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Transit Jobs NOW!!! Coast Mountain Bus is HIRING!

Discussion in 'Employment and Students' started by Superchecker, Nov 19, 2011.

  1. ConventionalMan

    ConventionalMan Full Member

    Haha I lost my poles on that same little stretch 3 trips in a row on a miserable, rainy Saturday night once, couldn't figure it out, going slow left from Pender to Homer then Homer to Hastings - either turn or both. I was so frustrated. A couple days later someone told me why that bit is so bad...

    Homer used to be a 2-way street and if you look carefully, the overhead is pretty far over to the right, where you would have naturally driven. Now the tendency is to stay more to the left but the wires are still "waaaay over there". Once i figured that out and kept to the right, took 2 lanes to turn left onto Hastings it all worked much better! Of course, the first time I made it through without de-wiring, I was so pleased with myself, I forgot about the switch around the corner on Hastings and BAM! Lost my poles there! DOH! lol

    I got a lot better after that and rarely lost my poles on corners and switches but the trolley work just wasn't for me. When I started losing my poles on straight wire (ie Renfrew all the way down) I started to get fed up. There are lots of tricky spots for sure, (south end, north-bound of the Granville Street bridge going around the bend is fun, Marine Station Loop is a mind -twister, and 63rd and Marpole loops can be tricky at first) but sometimes random stuff just happens with the trolley and it leaves you scratching your head. The nature of the beast I suppose. My most embarrassing de-wire was probably leaving the yard, 2 mornings in a row, tying up all the guys trying to leave behind me lol. Not as bad as the senior op one day got his poles tangled in the overhead right at the exit and everyone had to pull their poles to go around him to leave. Yikes lol.

    Anyway, everyone loses their poles, a lot, junior or senior. Just remember the training, be safe and don't panic. It's really not scary at all. And it also seems that most Vancouverites, who are used to seeing trolleys, don't really seem too bothered if they have to wait a minute or two for you to put your poles back up. I never had anyone ever get angry at me for losing my poles (except that one crabby senior op - bat that's a different story haha)

    I have a love/hate relationship with trolleys - I love to hate them. You will figure out your relationship pretty quickly lol. Some operators swear by them and will never leave Vancouver because of that. But it is part of the reason I went to BTC - no trolleys!

    Sorry for the long-windedness!
     
    user, GuyinNorthVan and TypeRNammer like this.
  2. Superchecker

    Superchecker Active Member

    As for loosing trolley poles, I could NEVER get the hang of westbound 41 to southbound Dunbar to go into Dunbar loop. It got to the point I would pull my poles westbound at the IGA, and just turn north onto Dundar and put my poles back up. THEN about 2 weeks after I finished doing that 3 and a half month shift: They installed a new turn wire to go West to North!
     
  3. ConventionalMan

    ConventionalMan Full Member

    Haha! I did that once or twice downtown (Davie to Granville both ways, left Robson to Granville...) but I always counted it a small miracle if I was coming back NIS on a 9 from Alma and made it through that Dunbar/41st intersection. If I got through the turn onto 41st I would almost let out a small cheer lol. Some of those intersections... talk about a plate of spaghettI! :laugh:
     
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  4. TypeRNammer

    TypeRNammer Full Member

    I call it junk in the air haha

    First day back to work after taking 6 days off to be with my fiance and new born son!
     
  5. ConventionalMan

    ConventionalMan Full Member

    Holy crap... a new wife, kid AND job! You sir are a glutton for punishment! :laugh:

    Congrats on your boy!
     
    TypeRNammer likes this.
  6. Gc13

    Gc13 Junior Member

    Start training tomorrow
     
  7. ConventionalMan

    ConventionalMan Full Member

    Nice work!

    Take a bit to look through some of the past posts here to get some pointers if you haven't already and don't be afraid to ask questions here or even in private messages. There's lots of experience here and lots of folks happy to help!

    Remember, it's lots of work but take your time and make sure to take a breath once in a while! As intense as it can be, try to have fun too - enjoy!
     
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  8. Superchecker

    Superchecker Active Member

    Best of luck! Information overload for the first few weeks! Tons of homework; tons of quizzes.

    Air brake system week one; Pre Trip Inspection and road test week two!

    Relax; breathe; have some fun along the way! make some new friends!

    If you want to chat here, feel free. If you want to message me (an old timer) or one of the newer drivers, feel free too!
     
    Gc13 and GuyinNorthVan like this.
  9. GuyinNorthVan

    GuyinNorthVan Junior Member

    Good luck! Be ready to work and study hard! First weeks are very tough.
    I will start my 3rd week training tomorrow. I'll be in classroom #2.
    Enjoy!
     
    Gc13 and ConventionalMan like this.
  10. ConventionalMan

    ConventionalMan Full Member

    Time flies when you're having...fun? :p

    Good luck with the trolleys - a whole new adventure!
     
    GuyinNorthVan likes this.
  11. Vancouver747

    Vancouver747 Guest

    New to forum, I completed my medical over a week ago and still haven't heard anything.
     
    Superchecker likes this.
  12. Gc13

    Gc13 Junior Member

    Hey guys thanks.

    I have been lurking for a while and have had a chance to read through most of the thread. I tried creating a membership a while ago but the activation email wouldn't send :/.
     
  13. Superchecker

    Superchecker Active Member

    Welcome! I went thru training nearly 25 years ago, and then started posting about jobs at Transit about 10 years ago! Best of Luck!
     
  14. Superchecker

    Superchecker Active Member

    Patience... And Welcome!
     
    GuyinNorthVan likes this.
  15. Vancouver747

    Vancouver747 New Member

    Thanks!
     
  16. Superchecker

    Superchecker Active Member

    Are you going for Conventional? If so, have you ridden many city buses? They used to require new applicants to go out on Friday and Saturday nights and ride the #3 MAIN; 8 FRASER or 20 VICTORIA buses.

    If you are not up on the air brakes system; you could start reading up/studying the Air Brakes system. You could Google Pre trip inspections for some you tube clips.

    They cram a hell of a lot of info into the first 3 to 4 weeks of training. Information Overload!

    Training classes tend to be every 2 weeks, with roughly 12 Trainees per class. Sometimes a few more, sometimes a few less. **NEED* your learners Air Brakes (Instructional?) endorsement before training class!

    If you have any questions, you can post here; or you can start a one on one "Conversation" with any registered member here. I went thru training near 25 years ago, and there are many here who have done it more recently...
     
  17. Superchecker

    Superchecker Active Member

    Hi Gang; This September will some major changes to some of the Depots/Transit Centres in the region. The following is a list of which routes/buses will operator out of which depots as of Labour Day 2016:

    Burnaby Transit Centre; Boundary & Kitchener: #26; 27; 28; 29; 43; 44; 99; 130; 134; 135; 136; 145; 209; 210; 211; 212; 214; 228; 229; 230; 231; 232; 236; 239; 240; 241; 246; 247; N17; N19; N24 & N35.

    (NEW) Hamilton Transit Centre; Westminster Hwy & Boundary: #100; 101; 104; 106; 110; 112; 116; 123; 125; 128; 129; 144; 155; 410; 430. Community Shuttles: #214; 227; C1; C5; C6; C7; C9; C15; C18; C20; C21; C23; C84; C89; C92; C93; C94; C96 & C98.

    Port Coquitlam Transit Centre; Wilson & Kingsway: #97; 143; 151; 152; 153; 156; 157; 159; 160; 169; 178; 188; 190; 555; 701; 791 & N9. Community Shuttles: C24; C25; C26; C27; C28; C29; C30; C36; C37; C38; C40; C41; C43; C44; C45; C46; C47; C48 & C49.

    Richmond Transit Centre; Steveston hwy & Shell: #32; 311; 351; 352; 354; 401; 402; 403; 404; 405; 407; 480; 601; 602; 603; 604; 606; 608; 620; & N10. Also rush hour C92's too!

    Surrey Transit Centre; 132 St & 76 Ave: #96; 301; 312; 314; 315; 319; 320; 321; 323; 324; 325; 326; 329; 335; 337; 340; 341; 345; 364; 375; 391; 393; 394; 395; 501; 502; 503; 509; 531; 590; 595; 640. Community Shuttles: #388; C50; C51; C52; C53; C70; C71; C73; C75; C76; C86; C87 & C88.

    Vancouver Transit Centre; Hudson & Marine Drive: 32, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 22, 25, 33, 41, 49; 50; 84; N6; N8; N15; N16; N20 & N22.

    Apparently Richmond Transit Centre will lose approx 80 (out of nearly 400) Operators to Hamilton Transit Centre... It will be an interesting sign up coming this June-July for September shifts.

    ALSO: Next year Evergreen Line goes live and will redesign all the routes in the Tri Cities as well!
     
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  18. GuyinNorthVan

    GuyinNorthVan Junior Member

    Thanks for this info!
     
  19. GuyinNorthVan

    GuyinNorthVan Junior Member

    Hey,

    I am in my 3rd week of training... Huge loads of information and lots and lots to read at home, quiz, forms to fill out, picking up uniforms, send pants to tailor.
    Today was my second day with Trolleys...its a super multi tasking device!! I did well...but driving skills go down a bit...only once a day I loose my poles (it's embarrassing! lol)
     
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  20. Vancouver747

    Vancouver747 New Member

    Yes I'm going for conventional.

    Appreciate all the info....lots of useful info on the forum.

    I have my class 1 license so I'm covered there but I heard you still will be required to take a pre trip / air brake test through Translink??
     
    user likes this.

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