TRIMET-THE EARLY YEARS-STORIES FROM EMPLOYEES

The response from employees for stories about growing up riding the system was overwhelming! There were too many to fit into the August 17 paycheck flier. More stories appear below. You can add yours in the comments section.


Possibilities

“I grew up in the Portland area in a large, poor family (we only had one car for a family of seven). My dad used the car, but my mom took the bus to and from work leaving the house at 5 am each morning. Collectively, their determination and unwavering commitment to improve life for their family, and to overcome challenges helped to shape my work and personal ethics. TriMet gave me the ability to pursue my educational and work related experiences which helped to further my professional career. I used the bus system growing up from 5th grade through college. I rode the bus with my brother to go downtown to work at my dad’s restaurant, to my internship with Les Aucoin, to Cleveland High School, to the Woodstock Library where I had a part time job, and to Columbia Sportswear (when they used to be located in the St. John’s area) for an accounting internship. I also took the bus to U of P for college. Before this reflection exercise, I had no idea how instrumental TriMet was to my professional and personal development. Without TriMet, none of this would have been possible!”--Darlene Gastineau, internal audit manager

Generations of service

“I rode Rose City Transit to and from school as a young boy. I’ve been riding the system all my life. I still ride when I have the time. My grandfather was a bus driver, my father-in-law was a bus driver and driver supervisor. When they offered me a job driving TriMet bus, I called my grandmother for advice. She made sure I understood what I was getting into and encouraged me to take the job”--Denis Van Dyke, director of operations support



Feeling like a grownup

“I used to take the #57 in Aloha to Skate World in Hillsboro along TV Hwy. I would also take the #57 into downtown Portland to meet my parents for lunch or into Hillsboro to see friends. I remember when there were also symbols at the bus stops, like a raindrop or deer or maybe even a fish? I also remember how I was nervous that I’d miss my stop and every bus operator was so helpful in letting me know when it was my stop. It was a ‘big deal’ to be 12-13 years old and riding the bus into downtown Portland alone, like I was a grown up! And here I am today – working at TriMet and witnessing the same commitment to excellent customer service every day. I’ve been riding for about 30 years (minus some time out of town for college).”--Denise Woodward, coordinator, Operations services



Learning the rider’s perspective

“I was a hellion to the drivers. We’d stop the bus and ask the driver what time it was. I rode the 72, the 19, the 4 and what was then the 5, the Hawthorne bus. Being a rider maybe gives me a little more compassion with new riders. And less tolerance for those who try to scam the system. I’d rather they were just honest with me.”--Bruce Hansen, bus operator



Improved Westside options

“Back in the day we had to walk forever on roads without sidewalks to get to a bus. I rode 52, 57 and 62. Now the Westside has so many more options!”

—Corrinna Griffis, representative, customer service



Driving the bus I used to ride

“I rode the 8 to Benson. And now any time I can sign the 8, I do. It’s really cool to drive the bus I used to ride, and I understand the passengers because I know what we were like.”--Clarke Boozer, bus operator



Looking behind the scenes

“I remember in second grade we rode a TriMet bus to the Zoo—I don’t know why we didn’t use a school bus. There were a lot of parent volunteers in those days, and they sat in the back and let us sit by ourselves. It was almost like being teenagers, because the big kids rode the bus. We felt so grown up. I never thought I’d be working for TriMet. I thought of TriMet as buses, operators, MAX. I never thought about planners, schedulers, cleaners. When you’re John Q Public, you never think of what’s behind the scenes—you never think of everything that goes into getting that bus on the road. I love being behind the scenes. TriMet’s almost like an island, with our own TriMetian society.”--Monika Johnson, executive coordinator



Transit can get you there

“I was a Southeast boy, riding Rose City Transit. When you’ve ridden as a child, you don’t have that non-rider prejudice. You don’t have to be convinced that transit can get you there.”--Brian Runyan, bus operator (and Bus Transportation Safety Committee chair)



Enjoyment, history, family

“I lived near 42nd so the 75 was a constant. It was my key to enjoying Portland.”—Dan Christensen, bus operator



“I didn’t ride TriMet—I rode Rose City Transit! Woo hoo!”—Jan Hustad Martin, representative, marketing



“I rode the 1 and the 75, and I visited my dad at work, so I knew about the bullpen, about different driving styles and personalities.”--Dane Lepsey, bus operator (just since June!)



A lifetime in transit

“My mom was an operator and I grew up right along with the system. I remember the old bus garage with the big chimney and the pool tables—they told me the pool tables were 75 years old, which would make them more than 100 years old today. I’d ride with my mom at night. I remember my mom’s bus would stop at the old Greyhound bus depot and we’d use the bathroom down in the basement. This security guard yelled at me, asking why I was there and I said, “My mom’s a bus driver!” and I started crying. I’ve never paid to ride the bus. I’ve always been a dependent or an employee. Even in San Francisco and Seattle, they let me use my TriMet ID.” --Cory Hull, senior partsman, rail maintenance



Transit “VIP”

“Since my Mom worked here, I always had a dependent pass. I would feel very special having my ‘VIP’ pass. My friends would be jealous that I didn’t have to worry about fare $, transfers, etc. Even as a rambunctious teenager, I had to be on my best behavior (and my friends too) because most of the operators knew my Mom!!”--Jamal Austin, supervisor, document services



Capitol Hill Dave

When I first met Capitol Hill Dave, I was riding Greg Johnson’s bus—Greg was an operator then and he’s a trainer now. I must have been about, oh, 12 or 13 years old. I could have been a little younger. Capitol Hill Dave (I wish I could remember his last name – he passed away here about 7 or 8 years ago I think) knew every line of the system, where every bus stop was, knew most of the drivers, and although he could try an operator’s patience from time to time, I always thought he was neat to listen to. If someone got on the bus and needed to know how to get from point A to point B, Dave could tell them how to get there. I also remember seeing him frequently watching the trains move through the Brooklyn Railyard from the top of the Holgate overpass. I think he lived at the Odd Fellow’s hall up around 30th & Holgate. I had the privilege, when I first started, of having Dave ride my bus before he became bedridden.—Joe Stein, rail controller



Photo: In 1984, with his bus stopped at an Estacada layover, operator Dwight Botel posed his infant son Blaine in the driver’s seat. Today, Blaine’s an operator, too. Read the Botels’ story