From Facebook private group
New hop/retirees and active employees badges are being issued and are valid I know nothing is posted anywhere but a few retirees called me and said they got kicked off the bus yesterday due to the driver not know the new badges were valid yet....so here you go and the picture is smaller apparently but it does say trimet retire,spouce,dependant,or active so please don't kick off fellow members due to lack of info to us from trimet.
Monday, January 30, 2017
Henry Beasley
Let me make a correction on my earlier post, there were a total of 3 assaults yesterday: 1 spitting, 1 stabbing and 1 physical/intimidation. So that would be a total of 5 assaults in the month of January, and the month isn't even over yet.
Hopefully our fellow coworkers are doing okay including (if confirmed) the stabbing survivor, our Collective thoughts and prayers or with each and every one and their families.
If confirmed, the stabbing incident would be the 4th such incident since 2013.
One day hopefully there will be light at the end of the tunnel so that our fellow coworkers can feel some semblance of "reasonable safety" out there on the road.
Be vigilant, be safe and always communicate.
#UNIONSTRONG
#WEARETHEUNION
Hopefully our fellow coworkers are doing okay including (if confirmed) the stabbing survivor, our Collective thoughts and prayers or with each and every one and their families.
If confirmed, the stabbing incident would be the 4th such incident since 2013.
One day hopefully there will be light at the end of the tunnel so that our fellow coworkers can feel some semblance of "reasonable safety" out there on the road.
Be vigilant, be safe and always communicate.
#UNIONSTRONG
#WEARETHEUNION
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Trimet bus driver attacked-Trimet policy allows him to finish shift
So this driver was attacked, ended up getting cut after wresting with the attacker on the floor of the bus but then HE CONTINUED driving his shift as if nothing ever happened!
And Trimet "leadership" says safety is a value. There is no culture of safety when these type of events occur and the procedure is not to relieve them of duty to recover.
Lies upon lies upon lies. Just keep repeating them over and over and people will believe them
And Trimet "leadership" says safety is a value. There is no culture of safety when these type of events occur and the procedure is not to relieve them of duty to recover.
Lies upon lies upon lies. Just keep repeating them over and over and people will believe them
Friday, January 27, 2017
It looks like I can finally stop having to edit union testimonies
It appears that our union finally has someone up for the Job.
http://www.atu757.org/atu757-testimony-at-trimet-board-meeting/
http://www.atu757.org/atu757-testimony-at-trimet-board-meeting/
Safety is NOT a priority at Trimet
How they get away with never ending hypocrisy is beyond me.
Lie after lie after lie.
Seems to be SOP procedure for our "leadership" in this country nowadays.
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Trimet union employees subjected to the dirtiest of tricks under the Mcfarlane regime
Shirley Block #atu757 #TriMet pic.twitter.com/mdDnxZwePa
— AL M (@AlYourPalster) January 26, 2017
Trimet has no use for electric buses
TriMet has long touted itself as being an environmental leader, but it has sat on the shoulder while the new battery-powered buses have been hitting the pavement in cities across the nation.
Trimet's dirty bus fleet gets busted
Greater Portland's transit agency has continued running the most polluting type of diesel motors long after other agencies added filters to their buses to curb cancer-causing emissions. Portland's air is among the most diesel-polluted in the country, and the annual tally of diesel-related premature deaths statewide may run as high as 460.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Latest ridership statistics
-Bus crashes are zooming, obviously due to so many rookies out there
-WES ridership is still in the tank and its also breaking down a lot lately
-Bus, Lift, and WES were less reliable, MAX improved reliability somewhat (suspicious as hell)
-Bus ridership is down, they say its because of gas prices but I don't believe that. System ridership is flat (as its been for years now) and the Orange line ridership boosted light rail ridership. Not sure why.
Sunday, January 22, 2017
Protest swamps Trimet
Trimet was overloaded with people going to the Anti Trump march in downtown Portland.
They performed adequately as there were no major service disruptions although there was one max disruption.
Of course Trimet couldn't handle the demand.
That's to be expected and no surprise given Trimet's limited resources and personnel.
( I won't go on my usual rant about the battalion of bureaucrats that are totally useless to the public)
( I won't go on my usual rant about the battalion of bureaucrats that are totally useless to the public)
Here are some of the best tweets
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Trimetgeddon XI Clusterfuck continues causing human suffering
As always with these posts this is just a very small sampling of the suffering going on out there.
TRIMET PLAYED DIRTY TRICKS ON THE SETTLEMENT ATTORNEY TOO!
Trimet mocks us, this is how they roll.
Attorney Paul Breed who represented #trimet operators in the successful class action says Trimet violated agreement pic.twitter.com/BMYOZnzyKY
— AL M (@AlYourPalster) January 18, 2017
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Someday Portland may grow up
Portland Fails To Clear Snow and Ice: Seattle SDOT Comes to the Rescue
It appears that the Portland road folks (PBOT), have followed the ineffective snow removal approach of Seattle's past mayor Greg Nickels, who lost his job because Seattle was unnecessarily crippled for over a week by impassable, rutted roads covered with ice. Specifically, they did little pre-treatment before the storm and importantly did not use salt. And Portland did not have enough equipment (only five decing trucks for example) and had to appeal to Seattle for help.
Seattle learned the hard way in 2008 that salt is really useful, particularly as a pre-treatment of roadway surfaces. It can melt light snowfalls and prevents the development of a bonded ice layer for heavier snow...thus, making it easier to plow off. If you want to view a very amusing analysis of the impacts of Seattle's reluctance to use salt and the positive effects of applying it, check out these videos by the "salt guru."
FULL POST IS WORTH READING
Cliff Mass Weather Blog: Portland Fails To Clear Snow and Ice: Seattle SDOT Comes to the Rescue
Trimetgeddon XI ongoing and suffering continues
You may have read reports over mainstream media or some of the social media and even well respected transit consultants "congratulating" Trimet for the "wonderful job they are doing", unfortunately its complete rubbish.
Trimet and its "regional partners" like ODOT and PBOT are doing a miserable job during this last weather event. Roads are a mess, light rail is functioning but barely, and they still haven't figured out how to make bus tire chains that work.
Incredible suffering is happening in the community by both transit riders and Trimet employees. Trimet employees have the solace in knowing they have some decent overtime pay checks coming in at least.
Nobody knows where the battalion of Trimet executives, managers, coordinators, Information Technology, Capital Projects, Marketing and all the other people that make up the gated community known as Harrison Street are. My guess is most of them are home, the others in offices "directing" (if you want to call it that) from the safety of a heated office somewhere.
Below the break is what is REALLY happening out there. The stuff you will never hear from the mainstream. The mainstream that never stops trying to distort reality.
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Too Funny
You gotta see this#trimet l pic.twitter.com/nYwKJzhq8p
— AL M (@AlYourPalster) January 14, 2017
Friday, January 13, 2017
Thursday, January 12, 2017
TriMet was communicating good, but...
A follow-up to The good and the bad of TriMet alerts
During the storm, TriMet had been doing a good job on Twitter, even promptly replying to me at 12:30 AM on a Sunday night, which I wasn't expecting (or really needed since it wasn't a time-sensitive matter). They were also actively responding to people wanting to know where there bus was with specific information.
During the storm, TriMet had been doing a good job on Twitter, even promptly replying to me at 12:30 AM on a Sunday night, which I wasn't expecting (or really needed since it wasn't a time-sensitive matter). They were also actively responding to people wanting to know where there bus was with specific information.
Trimet's white Knight rides in for the rescue
That would Mr Jarrett Walker!
Jarrett has this habit of showing up when Trimet is in the public relations toilet bowel.
Jarrett is a public transportation "guru" with a cult following.
He is one of the leading figures in the neoliberal public transportation industrial complex and its army of overpaid ego inflated "professionals".
Our lives as Americans are run by a series of Industrial complexes and each one of them have their very own 'think tanks'.
That's what Jarrett Walker is.
He's on the payroll of numerous public transportation agencies in this country including Trimet.
He's the last person to look at for unbiased opinions about Trimet.
I hate to attack Jarrett because I respect some of his work, but I lose respect for the man when he comes up with FAKE NEWS like how wonderful Trimet did during this last storm.
It was a complete and total disaster yet he praises the wonderfulness of how Trimet performed.
It's just sad, very sad that he's so obvious a Trimet apologist.
I'll never forget when he attacked KOIN for their story on Mcfarlanes Secret raises
Pathetic is what it is
Tribute to Tom Hall
One of the truly great operators of all time and incredible man to associate with during my 15 years at Trimet was Tom Hall.
Many of us were shocked over his untimely death, another one completely out of the Blue
Rest in peace Tom
A couple good posts from Facebook
It really irks me every time we have this debate with management and supervisors. "What did the operator do to escalate the situation?"
GRRRRrrrrrr.....
GRRRRrrrrrr.....
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Monday, January 9, 2017
Trimetgeddon number 10 wrapping up
And its the same old story.
For someone like me its just business as usual, a total CLUSTERFUCK!
Using public transportation during these severe weather events is always risky, sometimes you get there in a timely manner other times you are stranded for hours in the elements.
The problem really is that the transit district lies about what's really going on.
They refuse to be honest in these situations.
Its the same story EVERY SINGLE TIME.
Nothing changes because the public is conditioned to accept crappy public transportation
Sunday, January 8, 2017
Saturday, January 7, 2017
Lane Jensen has developed a full news center for Trimet alerts
You can watch his live Trimet news center HERE!
Periscope requires manually turning on sound to hear the scanner
Periscope requires manually turning on sound to hear the scanner
Friday, January 6, 2017
The good and the bad of TriMet alerts
NOTE: See also the follow-up post TriMet was doing good, but...
When it comes to putting out service alerts, TriMet does some things good, some things not so good, and other things bad. In addition, there are automated methods that could be implemented to make alert distribution uniformly good.
When it comes to putting out service alerts, TriMet does some things good, some things not so good, and other things bad. In addition, there are automated methods that could be implemented to make alert distribution uniformly good.
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
TriMet fare jumpers won’t be charged with Class A misdemeanors
I'm not really sure what this is all about actually.
I've been hearing loads of repeat violators getting up to a dozen cites or more and still having no fear of riding Trimet and getting caught without a ticket.
And its common so I don't know what's been going on over at these courthouses but the fare evasion policy as it is is definitely not deterring repeat fare evaders.
The entire idea that $175 is some sort of fair penalty for evading a $2.50 fare is obscene.
Notice how there is no discussion of the low income pass, or reducing fares, or reducing fines.
Just 'we won't throw you in jail for life for evading at $2.50 fare.
I don't know what to think anymore about anything.
If you peruse the Oregonian comments you will see that we have pretty much turned into a nation of heartless barbarians.
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Sunday, January 1, 2017
Trimet "fake news"
I know that most people that actually take the time to read my material already know that whatever comes out of Trimet public relations in the form of a press release or "fact check" is nothing but propaganda.
There is no objective point of view when reading Trimet produced material, its all self serving. (it's not Trimet alone that does this, every governmental agency functions exactly as a corporate entity pushing their "brand". They never allow points of view that make them look bad)
I would also think that most people have figured out that mainstream media is really the "fake news" although they go to extraordinary lengths to justify themselves.
The last election exposed them for who they are, people pushing the agenda of the power brokers and really have no clue as to what average Americans are thinking.
The same is true here in Portland.
Take the class action settlement.