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Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Westside riders roast today
While a row new buses sit idle at the Powell Garage
@punk: as far as I am aware, they are sitting because the new radio system is still being tested and those buses are not compatible with the old system.
On a temporary basis...the operators of those buses can be given portable radios. Like those used by the road relief drivers.
It isn't rocket science operating a bus fleet; surely there are workarounds to get these new buses in service. They can be restricted to the 9, 10, and 72 routes (that don't go to Swan Island) to keep them close to Powell.
Is it the best option? No. But it's better than continuing to keep the 1400s in service without air conditioning and making those drivers and riders suffer. The cost of renting a portable radio ($50?) far outweighs the cost to TriMet of dealing with the Operator of a 1400 who is suffering heat stroke, along with several riders, who then require ambulances, a replacement driver and bus, and now paying for medical care and lost time for the driver.
I even suggested that over the course of one weekend the radios and fareboxes (which will be recycled anyways to the new buses) be pulled from the 1400s and installed in the 3000s to get them in service. Are they the new radios? No. But will they work for now? Yes.
TriMet exhibits an amazing amount of ingenuity and can-do spirit when it comes to rail. When it comes to bus, all I hear are excuses as to why TriMet can't do something...things so simple, that if it involved MAX, TriMet would personally move the earth and moon to make it happen.
Erik, sometimes I just dont think that you think things thru. Not everything is as simple as "What it takes to satisfy Erik". There are rules & procedures to be followed.
Heres a real example, our newest coach, 6800, arrived in mid-late June, its still not in service yet. MONTHS we've had it......your crying over a few WEEKS. Understand its not always as easy as you think, no matter how much you complain over and over and over and over and....
So basically you are ranting about me, instead of giving ONE valid reason why the buses aren't in service?
Exactly what rules and procedures need to be followed? I've been told there is a CFR involved - yet not one person can actually cite any federal rule, law, regulation, that mandates that the buses sit in a parking lot.
Meanwhile, airlines routinely will fly pilots from their headquarters to Boeing Field, sign off on the delivery paperwork, fly home in their brand new Boeing 737, and put the ship directly into service. These are planes that if there's a defect - they crash and kill 150 people. If the bus has a defect - nobody dies. Nobody gets hurt.
Never mind that the buses already have 700 miles on the odometer. Driving up and down some of the nation's most difficult stretches of Interstate highway, making fuel stops and putting a little wear and tear on tires and brakes.
So...I guess all that's left is to personally criticize me for questioning why these buses aren't in service, because not ONE person can give me a single valid explanation other than a personal attack for asking. I'd like to think that we're spending close to half a million dollars in public, taxpayer funds on these buses, and the buses on the road are absolute shit - maybe, just maybe, TriMet should use those public resources for the public good? And actually use them for their intended purpose? Is that verboten, is that a sin?
So there's a technical glitch - I gave specific suggestions on how to workaround those glitches. Again, no valid explanation as to why those workarounds can't be done, just a personal attack.
If it's not as easy as it seems, please, enlighten me. Explain specifically what valid rationale exists that demands that those buses sit in a parking lot rather than serve the good people of the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District who have paid good money for those buses. Explain exactly why these buses cannot be used. Because I'm hearing a lot of "Erik"s, a lot of Jeopardy music, a lot of crickets, a lot of people kissing Neil McFarlane's ass...I should be hearing the roar of a Cummins diesel engine. 55 of them. Serving the public, providing good, reliable public transportation. Not the sound of ass-kissing.
I cant tell you why they are not in service, I dont work for TriMet, I work for METRO, who also takes some time to put buses into service. Sound Transit received buses in May of 10, in service around Thanksgiving.
And a rule that mandates they sit in a parking lot? Maybe its a rule that mandates safety? Maybe, they simply are not ready yet!!
Maybe you should get some contacts over at TriMet and ask why, instead of assuming they are out to inconvenience you. If you can't do the research on this, and find out WHY they are not in service yet, then my comment still holds ground, you just complain and complain without facts, or some knowledge of the process that is the base of your complaint.
In fairness, if TriMet puts these into service within 3 months of arrival, thats actually pretty quick compared to our lead times, and we have a far better system.
There are other things I see you complain about, that really has valid answers, but until YOU drive a bus for a while, its possible you may never understand why things fall they way they do.
Maybe, but NOBODY knows why...Shall I email them and ask for all of you? I mean thats all Erik has to do, if he really wants to know.
But my theory is this, TriMet isnt just sitting on these for fun, or to piss Erik off, they have no reason to. There has to be SOMETHING hung up in the process here. The the problem is with ALL of them, not just one or two, but unless someone has answers, or will take the time to GET answers, assuming is not the right course here.
12 comments:
Dinasours run and the brand new buses sit
Did you poke around, and see if they had all their radios, license plates, fareboxes, and otherwise look ready to go?
There could be a reason they are still there, perhaps you should ask someone?
@punk: as far as I am aware, they are sitting because the new radio system is still being tested and those buses are not compatible with the old system.
On a temporary basis...the operators of those buses can be given portable radios. Like those used by the road relief drivers.
It isn't rocket science operating a bus fleet; surely there are workarounds to get these new buses in service. They can be restricted to the 9, 10, and 72 routes (that don't go to Swan Island) to keep them close to Powell.
Is it the best option? No. But it's better than continuing to keep the 1400s in service without air conditioning and making those drivers and riders suffer. The cost of renting a portable radio ($50?) far outweighs the cost to TriMet of dealing with the Operator of a 1400 who is suffering heat stroke, along with several riders, who then require ambulances, a replacement driver and bus, and now paying for medical care and lost time for the driver.
I even suggested that over the course of one weekend the radios and fareboxes (which will be recycled anyways to the new buses) be pulled from the 1400s and installed in the 3000s to get them in service. Are they the new radios? No. But will they work for now? Yes.
TriMet exhibits an amazing amount of ingenuity and can-do spirit when it comes to rail. When it comes to bus, all I hear are excuses as to why TriMet can't do something...things so simple, that if it involved MAX, TriMet would personally move the earth and moon to make it happen.
Erik, sometimes I just dont think that you think things thru. Not everything is as simple as "What it takes to satisfy Erik". There are rules & procedures to be followed.
Heres a real example, our newest coach, 6800, arrived in mid-late June, its still not in service yet. MONTHS we've had it......your crying over a few WEEKS. Understand its not always as easy as you think, no matter how much you complain over and over and over and over and....
So basically you are ranting about me, instead of giving ONE valid reason why the buses aren't in service?
Exactly what rules and procedures need to be followed? I've been told there is a CFR involved - yet not one person can actually cite any federal rule, law, regulation, that mandates that the buses sit in a parking lot.
Meanwhile, airlines routinely will fly pilots from their headquarters to Boeing Field, sign off on the delivery paperwork, fly home in their brand new Boeing 737, and put the ship directly into service. These are planes that if there's a defect - they crash and kill 150 people. If the bus has a defect - nobody dies. Nobody gets hurt.
Never mind that the buses already have 700 miles on the odometer. Driving up and down some of the nation's most difficult stretches of Interstate highway, making fuel stops and putting a little wear and tear on tires and brakes.
So...I guess all that's left is to personally criticize me for questioning why these buses aren't in service, because not ONE person can give me a single valid explanation other than a personal attack for asking. I'd like to think that we're spending close to half a million dollars in public, taxpayer funds on these buses, and the buses on the road are absolute shit - maybe, just maybe, TriMet should use those public resources for the public good? And actually use them for their intended purpose? Is that verboten, is that a sin?
So there's a technical glitch - I gave specific suggestions on how to workaround those glitches. Again, no valid explanation as to why those workarounds can't be done, just a personal attack.
If it's not as easy as it seems, please, enlighten me. Explain specifically what valid rationale exists that demands that those buses sit in a parking lot rather than serve the good people of the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District who have paid good money for those buses. Explain exactly why these buses cannot be used. Because I'm hearing a lot of "Erik"s, a lot of Jeopardy music, a lot of crickets, a lot of people kissing Neil McFarlane's ass...I should be hearing the roar of a Cummins diesel engine. 55 of them. Serving the public, providing good, reliable public transportation. Not the sound of ass-kissing.
I cant tell you why they are not in service, I dont work for TriMet, I work for METRO, who also takes some time to put buses into service. Sound Transit received buses in May of 10, in service around Thanksgiving.
And a rule that mandates they sit in a parking lot? Maybe its a rule that mandates safety? Maybe, they simply are not ready yet!!
Maybe you should get some contacts over at TriMet and ask why, instead of assuming they are out to inconvenience you. If you can't do the research on this, and find out WHY they are not in service yet, then my comment still holds ground, you just complain and complain without facts, or some knowledge of the process that is the base of your complaint.
In fairness, if TriMet puts these into service within 3 months of arrival, thats actually pretty quick compared to our lead times, and we have a far better system.
There are other things I see you complain about, that really has valid answers, but until YOU drive a bus for a while, its possible you may never understand why things fall they way they do.
Chad-COULD they have them in service with a little extra effort?
I would bet they could have them in service if they wanted to.
Maybe, but NOBODY knows why...Shall I email them and ask for all of you? I mean thats all Erik has to do, if he really wants to know.
But my theory is this, TriMet isnt just sitting on these for fun, or to piss Erik off, they have no reason to. There has to be SOMETHING hung up in the process here. The the problem is with ALL of them, not just one or two, but unless someone has answers, or will take the time to GET answers, assuming is not the right course here.
punkrawker, I'm pretty sure they ARE doing this to piss Erik off.
... and if you asked then what would we bitch about??
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