Trimess

Saturday, November 3, 2012

WHY DO OPERATORS CLOSE THE DOORS AT LAYOVERS?

And force the pubic to stand outside sometimes in the most vile conditions. I remember once when I and Willie Moore (also retired) where at Washington square it was cold and pouring down rain. Both me and Willie were in my bus at the time and sat there in disbelief as the operator forced mothers with children and elderly people to endure the horrible weather while they sat inside the heated bus taking their break. Both Willie and I were truly horrified at the sight of this completely insensitive operator.

I know this is a sensitive subject the but the rules are the rules. Trimet has rules but they don't bother enforcing them. The reason: THERE IS NOBODY IN CHARGE OF ANYTHING AT TRIMET. It's a free for all there. Take it from somebody that spent 15 years of his life there observing, listening, and taking extensive notes.

Here are the rules:

1.    Make layovers only in authorized locations.
2.    If your layover is at a bus stop, your doors must remain open to allow customer to board the bus. The only exceptions to the open door policy are as follows:
  • North Terminal: Keep bus doors closed and do not allow customers to board at any time when laying over at North Terminal.
  • Any security or safety concern at a layover, close your doors and notify dispatch: Press RTT – Please Call me and SEND.

5 comments:

PuddleCityPete said...

Al,
I seem to remember that you stated that you din't follow the rules yet you are outraged about others not following the rules.
You said you never worried about the fares. You stated you didn't have folks fold strollers. You said you allowed bikes inside your bus. All of these actions made it just that much harder for the operators that tried to follow the rules to do their jobs safely. Yes, I know you are proud of the fact that you were the other driver. Now you are on your sick witch hunt about rules. Your hypocracy has never ceased to amaze me.
I have never not allowed folks on my bus. I also rarely get a break during my work day. Being a mini runner you never had to deal with the long hours we do. Yet, after working, part-time, for 15 years you seem to hate all trimet employees actions. You really need to get a life and enjoy your retirement. This mission you are on is going to kill you Al.
I feel sorry for you.

Al M said...

I'm not on any mission so don't feel sorry for me.

You read the rule, it says let them on the bus.

I was against any rule that hurt riders.
Making moms fold up strollers is a inhuman rule, forcing poor people to pay fare or get off is a inhuman rule, especially since we (the operators) are getting $25+ dollars and hour and benefits.

I followed my own code, if it hurt riders I didn't follow it. That was my code. I lived for the riders and did everything I could to be helpful to them. Bus operators are actually very powerful people and have the power to make or break somebody's day. I never called the police once in 15 years. I never through any one off for not having fare. I gave fares away to homeless people that had no money. I'm proud of all of that.

And I've stated before, there are many operators who DISRESPECT the riders which is abominable! How the hell they ever got in Trimet amazes me. I used to cringe while observing some of the stories going on in the TC's break rooms.

You don't like my point of view, as do most current operators. I'm sorry for that but I see things for what they are.

And then there was Trimet management used threats and intimidation to shut me up. As such they created in me an obsession with all of this. It only became that way with the change over in management. The Fred Hansen management actually had my respect but the neil mcfarlane management gets ZERO RESPECT from me.

And anybody that is working 15 hours day gets no sympathy from me. You're the fools.

punkrawker4783 said...

Our Layover doors policy is 2m before departure. But if you let one on, you have to let everyone on. At one end of my current route, its at a transit center where it at the stop. So I am allowed to have a peaceful break until just before its time to go. If its really cold/windy out, ill let them on during my break, but theres times I leave, and its easier to do with no one on the bus.

Al M said...

Metro policies are not the same as TRIMET's.

punkrawker4783 said...

Whoever said they were, I was adding our policy for compare/contrasting.