2010 - A Year In Review

From a Driver's point of view, my job is extremely entertaining and always an adventure.
If any of you think that it's boring or that we just sit there and Drive back and forth all day...
Well, you're just wrong.

And just recently I've come to learn that many of the Passengers notice everything that goes on and watch the roads in front of us.
Those front windows are actually pretty big and I hadn't considered that y'all can see at least as much as I can of what is going on with traffic.

So here's some of what made my 2010 both exciting and an adventure:

Driving folks back from a Bronco game, we hit a huge bump and everybody on the bus gasped!
I hopped on the mic and just let them know that we hit a fan of the opposing team and that they'd feel at least one more bump and I rolled back n forth over him again!
That got cheers from the whole bus...

Another trip back from The Game we came up to an intersection where the lights were controlled by a police officer sitting on the corner at the box.
He changed the light to yellow then red just as we came up to the cross walk.
I had to make the decision on the spot as to the safety of the passengers:
Stopping on the dime or continuing through the intersection.
Both had risks but I weighed the stopping on the dime from 25mph as far more dangerous.
As I rolled through the intersection, I waved at the police officer standing on the corner with his jaw on the ground and he waved back. I was actually waving an apology.
The passengers didn't know this and they all cheered and at least one hollered, "You're my hero, Driver!"

It's Christmas Eve night, all the regulars are piling out the front door and I'm returning greetings and farewells of Merry Christmas and thank yous.
I'd missed the Gentleman standing at the back door wanting out.
What brought him to my attention was him screaming across the whole bus, "Yeah Yeah Yeah, Merry Eff You Christmas, now open this effing back door and let me outta here!"
Reflexively and without thinking, as I opened the back door I responded, "Same to you, Sir - thank you."
As the whole bus burst out into laughter and applause, I embarrassedly realized what I'd just said.

We all know those "special" passengers, many of whom are regulars. And you regular passengers know who those special passengers are and what makes them so special.
One of these regulars has a really short fuse and while he can usually make his entire trip without event, it doesn't take much to set him off.
Let's just say that he says what you and I are thinking but know better than to say out loud.
One day, a passenger gets on board and she's not having a good day. She's on the phone, crying and is very loud about both. She sits next to this particular special passenger and after doing his best to tolerate this extreme new passenger, he blows up, "Shut the Eff up Lady!"
She immediately sheds her demure manner and shouts back, "Are you effing talking to me?"
"Yes, you're being extremely loud and annoying all of us."
She goes on to explain her circumstance and he tells her how little he cares and explains that she should take it off the bus until she's resolved her issues.
Of course it was far more colourful and less sedate than my description.
She starts crying even more loudly but minds her own business and remains seated next to him.
He leaves her alone for the rest of the ride and they go on in silence next to one another.

Speaking of phones on the bus, we had a Passenger get on the bus while she was on the phone.
She really didn't care that we heard her side of the entire conversation.
I actually don't even think she knew we were listening - or that we couldn't NOT listen!
But during her conversation with her friend, she explained her disgust with her boyfriend for his poor behaviour, the fact that he was a 12 year old in a 30something's body and how poorly he conducted himself with her.
There were points during the conversation that the rest of us (yes me too!) were chanting and encouraging her very loudly to leave him, that he was a bum, etc etc etc.
She never noticed!

OH, and speaking of couples...I'll end for now with this story:
During the summer I had the opportunity to do an overnight route on a Saturady night.
The other Drivers called it the Party Bus.
I came to understand why - it ran as all the bars and clubs were closing and all the drunks hopped on board to head home rather than drive in their conditions.
They were always in a cheery mood.
One couple, the last passengers on the bus, decided to ingore me in the front of the bus as they shed their clothing and began to practice making kiddos.
I considered turning the lights off for them and tried my best not to watch...
My best wasn't good enough, needless to say.

Some of the highlights of my first year and of 2010.
Happy New Year folks.

As always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

Happy New Year!

So 2010 is coming to a close.
The New Year is upon us.

These last two weeks mixed in with Christmas have been a mad house.

It's the end of my first year and I've beaten the odds, the statistics and the will of both the Senior Drivers and the Union - by not quitting and loving my job.
WOOT
I love you Passengers and I love Driving the bus.

We've had no snow storms yet and other than Light Rail delays and a few buses breaking down here and there, we've really had no major problems that have caused me (a Driver) or you (a Passenger) any real stress.

So here's to a successful 2010 and to an even more successful 2011.

Some of the other Drivers suggested that I toss up a "Highlights of 2010" post.

I may, we'll see.
You KNOW we have some great stories.

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas, remembered in FellowshipThe Reason for this season and enjoyed your loved ones.
I wish you all a great, happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

Remember:
From 7pm on New Year's Eve until 6am on New Year's Day - RTD is FREE
FREE
FREE
Use it - I command you!
LOL

As always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

Over The Hills & Through The Woods..

Oh My God, Becky....


I drive daily in rush hour traffic.
Both morning and night.

And I drive on the weekends, which is usually a breeze - unless there is a Sporting event or something fun like Labour Day Weekend!

But lately, because of all the Christmas shopping the roads are becoming packed.
And when I say packed I mean freaking jammed.
Rush hour traffic is nothing compared to Weekend Christmas traffic.

Rush Hour traffic is all the usual suspects, knowing all the usual jams, knowing all the usual procedures for letting people in, over and around.
We wave at each other and nobody honks.
We have patience and understanding.
Of course we're all stressed and wanna get to work or get home but we do this daily so we're used to it.

Weekend Christmas traffic is none of that.
Oh, y'all wave at me constantly but it's the "I love you, you're number one" hand signal y'all are waving.
And honking seems to be the rule, not the exception.
Patience? Understanding?
ha ha ha ha ha
Yeah right!
Heck - I was "laying over" for three minutes at a bus stop.
Four Way flashers on.
Engine off.
And some lady was sitting behind me the whole time, honking.
Hooooooooooooonnkkkiiiinnnnnnnggggggggg
Seriously?
You are the only car on the road besides me.
Go around.
But she had to honk and wait for me to start the bus back up before she decided to slowly go around so that she could roll down her passenger window and give me a very vulgar Christmas greeting!
While I was impressed with her creativity and projection, I don't think the families already on the bus were as impressed or thrilled that their kiddos learned some new phrases.
o_O

My job has become even more exciting, even more adventurous.
I appreciate the 100 tiny heart attacks and all the love y'all share with me over the weekends.
I appreciate keeping my job new and different, especially during this Season.

Thank you.

As always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

Baby It's Cold Outside...

It's that time of the year again so it needs to be said all over again:
Bring a light!
Stay Warm!
Come Early!


I've said all these before but I wanna say it all again.

So here are some updated tips:

- Don't eat snow, whether it's yellow or white. With so much pollution & acid in the precipitation it'll make you sick, at least.

- If you see a bus, whether school bus or RTD with its flashers on (4-ways) - don't dart around just because you're way too busy and important to sit and wait for the passengers to disembark the bus and walk around and possibly across the street into your path!

- Don't threaten somebody while talking on your cell phone on the bus. Heck, don't threaten anybody while on the bus. We have cameras that record audio and video and there are other passengers usually calling authorities while you're still making the threats.

- If you don't have the fare, don't tell me or ask me for a free ride. That leaves me two options: 1) I have to be the jerk who tells you no or 2) I have to be the accomplice who just broke the law with you and I get fined as well (or at least written up when other passengers call and complain and my bosses watch the videos and show me the evidence against me)

- If you're waiting at the bus stop and you're not sure whether I'm going to stop, that's because I'm not sure whether you're waiting on the bus to stop. Take your hands out of your pockets, wipe that dumb look off your face and start waving at me while walking towards the bus stop sign so I know you need me.

- If I can't see you, I ain't stopping. Don't sit or stand in the shadows, behind trees or signs or newspaper dispensers, etc. And bring a flashlight or break out the cell phone and turn it on so I can see your light.

- It's dark out now, I can't see you running for the stop. Leave earlier, arrive earlier. So many people are being late that I'm starting to run on time these days because there's nobody to pick up at the stops!

And this one has gotta be the most important lately because as the temps drop, the heaters come on and the windows close: bring lysol of you know you're gonna be gassy. Just man up and fess up. The rest of us would rather be breathing lysol than your racing stripes. Nobody's gonna be offended if you break out the air freshener.
I may even thank you over the sound system!

So these may be a little random but hey - It took me and four other Drivers to come up with these for y'all.
Enjoy...

As always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

People Are People So Why Should It Be...

Did you know that the RTD Union (Amalgamated Transit Union 1001) discriminates against Part Time Drivers at RTD?

I know I know, they are a liberal socialist club, why do I sound so surprised then, right?

Well let me tell you, it's 2010 and these unions have outlived their usefulness by about 50 years.
And they are still applying their 50 year old principles of discrimination and threats, etc as well.

Let's start over...

Drivers of all the buses; RTD, Veolia & First Transit are forced to join the ATU 1001 if they want to drive the bus. That Union extorts a fee from the Drivers each pay check.

And now the vote is coming up.
Actually, two votes:
The first being for Union Officers and the second being for the January Route assignments (Runs).
They both are illustrative of the discrimination.

The Union takes money from every Bus Driver.
Whether full or part time, the same amount is taken from our paychecks.
Retirees I believe have a lesser amount extorted from them.
But the HUGE difference in the amounts is that the Union only represents Full Timers.
They refuse to represent part time drivers, even though they work at least 75% of the hours of full timers.
Many part timers are working more hours than many full timers right now because the part time Drivers are allowed to volunteer for extra work.
So these part time Drivers are working only 25% less than the full time Drivers but get zero benefits, zero vacation, zero sick time and ZERO representation.

To make it more fun, the Union is holding their Officer Elections and there are no part timers allowed in the election.
Part timers are not allowed to vote nor are they allowed to be elected.
There is nobody to represent the part timer.

So as the Vote for the January-April  route assignments (runs) comes up, the full timers are voting/choosing their work for the next few months, as they always do.
Then the Part Time Drivers get to vote/pick through what's called "Trippers" for their 30 hours a week.
Trippers are the short 3, 4, & 5 hours runs that you see during peak times.
Most Part Timers end up having to vote for an AM (3-8ish) and a PM (3-8ish) type split to get their 5 days and 30 hours.
But as I've shown above, the Union hates the Part Time Driver and is making it evident this Vote.
They are allowing the Full Time Drivers to vote "extra work" by picking Trippers BEFORE the Part Timers get to vote.
So the Part Time Drivers are going to be hard pressed to find work during the First Quarter.

The Union hired close to 800 Full Time Drivers this last quarter of 2010.
And they went +30, meaning they hired 30 more than they needed to...
Which translates to 830 Drivers looking for 40 hours of work where there is none and they are going to demolish the Part Timer's Tripper boards.
Now the 200 Part Timers are going to all have to go find other work, thanks to this Union.
And as always, at least 50% of those newly hired full time Drivers from this last quarter are going to quit by the Summer and poor RTD will be left without the Part Time pool to fill the gaps like they did this year.

This Union is very anti-RTD, anti-Passenger/Customer and anti-worker!

Very discriminatory towards the Part Time Driver.

Yet they continue to steal the Part Time Driver's money and simply tell the Driver, "Hey you don't like it, leave!"

[shakes head] That's sad in this day and age [/shakes head]
Shame on you Amalgamated Transit Union 1001.

If I could afford the Billboard, I'd post one downtown for all to see - how discriminatory y'all are.

Happy Thanksgiving

Remember, Wednesday (24th) and Friday (26th) are regular scheduled days for RTD.
Thursday 25th, Thanksgiving - is a "Sunday/Holiday" schedule.

But who needs the bus?
Stay home with loved ones, enjoy the warmth, the good food and the fellowship.

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all...

We Can Dance If We Want To...

The dance were dancing on the roads had better be that Safety Dance.
Cuz if your friends don't dance we can leave your friends behind!

Problem is, sometimes I feel like I'm the only one dancing.

I've stressed this so many times but it's important enough for me to say again.

You've seen the space, the room we Drivers leave between the bus and the vehicles in front of us. That space isn't left there as a favour to y'all so that you can jump in and use it.

Many of you can't stand going slowly in the slow lane behind the bus so you speed into the next lane and dart in front of the bus only to slam on your brakes as soon as you're in front of the bus then immediately turn into the driveway.
What the...?

Had you been patient, you would have been here in another 5 seconds but now you have the bus parked on your behind with 100 of my closest friends slammed up against the big glass windows in front of the bus, swearing at YOU because I stood on the brakes so that I didn't further compact your car.
Then you call my boss and complain that I was driving too closely?
Who do I call with your license plate number to complain?

I've actually heard somebody say that he wouldn't mind if the bus rear ended him because then RTD would have to buy him a new truck.

NEWS FLASH!
In case you haven't seen the News, almost all of the Bus vs Car accidents result in fatalities.
RTD may have to buy you a new truck but you won't be driving it, your grand kids will be.

Drivers have a rule:
The faster we go the more distance we have to put between us and the vehicles in front of us.
We do this because as we go faster, it takes longer to stop.
At 60 mph, we're travelling at around 88 feet per second.
We've travelled nearly the length of a football field in three seconds.
And if we slam on the brakes, in the summer, on a dry-clean road, it takes that whole football field to stop.
Whether your vehicle is somewhere in that football field doesn't matter to a bus that weighs 33 tons.
It still takes that whole football field and if your car's in the way, you become a grill ornament until the bus stops and you're peeled off.

So please please please, do not follow the bus on his bumper (we can't see you back there) and don't jump in front of the bus unless you're planning on speeding away.
We are trying our hardest (I'm trying my hardest) to be safe, leave plenty of distance and avoid any accidents.
For our sake, for the sake of the Passengers and for your sake.
I don't need the thousands of little heart attacks y'all give me daily.

Our bumpers read, "Thanks for the brake."
Thank you for the brake.

I know only a few of y'all are reading this.
So I guess this is more of a Prayer than a plea.

But for those of you who take this to heart, I appreciate it.
Thank you.
I'm trying to be safe, thank you for helping me.

As always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

You're A Rich Girl & You've Gone Too Far...

Some passengers were discussing the high price of RTD Fares and how they are going up in 2011.
Then they noted the lower prices in other markets (cities).

As a Taxpayer, like most of you and also like most of you, as a former Passenger before I became a Driver - let me give you my take on how RTD works compared to these other companies, their prices etc.

Plain and simple, RTD gets every penny of its finances from YOU.
Through taxes, fees and fares, everything comes either directly from you or through the gov't in the form of grants, subsidies, etc.

In Canaduh for instance, the price to ride is incredibly cheap.
That's because they slam the cost from your income taxes.
Then they charge a nominal fare and you think they are running to please YOU.

In other markets, the bus companies may be "private" like a few companies here in Denver.
These companies receive all their profits and operating costs, etc from the Fares.
So the cost to ride may be higher.
Denver is a bit fuzzy since the public pays to support the private sector companies through supplies, vehicles, etc.

The only reason RTD raised the Fares this time is because the Economy is so ripped that they knew you, the tax payer would not vote to approve a fee/tax hike to cover expenses so they mandated a Fare increase knowing that so very few of you would actually come to the meetings in a show of force against the increases.

So at the moment, the cost to ride RTD's "The Ride" is going to be a bit higher than other markets.
Overall, you end up paying the same as these other markets because what you pay up front in fares, they pay behind the scenes in taxes and fees.
What's the saying?
"Six of one - half dozen of the other..."

Anywho, don't fret about the higher prices.
This hike will make the public shy of another increase for a few more years and RTD isn't going broke any time soon.
Whether they are running at a loss each year, they still get paid through taxes, fees and grants, etc.
If it gets bad enough, they'll start to actually make cuts, start running more efficiently and stop spending money like obama in a liberal Congress!
They're not going anywhere.
Too many Coloradoans rely on the bus to get around and "privatizing" the District would cost the Passenger far more than the economy can afford.

By the way, did you see RTD's FaceBook post recently?
They pointed out that the top three routes combined in 2009 accrued close to 9 million "boardings".

Were you one of those 9 million?
As always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats, be one of the 9 million - Let's Roll!"

Private Eyes Are Watching You...

It's early morning, you know when it's not light yet but not exactly dark.
You can't really see who is at the stop but you can see folks running outta the corner of your eye.

I am coming to a busy stop and after everybody loads in, I sit for a moment longer.
Two gals coming running to the door at the last minute and thank me for waiting.
I saw them running about a block up, trying to cross busy traffic and I wanted them to see the bus stopped so that they'd be safe and not dart out into traffic, etc etc etc.

They sit right next to me, in "those" seats and just sit there quietly.
That's odd enough for gals their ages but I notice after a couple of miles that they are watching me too!

I got enough to do while Driving already than to be creeped out by a couple of kiddos eye ballin me so I just keep on doing my thing.

At one point I randomly pulled over far in between two stops.
Another passenger wannabe darts across the street and thank you thank you thank you thanks me for stopping like that.
That's when the two gals ask me how I knew the new passenger wanted the bus.
One of the gals said, "I noticed you stare at everything and everybody."
Her friend said, "It was kinda creepy at first."

After I figured out what they were talking about and realized what they were asking and saying (I had one of those "A-Ha" moments) I explained to them what was going on.

Drivers aren't being creepy or stalkerish, we're being responsible and safe.
Passengers don't always know what they want right away and don't always tell us what they want when they realize what it is they want.
So we need to be prepared and predictive.

For example:
That random stop between two other stops - I saw the passenger across the street, staring at me but not waving at the bus. She gave out a huge sigh when it looked like she wasn't going to make it across the street to a stop.
She didn't wave but flopped her arms down and started to get that panicked look like she was about to dart into traffic to catch me.
Drivers have to be looking around at traffic, around at our mirrors and around at pedestrians all the time, over and over and over.
We need to look out for everybody's safety and we learn from experience what to recognize as danger.
I saw the look, her expression and posture and reacted by stopping.
Traffic permitted it, it was safe and it was far safer for her if I stopped and waited rather than her trying to catch me.
We weren't late or behind schedule for waiting so I made the call.
That's what RTD pays me to do: make those decisions.

I have to pull up to a bus stop that more than one Route services.
There are a ton of Passengers but not everybody wants my bus.
I have to read faces, body language and traffic to know when to stop, what's safe, etc.

We as Drivers learn how to read not just the conditions and the traffic but the people.
I'm learning that and while those gals watched me I seemed to have made a ton of those calls.
Several passengers behind us said, "I wish my other Drivers stopped for me like that..." or other comments like that.
That surprises me because I'm a new Driver still, within my first year.
If I'm learning to do this already, I know the Senior Drivers already do this.

But we're not being creepy, we're not being stalkers:
We have to watch, look, see, analyze, decide and react.
I have to stare at you in the eye, whether you're a guy or a gal - as I pull up to a stop and you just sit there without giving me any other sign that you're going to get up.
I have to decide whether to keep going because you're waiting for another bus or whether you're just making up your mind to wait until I stop to stand up.

Yeah, I'm watching you but it's for your benefit, my benefit and the other 63 Passengers already on the Bus.

We all have the same destination: Safety

Oh My God that sounded cheezy!

LOL, whatever - I'm just Driving, doing my job.
Don't freak out but I'm watching you too.

As always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

You'll Never Find...

I was driving an accordian bus the other day and I realized how powerful they are.

In these big buses I can burn out from the stop light and almost immediately be breaking the speed limit!

IF: by burning out we mean burn out the engine by flooring it
IF: by immediately we mean three or four blocks
AND IF: the speed limit we're breaking is 25 miles an hour!

And speaking of burning out...

This smoking hot passenger who's been regularly riding two of my routes and smiling at me during the ride, etc...
She finally boards the bus and comes up to me, puts her hand on my shoulder and tells me how glad she is to see my smiling face then sits next to me.
She's shy & quite but gets the nerve to ask me about my day.

Oh My God, Becky!
I almost passed out behind the wheel.
Me, I was almost speechless.
I know, right?
My mouth went dry and I almost couldn't speak.
I was about to stutter and stammer out some response when my nose decided to prove that while my mouth was dry, my nose wasn't...
POP!
Snot bubble.
What the?
Ok, time to recover, she didn't notice, right?
I wanted to die.
Long story short, she did notice but we talked and she was flirting with me.

After she left and for the remainder of my day, I was driving this accordian bus and I had Lou Rawls stuck in my head.
I couldn't help but wonder what he would have been singing about had he been an accordian bus Driver?

"You'll never find, a bus as long as mine...
A bus that'll take you, girl where I do.

You're gonna miss, a bus as big as this...
That's gonna drive you, girl like I do..."

[Skip to refrain]

"You're gonna miss my bus Babe!
You're gonna miss you're gonna miss
You're gonna miss my bus..."

Yeah..
Can you tell I'm sick?
LOL - my brain is boiling and I'm feverish, obviously.
Union Insurance for us single guys runs around $300 a month so who can afford that?
Nor can I afford taking any time off.
It's cheaper to dose up on the OTC meds and hallucinate about the stunning passengers.