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Friday, July 3, 2015
Trimet is a fascist environment
It's legal to smoke marijuana for citizens of Oregon.
But employees of Trimet are not actually citizens of Oregon!
They are employees of Trimet first and citizens of Oregon second!
Al, we had this same conversation here at Metro, it is federal DOT regulations that those in safety sensitive positions can not use and drive. Metro made sure to word our bulletin so we know its not Metro saying you can't use, its DOT saying it, and that Metro is obligated to enforce.
So this is a rare occurrence where you shouldn't be calling out TriMet, they are obligated by the Feds to enforce it. Drivers are still citizens of Oregon (or Washington), but are employed under rules of USDOT.
I remember when Metro started random drug testing back in the late 80s when many of my bus driving buddies who regularly smoked pot, had to give it up cold turkey as they knew they could no longer keep their jobs as we all know how long marijuana stays in your system.
Local 587, along with most ATU and TWU locals, fought the random drug testing program but of course lost, as it was mandated by the Feds and transit agencies depend on federal funds for operations.
So nothing new here. We know that those in safety related jobs dealing with the public must (should) not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Sure, many can argue that smoking pot does not interfere with safe driving or that one can test positive but not be “under the influence” but I for one do not want to revert back to the “old days” where many public bus drivers were smoking pot.
In the 70s, I remember an older guy who I worked nights with that regularly smoked pot and I also knew he had a thermos of something other than coffee for his layovers. He never had an accident that I knew of but I always felt that he was a time bomb.
I guess you can tell that I was never a pot smoker. I tried it several times back in the 60s ...but didn't inhale! :p
Al, we had this same conversation here at Metro, it is federal DOT regulations that those in safety sensitive positions can not use and drive. Metro made sure to word our bulletin so we know its not Metro saying you can't use, its DOT saying it, and that Metro is obligated to enforce.
ReplyDeleteSo this is a rare occurrence where you shouldn't be calling out TriMet, they are obligated by the Feds to enforce it. Drivers are still citizens of Oregon (or Washington), but are employed under rules of USDOT.
True. Working in the transportation industry in this country does mean u submit to a fascist enviornment
ReplyDeleteNot just at trimet!
TriMet's notice is incorrect. It did NOT become legal to sell it on the 1st. Persons can only gift it, and commercial sales are still being worked on.
ReplyDeleteI remember when Metro started random drug testing back in the late 80s when many of my bus driving buddies who regularly smoked pot, had to give it up cold turkey as they knew they could no longer keep their jobs as we all know how long marijuana stays in your system.
ReplyDeleteLocal 587, along with most ATU and TWU locals, fought the random drug testing program but of course lost, as it was mandated by the Feds and transit agencies depend on federal funds for operations.
So nothing new here. We know that those in safety related jobs dealing with the public must (should) not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Sure, many can argue that smoking pot does not interfere with safe driving or that one can test positive but not be “under the influence” but I for one do not want to revert back to the “old days” where many public bus drivers were smoking pot.
In the 70s, I remember an older guy who I worked nights with that regularly smoked pot and I also knew he had a thermos of something other than coffee for his layovers. He never had an accident that I knew of but I always felt that he was a time bomb.
I guess you can tell that I was never a pot smoker. I tried it several times back in the 60s ...but didn't inhale! :p
Here is a Local 587 Newsletter addressing random drug testing from 1986