"Always Roaming" comment so good I had to make a post out of it

 Again, a chuckle at how spoiled drivers are today. I know Trimet started using convex mirrors on the left side before we did in Seattle but I drove buses WITHOUT a supplemental convex mirror for more than 20 years as Seattle didn't start using them until the Gillig Phantom order in 1996/97. Before that, we never had a supplemental or convex mirror on the left side.

Trimet, I'm guessing, started using them with the RTS order in the early 1980s, however.

It almost sounded like the guy was hesitant to drive without it but he relented and agreed to keep it in service. Good for him. (...and I know it was working outside my classification but I carried with me in my bag a crescent wrench, a hex driver combination, a screwdriver, utility knife plus a small hunting knife in a sheath for cutting trolley retriever ropes, duct tape, and a few other incidentals in order to take care of things like tightening an occasional loose mirror, etc.)

But even when we did start using convex left mirrors, I never used them anyway as not using one for so long, it was second-nature just to tilt and lower my head slightly to catch the blind spot.



And!! I really shake my head at all the frivolous radio calls going on. More than 90% of the radio calls I'm hearing on your scanner, I would not have made myself. It sounds as if you agree with that, Al, from your comments.

I would never call in for traffic reports, broken bus shelters, dirty restrooms, minor passenger conduct issues, etc., etc. etc., for me, it was strictly MYOB, but even things such as being off route or being late, we for the most part, handled it ourselves ...AND especially ratting on another driver for breaking rules, missing stops, or traffic infractions, as stated previously, we never dreamed of calling in for THAT! Even for very minor accidents, we were not required to call it in --just exchange information and write a report at the end of the shift. None of us would use the radio for CYA calls for future customer service complaints as back in the early 70s I don't think the radio traffic was even being recorded as things back then were not digital --but they did, I believe, finally start taping calls at some point.

Plus, road supervisors didn't have to clear every little thing as it appears they have to do at TriMet. Drivers were more-or-less trained to do a lot of what the road supervisors evidently are required to do at TriMet. Drivers in my time had much more autonomy than what appears going on at TriMet today. I don't think I could take that kind of micro-managing ...in fact, I know I couldn't.

We didn't expect to have a supervisor come running out to us for any little incident that happened or assistance with every minor problem. We took care of throwing drunks off the bus and settling customer disputes on our own. But of course, we also didn't have the pervasive drug abuse and homeless problem in those days either. Again, I can't imagine driving a bus nowadays ...in fact, I know I couldn't! LOL