Brooklyn, NY – Oy. A goy’s driving my bus.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
The city is looking for a new operator for a private bus company that caters to ultra-Orthodox Jews traveling from the kosher enclaves of Borough Park to the Hasidic haven of Williamsburg.
Some Hasidim fear a gentile company could take over the line and might run routes on Saturdays, fail to separate men and women riders, and stop giving discounts to yeshiva students.
“If it operates on shabbos, then people will completely stop using it,” said Hasidic activist Isaac Abraham.
Of particular concern to religious riders is a phrase in the city’s request for proposals that calls on the winning operator to provide service “seven days per week.”
A Jewish-owned company, Private Transportation, has run the religious route for the last 37 years, but not during the sabbath.
Jacob Marmurstein, owner of Private Transportation, uses a board of consulting rabbis to toe the line. Men sit in the first four or five rows with women and strollers in the back.
Right now, the route begins outside Mendel’s Pizza on 18th Avenue and 50th Street in Borough Park. Buses run about every 20 minutes.
The bus service happens to be gives horrible service. They need new owners but it’s definitely gotta be jewish owners
Stating that “if the line runs on Shabbos the people won’t use it”, is just untrue. There would be no reason halachicly to not go on a bus owned by non-Jews, which operates on Shabbos.
As a former rider of this bus,and as a williamsburg resident, I can air my grievances against this bus line. This bus line is very popular with students, workers, and shoppers. Private transportation has failed to meet our needs. They don’t supply air conditioned busses in the scorching summer days, the busses are overcrowded too frequently, and they run on a haphazard schedule.
I work in boro park but resort to car pooling daily.
Not one person I know would be bothered by non-jewish ownership or saturday routes. That is pure bluff, Mr. Abrahams!!
For years petitions have been sent up and down the aisles daily, calling on the owners of the route tpo improve service. If that wasn’t done yet, good for them fopr losing the route!
why is private transportation giving up the route?
Maybe Egged could step in
Why can’t we use it if it goes on shabbos ? Its a goyish company. There aloud to work on shabbos. No?
What happened? are they forced to give up the bus line because of bankruptcy? or are people claiming discrimination perhaps?
It simply won’t be profitable to run a Williamsburg-Borough Park bus line on Shabbos.And why would anyone care? Nearly empty city buses have been running through each neighborhood on Shabbos for over 50 years. Noone pays any attention.
I think the seperation between men and women are going to be more of an issue for a non-Jewish owned (& possibly, even a Jewish owned) bus company.
Its time for the MTA to take over this line.
its about time for a normal owner; in the busy days it looks like a bus full of sardines
The only thing what could b a problem is if they gonna stop the separate beside that if they will give good service we will be more than happy to ride with them.
Does anyone remember the original owners?
The Perlsteins
They ran a great bus company.
Who can forget Yisroel Moshe
if the mta takes over the route it will be poorly run then cut due to money problems
Is this part of the MTA cuts ?
Who cares if a goyisha company runs on Shabbos? Improvement is definitely needed on this line.
Just heard from insiders: This was “Intergeshtelt” by a few Heimish People who want that the current owner should loose the ownership. This is something that will never happen as per Mike Bloomberg told for many people.
And if not separated seating, does no one use the B-11 or the train for that matter or airplane, this is stam more political words, that does not need to be said, enough complaining with every step the city is doing we yiden have to voice negative comments on every issue? be happy the city is taking over this ugly bus company, yes it is a shame that chasidishe yiden treat other yiden like dogs without any service what so ever, if the MTA would run a bus route like this Mr. Abraham would by screaming in protest – Discrimination against us! shame on the Private Bus Company owners, you are a disgrace to Klal Yisroel, and to Chasidim B’frat!
A note to my chasidish brethren: Like any other non-jewish owned bus or subway. They do not have to enforce separate seating. If you don’t want to sit next to a woman, then DON’T!! You cannot expect them to enforce this for you. I’m sure your parents and grandparents did not make such an issue about this when they travelled subways and buses. Also, saying that if the bus runs on shabbos, u won’t use it, that has to be one of the stupidest things I’ve heard yet. You think you’re so holy, do what they did in the shtetlech, get a horse and buggy. Oh, and make sure the wagon driver is not a woman.
I support the change, tell me why mothers “shlepping” children and strollers in one arm need to go to the back of the bus with no A/C while the men sit comfortably in the front. I’ve always noticed how women are treated so poorly on these buses. Look at the MTA city buses that has a wider area in the FRONT of the bus for ppl with stroller, children and the elderly. maybe it is time for a change
Horrible buses. Time to change
I agree no frum yid should use the bus service on Shabbos!
What actualy is happening is called a RFP, request for proposal.the city is bidding out the transportation route.the present owner is not disqualified from entering the process. The city wants to assure that there is a fair process to see what proposals are submitted and make the process more competitive and will result in better service for the user.
I ride the bus daily from Boro Park to Williamsburgh and back. The bus drivers who may be frum Jews or non-Jews never, ever say anything. It’s the passengers who make an issue to separate themselves into women’s and men’s sections. They only take your money and drive. By the way, the City buses go back and forth on Shabbos..no problem..Frum Jews will not be taking the bus on Shabbos, regardless.
“Saturday” also includes motzoei Shabbos. There may well be no issue here as motzash especially in the winter and spring should be a peak time.
What does the city have to do with a private bus company providing a service? Do they stick their grubby fingers in the way of the Hannuka bus or whatever that yellow thing is called?
Does such a bus route get funding from the govroment? Is it a good business to go in?
Should I give a plan of better buses and more buses on rush hours?
Here we go again…some people who don’t fargin Mr. Marmorstein!
They try their best to provided service.
Anytime is the service as on time as city buses.
Yes, they could be cleaner and better kept or get newer buses.
Perhaps someone who is so critical should try opening up and alternate bus company and then improvement will be seen.
By the way although there are many frum unemployed it is below them to drive such as a bus or truck!
Don’t get me wrong , my husband is a truckdriver of many years.
Although i drive and have my own car, i prefer taking the bus when going to Willy so i don’t have problem of parking when i return to B.P. late at night. The service at night is on time and excellent!
Worse than the carriages opened are the cell phones opened and the yenting and loshon hora one is exposed to!!!
Whats the problem with a non jewish company running on shabbos? the problem would be the separation and for that the rabonim will have to give a pesack that the women should go to the back.
I think that Mr. Abraham is just trying to make this into a political issue without getting involved the core of kedushas yisroel for political resons.
Look at Monsey Trails that is controlled by a heimishe yid from New Square and for political reasons they gave up kedushas yisroel.
ive seen by bus stops the sign for b11 and b110, and was told the b110 is the willy-bp bus….so maybe that was in the works a long time ago….
I traveled on a lot of bus companies in my life, private and public never saw such a on time schedule like this company.Besides u can get a ride from 18 up to Ft hamilton only for a buck & the mta is $2.25
TIme for change, when i go the bus is full,there is no air to breath
never mind the service, must of the buses are so old every second day a bus is in flames on the bqe,men,women,children are running down with there neshma in there hands,
Time for change!!!!!!!!!!!! Why are there never enough seats at peak times. The company knows exactly when they need more buses. No problem for them. They just have all the women standing in the aisles with babies in their arms (sometimes even men too). Just because people want seperate seating, that is not an excuse to be taken advantage of. I often do have a seat, as I live near the higher avenues. However I feel sorry for the young pregnant women that get on and dont have a seat.
I feel ashamed that I cannot give them my seat, as I suffer with problems in my legs a nd cannot stand.
ok. as a fourmer driver on this route,let me clear up some points for the oilem. 1) The buses used on this routes are Bargain Basement buses. costing anywhere from $ 800 to $15.000 (i know i used to pik them up from new jersuy transet auktions years ago.) A niea(new) bus cost cost abut $ 220,000 meybe more. that explainz the bad conditision of the buses. and the lack or air conditision. 2) Do any of you know that lest week at the pri bid meeting when other goyishe companies came to find out about bidding on this route,a handful of chasidishe people suddenly came into the meeting rum and said to the goyishe companiez there,that they are very happie with Marmurstein and his service. And that if a goyishe company will win the route, it will have to put up with the seperetion of men and women,baby carriages,run special skedules on holidays,and other problems that only a jewish company can put up with. In short they intimidated the goyishe companies fro looking into the route,at which point the goyishe companies STOOD UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MEETING AND LEFT. Mr ABRAHAM were you at that meeting? because I WAS. Are you being paid by Marmurstein to dis courauge the others bider
Long time for change!!! they treat us horrible first they or israeli sabra`s or chinease that donqt understand a word english for drivers. tznius??? they don`t give a dam for they make women should stand or push thru the men standing… scheduale realy off… only 2 busses
nigh.t anyway anyway it`s time for change saperate seating depands on the riders not on the compeny we`re talking about haimishe riders tgha know that ladies belong in the back
Nothing like COMPETITION to get better service. This Company has a MONOPOLY for 37 years and literally DOES WHAT THEY WANT! You can’t run a company that way. The customer is totally disregarded. I’m speaking from experience – I take the bus twice a day and the service is a DISASTER!
worst bus line. its like the roller coaster without any air. cant get any worse than
its now. gotta move on.
I hope this happens I never heard anything good about the bus line only terrible things about the schedule and terrible mean drivers
The current operator deserves to lose the route. The service is worse than horrible!!!
The best idea get some bikes will save some money and the same time have some fun too…will ask DOT to implement bike lanes on the BQE…..lets go for it…
dont make it worse than it is…whenever i needed to take a bus, it was on time…and there was enough place for everyone. true, in the busy seasons, it does get a bit hectic…but so does MTA, try traveling with the L train to Manhattan at 9 in the morning-if you dont fit, u dont get on…and that never happened to me on the bus.
Quite a few bus companies are looking into taking over this route. Let’s give em a chance. It cant get any worse,and they wont have a monolopy for 37 years as Private has. And to the idiot that said that jewish people will not ride with a goyishe(non jewish) company,what planet is he from? Do jewish people,including hasidim ride on MTA buses and trains? As a former driver for Private, i can personally tell you,that a lot of improvement can be done to this route. And any company will match or beat the present operators,especially when they will put on new or semi new buses,with working air cond. and heat. nuff said.
I dont mind sitting in the back of the bus its standing behind the bus when it pulls out from the stop that its bad. The black smoke that comes out of some of those busses….
maybe the new busses are gonna do the work?!?!?!?!?!?!?! 🙂
i say the bus is good but the drivers some are very abnoxious esp to the women ,were paying u shmocks and making u rich at least be kind and corteous