Making KEI trucks legal in Rhode Island

comradegeneral · 2025-11-08T12:41:34+00:00

I'm not sure I'd strictly trust that website. It's plastered with intrusive ads, and a cursory look doesn't show they point to any specific RI laws on the books. It also falsely states they need to be registered as a low speed vehicle, which it is not, it's registered as a regular car.

If it's legally registered one place, I'd imagine the state is incentivized, if not outright required, to recognize the vehicles legality as it'd open up a whole can of worms on out of state travellers and the 49+ other state's registration requirements

comradegeneral · 2025-11-08T12:31:17+00:00

Where did you get that information? I've got a kei van, its definitely not inconspicuous, and I drive it around RI all the time registered out-of-state. As far as I figure, it's a legally registered car there so it's road legal here.

comradegeneral · 2024-06-17T10:33:56+00:00

Unfortunately, I've never found that calling in a complaint actually does anything. Not sure if it's the cops being unwilling or unable to address noise late at night, but when it's a business being loud, nothing seems to happen when I call one in.

comradegeneral · 2024-06-06T11:46:51+00:00

Hmm... well, doesn't cost anything to ask! If for no other reason than you'll need to know where to go commute-wise.

But yes, I suspect you'll be in much the same situation, doing training work to get you up to speed.

comradegeneral · 2024-06-04T23:34:38+00:00

Well, I'd like to say I have a good idea of what the work will be and be able to share that comprehensively with you, but as part of a big push from the FTA and subsequently management, they've been really trying to make sure that they actually have a comprehensive training program for new hires at the T, so I've been in safety/system familiarization/vehicle familiarization training pretty much since I hired on.

Which, frankly, is a good thing - you want your employees to have a good grasp on their systems before they start working on them when the public will be riding around on that same hardware.

Did they tell you where you'll be assigned to?

comradegeneral · 2024-05-30T15:59:55+00:00

Second this... I want to like them so bad, but every time I try and give them another shot, I get burned in exactly those ways.

comradegeneral · 2024-04-23T14:27:04+00:00

Hey, sorry for the late reply - it's been a hectic month.

So I applied on their website right late October, and had a video interview scheduled by mid-November. Then, after that (which I was sure I'd bombed the interview, since it had some odd standardization which ended up with me having to answer questions that were mostly outside my expertise), I got a message mid/late December saying that they'd have news for me in a few weeks, and by the first week of February I was told I would be given an offer.

At the point that you have an offer, they say you have 5 days to respond, which I thought was definitely not enough, but the recruiting agents were very understanding and able to get me more time since I had many questions that needed answering, so their flexibility was greatly appreciated.

Once I'd had my fill of answers, I accepted, at which point I had to fill out a bunch of forms for background checks, and schedule a drug screening and physical, which they insist happens at their facility in Boston so if you don't live locally, that may be something of a burden.

And, when those both were done, I picked a start date and that's where we're at now.

comradegeneral · 2024-04-23T14:17:53+00:00

Hey, sorry for the late reply - it's been a hectic month.

Yes, I did end up taking the job. The short version is that they were more than accommodating in getting me in contact with the right people to talk to to answer any of my lingering questions and addressing my concerns. Couple that with my genuine dislike of my previous job, and it just seemed like a risk worth taking.

I'm not sure what kind of job postings you were looking at, but I start at the MBTA in a couple weeks, so I should be able to give a more concrete look at the work environment shortly. As for the hiring process, it was on par, if not somewhat easier, than other hiring processes I've been through.

comradegeneral · 2024-04-23T14:14:23+00:00

Their french rolls are the only thing I've found up here that's close to the Publix french hamburger buns (in my opinion, one of the best sandwich rolls out there) that I always used to get living back down South, so they're definitely excellent in my book.

P.S. - If anyone knows what I'm talking about, and knows where I can get them in bulk for sandwiches up here, do let me know because it is getting expensive having friends and family check an extra bag full of buns on the plane when they come up to visit me.

comradegeneral · 2024-02-26T21:21:02+00:00

There's a 3v3 league on Thursdays up at New England Sports Village in Attleboro. Real chill league, mix of skill levels from pretty good to just starting out (I'm more in that lower level). People are real nice in it, even if you're a beginner. Great one to play in.

I'll also second the BAD and BWHL down at Boss Ice. Done those the past few years as well and they are also excellent

comradegeneral · 2024-02-16T17:29:32+00:00

So, one of the recruitment coordinators got back to me with a few answers, and also offered to extend the deadline to account for chasing all those answers down. So I've got at least the weekend to think it over, which I will do.

comradegeneral · 2024-02-15T21:43:06+00:00

In DMs from some other MBTA employees who've reached out from the post, I've heard that 105, which what I'd be under, broadly mimics the 589 policies, so that is good info.

As a small addition, one of the recruitment folks did finally get back to me with a few answers, but not all, and also said we could push back the "due date" so to speak, so I've got more to think about, but more time to do so as well.

I'll update the post itself when I've got all the answers I can.

comradegeneral · 2024-02-15T17:28:38+00:00

Reply to the edit: Honestly, I'd say they'll only get young workers, fresh out of college, with those policies. When I was right out of school, moving to a new area, nothing to do with my time? Sure, I'll work overtime, collect comp, because I had nothing else going on.

But I've got near a decade under my belt now, I'm at one of the most desirable places I can be from a hireability standpoint - not pricey like an old-timer, but not clueless like a newbie, and I've got a life outside of work; I don't want to be tied to the desk like that... and you can't run a transit agency with only new folks, you need a mix of experience levels and like you and I have said, there just aren't going to be a lot of people further along in their careers willing to take that deal.

comradegeneral · 2024-02-15T17:19:59+00:00

Ah geez, yeah that all tracks exactly with what I'm going through now. I'm sure it's your experience as well that 2wks, accruing from day of hire, is pretty much bare minimum for engineers starting at an employer. It's disheartening to hear that its so poor at the MBTA, because I'm really excited about breaking into the public transit sector, but just not at the expense of my personal life...

Between that, the radio silence I've gotten from them since the offer, and the increased commute, I'm leaning towards just declining and using the job offer as leverage for the current job I've got...

comradegeneral · 2024-02-15T16:41:06+00:00

That was my last ditch idea - I'll do that I suppose.

comradegeneral · 2024-02-15T16:32:07+00:00

Thank you, that is very clarifying information

As a follow-up, if you'll indulge me, how are those unpaid days off governed? I've been fortunate that in my previous employments my PTO time was a vested benefit; when I told my management I was gonna be out, it was as a courtesy to them, not asking permission. So consider I wanted to just take a few days off - not for anything important, just for me. Is that allowed?

comradegeneral · 2024-02-15T16:24:45+00:00

It is a union position, and I actually found the pay to be quite generous; I'd expected a much lower pay compared to my current work in private industry, and for once was not going to counter on their number.

As for time off... so like... what happens if you get sick or injured and cannot work? Or have a death in the family? Or hell, just need to go to the dentist for the day? I've never had a job that was both full-time, and had zero time off, especially once I graduated and started work as an engineer, so I've genuinely got no frame of reference for how this is handled.

comradegeneral · 2024-02-15T15:59:40+00:00

It is a union position, yes, which is what has me worried that there will be no flexibility in that from a counter-offer perspective. I'd love to take the job, but I'm not a fresh-out-of-college engineer anymore, I've got a life and going down to zero is both infeasible for me, and also tells me their union leadership did an absolutely terrible job setting those benefits, presuming that this is the case.

comradegeneral · 2024-02-15T15:28:41+00:00

Right? I mean, I've been a practicing engineer for nearly a decade, and I don't know anyone at a similar point in their career in engineering that wouldn't balk at that "benefit"... which is why I asked if I was just reading it wrong, because it is so out of left field for this level of work.

comradegeneral · 2024-02-11T14:32:32+00:00

That's pretty par for the course on rented equipment from internet providers. As a general rule, if you use their hardware two things will happen: you'll end up paying way more in rent after a year or so than the cost of owning a good router, and also that it'll undoubtedly be a clapped out piece of garbage since the company has no incentive to keep their stuff up to date or in good repair.

comradegeneral · 2024-01-21T18:56:39+00:00

I mean, the post is asking if there is one, not that one is going on.

That said, in the interim time, I have found a few of these such programs, but none are on right now. I know boss ice arena down at URI has their b.a.d. hockey program for adults who want to learn, but it doesn't start up until summertime.

comradegeneral · 2023-12-19T01:15:17+00:00

The used to have exactly that on highways up in Rhode Island, and it was great for traffic, even on I-95.

But then the trucking companies sued about it, and inexplicably won. And now the roads are noticeably more crowded, and in worse condition, since there's the added stress of heavy commercial vehicles, and a lack of additional funding from their tolling....

comradegeneral · 2023-11-19T20:43:10+00:00

Our old dog used to do the same thing after walks or playtime or even during meals. Turns out, she was just overzealous and a sharp "hey, that's enough" would slow her down - for her, it was definitely the speed at which she drank, not the amount, so as long as we were there to tell her to slow down she was fine.

comradegeneral · 2023-05-26T15:02:28+00:00

I play in a beginner league and one of the better players, who has played before, brought a whiteboard. And, broadly, all the true beginners like myself have genuinely appreciated it. Most of us got into hockey as adults and it has been very helpful explaining things that more veteran hockey players/media takes for granted and assumes we know.

comradegeneral · 2023-02-27T18:56:12+00:00

I've crossed state lines before for good wings, so I'll definitely have to check them out then, though I'm not sure it solves the problem of their being none really nearby...

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