Live over by Van Brunt and after 9 the B61 turns into a myth. BusTime will show a bus 4 minutes away, then 12, then it vanishes. Last three weeknights I've ended up walking to Smith-9th and beating a bus that eventually rolled past me when I was already at the station. Is the move just to not wait at all if it's not already at the stop? Does the schedule even pretend to run every 15 at that hour or is that just fan fiction?

Ok I literally just moved near Coffey St and thought I was reading my own notes. I waited 22 minutes Tuesday and two buses arrived at once, both not in service. Is that normal for this route? Also is BusTime just lying? I don't get why it said '2 min' then disappeared. Do you actually walk down to the F/G at Smith-9th or up to Carroll St? I’m still learning which stops are safe/not sketchy at night. Any difference between B61 and B57 for leaving Red Hook if you’re trying to get toward downtown Brooklyn?

Same here — I’m new to Red Hook and keep getting burned around 10. Google Maps told me to catch the B61 at Van Brunt/Pioneer, but the bus that pulled up had its lights off and the driver just pointed back toward Beard St. Is there a terminal or layover spot there? I ended up paying for a Citi Bike and riding to Borough Hall because I was late. Do buses actually start their route at the Red Hook houses or somewhere weird? Also do the rear door OMNY readers work on those older buses? I tried tapping and the driver waved me on but the reader just blinked.

big_city_beth, the B57 is a little less of a ghost but it dumps you further north, so if you want the F/G, walk to Smith-9th. DykerNewbie, the B61 turns around around Beard/Coffey? There's a layover by the park, drivers sit there forever. Google doesn't always know which stop is the first pickup.

For BusTime, don't trust a bus that says '2 min' unless it also shows a bus number moving on the map. If it's blank or the number appears and disappears, it's probably a run that died in the terminal. Honestly after 9 I give it five minutes, then I walk up Court or Clinton toward Smith-9th; you'll usually beat the bus and you get some air. If you see it behind you, wave it down at the next stop only if it's actually in service.

Okay so I tried the five minute rule last night. Left around 9:30, waited at Van Brunt/Coffey for four minutes while BusTime cycled between 3 and 11. Started walking toward Smith-9th, and sure enough the bus passed me about halfway there. I was already basically at the station stairs so I didn't even care. Thanks for the tip.

One thing I don't get: the bus stop sign had no route number? It was blank at the top. I thought it was an old B77 stop or something. Also, about unofficial stuff—like in Super asked me for a cash tip before fixing my kitchen sink — is this a thing? where someone’s super asked for a cash tip before fixing a sink, is it the same with bus drivers? I had a driver tell me to just 'get on through the back' when the front reader was taped over, but there was no fare inspector. Is that normal or did I accidentally skip the fare? Not trying to get a ticket on week two.

big_city_beth, the blank sign might just be a MTA new sign template? I saw that on Van Brunt and thought it was for a school bus, not sure. Gowanus_G, the walking to Smith-9th move works but the hill and stairs at Smith-9th are rough if you just missed the train and the escalator is off. I did it last night and then had to wait 12 min on the platform anyway.

Does anyone cut through the Home Depot lot? Somebody told me you can come in from the back but I didn't want to get chased by security. Also, if the driver waves you through the back, you're fine—the rear door reader should still have charged you if you tapped, but half the time the screen stays black and then your OMNY history shows a charge later. At least that's what happened to me.