate with making a propaganda video, sw's characterization is correct without the need to get Samuel L. Jackson.

Also, given people like iBillDavis* and Britney Haywood on the L, you could really imagine what would happen if someone tried to make a recruiting video for the rapid transit.

However, the Ask This Old House Hour again reran the short on the CTA wheel lathe, so, some cooperation was possible at least at one time.

*CTA Tattler screen name,

[strictures]

I've ridden buses out there.

The drivers are for the most part nicer than the ones in Chicago.

But they have some advantages. The fares are lower & they sell all day tickets every day, right there on the bus.

If they're in the San Fernando Valley, all the streets with buses are at least two lanes in each direction. And people in LA drive way better than the idiots here!

No one in LA would dare to poke along at 5MPH down a busy street, looking for an address. They'd be run over out there.

If they're driving the Orange Line, it's an express bus that runs mostly on its own private road, from North Hollywood to Chatsworth. Those drivers don't even bother with fares, as you pay before boarding & enter any door on the bus.

I also rode the Simi Valley buses, which are separate. Really nice drivers & when one I was on had more bikes to load than the two bike rack, he allowed them to use the fold up handicapped seat area inside.

[rvwnsd]

I've ridden buses out there.

The drivers are for the most part nicer than the ones in Chicago.

But they have some advantages. The fares are lower & they sell all day tickets every day, right there on the bus.

If they're in the San Fernando Valley, all the streets with buses are at least two lanes in each direction. And people in LA drive way better than the idiots here!

No one in LA would dare to poke along at 5MPH down a busy street, looking for an address. They'd be run over out there.

If they're driving the Orange Line, it's an express bus that runs mostly on its own private road, from North Hollywood to Chatsworth. Those drivers don't even bother with fares, as you pay before boarding & enter any door on the bus.

I also rode the Simi Valley buses, which are separate. Really nice drivers & when one I was on had more bikes to load than the two bike rack, he allowed them to use the fold up handicapped seat area inside.

Better drivers in LA? You sure you were in Los Angeles, CA? The drivers are horrible. However, you are right, they do not poke along at 5 MPH looking for an address. They are driving at 45 MPH in a 25 MPH zone texting while looking for the address on Google Maps.

[strictures]

Better drivers in LA? You sure you were in Los Angeles, CA? The drivers are horrible. However, you are right, they do not poke along at 5 MPH looking for an address. They are driving at 45 MPH in a 25 MPH zone texting while looking for the address on Google Maps.

I'll take the speeders over the pokies every time. At least you know the speeders aren't going to stop, so you just let them go, while the pokies just can't make up their minds & make every four way stop an insane farce as to which car should go first.

[Busjack]

I'll take the speeders over the pokies every time. At least you know the speeders aren't going to stop, so you just let them go, while the pokies just can't make up their minds & make every four way stop an insane farce as to which car should go first.

My experience is that it is usually the opposite in Chicago; if you stop at a red light or stop sign, the driver behind you will pass you. If the red light cameras are being administered as represented, how do they become a profit center for the city, unless drivers are ignoring them?

[MRChiCity]

Found another one in the Minneapolis area. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GIw9PrlU7A note the MDT is similar to what PACE uses.

[Busjack]

...note the MDT is similar to what PACE uses.

MDT looks the same, but didn't set the signs, but maybe that was because he couldn't log on.

The Gillig Phantoms and Orion Vs of that time all sounded alike, maybe it was all the air compressor discharges and the retarder.

Finally, maybe we should name the bus garages, such as Derrick Rose Depot instead of 74th. I'm sure there is some corrupt Des Plaines official after whom the new Pace garage can be named. In fact, I'm surprised that the Western Ave. Metra complex isn't the Phil Pagano Roundhouse.

[ctrabs74]

Found another one in the Minneapolis area. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GIw9PrlU7A note the MDT is similar to what PACE uses.

That's more for the stop announcements than anything else (the MDT for that is from Trapeze; it's also the same stop announcement system used in Boston, Cleveland and Indianapolis, among other systems).

[Busjack]

That's more for the stop announcements than anything else (the MDT for that is from Trapeze; it's also the same stop announcement system used in Boston, Cleveland and Indianapolis, among other systems).

The Transitmaster (apparently now Trapeze) is the same thing used by Pace, and Pace gave me the official word that it sets the signs. That explains why, when working, the sign flips just as it makes a certain turn in a shopping center parking lot before the posted bus stop, and was the excuse given why the sign choice on one route was consistently wrong until Pace fixed it, even though the correct signs were loaded into the Luminator controller. I would have figured that the error would have been random if various drivers screwed up, but it appeared that the only thing the driver could do is override the setting selected by the Transitmaster, and they usually didn't do it.

While CTA uses Clever Devices, various posters here have indicated that it is fairly difficult to impossible to override the sign selections so they stay correct during the trip.

The Transitmaster also powers WebWatch (which is apparently the Trapeze trademark for its tracker). I don't see any indication whether TC Metro uses WebWatch.

[Busjack]

....

The Transitmaster also powers WebWatch (which is apparently the Trapeze trademark for its tracker). I don't see any indication whether TC Metro uses WebWatch.

BTW, this Google Search picks up WebWatch for various transit authorities.

[MTRSP1900-CTA3200]

Metro/WMATA has a bus video on their Youtube, and used to have a similar train video. I downloaded the train video before it was taken down. Someone also reuploaded the Metrorail video, but in lower quality.

[Busjack]

Metro/WMATA has a bus video on their Youtube, and used to have a similar train video. I downloaded the train video before it was taken down. Someone also reuploaded the Metrorail video, but in lower quality.

She's probably lucky to be in Maryland, as it appears that the horribly confusing route numbering system still prevails, especially in D.C. It also looks like Maryland has provided for a dedicated bus (and I guess HOV) lane in the expressway.

Also, while CTA continues to dither around with trying to rehabilitate its rapid transit system, WMATA is inaugurating its Silver Line to the Dulles Airport area, touting how it is technologically advanced.

[ctrabs74]

The Transitmaster (apparently now Trapeze) is the same thing used by Pace, and Pace gave me the official word that it sets the signs. That explains why, when working, the sign flips just as it makes a certain turn in a shopping center parking lot before the posted bus stop, and was the excuse given why the sign choice on one route was consistently wrong until Pace fixed it, even though the correct signs were loaded into the Luminator controller. I would have figured that the error would have been random if various drivers screwed up, but it appeared that the only thing the driver could do is override the setting selected by the Transitmaster, and they usually didn't do it.

While CTA uses Clever Devices, various posters here have indicated that it is fairly difficult to impossible to override the sign selections so they stay correct during the trip.

The Transitmaster also powers WebWatch (which is apparently the Trapeze trademark for its tracker). I don't see any indication whether TC Metro uses WebWatch.

I brought up Minneapolis because the stop announcements, as best as I can recall, were similar in display to PACE. I've tried to figure out who designed Metro Transit's NexTrip system, but to no avail. It's similar to the real-time programs used in Cleveland, but I can't prove that it's Trapeze's system.

[Busjack]

I brought up Minneapolis because the stop announcements, as best as I can recall, were similar in display to PACE. I've tried to figure out who designed Metro Transit's NexTrip system, but to no avail. It's similar to the real-time programs used in Cleveland, but I can't prove that it's Trapeze's system.

Do you have a link, or is it just an app?

[jajuan]

MDT looks the same, but didn't set the signs, but maybe that was because he couldn't log on.

The Gillig Phantoms and Orion Vs of that time all sounded alike, maybe it was all the air compressor discharges and the retarder.

Finally, maybe we should name the bus garages, such as Derrick Rose Depot instead of 74th. I'm sure there is some corrupt Des Plaines official after whom the new Pace garage can be named. In fact, I'm surprised that the Western Ave. Metra complex isn't the Phil Pagano Roundhouse.

A bit sarcastic but still funny on the garage naming. I see that at the time of the video Metro was using similar fare media technology that CTA and Pace were using before Ventra from the looks of that transfer card. Ride any bus and as many buses as you like in two and a half hours. Interesting deal compared to two additional rides within two hours here. A bit strict about being a minute early. And how many CTA or Pace operators who are transit forum members would know the model engine and transmission inside the bus they drive let alone the name of the bus model itself?

[Busjack]

...A bit strict about being a minute early. ...

When using the TransitMaster to tweak schedules, Pace also uses a minute early or 5 minutes late. Don't know if there is any repercussion for being off. But that seems to be an industry standard. As a matter of practice, Pace buses sit at the time point if they are early.

Didn't the CTA drivers post here that the Clever Device also gives the plus or minus schedule information?

[ctrabs74]

Do you have a link, or is it just an app?

It's on the Metro Transit home page:

http://www.metrotransit.org/NexTripBadge.aspx

[ctrabs74]

When using the TransitMaster to tweak schedules, Pace also uses a minute early or 5 minutes late. Don't know if there is any repercussion for being off. But that seems to be an industry standard. As a matter of practice, Pace buses sit at the time point if they are early.

Didn't the CTA drivers post here that the Clever Device also gives the plus or minus schedule information?

From my personal observations, the Clever Device controls do list +/- schedule information. I know for a fact that's the case in Pittsburgh (which also uses Clever Devices for stop announcements and their planned real-time bus info system); I'll defer to you locals for confirmation on if the CTA does the same thing, though I'm fairly certain that's the case with CTA's system as well.

[ctrabs74]

A bit sarcastic but still funny on the garage naming. I see that at the time of the video Metro was using similar fare media technology that CTA and Pace were using before Ventra from the looks of that transfer card. Ride any bus and as many buses as you like in two and a half hours. Interesting deal compared to two additional rides within two hours here. A bit strict about being a minute early. And how many CTA or Pace operators who are transit forum members would know the model engine and transmission inside the bus they drive let alone the name of the bus model itself?

Metro Transit does have a similar smart card farebox arrangement to CTA/Pace, though I'm not certain if Cubic designed the system (the ticket vending machines in Minneapolis look similar to the Ventra machines). There's also a six-hour "event" pass valid on bus and light rail that costs $4.

[Busjack]

It's on the Metro Transit home page:

http://www.metrotransit.org/NexTripBadge.aspx

Looks more like CTA than WebWatch. The WebWatch sites to which I linked through the Google Search pretty much all looked like the Pace one, with the Google and Bing maps.

Also, Pace information by stop doesn't distinguish between terminals; in the instance below, the 7:53 only goes to Old Orchard, and the 8:15 goes to Northbrook Court.

[Guest]

Driving CTA GMC #9799 at IRM.

http://youtu.be/9c4I-d-Bmyo

[Guest]

Pretty cool video! Finally get an idea of what the Twin Coaches sounded like! <iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/x5aA7ooyZs8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Busjack]

Pretty cool video! Finally get an idea of what the Twin Coaches sounded like! <iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/x5aA7ooyZs8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Something happened to your embedding and the link is here.

Searching around indicates that the film was taken in Vancouver. According to the Ohio Museum of Transportation list that contains the same model as CTA 5000-5499, those buses were not that model (52-S2P). More likely, they were model 38-S, which were not propane. I don't recall the CTA ones sounding that "grindy."

Something similar to CTA (through about 1969) was the shelf for placing your fare, and the driver would have to register it.

The IBM clock and the driver having to get change also takes one back.

Also surprising was that the bus yard had a tower, similar to the one at Glenview Naval Station (still at the Glen Town Center).