Do Metro Drivers get to pick their bus

[Antozilla]

This may be for Landover Divsion.

Ok, you come to work and you are going to do the 16Y.  How do you know what bus number you will be driiving that day.  Do they tell you to go to the back forty and grab what you want or grab an Orion VII or grab 2337?

[Antozilla]

If its grab what you want or Grab an Orion VII, how do they know who has what in case something turns up missing?

[wmata employee]

No it dont work like that when u report to work you do the following:
1.see clerk and get manifest(transfers,all daypasses)
2.then u go out side to the booth to the starter to see what bus is available or it would be posted on the board of the clerk office.

[Antozilla]

and the bus you are going to drive is assigned to you as in

Antonelli bus # 2020
Tristan bus # 2123

and the bus you get is assigned by the starter and if you are tight with him and the bus you want is not boxed in maybe a change can be made.  OR if he knows you like a particular bus or a particular brand of bus that can be made to happen or if he hates your guts you get the bus with no heat no AC and three wheels

[LandoverDivision]

63170...a PG Gillig Phantom?

No it's a The Bus Gillig Advantage.

[WayneNYC]

and the bus you are going to drive is assigned to you as in

Antonelli bus # 2020
Tristan bus # 2123

and the bus you get is assigned by the starter and if you are tight with him and the bus you want is not boxed in maybe a change can be made.  OR if he knows you like a particular bus or a particular brand of bus that can be made to happen or if he hates your guts you get the bus with no heat no AC and three wheels

Yes, from from what I understand the scenarios you describe can play out.  Each night (at each NYCTA depot) they fill out a floor plan.  The floor plan shows where every bus is parked.  Some TA drivers do ask for a type of bus, but it's all about if the bus is readily available, etc.  If one is pulling out during off-peak times, like the weekend, some dispatchers wil let a driver take any available (and suitable) bus.  I've also heard that some guys assigning buses make a point of keeping the older buses in (less reliable) during the evening hours with the thought that a newer bus is less likely to break down. 

[Tristan]

I'm not taking a 2100.  Might as well give me a miss-out for the day.

[LandoverDivision]

I'm not taking a 2100.  Might as well give me a miss-out for the day.

Aside from the engine noise, how is a 2100 any different from any other Orion V?

[Tristan]

That's about it, but sound is important to me.  They sound boring and sometimes even bad.

I must admit though, from the outside, they can have a mean growl to them, when they are "clean"...attempts to capture this have failed so far because I can't think of where the 2100s actually get any speed.