BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

From a 2005 issue of "REMINISCE" magazine:

An older reader recalled:

".....I was 10 and not well-traveled in 1948, when Mom put me on a Greyhound bus in Klamath Falls, to travel to Los Angeles, to visit relatives......"

"........we probably hadn't gone 50 miles when I hung my sweater on a convenient cord above the window; the driver didn't kick me off the bus, even though I had pulled the emergency cord, without knowing......"

This little snippet had me scratching my head.......

"NYO"

[traildriver]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Traildriver:

I had suspected as much myself, but wanted to get "official" word from one "in the know", namely yourself!

In my family (and, in fact, most folks in my area, many years ago) referred to the bell cords as "buzzer cords" (Pull the buzzer, we get off at the next corner!")

The last time I rode an NJT (or ANY bus) was over four years ago; the NABIs have pull cords, which lights a "STOP REQUESTED" sign near the driver.

In my much younger days, Your's Truly remembers both "buzzers" and "chimes" (the chime always sounded like an "Avon" doorbell, missing its last ring!)

This also, often had a "chinky" sound, like an out-of-tune piano key......

"NYO"

[traildriver]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

traildriver:

The "buzzers" I recall most growing up were those on the Old Looks (a few NHBL Old Looks had a "DING" chime); when you pulled the cord to signal your stop, a loud "BRRRRAACCCKKKK!" would be heard.

Ditto for the PCC's on the City Subway.

I never cared for the "strips" that replaced the cords in later years; a lot of times, you'd have to press hard (and at a certain angle) to actuate the signal.

The last "heritage" NJT buses I remember having cords were the NJDOT Flex New Looks.....eons, ago........

"NYO"

[traildriver]

I was thinking back, and IIRC,, on the “fishbowl’s”, when you pulled the cord, a single chime sounded, but if you pressed the signal button over the rear exit door, a buzzer sounded for as long as you held the button down.
Driver’s got annoyed at that, so naturally, school kids did so…

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[traildriver]

The chime sound was made the old fashioned way…a mechanical device with a hammer striking a chime, like in a doorbell…these could be out of ‘tune’ if worn out or damaged. Nowadays the sound is electronically produced thru a speaker…