3 Minutes and You're Done!

[Buzz]

Well, the shop was busy over the break activating automatic shut-offs that will shut off buses after idling for 3 minutes.

So much for warming up you bus in the yard.

Apparently the city has been monitoring the company for idling.

I doubt the city will be doing the same with their own buses.

[steady]

When I'm at a school in the PM I don't start my bus until the kids are loaded.  It takes more than 3 minutes, yes the stop sign is out.  The problem I have is that in the AM when I arrive at my schools this cold winter. I wait at times in excess of 3 minutes for the school aides to come out and receive the students.  It was my belief that I'm not to leave my seat with the keys in the ignition with students onboard. My point is that I will have to push the button in the rear of the bus to deactivate the alarm with students before I can restart the bus.
The only thing I can figure is to leave the bus in drive with the air brake activated.  This might not start the 3 minute timer. 

[steady]

Then again it might be the air brake that activates the timer.

[Buzz]

@steady - I'm not positive about this because I don't recall who told me but supposedly this only happens when the bus is in Park. If this is true, being in Drive with the Parking Brake on would not activate the timer. Again, I'm not 100% sure about this but it will be easy enough to find out first hand tomorrow.

If it is not the case and in regard to pressing the button in the back, some ... but not all ... buses have a "Child Left" button up front along with cruise control buttons that will cancel the alarms while the bus is running / restarted.

[Kid24]

Saw plenty of buses idiling way past 3 mins and no shut off...

[Buzz]

Saw plenty of buses idiling way past 3 mins and no shut off...

They might not have gotten around to all the buses yet, but they DID get to mine.

Not only did they get to mine but in doing so they left the KEY ON! Of course the bus was dead and I had to wait for a jump. When I told the grumpiest of all the shop employees that his boys left the key on he scowled at me that it wasn't so.

All I'll say is, in 27 years I have never left the key in the "On" position. I shut the bus at my last stop and press the button in the back and the key is in the "ACC" position. The only I could have left the key in the on position is if I left the bus running the last day of work ... which I of course didn't.

Always the driver's fault.

[Buzz]

@steady - I'm not positive about this because I don't recall who told me but supposedly this only happens when the bus is in Park. If this is true, being in Drive with the Parking Brake on would not activate the timer. Again, I'm not 100% sure about this but it will be easy enough to find out first hand tomorrow.

Nope ... even in Drive with the parking brake on the bus shut off after 3 minutes. Pain in the ass.

[PROUD MEMBER]

Meanwhile yesterday a NYC Sanitation Salt/Plow truck sat for 8hrs on the service road near Bloomingdale Rd. idling.

[Buzz]

Meanwhile yesterday a NYC Sanitation Salt/Plow truck sat for 8hrs on the service road near Bloomingdale Rd. idling.

As  I'm sure was the case at MTA depots and transit centers. But then, the city can't fine itself I guess.