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What's left for #5300 Flxibles


BusHunter

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I'm thinking wickedly here. Do you think there is a chance that, an afternoon pull-out from Chicago for the #132 Goose Island Express route might discover that there aren't any working New Flyers available; and he has to drive a 5300? :lol:

Not in your lifetime! There was a bulletin back in the Maintenance office at the Garage restricting any series Flxibles on the 132 effective back in November. From my understanding the riders and the company paying for the service made a big stink about paying for the route and getting old buses on it.

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Not in your lifetime! There was a bulletin back in the Maintenance office at the Garage restricting any series Flxibles on the 132 effective back in November. From my understanding the riders and the company paying for the service made a big stink about paying for the route and getting old buses on it.

Once again reasons why private funding for routes is ridiculous !!!! "Professional" operations being restricted due to demands put on the agency by the "non professional" passenger (note, I used the term instead of "customer"). Same stuff Pace goes through with Sears and UPS. Outrageous !!!!

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Not in your lifetime! There was a bulletin back in the Maintenance office at the Garage restricting any series Flxibles on the 132 effective back in November. From my understanding the riders and the company paying for the service made a big stink about paying for the route and getting old buses on it.

Hi Eddie! Happy Holidays! You know back when I was a regular block operator on the 54A N Cic./Skok, when the Novas first came online in 02, I wasant a fan of them, still not a fan! Once in service, the 54A route began using Novas for the route but I refused to operate them. I would ask sign out to keep my 6000 Flxible from my morning trip for the afternoon run. Some of the many crybabies on the 54A route were complaining that why they are getting an old bus when there's new buses (Novas) in service? I would continue operating Flxibles on the 54A. One crybaby female passenger in particular would make stale comments at me because everyday I pick her up in the Flx. She would get on at Skokie/Golf SB and ride to the Swift. I didnt like the Novas because of the braking, so I felt it was safer to operate the Flxible and save myself the grief of a passenger getting injured from falling on one of the those Novas, then getting charged with it, No thanks! :)

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Well looks like the 5300s that are left. Get to run in 2009! Now we have 18 year old buses that run better then most of the new flyers i drove!

In your opinion which you are entitled to, and probably moreso because you're more used to the 5300s than the 1000s. But now it's time to get used to those 1000s since those 5300s will soon be gone in the near future. ;)

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Just becasue i drive then. I dont have to get used to the flyers. To U drive a bus u dont have much to say do u? How would u like to drive a bus into a service stop and have the brakes cut out? Do u think u can get used to that?

Now the brake issue that's something you should take up with your bosses and maintenance not argue with me about it. And if you seem to keep getting a bad bus then again take it up with your bosses and report it especially if it compromises safety. Outside of that or some other issue that may be a safety issue on your part and mine, when it comes to me and everyone else having confidence that you know what you're doing behind the wheel of that bus, yes I think you do need to get used to handling the equipment. I may not drive a bus, but I do work in a service related industry where at times my employers may get new equipment and I have to learn that new equipment to better serve the company's customers. It may get aggravating learning new equipment when I may be quick and efficient on the old from knowing it backward and forward, but I remember that learning that new equipment helps better serve the customers who do help pay my paycheck by paying for the employer's services and keeping the company afloat.

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I dont have to get used to the flyers. To U drive a bus u dont have much to say do u? How would u like to drive a bus into a service stop and have the brakes cut out? Do u think u can get used to that?

They're going to be around for a long time and besides the every now and then 6000 bus, they're pretty much the only type of bus you're going to drive, that is, if you choose to stay at Chicago garage. And jajuan's right, you should tell your bosses about these buses and their brakes. They're the only ones that can maybe do something about it. And another thing, how come I don't hear any complaints from almost all other drivers about the New Flyers?

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This is speculation.... Sunday will be the final farewell for Flxible 5300's. Possibly for the New Flyer 5800's too.

TMC 4400's were fully retired on Monday, December 22, 2008. CTA probably retires fleet buses on a Monday, based on what I see with the TMC's.

Possibly. If I'm not mistake the MAN 4000s were fully retired on a Monday in April of 2004, about two weeks after the first day of 148 service if I remember correctly.

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Possibly. If I'm not mistake the MAN 4000s were fully retired on a Monday in April of 2004, about two weeks after the first day of 148 service if I remember correctly.

Was that April 26th? Because that pick you were talking about that started the 148 was April 11th, 2004 after that long Winter Run Assignments Period.

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How can it be sunday? When they* don't* get used on weekends?

Probably true, but they still technically are on the active roster today. If an operator requests to take a Flxible out from Chicago Garage today, I'm sure the dispatcher will allow them to do so, depending on the route he/she is assigned.

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We can not take them on weekends at all. The signout person will never give me one. Just like i will go in today take my bus and yes it will be a flyer. Back in the summer i got away with it for or five times but not now. Just like the 132 we cant have them. The run will be 1052 before a flxs is on it thats what signout told me, Also as of last night they were park on the tracks ready for monday. But we also have 1309 to 1319 now so... Only time will tell.

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Was that April 26th? Because that pick you were talking about that started the 148 was April 11th, 2004 after that long Winter Run Assignments Period.

I believe so. I remember reading about the 135, 145, and 146 becoming fully accessible at about that point, and those were the last three routes to be serviced by Americanas thus putting them out of service. 14 and the 170s were still not accessible by then, but those used the 4900s.

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The MAN's were around through June of that year. I got the last day as 7/7/04. :P

Really, I don't remember riding one much beyond the 148 coming into service and the only route left I was able to really find one was the 135 at that point. About late April/early May of that year I spotted none in service.

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We can not take them on weekends at all. The signout person will never give me one. Just like i will go in today take my bus and yes it will be a flyer. Back in the summer i got away with it for or five times but not now. Just like the 132 we cant have them. The run will be 1052 before a flxs is on it thats what signout told me, Also as of last night they were park on the tracks ready for monday. But we also have 1309 to 1319 now so... Only time will tell.

So could it be possible that friday could be the last day for the 5300s?.

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We can not take them on weekends at all. The signout person will never give me one. Just like i will go in today take my bus and yes it will be a flyer. Back in the summer i got away with it for or five times but not now. Just like the 132 we cant have them. The run will be 1052 before a flxs is on it thats what signout told me, Also as of last night they were park on the tracks ready for monday. But we also have 1309 to 1319 now so... Only time will tell.

No wonder we never see any Flxibles out there on the weekends. Thanks for explaining that to us :).

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