The Bridge, the Orange Line, look over here, look over there, just don't look at how we are really doing!
Monday, August 31, 2015
Friday, August 28, 2015
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Members of ATU757 organizing
#atu757 group of members forming to monitor union executive officers pic.twitter.com/foR0Ex1Lh0
— AL M (@AlYourPalster) August 26, 2015The misery of public transit
Standing around looking tough
A dozen trimet police at gateway all standing around 8:32 AM #trimet #police #pdx pic.twitter.com/gpWE2wpSPJ
— Joe Anybody (@iamjoeanybody) August 26, 2015Lane Jensen podcast-August 26
The TriMess Minute http://t.co/EgcNpL8f0C #trimet via @lanejensenpdx (NEW PODCAST IS UP!)
— Lane Jensen (@lanejensenpdx) August 26, 2015Tuesday, August 25, 2015
TRIMET TAKING PORTLAND TAX PAYERS INTO DEBT
Issue: Senior Lien Payroll Tax Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2015B; Rating: Aaa; Sale Amount: $65,700,000; Expected Sale Date: 09-09-2015; Rating Description: Special Tax: Transportation - Related
Opinion
Moody's Investors Service has upgraded to Aaa from Aa1 the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon's (TriMet) Senior Lien Payroll Tax Revenue Bonds. Concurrently, we have assigned a Aaa rating to its $70 million Series 2015A and $65.7 million Series 2015B bonds, expected to price on September 9.
One of the best idea's I have ever heard on fare evasion
Give the evader a choice, by a monthly pass for $100, pay the $175 or perform 8 hours of community service
@AlYourPalster RIGHT?! I don't see how punishing someone without money is to make them pay money they may not have.
— ™Driver (@trimetdriver) August 25, 2015
Monday, August 24, 2015
Over the top
I don't know what to make of this article.
Trimet bus driver gets injured on the job
Gotta love working at Trimet!
Trimet Facebook
I actually hate Facebook but I keep my account and even post over there. (I'm really a twitter person and spend almost all my social media time with twitter) Trimet Facebook is highly entertaining. I take special interest in all the people that choose to stand up against the prevailing paradigm and whether the attacks from the Trimet shills! These are the best comments from the people who challenged Trimet's decision to go ahead with the fireworks on one of the most polluted days in Portland history. We know that loads of people complained about this on Twitter
Sunday, August 23, 2015
How funny is this
I was tweeting with John St Clair about this Till-I-Cum bridge and started digging around the internet and guess what the actual definition of Tillicum is? It's Chinook for PEON! "as distinguished from the chiefs" hahahaha! The bridge does have the correct name after all!
@johnboy6073 Intersting, I just find out that Tillicum is the native word for PEON! pic.twitter.com/DXD76dqnct
— AL M (@AlYourPalster) August 24, 2015
BS article attempting to convince us of the wonderfulness of Trimet and that Mcfarlane is a great leader
TRIMET SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM
Remember Trimet people, its the "leadership team" that I have the problem with, not the rest of the Trimet workforce.
Trimet hits another home run
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| The haze is palpable |
So the big day finally arrives and it just happens to be one of the most atmospheric polluted days in Portland history. Trimet decides to go ahead with their silly fireworks production. (branding the bridge into peoples brains) Unfortunately many citizens took offense to Trimet going ahead with this.There are dozens of tweets about it. You can check my feed if you want to see how many people objected but it was a lot. Below the break are the best tweets about this.
Saturday, August 22, 2015
The Gods are not looking kindly upon Trimet
The gods have chosen to obscure the Trimet bridge for today's stupid celebration with chocking air pollution!
The 'celebration' will not include the name "Kirk Reeves"
Here's a guy who knew how to celebrate a bridge. Every day, rain or shine (or smoke)
#TriMet #Tilikum #KirkReeves pic.twitter.com/Zw4XGXV2DC
— Ron (@TelemachusRome) August 23, 2015Trimet orange line event marred by air pollution emergency
Lots of people are questioning Trimet's fireworks display on a day when there is extreme pollution in the air.
Kind of a bad omen don't ya think?
#TriMet to go ahead with Tilikum celebration and fireworks. Serving core customers, aka "choice breathers" is job #1 pic.twitter.com/P9eudgfzCs
— Ron (@TelemachusRome) August 23, 2015
Friday, August 21, 2015
Catch the orange!
#catchtheorange and ride #Trimet with all the other criminals pic.twitter.com/pnRTmTKXjM
— AL M (@AlYourPalster) August 21, 2015Trimet public relations specialist
I know we are all annoying nobodies and have no influence over Trimet policy.
Yes we are a subculture of the prevailing Portland paradigm.
And we exist in a small corner of the internet.
But we sure have fun being annoying!
And we will continue being annoying until Trimet stops shitting on its union employees, stops focusing on capital projects and starts focusing on actual Transit delivery.
#Trimet public relations specialist pic.twitter.com/5Ti19PHLOL
— AL M (@AlYourPalster) August 21, 2015One fail after another
Mainstream media says nothing
MAX Blue and Red lines delayed about 20 mins thru 2 pm due to an earlier mechanical issue in SW Portland.
— TriMet (@trimet) August 21, 2015Trimet making sure they get a good turnout for the orange julius
#news RT ChristinaKemp_: .trimet sent out a mailer to 48,000 residences along the Orange Line that included two Day Passes. Where you a luc…
— mohamm.eddki88557474 (@Eddki885Mohamm) August 20, 2015
Thursday, August 20, 2015
And the train breaks down again
They continue flooding the media with this orange line nonsense meanwhile the existing light rail is running as unreliably as ever. Where is the media? Nowhere of course
MAX Blue & Red lines delayed about 25 minutes thru 8:45 p.m. due to earlier mechanical issue.
— TriMet (@trimet) August 21, 2015Lane Jensen podcast-episode seven
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| Lane's Willamette Week picture |
Lane Jensen explains why he posted the driver runs and why he took them down.
Why has Trimet light rail become so unreliable?
Well I'm not a high priced transit consultant nor a high paid Trimet executive but I would bet the reason that Trimet's light rail has become so unreliable is the ORANGE LINE!
Why do I say that? Cause I bet Trimet has all their personnel working on that which is taking away from the needs of the current system.
This is an old story for Trimet, keep building, keep ignoring what you already got.
MAX Blue Line delayed up to 25 minutes through 9 a.m. due to an earlier mechanical issue.
— TriMet (@trimet) August 20, 2015
Travel Portland and visit the luxurious Trimet transit stations
Good morning Gateway Transit center 8:30am #trimet #fredmyer #parkrose #pdx pic.twitter.com/gIIhfmoUUK
— Joe Anybody (@iamjoeanybody) August 20, 2015Safety vests can be used for many things
Its god damn hot! Less layers but still wearing the vest. Lawrence of Bus 39. pic.twitter.com/EjAMuhnxnY
— Captain SassyPants™ (@giedosst) August 18, 2015Trimet is hiring bus drivers
Portland - Police responding to 13th and Multnomah - report of a subject on a @trimet bus threatening the driver with a stick
— Portland OR Alerts (@pdxalerts) August 20, 2015Lane Jensen podcast 6
 | ||||
| Lane was arrested and sent to jail for sending this message to Roberta Altstadt over and over |
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Seen on Facebook
So the trimet payroll tax increase is gonna pass with portland city
council and trimet is gonna order more new buses and keep hiring 20 new
drivers every 6 weeks until 2017 shelly lomax told the training dept
last week.
This just gets funnier and funnier
The evening will feature a BridgePort beer garden, where you'll find the exclusive Tilikum Crossing Orange Line IPA! We'll also have food carts and special-edition Salt & Straw ice cream: Catch the Orange Olive Oil & Burnt Orange Marmalade!
Enjoy music from Bear Water and the Student Loan Stringband, and visit with the Portland Picnic Society—they’ll be picnicking along with the crowd and sharing their best picnic tips from their new cookbook, “The Picnic” during the event.
Topping it off is a fireworks display from the bridge, set to be one of the biggest and best our region has ever seen!
Enjoy music from Bear Water and the Student Loan Stringband, and visit with the Portland Picnic Society—they’ll be picnicking along with the crowd and sharing their best picnic tips from their new cookbook, “The Picnic” during the event.
Topping it off is a fireworks display from the bridge, set to be one of the biggest and best our region has ever seen!
Trimet on time performance has really taken a nose dive
MAX on time performance is actually worse than bus now. That's pretty shocking!
 | |
| The on time parameters are actually pretty loose. Up to 10 mins late is considered on time |
And the Trimess saga continues
Every single day its something.
MAX Green & Yellow lines delayed about 15 minutes through 9 a.m. due to mechanical issue.
— TriMet (@trimet) August 19, 2015Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Too bad Trimet union employees never did what City of Milwaukie union employees are doing
Union workers protesting in front of Milwaukie city hall pic.twitter.com/cbaQxRf0IX
— AL M (@AlYourPalster) August 18, 2015I am a 'annoying nobody'
This doesn't beat the all time greatest put down which was :
"Al M is just a lonely guy in a room" !
But its nice to be called names.
Means I am really annoying someone
Turns out he uses the same language on Erik Halsteads posts
"Al M is just a lonely guy in a room" !
But its nice to be called names.
Means I am really annoying someone
Turns out he uses the same language on Erik Halsteads posts
Trimet facebook apologist "blasts" my existence pic.twitter.com/ozxHRCUu9w
— AL M (@AlYourPalster) August 18, 2015
Lane Jensen podcast-episode 5
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| Lane Jensen sent some texts to Trimet managers and his bail was set at $46k while Daemon Bowman physically assaulted a Trimet bus driver and his bail was set at $10k |
Trimet yellow vest rules creating minor rebellion
This years silliness is the cute little yellow vest. Apparently the managers are on one of of their insane crusades and they are using their flunky white shirts to enforce this policy with ZEAL.
Monday, August 17, 2015
Service for Michael Martin
Services for #Trimet driver Michael Martin pic.twitter.com/mSJyf16y4L
— AL M (@AlYourPalster) August 17, 2015Trimet board of sock puppets ready to ignore public concerns as usual
TriMet is poised to increase its payroll tax to fund expanded transit service within a month — despite opposition from some that pay it in the business community.
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Trimet beer ad
@AlYourPalster @trimetdriver #TriMet + Beer = 'murica! pic.twitter.com/AU77eGLW0V
— Ron (@TelemachusRome) August 16, 2015Replace Max trains with bus rapid transit
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| RA FONTES |
Let's upgrade MAX to buses. Yes, we actually would improve MAX by converting it from light-rail transit (LRT) to bus rapid transit (BRT). We'd get faster and more frequent trips with far fewer major outages and delays. TriMet could save tens of millions of dollars every year, be able to provide more capacity, and have a far more resilient system facing our next earthquake.
HITS THE NAIL SQUARELY ON THE HEAD
Hits the nail on the head! BANG!
#Trimet pic.twitter.com/Oe5SHFP0Bt
— AL M (@AlYourPalster) August 16, 2015Saturday, August 15, 2015
Trimet has been failing miserably
Trimet is now selling beer
Friday, August 14, 2015
$1.5 BILLION AND THE LAST TWO TRIPS ON THE ORANGE LINE WILL BE BY BUS
The Trimet orange line is such a joke that the last 2 trips will be run by BUSES
THAT'S RIGHT BUSES pic.twitter.com/kv6hV41JKG
— AL M (@AlYourPalster) August 15, 2015Nice!
Retirement cake for #trimet Powell driver pic.twitter.com/NfXasWeYUh
— AL M (@AlYourPalster) August 8, 2015
Trimet bus driver spit on
bus 33/03 rider has spit on operator
— TriMet Scanner (@trimetscanner) August 14, 2015Portland: police enroute to NE Fremont & 72 for a male that spit on a @trimet bus driver and ran away. @trimetscanner
— Portland OR Alerts (@pdxalerts) August 14, 2015White priviledge bridge
2 years of relentless propaganda together with this ridiculously expensive bridge opening extravaganza has paid off!
It's amazing how they always stick the words "bridge of the people" into all the press releases. They are really trying to brand that into people brains even though this bridge will serve the smallest percentage of citizens of all the bridges in Portland.
And if there is any doubt that this is a 'white privileged' project, look at the respondents to this phony Trimet contest. (Trimet uses citizens for their own advertising masterfully)
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE ENTIRE GALLERY OF TRIMET ADVERTISING
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Shirley Block at Today's board of puppets meeting
She relates one troubling story here, how Stedmen would not allow the ATU757 vice president and treasurer into a meeting. How's that for a bunch of fascists?
For all you deluded apologists out there, how can you defend a public agency that bars two union executive officers from a meeting! Make no mistake, these people are killers (figuratively of course).
I think Shirley should send Jon Hunt in to speak to that board next time!
My equipment is currently not set up so the quality of these videos is poor but its the content that matters
Henry Beasley on operator assaults
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In
the last installment on operator assaults, I expressed that the laws
the company and the union cited on the busses were incorrectly worded
and “is” not a felony unless the vehicle is moving (ORS 163.165). Since I wrote that we can now add another category of assault against our operators and that’s sexual assault.
If
you find yourselves in a situation of a passenger assaulting you
(regardless of the cause) I will reiterate what I said since 2011. “I implore my fellow Brothers and Sisters, who find yourselves “victims or survivors”, of these crimes against you to”:
Union election challenge update
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Shirley Block getting ready for war
ATU757 president Shirley Block is expecting the worse from Trimet executives going forward. She has requested $800k for future arbitration battles.
That is more than double the current budget!
In other words she knows what's about to happen. When Trimet attempts to bully the union and the union leadership decides to fight back, Trimet will penalize its union employees.
Unfortunately for Trimet union employees they are squeezed between the two institutions and the worst of it is that the company will do whatever it can to its employees in attempt to strong arm the union leadership.
So get ready bus drivers for the company to put the hammer down on you!
Cause that's 'how they roll' and the people running Trimet seldom 'do the right thing'
Unfreaking believable
Orange line beer and orange fireworks?
I mean really, this is a tax payer ($1.5 billion) funded project.
The amount of silly propaganda being pumped out on this is beyond anything I would have believed.
It's a light rail line for crying out loud!
It's not a cure for cancer!
WTF is this shit?
TRIMET: Taxation without representation
Trimet is a tax funded government agency but without the accountability that most government agencies have.
Trimet has a puppet board of directors, all cronies of the current governor in power. The puppet board does the bidding of the General Manager who is always an insider of the Portland Light Rail Mafia.
Somehow the power brokers were able to get a law passed through the Oregon Legislature that allows the puppet Trimet board of directors to raise taxes. It's the most undemocratic process I have ever seen. And of course they will have the obligatory public comments that they routinely ignore in these matters.
And as always they disguise their true intentions by telling us things like: TriMet, responding to what it says will be a dramatic demand for new service (trimet ridership has been flat for a long long time)
TriMet, the region's public transit agency, is making the move based on projections that the Portland region will add 400,000 new residents over the next 20 years. (right, sure)
Starting in 2016, the increase would raise about $4.3 million in the first year and $43 million in the 10th, said Mary Fetsch, a TriMet spokeswoman.(and of course lots of that will go to trimet executives)
http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/morning_call/2015/08/trimet-considers-payroll-tax-increase-to-handle.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Trimet marketing department-"orange line beer'
They'll stoop to anything to get Portlanders to love them!
Ron Returns
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| Ron Heintzman |
Good! We need the experience of Hientzman to counter the deviousness of the Trimet sociopaths currently running the agency!
Leaders of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757 announced at a meeting Monday night that the union has eliminated the job of Lane Toensmeier, who has been ATU Local 757’s general counsel since January.
ATU Local 757 President Shirley Block says Toensmeier is being replaced by three new contractors, including Ron Heintzman, who was president of the union from 1988 to 2002.
Heintzman was a take-no-prisoners negotiator who in 1994 won the union sweeping benefits for retired members.
Meanwhile, six union members have filed challenges to June’s election results, including the election of Block. Among those challenging the results: Dan Martin, who lost a bid for union vice president after opponents raised allegations regarding his criminal history.
http://www.wweek.com/portland/blog-33582-ron_heintzman_returns_to_trimet_drivers_union_as_legal_contractor.html
Monday, August 10, 2015
While Portlanders are going goo goo over the new bridge Trimet light rail keeps failing
PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) -
A mechanical issue caused major MAX delays throughout the metro area on Sunday evening.
TriMet reported at 5:30 p.m. that the Blue, Green and Red lines were all disrupted by a mechanical issue in the Rose Quarter area.
Shuttle buses were running between Old Town/Chinatown and the Rose Quarter Transit Center.
Riders were advised to expect major delays. By 6:15 p.m., TriMet said all MAX lines would be delayed about 30 minutes through 9:30 p.m.
The exact mechanical issue and what caused it were not immediately released by TriMet.
A mechanical issue caused major MAX delays throughout the metro area on Sunday evening.
TriMet reported at 5:30 p.m. that the Blue, Green and Red lines were all disrupted by a mechanical issue in the Rose Quarter area.
Shuttle buses were running between Old Town/Chinatown and the Rose Quarter Transit Center.
Riders were advised to expect major delays. By 6:15 p.m., TriMet said all MAX lines would be delayed about 30 minutes through 9:30 p.m.
The exact mechanical issue and what caused it were not immediately released by TriMet.
Sunday, August 9, 2015
What a great picture this is
This picture (along with others) was taken by the friends of Mike Martin and sent to Mike before he passed.
One of the best pictures I've ever seen of Trimet people. I know about 1/2 the people in the pic pic.twitter.com/FY7H8F62cy
— AL M (@AlYourPalster) August 10, 2015
Saturday, August 8, 2015
Greg Larson makes the Trimet internal newspaper
Greg was my favorite manager at Trimet. (at least the one that stayed working there)
He still played his role as hatchet man when I was working there like they all do but he's a decent guy.
When the merlo station manager job came open I put up a blog post that supported Greg for the job.
Probably killed it for him if I know Trimet.
Anything I support is immediately rejected by Trimet officials
Rest in Peace Mike Martin
Mike was one class behind me in seniority and I knew him very well when I was working at Trimet.
From the very first sign up through my entire 15 years there.
Was really one hell of a nice guy!
What do you find when you 'deep clean' a bus
Deep cleaning means removing the seats and looking under places that were not visible to the naked eye before
What you find when you 'deep clean' a #trimet bus part1 pic.twitter.com/hYur7w2hCD
— AL M (@AlYourPalster) August 8, 2015What u find when u deep clean a #trimet bus part 2 pic.twitter.com/oby6FV7Pqo
— AL M (@AlYourPalster) August 8, 2015Thursday, August 6, 2015
Classic tweets
Ladies and gentlemen!
Today on Twitter we have discovered the new #trimet slogan. pic.twitter.com/BmOprgm70W
— AL M (@AlYourPalster) August 5, 2015ATU757 president Shirley Block is right that Mcfarlane MUST be involved with his employees
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| Shirley calls out Mcfarlane's bullshit |
ORS 267.135 clearly states that the general manager (not any of his appointed henchmen) is the one authority that administers the personnel system!
267.140 Duties of general manager. A general manager of a district shall:
(1)
Have full charge of the acquisition, construction, maintenance and operation of
the transit system of the district.
(2)
Have full charge of the administration of the business affairs of the district.
(3)
Enforce all ordinances adopted by the board.
(4)
Administer the personnel system adopted by the board and, except for officers
appointed by the board, appoint, discipline or remove all officers and
employees, subject to ORS 267.010 to 267.390 and the rules of the board.
(5)
Prepare and submit to the board within 30 days after the end of each fiscal
year a complete report of the finances and administrative activities of the
district for that preceding fiscal year.
(6)
Keep the board advised as to the needs of the district.
(7)
Prepare all plans and specifications for acquisition of equipment or
construction of improvements or facilities for the district.
(8)
Cause to be installed and maintained a system of auditing and accounting which
shows completely and at all times the financial condition of the district.
(9)
Devote the entire working time of the general manager to the business of the
district.
(10)
Perform such other duties as the board requires by resolution. [1969 c.643 §15]
Joe Rose off transportation reporting
Joseph Rose: Goodbye, transportation beat. It's been fun (photos, video) | OregonLive.com