For some reason this topic is one of the more frequent questions I'm asked.
In a variety of ways but the bottom line is that y'all seem most confused about transfers.
Let's start from the beginning:
Let's imagine we're getting on the 15 out at Auraria Campus at about 5:45pm.
You get on the bus, pay your fare and ask me for a transfer.
We're scheduled to arrive out at the end of the route (Colfax and Helena) at about 7pm.
So when I "cut" your transfer it's going to be good until 8pm.
You may get off at Colorado to catch the 40 South but the ticket I've given you is good going East, North and South until 8pm.
Notice I didn't say West?
That's the number two more popular question:
Why can't I use this ticket for my return trip?
If you flip your transfers over you'll notice close to the very top, in bold letters it reads:
"Not Valid On Route Of Issue In Opposite Direction"
And just a little further down, again in bold print:
"Transfer Is Valid For One Hour After Last Stop On Route Of Issue"
Most folks don't think to read the back of that transfer but those are the more common questions and RTD has anticipated this and answered these questions for you.
So many people try to use the ticket in the other direction.
That's one of the first things I check when you show me your transfer.
I see the date, the month, whether am or pm, the time and the direction.
There is other information we Drivers provide each other for more detail but those 5-ish are the first things I see and pay close attention to.
For round trip tickets, you can get those at some stations, at Market Street and Civic Centre Stations, and the light rail stations allow you to purchase round trip tickets and they print "round trip" with an expiry very clearly.
So now y'all know.
Well, at least the 20 or so of you who wrote to me and asked!
Don't forget, RTD has a FaceBook page and they are really good about answering questions and there are other Drivers and even Passengers who help each other out on the page.
As Always, "Welcome aboard, take a transfer, find your seats - Let's Roll!"
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Listen Up!
Over and over again I've been getting emails from folks who complain about the number of accidents and bad drivers behind the wheel.
I'm going to say this yet again for you complainers:
I'm a Driver at RTD, not the crap private companies about which you're complaining.
I'd complain too if I had to ride those lines or if I was involved in their myriad of accidents.
RTD only runs about 60% of the routes.
The rest are run, operated and maintained by the private companies.
The majority of accidents and of drivers ticking y'all off are from the privates.
Give them a call.
And call the union since they keep giving work away to the private companies.
You know how the unions on a national level have caused millions of American jobs to go overseas and tons of companies and manufacturers to head out of the country and to the foreign nations?
Well, the same happens here at RTD - the union forces RTD jobs to be outsourced to the private companies.
And as you can see by the quality of the service y'all receive from these private companies...
So if you want to comment about a bus that while leased from RTD, but not operated or maintained by RTD, think twice, then think a third time and please don't waste your time writing.
The privates frustrate and make me just as sad as they do you.
They embarrass me so I'd rather not be associated with them and I'm not: I'm an RTD Driver.
Ok, enough said!
As Always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats - Let's Roll!"
I'm going to say this yet again for you complainers:
I'm a Driver at RTD, not the crap private companies about which you're complaining.
I'd complain too if I had to ride those lines or if I was involved in their myriad of accidents.
RTD only runs about 60% of the routes.
The rest are run, operated and maintained by the private companies.
The majority of accidents and of drivers ticking y'all off are from the privates.
Give them a call.
And call the union since they keep giving work away to the private companies.
You know how the unions on a national level have caused millions of American jobs to go overseas and tons of companies and manufacturers to head out of the country and to the foreign nations?
Well, the same happens here at RTD - the union forces RTD jobs to be outsourced to the private companies.
And as you can see by the quality of the service y'all receive from these private companies...
So if you want to comment about a bus that while leased from RTD, but not operated or maintained by RTD, think twice, then think a third time and please don't waste your time writing.
The privates frustrate and make me just as sad as they do you.
They embarrass me so I'd rather not be associated with them and I'm not: I'm an RTD Driver.
Ok, enough said!
As Always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats - Let's Roll!"
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Get off The Bus Gus...
Talk about a tough weekend...
I had to remind a customer/passenger that the next bus was 30 minutes behind us and invited him to catch that bus...
Wait, let me start over:
Everybody who rides the bus knows that no matter what time of day or what day it is, there are always "regulars," the same folks who get on at the same time, sit in the same seats, see the same other regulars and get off generally at the same stops.
And of course on days like this weekend, we have parades and festivities downtown so we have a bus load of other folks joining us in our regular trips back and forth.
This weekend, I had a bus full of both.
People were laughing and I could hear conversations and music from headphones.
A normal trip.
At one point, an irregular passenger gets on but only has dollar bills.
He puts his first two dollars in then asks me for change before he puts the next dollar in.
I'd already asked him if he needed a transfer, to which he'd said yes so I had the cut transfer in my hand, waiting for him to pay his fare and take the transfer.
I answered him that the fare box doesn't make change.
He replied, "Well then that's all you get!"
I could tell he was a bit tipsy and it's not my place to argue, nor did I want to.
I simply put the transfer away (as he hadn't purchased it) and said "Thank you, Sir."
He walked back to his seat
I closed the door and we carried on our ways down the road.
Eventually the alcohol began talking through this passenger and he started yelling, "Kill all the white people."
He started including specifics about passengers on the bus.
It's my job not to reward negative behaviour like this by acknowledging it.
I don't ask them to stop, I don't start arguments or debates.
Eventually other passengers take care of them or these rowdy folks simply leave.
But the happy bus turned quiet.
Everybody was giving me big puppy dog eyes in the mirror.
So I pulled over at the next stop.
Nobody had pulled rope.
Nobody was waiting at the stop.
I pulled over, set the 4 ways, set the brakes, put the bus in neutral, opened all the doors and unbuckled my belt.
I turned off the air conditioning so it was quiet.
I cut a transfer that lasted the rest of the day.
As I stood up I realized that the entire bus was deathly quiet.
The music had been turned off.
Even the drunk guy had shut up.
The hum of the engine was almost a whisper.
All eyes were on me.
I'm not a little guy.
You can't really appreciate me until I stand up, which I don't normally do while I'm driving!
I walked to the middle of the bus, to where this gentleman who'd had a few too many drinks was sitting.
I very quietly informed him that the next bus would be arriving in 30 minutes.
I offered him the transfer.
He grabbed it, stuffed it into his pocket and said thanks.
I held my hands at my waist, in front of me and used one finger to motion/point at the door.
It really was all that was moving on the bus and he saw it and started shaking his head then said, "NO!"
I asked him if I needed to call for assistance.
He said yes.
So I walked back to my seat and remembered a trick that my sister in law uses on my nephews.
She pretends to call my brother when the boys get out of control.
They hear her talking to their father and suddenly behave.
So I picked up the phone and called for help.
Instead of hiding my call, I faced the bus, the passengers and this gentleman while I spoke on the phone.
I clearly let him hear what I was saying, my description of him and that I needed help.
For a minute or two he screamed and threatened but I think that length was all in my head.
I don't think he lasted a full minute before bolting out the back door.
I hung up the phone, turned the air back on and before I had reached the end of the block, the bus was back to being filled with music, laughter and conversation.
It wasn't until folks started getting off at their stops that I was surprised by their 'Thank you's.
Almost to a fault, every single passenger thanked me and supported the action.
One of the regulars, an older lady said to me, "I knew you were going to get serious when you pulled over and I heard the AC go off!"
I tried not to laugh when she said that.
I tried not to say you're welcome as they thanked me.
I really felt badly that I had to invite a customer to take another bus.
I didn't actually refuse service to a customer.
I was simply suggesting to him that he may be better served on another bus.
That's not bad, right?
As Always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats - Let's Roll!"
I had to remind a customer/passenger that the next bus was 30 minutes behind us and invited him to catch that bus...
Wait, let me start over:
Everybody who rides the bus knows that no matter what time of day or what day it is, there are always "regulars," the same folks who get on at the same time, sit in the same seats, see the same other regulars and get off generally at the same stops.
And of course on days like this weekend, we have parades and festivities downtown so we have a bus load of other folks joining us in our regular trips back and forth.
This weekend, I had a bus full of both.
People were laughing and I could hear conversations and music from headphones.
A normal trip.
At one point, an irregular passenger gets on but only has dollar bills.
He puts his first two dollars in then asks me for change before he puts the next dollar in.
I'd already asked him if he needed a transfer, to which he'd said yes so I had the cut transfer in my hand, waiting for him to pay his fare and take the transfer.
I answered him that the fare box doesn't make change.
He replied, "Well then that's all you get!"
I could tell he was a bit tipsy and it's not my place to argue, nor did I want to.
I simply put the transfer away (as he hadn't purchased it) and said "Thank you, Sir."
He walked back to his seat
I closed the door and we carried on our ways down the road.
Eventually the alcohol began talking through this passenger and he started yelling, "Kill all the white people."
He started including specifics about passengers on the bus.
It's my job not to reward negative behaviour like this by acknowledging it.
I don't ask them to stop, I don't start arguments or debates.
Eventually other passengers take care of them or these rowdy folks simply leave.
But the happy bus turned quiet.
Everybody was giving me big puppy dog eyes in the mirror.
So I pulled over at the next stop.
Nobody had pulled rope.
Nobody was waiting at the stop.
I pulled over, set the 4 ways, set the brakes, put the bus in neutral, opened all the doors and unbuckled my belt.
I turned off the air conditioning so it was quiet.
I cut a transfer that lasted the rest of the day.
As I stood up I realized that the entire bus was deathly quiet.
The music had been turned off.
Even the drunk guy had shut up.
The hum of the engine was almost a whisper.
All eyes were on me.
I'm not a little guy.
You can't really appreciate me until I stand up, which I don't normally do while I'm driving!
I walked to the middle of the bus, to where this gentleman who'd had a few too many drinks was sitting.
I very quietly informed him that the next bus would be arriving in 30 minutes.
I offered him the transfer.
He grabbed it, stuffed it into his pocket and said thanks.
I held my hands at my waist, in front of me and used one finger to motion/point at the door.
It really was all that was moving on the bus and he saw it and started shaking his head then said, "NO!"
I asked him if I needed to call for assistance.
He said yes.
So I walked back to my seat and remembered a trick that my sister in law uses on my nephews.
She pretends to call my brother when the boys get out of control.
They hear her talking to their father and suddenly behave.
So I picked up the phone and called for help.
Instead of hiding my call, I faced the bus, the passengers and this gentleman while I spoke on the phone.
I clearly let him hear what I was saying, my description of him and that I needed help.
For a minute or two he screamed and threatened but I think that length was all in my head.
I don't think he lasted a full minute before bolting out the back door.
I hung up the phone, turned the air back on and before I had reached the end of the block, the bus was back to being filled with music, laughter and conversation.
It wasn't until folks started getting off at their stops that I was surprised by their 'Thank you's.
Almost to a fault, every single passenger thanked me and supported the action.
One of the regulars, an older lady said to me, "I knew you were going to get serious when you pulled over and I heard the AC go off!"
I tried not to laugh when she said that.
I tried not to say you're welcome as they thanked me.
I really felt badly that I had to invite a customer to take another bus.
I didn't actually refuse service to a customer.
I was simply suggesting to him that he may be better served on another bus.
That's not bad, right?
As Always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats - Let's Roll!"
Cry Me A River....
It's been a tough weekend for me.
I'm not just a Driver.
I mean, I am but I'm also a human being here...
What I mean is that the humanity around me affects me as much as the next guy.
It's just my job not to let it and to continue to be safe and expedient.
This weekend I had far more than a "normal" amount of women expressing their frustrations with men.
One pretty kiddo gets on and begins to tell us about her loser of a boyfriend.
How she tried calling but he was busy, or asleep or just going to spend the day relaxing.
How she just wanted a boyfriend who wanted to have her around.
Somebody she could take care of and hang out with...etc.
Another got on and told us how she had a date from hell.
How all he wanted was to hook up and from the beginning of "the date" she expressed that she had no plans of that on the first date, her "date" proceeded to flirt around the room and party with other women until he eventually left with somebody else!
And yet another pretty girl got on, looking like she was going to kick everybody's tail!
After a few minutes, she started yelling.
I realized she had answered her phone and it was obviously the bad guy.
From what I gathered, he'd said something stupid, walked away and never looked back.
She was telling how much he hurt her, how much he....
Yada yada yada...
You get the point.
And I'm sitting there, driving, trying to focus on the road.
But I'm alone in my thoughts while I'm driving.
I'm wanting to pull the bus over and give these Ladies a hug.
To offer my arm for a punch in order to vent a little anger at these jerks in their lives.
To offer my condolences, my advice, my prayers...
I have entire conversations with these women...in my head...as they ride the bus, crying.
I can't say a word.
It's not my place, it may be misconstrued, misunderstood, unwanted, etc etc etc.
It's not my job.
I'm concerned but not allowed to be.
So I drive.
I say a few prayers for y'all in my head.
I'm crying with you on the inside.
I feel for you and have on many occasions kicked those jerk's butts for you.
I'm apologizing to you for all of us men on the planet, all of us who are jerks.
But it's all on the inside.
On the outside, I call stops, I announce the Stations and I stay on time.
On the outside I am a bus Driver, I'm a professional who is working and focusing on my work.
On the inside I'm crying a river...
On the inside I'm a Driver who cares but on the outside, I'm just your Driver.
As Always, "Welcome aboard, grab a kleenex, find your seats - Let's Roll!"
I'm not just a Driver.
I mean, I am but I'm also a human being here...
What I mean is that the humanity around me affects me as much as the next guy.
It's just my job not to let it and to continue to be safe and expedient.
This weekend I had far more than a "normal" amount of women expressing their frustrations with men.
One pretty kiddo gets on and begins to tell us about her loser of a boyfriend.
How she tried calling but he was busy, or asleep or just going to spend the day relaxing.
How she just wanted a boyfriend who wanted to have her around.
Somebody she could take care of and hang out with...etc.
Another got on and told us how she had a date from hell.
How all he wanted was to hook up and from the beginning of "the date" she expressed that she had no plans of that on the first date, her "date" proceeded to flirt around the room and party with other women until he eventually left with somebody else!
And yet another pretty girl got on, looking like she was going to kick everybody's tail!
After a few minutes, she started yelling.
I realized she had answered her phone and it was obviously the bad guy.
From what I gathered, he'd said something stupid, walked away and never looked back.
She was telling how much he hurt her, how much he....
Yada yada yada...
You get the point.
And I'm sitting there, driving, trying to focus on the road.
But I'm alone in my thoughts while I'm driving.
I'm wanting to pull the bus over and give these Ladies a hug.
To offer my arm for a punch in order to vent a little anger at these jerks in their lives.
To offer my condolences, my advice, my prayers...
I have entire conversations with these women...in my head...as they ride the bus, crying.
I can't say a word.
It's not my place, it may be misconstrued, misunderstood, unwanted, etc etc etc.
It's not my job.
I'm concerned but not allowed to be.
So I drive.
I say a few prayers for y'all in my head.
I'm crying with you on the inside.
I feel for you and have on many occasions kicked those jerk's butts for you.
I'm apologizing to you for all of us men on the planet, all of us who are jerks.
But it's all on the inside.
On the outside, I call stops, I announce the Stations and I stay on time.
On the outside I am a bus Driver, I'm a professional who is working and focusing on my work.
On the inside I'm crying a river...
On the inside I'm a Driver who cares but on the outside, I'm just your Driver.
As Always, "Welcome aboard, grab a kleenex, find your seats - Let's Roll!"
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Safety Dance
Every day RTD Drivers do this dance.
Wait, let me start in the right place.
Have you ever been driving down the road and the Bus is going incredibly slow in the right hand lane?
You look to the left, see an opening and jump out and around the bus.
You see an opening in front of the bus so you jump back into that lane.
Sometimes you realize you almost missed your turn and you slam on your brakes and turn into that parking lot or driveway.
Sometimes when you jump back into that lane you realize everybody in front of you is standing on their brakes so you stand on yours as well.
I've done this in the past, many many times.
Have you even considered this from the Bus Driver's point of view?
I'm crawling down the road and the guy in front of me slams on his brakes.
I can't slam on mine because that would bring all 60 of my passengers into the Driver's seat with me - all at once - so I back off a bit and slow down.
Out of nowhere, the guy behind me jumps out and flies around me, dives into that tiny "safety buffer" I left between the guy who just slammed on his brakes, then slams onto his brakes as well.
I slow down a bit more and back off a bit more to accommodate this new guy.
Then another guy jumps out and around me and darts into that space between me and the car in front of me, than stands on his brakes and immediately turns into the driveway that he would have reached only 3 seconds later had he waited behind me.
So you can see that every time another drivers cuts in front of me, I slow down a bit more, causing other drivers to dart around me, etc etc etc.
That space in front of me isn't for cars to fit into at their convenience.
It's literally a legal requirement and it's a safety buffer.
The CDL and RTD teach us that we are to give 1 second (this is my translation - it's a bit more than the actual requirement) for each ten miles an hour we're driving.
If I'm going ten miles and hour, there is at least "one, one thousand" space between us.
At only ten miles an hour, we're travelling a mile every six minutes.
That's close to 15 feet every second.
That's about two car lengths at only 10 miles an hour.
So you can see that once we get to even 25 or even as high as 55 on the highway, we are moving it.
And we need that buffer and that buffer needs to increase as our speed increases.
That buffer is a safety zone, anything between us and the car in front of us becomes a hood ornament if we have to slam on the brakes.
So when I'm cruising down the highway at 55 and you feel I'm not going fast enough, please - go around me.
But if you think that space in front of me is there because I'm too slow or because I'm giving you room to fit in front of me, you're wrong.
When you jump in front of me, cutting my safety buffer in half - you're increasing your chances of an accident.
The other morning I was driving a PACKED - and when I say packed, you folks who've been on a standing room only accordion bus know what I mean by packed! - bus, it's only 6:30 in the morning and we're hauling butt down the highway.
I've got the at least 6 second space between us and the cars in front and as usual another car decides he needs to be in front of me and not behind me.
Of course he has to cut right in front of me because he's making a point of showing how upset he is with me that I've been driving in front of him, or some such...
As he dives in front of me, I have to tap the brakes so he doesn't hit the bikes on the rack (yeah, he's THAT close!) and it's a good thing I did.
We were going up a small incline in the highway and traffic in front of us was blocked from view for a second or two.
That's all it took.
The guy in front of me slammed on his brakes as he realized he was coming up to parked cars at "passing me" speeds and I thanked God that I'd already had my foot on the brake pedal as I slammed on my brakes.
I was actually standing up with my foot slammed on the brakes and I was pulling up on the steering wheel to push me down harder on the brakes.
For a split second I considered pulling the "E-Brake" (we have an emergency air brake we use for parking) I was looking so hard for more brakes.
There were like 100 swears and cusses flying behind me.
I heard bottles, phones and bags hitting the floor.
Almost immediately folks were throwing insults at the guy in front of us.
The regulars in the front said in unison, "Great reflexes/stop/catch."
Folks started clapping!
Say What?
LOL - anyway..
We finally stopped so close to the car in front of me that I could see his eyes in his driver's side mirror - I think he was crying!
I could smell his underwear - I KNOW he soiled them!
Bill Cosby once said, "First you say it, then you do it."
This guy said it.
Had I not already been tapping the brakes, I would have literally gone through him and several of the cars in front of him because he'd drawn my attention with his unsafe driving and blocked my sight and cut my safety zone.
Everybody on the bus was alright, we wiped up coffee and folks picked up their belongings.
All was well and we made it into the Civic Center Station on time.
I'm sure the guy in front of us made it to work, although he almost didn't.
That space you find between the bus and the traffic in front of him is there for a very good, if not legal reason.
Please respect it, please consider it, please be aware of why we have it.
It's for all of our safety.
In the meantime, "Welcome aboard, find your seats - Let's Roll!"
Wait, let me start in the right place.
Have you ever been driving down the road and the Bus is going incredibly slow in the right hand lane?
You look to the left, see an opening and jump out and around the bus.
You see an opening in front of the bus so you jump back into that lane.
Sometimes you realize you almost missed your turn and you slam on your brakes and turn into that parking lot or driveway.
Sometimes when you jump back into that lane you realize everybody in front of you is standing on their brakes so you stand on yours as well.
I've done this in the past, many many times.
Have you even considered this from the Bus Driver's point of view?
I'm crawling down the road and the guy in front of me slams on his brakes.
I can't slam on mine because that would bring all 60 of my passengers into the Driver's seat with me - all at once - so I back off a bit and slow down.
Out of nowhere, the guy behind me jumps out and flies around me, dives into that tiny "safety buffer" I left between the guy who just slammed on his brakes, then slams onto his brakes as well.
I slow down a bit more and back off a bit more to accommodate this new guy.
Then another guy jumps out and around me and darts into that space between me and the car in front of me, than stands on his brakes and immediately turns into the driveway that he would have reached only 3 seconds later had he waited behind me.
So you can see that every time another drivers cuts in front of me, I slow down a bit more, causing other drivers to dart around me, etc etc etc.
That space in front of me isn't for cars to fit into at their convenience.
It's literally a legal requirement and it's a safety buffer.
The CDL and RTD teach us that we are to give 1 second (this is my translation - it's a bit more than the actual requirement) for each ten miles an hour we're driving.
If I'm going ten miles and hour, there is at least "one, one thousand" space between us.
At only ten miles an hour, we're travelling a mile every six minutes.
That's close to 15 feet every second.
That's about two car lengths at only 10 miles an hour.
So you can see that once we get to even 25 or even as high as 55 on the highway, we are moving it.
And we need that buffer and that buffer needs to increase as our speed increases.
That buffer is a safety zone, anything between us and the car in front of us becomes a hood ornament if we have to slam on the brakes.
So when I'm cruising down the highway at 55 and you feel I'm not going fast enough, please - go around me.
But if you think that space in front of me is there because I'm too slow or because I'm giving you room to fit in front of me, you're wrong.
When you jump in front of me, cutting my safety buffer in half - you're increasing your chances of an accident.
The other morning I was driving a PACKED - and when I say packed, you folks who've been on a standing room only accordion bus know what I mean by packed! - bus, it's only 6:30 in the morning and we're hauling butt down the highway.
I've got the at least 6 second space between us and the cars in front and as usual another car decides he needs to be in front of me and not behind me.
Of course he has to cut right in front of me because he's making a point of showing how upset he is with me that I've been driving in front of him, or some such...
As he dives in front of me, I have to tap the brakes so he doesn't hit the bikes on the rack (yeah, he's THAT close!) and it's a good thing I did.
We were going up a small incline in the highway and traffic in front of us was blocked from view for a second or two.
That's all it took.
The guy in front of me slammed on his brakes as he realized he was coming up to parked cars at "passing me" speeds and I thanked God that I'd already had my foot on the brake pedal as I slammed on my brakes.
I was actually standing up with my foot slammed on the brakes and I was pulling up on the steering wheel to push me down harder on the brakes.
For a split second I considered pulling the "E-Brake" (we have an emergency air brake we use for parking) I was looking so hard for more brakes.
There were like 100 swears and cusses flying behind me.
I heard bottles, phones and bags hitting the floor.
Almost immediately folks were throwing insults at the guy in front of us.
The regulars in the front said in unison, "Great reflexes/stop/catch."
Folks started clapping!
Say What?
LOL - anyway..
We finally stopped so close to the car in front of me that I could see his eyes in his driver's side mirror - I think he was crying!
I could smell his underwear - I KNOW he soiled them!
Bill Cosby once said, "First you say it, then you do it."
This guy said it.
Had I not already been tapping the brakes, I would have literally gone through him and several of the cars in front of him because he'd drawn my attention with his unsafe driving and blocked my sight and cut my safety zone.
Everybody on the bus was alright, we wiped up coffee and folks picked up their belongings.
All was well and we made it into the Civic Center Station on time.
I'm sure the guy in front of us made it to work, although he almost didn't.
That space you find between the bus and the traffic in front of him is there for a very good, if not legal reason.
Please respect it, please consider it, please be aware of why we have it.
It's for all of our safety.
In the meantime, "Welcome aboard, find your seats - Let's Roll!"
Friday, April 22, 2011
How Will I Know...
Hi folks.
I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while.
There are so many things to write about and I plan out at least three posts every day while I'm driving.
But then I get home and just flake.
Mostly because I can't write half the stuff I want to and the other half I'll receive more threats from other Drivers.
For example:
Just recently we (Drivers) received a sizable survey about our jobs here at RTD.
I believe you passengers may have also received something in the mail, asking about which routes and offering passes in exchange for your time and input, right?
Being a new guy (only in my second year is still new around here!) this is my first survey.
I've heard from senior Drivers that this is the first time we've been asked our opinion about our job satisfaction.
Of course others have said that we're given these types of surveys every few years.
So who knows.
The survey weighed heavily on what we like about our jobs, why we think other Drivers quit and if and why we refer others to Driver with us.
Speaking with others who've taken the time on this survey, the obvious answer is split in two:
Those who "love" the union almost unanimously say it's the crazy hours and that extra board.
Those who aren't happy with the union say it's the union and that extra board.
Before I explain the extra board, let me explain how things work around here that differs with 99% of the rest of American jobs.
If I have a concern, a cost savings idea, a dissatisfaction with something or somebody: we're told to take it up with the union.
We can't go to our managers or our supervisors or our bosses.
We have to filter everything through the union, a union who could care less about most of us as long as we're all paying that $600 extortion fee to work for RTD.
Currently, the union has forced RTD to hire a crap load of full time Drivers.
We're sitting at at least 113 in Denver alone, more if we include East Metro and Boulder divisions.
And still hiring like mad men from what I've seen.
At 113 drivers, that payroll is something like $75,000 a week.
A week.
An extra board is a hazing ritual the union forces all new full time drivers to go through.
They can be called in as early as 2 or 3am and kept around until as late as 9pm - 18 hours but only paid for 8.
These new drivers can be forced to remain on these boards for a year or more.
Some guys have been here two years and told me they just got off this last vote!
Drivers on the extra board are called in to sit and be ready.
If a driver calls in sick, if he doesn't show up for work, if somebody goes on vacation, etc...that extra board driver is ready to fill in on the spot and head out.
Of course, many of you know these drivers as the one always getting lost, taking wrong turns, missing stops, being late all the time, driving the wrong way up the HOV lane...
In a normal work day, there are three shifts per day, two cycles per week.
The weekday cycle and the weekend cycle - the morning, afternoon/evening and the overnight shifts.
We don't need this many except for the weekday shifts - maybe - but let's do the numbers with 10 drivers per shift.
Three shifts during the week (30 guys) and three on the weekends (30 more) and we have 60 extra drivers total. Again, way too many but I'm throwing spit ball numbers to make a point.
60 drivers work 40 hours a week, that's 2400 hours a week at lower pay since most are all first year drivers is a weekly payroll of around $38,400 a week.
Again, that number is extremely high.
But we currently have 113 and climbing.
Twice what we need, twice the payroll you tax payers are paying (and don't forget - RTD is asking to increase your taxes for these expenses!) and at 113 extra board drivers, that's around 1 in every 5 full time drivers at the Platte (Denver) division who sits around for 5 hours, gets paid for 8 then gets sent home.
We have so many extra board drivers that they go out in pairs or simply sit around for 5 hours and get paid for 8 before being sent home.
Granted, this brilliant idea of the union's is making life much easier for the new drivers stuck on these boards for the next few years, so they'll stick around longer - making even harder to get off the boards since nobody above them in seniority is leaving, making room for them to move up and off the boards!
But it's doubling the cost to the tax payer.
Meanwhile, drivers who were volunteering for extra shifts and hours, volunteering to work the Bronco and Rockies games, can't get anything right now.
All that work goes to these extra board drivers.
Which is a great use of the taxpayer's dollar, once or twice a week - but then even a broken clock gets it right twice a day, right?
So a few senior Drivers who are entitlement minded, who love the unions and just assume that you, the taxpayer owe them a living, a comfortable living and retirement, regardless of how hard you're having it financially right now, these drivers got their union bosses to increase the driver count, close to three times and growing of what we actually need, just to make their easy days even easier.
And you get to foot that bill.
RTD is trying to save money, trying to make things fit and work and still give their customers - YOU THE PASSENGERS - the best service they can, cutting back late night and early morning service, laying off people in the home offices, you name it...trying to make every penny count.
But the union...you the passenger, the customer...you don't cross their minds.
They only see dollar signs and they are hurting RTD and you in the process.
Drivers have it easy.
Seriously, after the first year on the outside, this job is a cakewalk.
We know the routes, we know the people, we come in, get work, go out and drive all day and night, collect a check and go home.
And don't let ANY Driver tell you otherwise - I've worked the Colfax (15) and the Broadway (0) and the busy longer runs like 12, 21 and 44 and the 38, and a butt load of other routes at all times of the day and year.
They are easy, the people are great, the buses work fine and are a breeze to operate.
As a customer service rep (you passengers know us as Bus Drivers!) I know that the customer (you passengers) just want great service.
It's not enough to take your money and drop you off, you want to be appreciated and trust me, most of us do appreciate you.
You know those of us who do.
You know our names and we know y'all.
I know y'all know who I am, I'd gotten something like ten letters from you passengers in my first year telling me that y'all know my name and thanking me for caring about you.
So thank you.
I love my job, I love you passengers.
As you can tell I don't love this union which is killing RTD, the Driver and the service we want to provide to you at an affordable cost.
This post will get me into some heat with other drivers and maybe even some bosses if they know who I am - big if - but this is why I don't post often anymore.
I love you guys and I love my job but this union makes me not want to go to work every day.
Or to at least stay away from the other drivers who complain about RTD, and praise the union for slapping RTD around; to stay away from the division where my bosses, managers and supervisors all give me that knowing, sorry, helpless look as they tell me to take it up with the union rather than owning the issue themselves.
During my first year I was on fire, gung-ho and ready to take on everything.
But the union has beat that out of me, actually made me fear caring and fear speaking up.
I've learned to keep my mouth shut, do my job, keep a very low profile and get in/get out.
I've watched other drivers come and go - or be kicked to the curb at the union's demand.
So God only knows what they'll do to me eventually - a Driver who loves his job, his employer and his customers.
In the meantime, whether I infrequently post, just know that there are a few of us still out here - myself included - who are doing our best, who still love our jobs and y'all , doing our best to provide everything you'd expect and more.
Sorry for the long rant.
That gets pent up and needs to be vented more and more these days.
I've got a tons of reader questions to answer and a bunch of ideas piling up in the "to post" pile.
In the meantime, "Welcome aboard, find your seats - Let's Roll!"
I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while.
There are so many things to write about and I plan out at least three posts every day while I'm driving.
But then I get home and just flake.
Mostly because I can't write half the stuff I want to and the other half I'll receive more threats from other Drivers.
For example:
Just recently we (Drivers) received a sizable survey about our jobs here at RTD.
I believe you passengers may have also received something in the mail, asking about which routes and offering passes in exchange for your time and input, right?
Being a new guy (only in my second year is still new around here!) this is my first survey.
I've heard from senior Drivers that this is the first time we've been asked our opinion about our job satisfaction.
Of course others have said that we're given these types of surveys every few years.
So who knows.
The survey weighed heavily on what we like about our jobs, why we think other Drivers quit and if and why we refer others to Driver with us.
Speaking with others who've taken the time on this survey, the obvious answer is split in two:
Those who "love" the union almost unanimously say it's the crazy hours and that extra board.
Those who aren't happy with the union say it's the union and that extra board.
Before I explain the extra board, let me explain how things work around here that differs with 99% of the rest of American jobs.
If I have a concern, a cost savings idea, a dissatisfaction with something or somebody: we're told to take it up with the union.
We can't go to our managers or our supervisors or our bosses.
We have to filter everything through the union, a union who could care less about most of us as long as we're all paying that $600 extortion fee to work for RTD.
Currently, the union has forced RTD to hire a crap load of full time Drivers.
We're sitting at at least 113 in Denver alone, more if we include East Metro and Boulder divisions.
And still hiring like mad men from what I've seen.
At 113 drivers, that payroll is something like $75,000 a week.
A week.
An extra board is a hazing ritual the union forces all new full time drivers to go through.
They can be called in as early as 2 or 3am and kept around until as late as 9pm - 18 hours but only paid for 8.
These new drivers can be forced to remain on these boards for a year or more.
Some guys have been here two years and told me they just got off this last vote!
Drivers on the extra board are called in to sit and be ready.
If a driver calls in sick, if he doesn't show up for work, if somebody goes on vacation, etc...that extra board driver is ready to fill in on the spot and head out.
Of course, many of you know these drivers as the one always getting lost, taking wrong turns, missing stops, being late all the time, driving the wrong way up the HOV lane...
In a normal work day, there are three shifts per day, two cycles per week.
The weekday cycle and the weekend cycle - the morning, afternoon/evening and the overnight shifts.
We don't need this many except for the weekday shifts - maybe - but let's do the numbers with 10 drivers per shift.
Three shifts during the week (30 guys) and three on the weekends (30 more) and we have 60 extra drivers total. Again, way too many but I'm throwing spit ball numbers to make a point.
60 drivers work 40 hours a week, that's 2400 hours a week at lower pay since most are all first year drivers is a weekly payroll of around $38,400 a week.
Again, that number is extremely high.
But we currently have 113 and climbing.
Twice what we need, twice the payroll you tax payers are paying (and don't forget - RTD is asking to increase your taxes for these expenses!) and at 113 extra board drivers, that's around 1 in every 5 full time drivers at the Platte (Denver) division who sits around for 5 hours, gets paid for 8 then gets sent home.
We have so many extra board drivers that they go out in pairs or simply sit around for 5 hours and get paid for 8 before being sent home.
Granted, this brilliant idea of the union's is making life much easier for the new drivers stuck on these boards for the next few years, so they'll stick around longer - making even harder to get off the boards since nobody above them in seniority is leaving, making room for them to move up and off the boards!
But it's doubling the cost to the tax payer.
Meanwhile, drivers who were volunteering for extra shifts and hours, volunteering to work the Bronco and Rockies games, can't get anything right now.
All that work goes to these extra board drivers.
Which is a great use of the taxpayer's dollar, once or twice a week - but then even a broken clock gets it right twice a day, right?
So a few senior Drivers who are entitlement minded, who love the unions and just assume that you, the taxpayer owe them a living, a comfortable living and retirement, regardless of how hard you're having it financially right now, these drivers got their union bosses to increase the driver count, close to three times and growing of what we actually need, just to make their easy days even easier.
And you get to foot that bill.
RTD is trying to save money, trying to make things fit and work and still give their customers - YOU THE PASSENGERS - the best service they can, cutting back late night and early morning service, laying off people in the home offices, you name it...trying to make every penny count.
But the union...you the passenger, the customer...you don't cross their minds.
They only see dollar signs and they are hurting RTD and you in the process.
Drivers have it easy.
Seriously, after the first year on the outside, this job is a cakewalk.
We know the routes, we know the people, we come in, get work, go out and drive all day and night, collect a check and go home.
And don't let ANY Driver tell you otherwise - I've worked the Colfax (15) and the Broadway (0) and the busy longer runs like 12, 21 and 44 and the 38, and a butt load of other routes at all times of the day and year.
They are easy, the people are great, the buses work fine and are a breeze to operate.
As a customer service rep (you passengers know us as Bus Drivers!) I know that the customer (you passengers) just want great service.
It's not enough to take your money and drop you off, you want to be appreciated and trust me, most of us do appreciate you.
You know those of us who do.
You know our names and we know y'all.
I know y'all know who I am, I'd gotten something like ten letters from you passengers in my first year telling me that y'all know my name and thanking me for caring about you.
So thank you.
I love my job, I love you passengers.
As you can tell I don't love this union which is killing RTD, the Driver and the service we want to provide to you at an affordable cost.
This post will get me into some heat with other drivers and maybe even some bosses if they know who I am - big if - but this is why I don't post often anymore.
I love you guys and I love my job but this union makes me not want to go to work every day.
Or to at least stay away from the other drivers who complain about RTD, and praise the union for slapping RTD around; to stay away from the division where my bosses, managers and supervisors all give me that knowing, sorry, helpless look as they tell me to take it up with the union rather than owning the issue themselves.
During my first year I was on fire, gung-ho and ready to take on everything.
But the union has beat that out of me, actually made me fear caring and fear speaking up.
I've learned to keep my mouth shut, do my job, keep a very low profile and get in/get out.
I've watched other drivers come and go - or be kicked to the curb at the union's demand.
So God only knows what they'll do to me eventually - a Driver who loves his job, his employer and his customers.
In the meantime, whether I infrequently post, just know that there are a few of us still out here - myself included - who are doing our best, who still love our jobs and y'all , doing our best to provide everything you'd expect and more.
Sorry for the long rant.
That gets pent up and needs to be vented more and more these days.
I've got a tons of reader questions to answer and a bunch of ideas piling up in the "to post" pile.
In the meantime, "Welcome aboard, find your seats - Let's Roll!"
Monday, March 21, 2011
Rolling Stone?
I wanted to use snowball as the title of this blog but I'm told I already have so let's try this one...
This is how my day started:
I did an AM Express run that starts way out West of Denver and comes into the Civic Centre Station then heads out to become a local route.
I've explained to y'all before how these insert routes run.
I'm spot on time to start, pick up my first handful of regulars at the Park N Ride and as we leave, we immediately hit the first 3 stop lights in a row.
No biggy but that's a first and it sets us behind by at least three minutes right off the bat.
Not a good start for an Express.
Then we pick up a new passenger right in the middle of a long stretch of a higher speed limit road, where there hasn't been a passenger all year long so far.
Again, no biggy but it sets us back another minute as I slow down, wait 30 seconds for the passenger to come aboard, find his seat and ramp back up to the speed limit.
By now, we're only 5 minutes into the route (schedule wise) but already 4 minutes behind.
And the regulars are used to me being freaking spot on time, so much so that as I'm coming up to two of the next stops, I see the regulars walking AWAY - back to their homes to wait for the next bus.
I had to honk to get their attention so they can come with us.
Turns out, they figured that since they didn't see me, they were too late to the stop - they didn't realize that I was late - which is a first on this route.
But that snowballed (there's that word) as the route goes on.
As we get more behind, we start hitting traffic lights out of sync.
Meaning we start hitting ALL the lights red rather than breezing down the road in sync as we do every morning.
This sets us more behind with each light.
I noticed that more and more regulars have gone missing - I'm assuming that they figured they've missed me as well.
But as we fall even further behind, we start encountering heavier traffic because we're outta sync and you can guess it...
We fall furher and further behind.
As we hit 6th Avenue to head Downtown, since we're so outta sync, we fall into full on traffic that causes us to sit and wait.
Taking at least 15 minutes to get into town rather than the shorter 6ish.
So yes, we're FAR FAR behind now.
And of course you can see this coming but as we hit Lincoln, the traffic is bumper to bumper and once we get into the Station, it takes close to five minutes to get out instead of the single minute for me to get in and out normally.
But don't forget, I have another route into which I'm inserted in the morning.
I still have to get to that and it takes at least 15 minutes on a normal, dry, sunny warm day.
Today's anything but normal at this point and by the time I get to the beginning of the next route, through more heavy highway and surface street traffic, I'm a full ten minutes behind.
Passengers are looking at me like I'm nuts.
The next bus on the route is only 5 minutes behind me by now.
I'm so far behind that I'm picking up more passengers than normal, folks who are five minutes early for the next bus are already there and wondering who the heck I am.
So that slows me down even further.
To the point that once I get back into town, the bus behind me, who has had nobody to pick up since I've gotten all his regulars...is right on my tail and he's thinking I'm a big nimrod & probably some new Driver who has no idea what he's doing.
And I don't know if you've been on Broadway yet this week but it's been repainted for construction and there is heavy traffic on it now.
Trying to cross or travel Broadway for the next while will be near impossible - on a schedule at least.
By the time I reached the end of my run, I was so late I considered sleeping in the bus and just pulling out for my next asignment.
Well, not that late but you get the point.
So you can see how a butterfly moving his wings in Africa can cause hurricanes in North America.
One new Passenger, one out of sync red light and BLAM-O!
A perfectly sunny, warm, dry day and I'm later than if it were 8" inches of snow and -30° outside.
How embarassing.
As Always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats, hang on to your patience - Let's Roll!"
This is how my day started:
I did an AM Express run that starts way out West of Denver and comes into the Civic Centre Station then heads out to become a local route.
I've explained to y'all before how these insert routes run.
I'm spot on time to start, pick up my first handful of regulars at the Park N Ride and as we leave, we immediately hit the first 3 stop lights in a row.
No biggy but that's a first and it sets us behind by at least three minutes right off the bat.
Not a good start for an Express.
Then we pick up a new passenger right in the middle of a long stretch of a higher speed limit road, where there hasn't been a passenger all year long so far.
Again, no biggy but it sets us back another minute as I slow down, wait 30 seconds for the passenger to come aboard, find his seat and ramp back up to the speed limit.
By now, we're only 5 minutes into the route (schedule wise) but already 4 minutes behind.
And the regulars are used to me being freaking spot on time, so much so that as I'm coming up to two of the next stops, I see the regulars walking AWAY - back to their homes to wait for the next bus.
I had to honk to get their attention so they can come with us.
Turns out, they figured that since they didn't see me, they were too late to the stop - they didn't realize that I was late - which is a first on this route.
But that snowballed (there's that word) as the route goes on.
As we get more behind, we start hitting traffic lights out of sync.
Meaning we start hitting ALL the lights red rather than breezing down the road in sync as we do every morning.
This sets us more behind with each light.
I noticed that more and more regulars have gone missing - I'm assuming that they figured they've missed me as well.
But as we fall even further behind, we start encountering heavier traffic because we're outta sync and you can guess it...
We fall furher and further behind.
As we hit 6th Avenue to head Downtown, since we're so outta sync, we fall into full on traffic that causes us to sit and wait.
Taking at least 15 minutes to get into town rather than the shorter 6ish.
So yes, we're FAR FAR behind now.
And of course you can see this coming but as we hit Lincoln, the traffic is bumper to bumper and once we get into the Station, it takes close to five minutes to get out instead of the single minute for me to get in and out normally.
But don't forget, I have another route into which I'm inserted in the morning.
I still have to get to that and it takes at least 15 minutes on a normal, dry, sunny warm day.
Today's anything but normal at this point and by the time I get to the beginning of the next route, through more heavy highway and surface street traffic, I'm a full ten minutes behind.
Passengers are looking at me like I'm nuts.
The next bus on the route is only 5 minutes behind me by now.
I'm so far behind that I'm picking up more passengers than normal, folks who are five minutes early for the next bus are already there and wondering who the heck I am.
So that slows me down even further.
To the point that once I get back into town, the bus behind me, who has had nobody to pick up since I've gotten all his regulars...is right on my tail and he's thinking I'm a big nimrod & probably some new Driver who has no idea what he's doing.
And I don't know if you've been on Broadway yet this week but it's been repainted for construction and there is heavy traffic on it now.
Trying to cross or travel Broadway for the next while will be near impossible - on a schedule at least.
By the time I reached the end of my run, I was so late I considered sleeping in the bus and just pulling out for my next asignment.
Well, not that late but you get the point.
So you can see how a butterfly moving his wings in Africa can cause hurricanes in North America.
One new Passenger, one out of sync red light and BLAM-O!
A perfectly sunny, warm, dry day and I'm later than if it were 8" inches of snow and -30° outside.
How embarassing.
As Always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats, hang on to your patience - Let's Roll!"
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Side Note To The Media:
I was recently contacted by a local news outlet here in Denver.
I was asked if I'd comment on and answer a few questions.
I ignored the request but she resent it again the other day.
So I gotta add this as a side note, to remind her and all the readers:
I don't speak for RTD.
I only drive for RTD.
I'ma company man, I do what I'm told.
And I'm told I don't speak for the company.
This is my personal blog, just the thoughts and opinions of some random guy who just happens to drive a bus.
If you want official answers to your questions, please contact RTD.
I've seen you (the person who sent the request) talking to them many times before so I know you already know their numbers and possibly even their personal email addresses.
Please don't ask me again.
RTD neither condones nor endorses my blog, my thoughts or my opinions posted here.
These are just my ramblings.
The mean nothing to anybody but me.
There, got that outta the way...yet again!
I was asked if I'd comment on and answer a few questions.
I ignored the request but she resent it again the other day.
So I gotta add this as a side note, to remind her and all the readers:
I don't speak for RTD.
I only drive for RTD.
I'ma company man, I do what I'm told.
And I'm told I don't speak for the company.
This is my personal blog, just the thoughts and opinions of some random guy who just happens to drive a bus.
If you want official answers to your questions, please contact RTD.
I've seen you (the person who sent the request) talking to them many times before so I know you already know their numbers and possibly even their personal email addresses.
Please don't ask me again.
RTD neither condones nor endorses my blog, my thoughts or my opinions posted here.
These are just my ramblings.
The mean nothing to anybody but me.
There, got that outta the way...yet again!
Imagine All The People...
RTD is asking to raise taxes again.
I may have supported raising fares because that caused those who actually use RTD to pay for their service but I can't quite find the justification to get my support for raising taxes to the general public.
Keep in mind, statistics show that 40% of folks who live in this country don't even pay taxes.
That means the rest of us pay for services that we probably don't use, so that those who don't pay for it, can use it.
RTD reports that there were 97 million "boardings" in 2010.
That means that one passenger could have been jumping on 11 thousand times an hour last year.
LOL - more likely not but hey, it coulda happened!
Here's an example:
RTD (not including the private companies running RTD routes) has more than 400 routes/runs a day.
We'll use 400 to be conservative.
Most RTD buses (that RTD uses - not the privates who use RTD buses) have more than 40 seats but we'll use 40 as a conservative number.
Most routes have more than one run back and forth but to be conservative, let's just assume each only goes once per day.
We've all been on the bus at least once when it's packed full and many buses do that several times a run: take the 122X or 120X as examples.
So if each of the 400 runs fills up once with 40 people that's 16000 passengers each day, times 365 days is 5,840,000 a year.
The average passenger has to take at least one transfer to get to their destination each day so that's 4 boardings per passenger a day making it 23,360,000 boardings a year.
So you can see how only 16,000 "regulars" can account for 25% of the 97 million boardings a year, using conservative numbers.
And we didn't take into consideration the Mall Shuttles, the Light Rails and all the other packed full runs on each route, not to mention the weekend & holiday hordes that pack buses until folks are hanging out the windows just to fit in!
All that to say, there could be only 65 thousand people using RTD on a regular basis, many of whom get discounted prices, have employers who pay for their fares, or who don't pay the fares at all - and the tax payer is shouldering the burden of financial support.
The Front Range boasts more than 2,195,000 tax payers.
Potentially that's only 3% of the population riding what the rest pay for.
All these numbers are not exact but mostly just conservative guestimates to make a point.
Don't get me wrong, this is my job: Driving for even just 65,000 people a day every day of the year.
And I LOVE doing it.
But I don't believe RTD should raise taxes on the rest of the people to support the few who use it.
I believe that the services should be supported by those who use them.
Then again, that's just me and I'm sure I only represent a tiny percentage of the population who feels this way.
I'm just some guy who drives a bus.
As Always, "Welcome aboard that bus, find your seats - Let's Roll!"
I may have supported raising fares because that caused those who actually use RTD to pay for their service but I can't quite find the justification to get my support for raising taxes to the general public.
Keep in mind, statistics show that 40% of folks who live in this country don't even pay taxes.
That means the rest of us pay for services that we probably don't use, so that those who don't pay for it, can use it.
RTD reports that there were 97 million "boardings" in 2010.
That means that one passenger could have been jumping on 11 thousand times an hour last year.
LOL - more likely not but hey, it coulda happened!
Here's an example:
RTD (not including the private companies running RTD routes) has more than 400 routes/runs a day.
We'll use 400 to be conservative.
Most RTD buses (that RTD uses - not the privates who use RTD buses) have more than 40 seats but we'll use 40 as a conservative number.
Most routes have more than one run back and forth but to be conservative, let's just assume each only goes once per day.
We've all been on the bus at least once when it's packed full and many buses do that several times a run: take the 122X or 120X as examples.
So if each of the 400 runs fills up once with 40 people that's 16000 passengers each day, times 365 days is 5,840,000 a year.
The average passenger has to take at least one transfer to get to their destination each day so that's 4 boardings per passenger a day making it 23,360,000 boardings a year.
So you can see how only 16,000 "regulars" can account for 25% of the 97 million boardings a year, using conservative numbers.
And we didn't take into consideration the Mall Shuttles, the Light Rails and all the other packed full runs on each route, not to mention the weekend & holiday hordes that pack buses until folks are hanging out the windows just to fit in!
All that to say, there could be only 65 thousand people using RTD on a regular basis, many of whom get discounted prices, have employers who pay for their fares, or who don't pay the fares at all - and the tax payer is shouldering the burden of financial support.
The Front Range boasts more than 2,195,000 tax payers.
Potentially that's only 3% of the population riding what the rest pay for.
All these numbers are not exact but mostly just conservative guestimates to make a point.
Don't get me wrong, this is my job: Driving for even just 65,000 people a day every day of the year.
And I LOVE doing it.
But I don't believe RTD should raise taxes on the rest of the people to support the few who use it.
I believe that the services should be supported by those who use them.
Then again, that's just me and I'm sure I only represent a tiny percentage of the population who feels this way.
I'm just some guy who drives a bus.
As Always, "Welcome aboard that bus, find your seats - Let's Roll!"
Monday, March 14, 2011
Ride Like The Wind...
Bikes on the bus?
The bus only has room for two bikes on the rack in the front.
Some of the big buses (the large airline seat tour buses) have compartments underneath where you can fit more.
But the majority of the city buses only have room for those two bikes on the rack.
Never fear, your friendly Drivers are here!
If it is safe and there is room, we allow Passngers to board with their bikes on the back of the bus.
The back has more room than the front.
Bikes can be kept out of the path to the front door and lift.
I had an accordian bus packed and still had room for a group of four bikers who all sat on the side seats in the back.
They all locked their front tires to the hand rail near the ceiling then sat in their seats and held the bottoms of their bikes from banging into other passengers.
It was a wall of bikes with their riders safely and comfortably behind the wall in their seats.
I was really impressed!
If you load your bike into the back of the bus, you're just asked to be safe and considerate.
Please remember that other passengers are counting on you to keep your bike from getting their clothing greasey, dirty or damaged.
All that said, do remember that if the rack is full and there is room in the back, you're more than welcome to load the bike in the back of the bus.
As Always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats, hang onto your bikes - Let's Roll!"
The bus only has room for two bikes on the rack in the front.
Some of the big buses (the large airline seat tour buses) have compartments underneath where you can fit more.
But the majority of the city buses only have room for those two bikes on the rack.
Never fear, your friendly Drivers are here!
If it is safe and there is room, we allow Passngers to board with their bikes on the back of the bus.
The back has more room than the front.
Bikes can be kept out of the path to the front door and lift.
I had an accordian bus packed and still had room for a group of four bikers who all sat on the side seats in the back.
They all locked their front tires to the hand rail near the ceiling then sat in their seats and held the bottoms of their bikes from banging into other passengers.
It was a wall of bikes with their riders safely and comfortably behind the wall in their seats.
I was really impressed!
If you load your bike into the back of the bus, you're just asked to be safe and considerate.
Please remember that other passengers are counting on you to keep your bike from getting their clothing greasey, dirty or damaged.
All that said, do remember that if the rack is full and there is room in the back, you're more than welcome to load the bike in the back of the bus.
As Always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats, hang onto your bikes - Let's Roll!"
Be Kind, Rewind
Some of us Drivers go to great lengths to make certain the bus is clean.
We clean all the trash from the seats and floors.
We clean the windows and keep some open to allow fresh air to circulate.
We manage the thermostat to ensure that you are as comfortable as possible.
We clean and iron our uniforms.
We stay well groomed and shower.
We use aftershaves, colognes, brush our teeth and chew gum.
Other Drivers have even taught me to carry air fresheners and sprays.
Many of us don't simply get in the bus and drive, we want the Passenger to be just as comfortable if not more so on the bus.
After all, we are trying to garner and keep your business as customers.
To us you're not just cattle that we must load, transport and offload at the next stop.
You're a person with whom we develope relationships, with whom we've become familiar and whose trust and respect we've worked hard to earn.
One of the most embarassing things that can happen to us is that we sit in those seats and after a few minutes of warming it up we start to smell like funk.
And not just your average kinda of funk.
But the nasty killer butt sweat funk that smells like dead animals on the side of the road kind of funk.
Like somebody hasn't showered in two weeks, was working out every day of those two weeks, soiled their underwear every day of those two weeks and spent all two weeks sitting in that chair!
Passengers get on the bus and you can see it in their faces immediately.
Y'all have that look like you have just been punched in the face and stomach.
AND YOU THINK IT'S ME!
Trust me, I've spent an entire bottle of Lysol or FeBreeze soaking this chair.
And it's still so bad that nobody will sit within the first two rows of seats on the bus.
Folks are standing in the aisles rather than sit too close.
Passengers in wheelchairs are trying to get down the aisle to the back of the bus, standing up and carrying their chairs over their heads to get away from that smell!
The smell is so bad that I can barely see the road through the tears in my eyes.
I can barely breath.
Sorry folks.
I'm one of those Drivers who does his best to keep the bus and its Driver clean and smelling fresh.
I'm mortified and embarassed by this stench.
But for all of us Drivers who go to those lengths to keep things clean and fresh, there are at least as many who obviously do just the opposite.
I seem to be the lucky Driver who "makes relief" for many of those Drivers.
Not only is it hell for the Passengers and us Drivers who follow these Drivers but that stink soaks into me as well.
I have to drive my personal vehicle home after work and my personal vehicle absorbs that funk.
Other Drivers tell me it's a hazard of the job.
We catch all the colds our Passengers have and we carry all the stenches the other Drivers pass on as well.
Whatever the reason, I'm passing on my hard core apologies to all my Passengers for that horrible stink today.
I'm passing on my hard core condemnations to my fellow Drivers and co-workers who are supposed to clean the buses and remove those odors.
This is where I usually invite y'all aboard but at this point, I think it's better for your health & safety to take the bus behind me.
When you see me, your Driver crying, face red and nose running...
Consider that fair warning!
We clean all the trash from the seats and floors.
We clean the windows and keep some open to allow fresh air to circulate.
We manage the thermostat to ensure that you are as comfortable as possible.
We clean and iron our uniforms.
We stay well groomed and shower.
We use aftershaves, colognes, brush our teeth and chew gum.
Other Drivers have even taught me to carry air fresheners and sprays.
Many of us don't simply get in the bus and drive, we want the Passenger to be just as comfortable if not more so on the bus.
After all, we are trying to garner and keep your business as customers.
To us you're not just cattle that we must load, transport and offload at the next stop.
You're a person with whom we develope relationships, with whom we've become familiar and whose trust and respect we've worked hard to earn.
One of the most embarassing things that can happen to us is that we sit in those seats and after a few minutes of warming it up we start to smell like funk.
And not just your average kinda of funk.
But the nasty killer butt sweat funk that smells like dead animals on the side of the road kind of funk.
Like somebody hasn't showered in two weeks, was working out every day of those two weeks, soiled their underwear every day of those two weeks and spent all two weeks sitting in that chair!
Passengers get on the bus and you can see it in their faces immediately.
Y'all have that look like you have just been punched in the face and stomach.
AND YOU THINK IT'S ME!
Trust me, I've spent an entire bottle of Lysol or FeBreeze soaking this chair.
And it's still so bad that nobody will sit within the first two rows of seats on the bus.
Folks are standing in the aisles rather than sit too close.
Passengers in wheelchairs are trying to get down the aisle to the back of the bus, standing up and carrying their chairs over their heads to get away from that smell!
The smell is so bad that I can barely see the road through the tears in my eyes.
I can barely breath.
Sorry folks.
I'm one of those Drivers who does his best to keep the bus and its Driver clean and smelling fresh.
I'm mortified and embarassed by this stench.
But for all of us Drivers who go to those lengths to keep things clean and fresh, there are at least as many who obviously do just the opposite.
I seem to be the lucky Driver who "makes relief" for many of those Drivers.
Not only is it hell for the Passengers and us Drivers who follow these Drivers but that stink soaks into me as well.
I have to drive my personal vehicle home after work and my personal vehicle absorbs that funk.
Other Drivers tell me it's a hazard of the job.
We catch all the colds our Passengers have and we carry all the stenches the other Drivers pass on as well.
Whatever the reason, I'm passing on my hard core apologies to all my Passengers for that horrible stink today.
I'm passing on my hard core condemnations to my fellow Drivers and co-workers who are supposed to clean the buses and remove those odors.
This is where I usually invite y'all aboard but at this point, I think it's better for your health & safety to take the bus behind me.
When you see me, your Driver crying, face red and nose running...
Consider that fair warning!
Friday, March 11, 2011
One Step Forward & Two Steps Back...
Forward?
Oh yeah, it's that time of year folks...
Saturday night before you head to bed,
don't forget to set your clocks one hour ahead.
You know what I love about Daylight Savings?
As a Driver, we spend at least 4 weeks this time of year with the sun rising and setting RIGHT IN OUR EYES.
You know, it's all fun and games until somebody gets blinded by the sun.
Just when the sun is starting to be high enough in the mornings and evenings that we can safely drive, we go and set the clocks forward so that we have to go through another 4 weeks or so of the sun rising & setting in our eyes again.
Yeah, we have shades but when the sun is low enough, we can't pull those down without blocking our sight several blocks ahead in traffic and without cutting the traffic lights from view.
It's all good.
What's a couple of months a year of blindness, followed by decades of cataracts later in life caused by that direct exposure?
At least I have a job!
Hey, speaking of "at least we haves"...
Send your prayers and positive thoughts to our families and friends in Japan, Hawaii and along the our Western Coast.
8.9 (possibly 9.0) earthquake in Japan followed by more than 90 aftershocks, a completely separate 6.9 earthquake following those and a 30 foot tsunami that translated into high water/waves in Hawaii and millions in damages to California.
So far more than 300 dead in Japan and so much damage that it's being compared to "Japan, 1945"
Welcome to the weekend.
Welcome to Daylight Savings.
As Always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats, set your clocks, send your prayers - Let's Roll!"
Oh yeah, it's that time of year folks...
Saturday night before you head to bed,
don't forget to set your clocks one hour ahead.
You know what I love about Daylight Savings?
As a Driver, we spend at least 4 weeks this time of year with the sun rising and setting RIGHT IN OUR EYES.
You know, it's all fun and games until somebody gets blinded by the sun.
Just when the sun is starting to be high enough in the mornings and evenings that we can safely drive, we go and set the clocks forward so that we have to go through another 4 weeks or so of the sun rising & setting in our eyes again.
Yeah, we have shades but when the sun is low enough, we can't pull those down without blocking our sight several blocks ahead in traffic and without cutting the traffic lights from view.
It's all good.
What's a couple of months a year of blindness, followed by decades of cataracts later in life caused by that direct exposure?
At least I have a job!
Hey, speaking of "at least we haves"...
Send your prayers and positive thoughts to our families and friends in Japan, Hawaii and along the our Western Coast.
8.9 (possibly 9.0) earthquake in Japan followed by more than 90 aftershocks, a completely separate 6.9 earthquake following those and a 30 foot tsunami that translated into high water/waves in Hawaii and millions in damages to California.
So far more than 300 dead in Japan and so much damage that it's being compared to "Japan, 1945"
Welcome to the weekend.
Welcome to Daylight Savings.
As Always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats, set your clocks, send your prayers - Let's Roll!"
Monday, March 7, 2011
Frosty The Snowman...
Hey folks.
It's gonna snow tomorrow.
I wanted to remind you of a few tips.
The roads aren't usually the problems here in Denver and along the Front Range.
It's usually the other drivers on the roads that slow us down and provide hazards.
Most of us (Drivers) slow down and become extra precautious because of these other drivers.
Number one tip:
Be patient.
While most of us will still be on time, yours might be the bus that is running a little (or a lot?) late.
Two:
Try taking an earlier bus if you're able.
That may help with number one.
Three:
Move around, stand out at the stop.
When the weather turns this white and the roads become filled with crazy drivers, the bus Driver has to divide the majority of his attention to the roads/other drivers.
Help him to see you by making yourself obvious if you're able.
Many passengers try to avoid the bad weather by sitting deep in the shelter or standing inside stores or doorways near the stop.
The Driver won't see you until the last second and that makes it harder on slick roads for him to safely stop in time to pick you up.
Four:
Please dress warmly.
I know you're going to wear what you're going to wear but I can't tell you how badly I feel when I'm a few minutes late to a stop and you Ladies are dressed for summer but freezing outside.
I'm sorry.
Five:
If you're not a Passenger or a fellow Driver and you're reading this...
Please don't park your car on the streets during bad weather.
I know sometimes you just don't have another option.
But the roads get slick.
The lanes shrink.
Snow builds up next to the curb and many of you can't get close enough so you stick out into traffic.
It's the worst feeling in the world to feel a Ginormous bus start sliding down a tiny incline or into an intersection or drifting across the lane.
And in my experience, this hasn't happened on the highways or simply flying down the roads.
But it's happened to me going only a few miles an hour.
In traffic.
Downtown where the roads are narrow, slick and packed!
I've not hit anybody or anything yet.
I pray to God I never do.
But please help me prevent this and park wisely, yeah?
Be safe during these last few snow storms of the season.
Stay warm.
Stay alert.
Stay with us and let us do all the worrying in this weather.
Hop on board, toss in the earbuds.
Crank up the tunes.
Pass out for a few.
Let me Drive.
That's what you pay fares and taxes for.
I'm actually kinda good at it!
LOL
As Always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats - Let's Roll!"
Albeit slowly.
It's gonna snow tomorrow.
I wanted to remind you of a few tips.
The roads aren't usually the problems here in Denver and along the Front Range.
It's usually the other drivers on the roads that slow us down and provide hazards.
Most of us (Drivers) slow down and become extra precautious because of these other drivers.
Number one tip:
Be patient.
While most of us will still be on time, yours might be the bus that is running a little (or a lot?) late.
Two:
Try taking an earlier bus if you're able.
That may help with number one.
Three:
Move around, stand out at the stop.
When the weather turns this white and the roads become filled with crazy drivers, the bus Driver has to divide the majority of his attention to the roads/other drivers.
Help him to see you by making yourself obvious if you're able.
Many passengers try to avoid the bad weather by sitting deep in the shelter or standing inside stores or doorways near the stop.
The Driver won't see you until the last second and that makes it harder on slick roads for him to safely stop in time to pick you up.
Four:
Please dress warmly.
I know you're going to wear what you're going to wear but I can't tell you how badly I feel when I'm a few minutes late to a stop and you Ladies are dressed for summer but freezing outside.
I'm sorry.
Five:
If you're not a Passenger or a fellow Driver and you're reading this...
Please don't park your car on the streets during bad weather.
I know sometimes you just don't have another option.
But the roads get slick.
The lanes shrink.
Snow builds up next to the curb and many of you can't get close enough so you stick out into traffic.
It's the worst feeling in the world to feel a Ginormous bus start sliding down a tiny incline or into an intersection or drifting across the lane.
And in my experience, this hasn't happened on the highways or simply flying down the roads.
But it's happened to me going only a few miles an hour.
In traffic.
Downtown where the roads are narrow, slick and packed!
I've not hit anybody or anything yet.
I pray to God I never do.
But please help me prevent this and park wisely, yeah?
Be safe during these last few snow storms of the season.
Stay warm.
Stay alert.
Stay with us and let us do all the worrying in this weather.
Hop on board, toss in the earbuds.
Crank up the tunes.
Pass out for a few.
Let me Drive.
That's what you pay fares and taxes for.
I'm actually kinda good at it!
LOL
As Always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats - Let's Roll!"
Albeit slowly.
I Just Died In Your Arms...
To The Driver I Followed Into That Hell Hole:
LOL, We'll get back to him in a few.
I've said before that Drivers are professionals.
We are paid to Drive and stay on schedule.
Whether our shifts (runs) are 5 hours or 10, we should not be pulling over between stops and running to the restroom or taking food & drink breaks.
I've heard of this and it makes me wanna cry to think of Passengers in a hurry to get to their destinations while a Driver has left them alone on the bus and he's off in a 7-11 doing only God knows what.
RTD builds in "Recovery" time at the end of each direction.
For example:
If I'm on the 0 from Market Street Station and I'm going all the way to Highlands Ranch PnR, there are restrooms at both ends and usually at least a few minutes built into the end of each run to recover, hit the head and clean the bus.
Sadly, because of traffic, passengers and what not, we usually end up doing what's called a "Turn & Burn" meaning that we have to hit those end points and keep on going in the other direction either to make up time or to be on time.
I LOVE being busy, I'm just a work.a.holic like that.
I'm also one of those "professionals" who will not eat or drink before or during my shift so that I don't need to stop and take restroom breaks.
I know this is unhealthy but that's just how my head works.
Besides - taking a restroom break takes time.
No matter where we are, we have to first make sure there are no passengers on the bus.
We can't ask folks to exit the bus until we return and we can't leave passengers on the bus unattended.
So that limits where and when we can stop.
But even if the bus is empty, we have to take the time to shut em down, secure and seal em up.
Head to where ever the heads are then get back and quickly survey and get ready to roll.
Even if you're the fastest pottier West of the Mississippi, that's still a few minutes at least and like I said, we don't usually have enough time.
So when we do get the time...
It's a mad dash to those tiny little boxes y'all have seen Drivers disappear into at stations and park n rides.
They are usually the size of your shower at home.
Ok, I take that back - MY shower (I have a tiny apartment).
Don't hear me wrong, I'm grateful for ANY restroom they give us that has running water so I can wash my hands afterwards.
So I finally get a chance to hit a restroom after a three hour stretch and I'm seriously looking forward to this break.
I quicktime it to the head but it's locked.
Obviously another Driver is already occupying this water closet.
I wait.
And wait....and wait.
7 minutes later (and when I use the word LATEr, that's what I am now) the guy finally comes out and with him he brings .....
DEATH!
I'm not a fan of using public restrooms.
I'm OCD and a super clean freak.
And even a company restroom is a public one to me.
And this is why.
I wanted to drop to my knees and toss my cookies, your cookies and all my passenger's cookies.
And I still had to use this restroom and get back on the road.
I've never sliced onions that have made my eyes tear like this.
I had chemical training in the Service and CS (tear) gas didn't burn this badly.
I've shoveled horse stalls, I've dug and filled latrines and dealt with corpses in the Service.
And I've still never gagged, thrown up or been exposed to... to this...
I had to get in there.
Throw up once.
Gag myself dry.
Do my business and wash up.
I think I spent a total of maybe 2 minutes in there.
E...Turn...It...Teee...
So to the Driver whose wife (or mother!) kicked him outta the house and banned him from her bathroom:
I'd like to say, "Take your rotting corpse to the doctor."
"You're minutes from death from what I can gather."
To my Passengers who saw me crawl, crying back into the bus.
Who watched me drag myself up the chair and into my bag.
Who choked a little when I soaked myself with Lysol...
I'm sorry.
I consider this a lesson learned.
There's a reason I don't eat or drink after dinner the night before and until the ends of my runs.
I think I was just reminded the hard way.
I just had to vent this.
Kind of an explanation to my passengers who thought that was ME when I got back.
I swear, that was the cologne of DEATH.
I followed Death into the restroom.
He came out wearing an RTD uniform!
As Always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats, make sure you have your air fresheners - Let's Roll!"
LOL, We'll get back to him in a few.
I've said before that Drivers are professionals.
We are paid to Drive and stay on schedule.
Whether our shifts (runs) are 5 hours or 10, we should not be pulling over between stops and running to the restroom or taking food & drink breaks.
I've heard of this and it makes me wanna cry to think of Passengers in a hurry to get to their destinations while a Driver has left them alone on the bus and he's off in a 7-11 doing only God knows what.
RTD builds in "Recovery" time at the end of each direction.
For example:
If I'm on the 0 from Market Street Station and I'm going all the way to Highlands Ranch PnR, there are restrooms at both ends and usually at least a few minutes built into the end of each run to recover, hit the head and clean the bus.
Sadly, because of traffic, passengers and what not, we usually end up doing what's called a "Turn & Burn" meaning that we have to hit those end points and keep on going in the other direction either to make up time or to be on time.
I LOVE being busy, I'm just a work.a.holic like that.
I'm also one of those "professionals" who will not eat or drink before or during my shift so that I don't need to stop and take restroom breaks.
I know this is unhealthy but that's just how my head works.
Besides - taking a restroom break takes time.
No matter where we are, we have to first make sure there are no passengers on the bus.
We can't ask folks to exit the bus until we return and we can't leave passengers on the bus unattended.
So that limits where and when we can stop.
But even if the bus is empty, we have to take the time to shut em down, secure and seal em up.
Head to where ever the heads are then get back and quickly survey and get ready to roll.
Even if you're the fastest pottier West of the Mississippi, that's still a few minutes at least and like I said, we don't usually have enough time.
So when we do get the time...
It's a mad dash to those tiny little boxes y'all have seen Drivers disappear into at stations and park n rides.
They are usually the size of your shower at home.
Ok, I take that back - MY shower (I have a tiny apartment).
Don't hear me wrong, I'm grateful for ANY restroom they give us that has running water so I can wash my hands afterwards.
So I finally get a chance to hit a restroom after a three hour stretch and I'm seriously looking forward to this break.
I quicktime it to the head but it's locked.
Obviously another Driver is already occupying this water closet.
I wait.
And wait....and wait.
7 minutes later (and when I use the word LATEr, that's what I am now) the guy finally comes out and with him he brings .....
DEATH!
I'm not a fan of using public restrooms.
I'm OCD and a super clean freak.
And even a company restroom is a public one to me.
And this is why.
I wanted to drop to my knees and toss my cookies, your cookies and all my passenger's cookies.
And I still had to use this restroom and get back on the road.
I've never sliced onions that have made my eyes tear like this.
I had chemical training in the Service and CS (tear) gas didn't burn this badly.
I've shoveled horse stalls, I've dug and filled latrines and dealt with corpses in the Service.
And I've still never gagged, thrown up or been exposed to... to this...
I had to get in there.
Throw up once.
Gag myself dry.
Do my business and wash up.
I think I spent a total of maybe 2 minutes in there.
E...Turn...It...Teee...
So to the Driver whose wife (or mother!) kicked him outta the house and banned him from her bathroom:
I'd like to say, "Take your rotting corpse to the doctor."
"You're minutes from death from what I can gather."
To my Passengers who saw me crawl, crying back into the bus.
Who watched me drag myself up the chair and into my bag.
Who choked a little when I soaked myself with Lysol...
I'm sorry.
I consider this a lesson learned.
There's a reason I don't eat or drink after dinner the night before and until the ends of my runs.
I think I was just reminded the hard way.
I just had to vent this.
Kind of an explanation to my passengers who thought that was ME when I got back.
I swear, that was the cologne of DEATH.
I followed Death into the restroom.
He came out wearing an RTD uniform!
As Always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats, make sure you have your air fresheners - Let's Roll!"
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Please Please Mr. Postman...
Ok, I've said before that I don't allow comments because at least one in ten are of the "not so nice" kind.
I mostly ignore those comments.
Same way I ignore that stuff on the bus.
Act like I don't hear it and eventually folks get off the bus and the rest of us go on our merry way.
But I have one poster who tends to post comments at least every other day.
By now you'd think he'd get the hint that I'm neither allowing his comments nor responding to him.
I'd hate to set the precedent by rewarding his bad behaviour with a reply but I think I need to here.
To you Mr. Poster (First letter is J and it sounds like Slim!):
The route you regularly post about is not an RTD route.
It belongs to the private "For Profit" companies.
They lease buses from RTD and run those routes.
Their drivers are crap: I get complaints about their grumpiness, their rudeness and their lack of language skills and lack of knowledge of the routes.
You have illustrated what most of us already know: they can't stick to a schedule to save their lives.
This is the answer I'd give you if you came to me on the bus with this complaint Mr. J.
"I'm sorry your bus didn't arrive as scheduled. Please call the number listed on the schedule (303-299-6000)."
That route is not RTD.
Those Drivers are not RTD.
That service (or lack thereof) is not RTD.
I'm sorry Mr. J that you are so fed up with that route, with that service and with that company.
You said that if there were an alternative to them, you'd take it.
May I suggest you try riding RTD?
I know you thought that you were but I Gar-Un-Teee you that even our worst Driver will impress the crap outta you after the service you received using that other bus company.
Folks, I'm sorry for those other companies.
They don't pay their drivers very well and you really do get what you pay for.
For whatever myriad of reasons, I hear from Passengers and Drivers alike the horrors of the private companies driving the other routes.
The good Drivers eventually make their way to RTD while the rest make their way into those bad comments.
So let me offer y'all this challenge:
When you ride (or miss a ride) a bus that is horrible, get the bus number and whether the Driver is RTD.
Tell me not the "number" but the letter next to the numbers.
Tell me if it was an X or F or L.
I want to hear from y'all whether you have better or worse experiences on RTD.
I want to hear from you folks whether you notice the difference in Service and professionalism.
As Always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats, take MY number - Let's Roll!"
I mostly ignore those comments.
Same way I ignore that stuff on the bus.
Act like I don't hear it and eventually folks get off the bus and the rest of us go on our merry way.
But I have one poster who tends to post comments at least every other day.
By now you'd think he'd get the hint that I'm neither allowing his comments nor responding to him.
I'd hate to set the precedent by rewarding his bad behaviour with a reply but I think I need to here.
To you Mr. Poster (First letter is J and it sounds like Slim!):
The route you regularly post about is not an RTD route.
It belongs to the private "For Profit" companies.
They lease buses from RTD and run those routes.
Their drivers are crap: I get complaints about their grumpiness, their rudeness and their lack of language skills and lack of knowledge of the routes.
You have illustrated what most of us already know: they can't stick to a schedule to save their lives.
This is the answer I'd give you if you came to me on the bus with this complaint Mr. J.
"I'm sorry your bus didn't arrive as scheduled. Please call the number listed on the schedule (303-299-6000)."
That route is not RTD.
Those Drivers are not RTD.
That service (or lack thereof) is not RTD.
I'm sorry Mr. J that you are so fed up with that route, with that service and with that company.
You said that if there were an alternative to them, you'd take it.
May I suggest you try riding RTD?
I know you thought that you were but I Gar-Un-Teee you that even our worst Driver will impress the crap outta you after the service you received using that other bus company.
Folks, I'm sorry for those other companies.
They don't pay their drivers very well and you really do get what you pay for.
For whatever myriad of reasons, I hear from Passengers and Drivers alike the horrors of the private companies driving the other routes.
The good Drivers eventually make their way to RTD while the rest make their way into those bad comments.
So let me offer y'all this challenge:
When you ride (or miss a ride) a bus that is horrible, get the bus number and whether the Driver is RTD.
Tell me not the "number" but the letter next to the numbers.
Tell me if it was an X or F or L.
I want to hear from y'all whether you have better or worse experiences on RTD.
I want to hear from you folks whether you notice the difference in Service and professionalism.
As Always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats, take MY number - Let's Roll!"
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Can You Spare The Time?
It's been a while since I've said this so I'd like to remind y'all.
If you grab a schedule, you can see certain stops with times listed below them.
Let's say the 15 has Colfax & Broadway (Civic Center Station) listed as 3:00pm.
That means the bus leaves at 3:00pm.
Maybe later but not earlier.
Leaves at....
Leaves at....
If the Driver leaves at 3:00pm, he's ON TIME, not early.
9 other Drivers may leave at 3:01pm for whatever reasons they had for leaving late but the one Driver who leaves at 3:00pm is still on time and not early.
There are times listed where you can read that the bus will arrive at a certain time, say 2:55pm then leave 5 minutes later.
But most of those times you read, are the times at which the bus will leave.
Don't be discouraged by that.
Drivers (RTD Drivers at least) are kept on a short leash when it comes to time points.
That's what we call those times listed in the schedules, "Time Points" or "Time Stops"
We have Street Supervisors who have their computers out in front of them; sitting at random stops making sure buses on a variety of routes are hitting those times, on time or late but never early.
We have GPS on our radios that track our times and let us know when we're late and early.
So we have Dispatch tracking our times as well.
And of course we have our Passengers tracking when we arrive and leave and calling in any discrepancies!
Obviously, there are times when we can't control our arrival times: weather and traffic and passenger loads.
So we can end up being very late.
But the one "time" we can control is NEVER leaving early.
If that schedule reads 3:00pm, we do not leave before 3:00pm.
Many of you think that's when we'll arrive and many times it is when we arrive.
I try to time my routes so that I arrive at those times and keep rolling.
Rather than sit and burn time.
That way I've spread out the "extra time" to the other stops in between, allowing other passengers to get to their stops and get picked up.
Most Drivers have the experience to do this, are familiar enough with the routes to do this and will.
Occasionally we find ourselves having to sit at a stop and burn time.
But when you're on the bus and you see this, please see it as a good thing: we're staying on time rather than leaving early - not taking off before everybody arrives.
If I left Colfax & Broadway a minute early, then I'd be at least a minute early to every other stop down the line and everybody who was expecting me to arrive at their stops that minute later would miss the bus by just a minute.
I know that feeling.
I've arrived at my stops and seen my buses a few cars away, knowing I missed it by only 30 seconds and having to wait another half an hour for the next.
So that's a ton of words to tell you something very simple.
But I wanted to explain what you're reading and what I'm doing with the stops.
Again, this is only the RTD Drivers (not the privates who drive RTD buses) and possibly only me since RTD neither condones nor endorses my blogs!
RTD taught me in training that I'm not to leave EARLY and that those times listed in the schedules are the times we leave those stops.
I'm on time.
You're running because you're late.
Silly Rabbit!
As Always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats, check your watches - Let's Roll!"
If you grab a schedule, you can see certain stops with times listed below them.
Let's say the 15 has Colfax & Broadway (Civic Center Station) listed as 3:00pm.
That means the bus leaves at 3:00pm.
Maybe later but not earlier.
Leaves at....
Leaves at....
If the Driver leaves at 3:00pm, he's ON TIME, not early.
9 other Drivers may leave at 3:01pm for whatever reasons they had for leaving late but the one Driver who leaves at 3:00pm is still on time and not early.
There are times listed where you can read that the bus will arrive at a certain time, say 2:55pm then leave 5 minutes later.
But most of those times you read, are the times at which the bus will leave.
Don't be discouraged by that.
Drivers (RTD Drivers at least) are kept on a short leash when it comes to time points.
That's what we call those times listed in the schedules, "Time Points" or "Time Stops"
We have Street Supervisors who have their computers out in front of them; sitting at random stops making sure buses on a variety of routes are hitting those times, on time or late but never early.
We have GPS on our radios that track our times and let us know when we're late and early.
So we have Dispatch tracking our times as well.
And of course we have our Passengers tracking when we arrive and leave and calling in any discrepancies!
Obviously, there are times when we can't control our arrival times: weather and traffic and passenger loads.
So we can end up being very late.
But the one "time" we can control is NEVER leaving early.
If that schedule reads 3:00pm, we do not leave before 3:00pm.
Many of you think that's when we'll arrive and many times it is when we arrive.
I try to time my routes so that I arrive at those times and keep rolling.
Rather than sit and burn time.
That way I've spread out the "extra time" to the other stops in between, allowing other passengers to get to their stops and get picked up.
Most Drivers have the experience to do this, are familiar enough with the routes to do this and will.
Occasionally we find ourselves having to sit at a stop and burn time.
But when you're on the bus and you see this, please see it as a good thing: we're staying on time rather than leaving early - not taking off before everybody arrives.
If I left Colfax & Broadway a minute early, then I'd be at least a minute early to every other stop down the line and everybody who was expecting me to arrive at their stops that minute later would miss the bus by just a minute.
I know that feeling.
I've arrived at my stops and seen my buses a few cars away, knowing I missed it by only 30 seconds and having to wait another half an hour for the next.
So that's a ton of words to tell you something very simple.
But I wanted to explain what you're reading and what I'm doing with the stops.
Again, this is only the RTD Drivers (not the privates who drive RTD buses) and possibly only me since RTD neither condones nor endorses my blogs!
RTD taught me in training that I'm not to leave EARLY and that those times listed in the schedules are the times we leave those stops.
I'm on time.
You're running because you're late.
Silly Rabbit!
As Always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats, check your watches - Let's Roll!"
Free Ride
Like many of you Passengers, I personally feel like it doesn't matter how often I ride the Light Rail, it seems like every time I get on a train there is a Fare Inspector asking for tickets.
And at least once a day I see somebody in cuffs or being chased, or simply ticketed for not paying.
But now you can bet that any free rides you were getting are going to be a thing of the past.
Thanks to FOX 31 News reporter Heidi Hemmat, who rode the Light Rail throughout the day and estimated that she could have ridden 80% of the time for free!
And at least once a day I see somebody in cuffs or being chased, or simply ticketed for not paying.
But now you can bet that any free rides you were getting are going to be a thing of the past.
Thanks to FOX 31 News reporter Heidi Hemmat, who rode the Light Rail throughout the day and estimated that she could have ridden 80% of the time for free!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The Voice of the People!
With all the union oppression in the news recently, I joined close to 500 people at Denver's Capital today.
About 300 union supporters and about 200 American People & Wisconsin supporters.
Showing our support of Wisconsin's Governor, Scott Walker.
As soon as I was recognized by another RTD Driver & his ilk, I thought I was going to get my rear end stomped.
Turns out that those who support unions don't take too kindly to their fellow union members opposing them!
It's no small wonder the police were there with their riot gear - the union memebers were always one heartbeat away from violence.
At least those who were threatening me with violence almost every minute of the rally!
Just another day in the life of an RTD Driver who's required to be in an oppressive union in order to keep a job he loves!
About 300 union supporters and about 200 American People & Wisconsin supporters.
Showing our support of Wisconsin's Governor, Scott Walker.
As soon as I was recognized by another RTD Driver & his ilk, I thought I was going to get my rear end stomped.
Turns out that those who support unions don't take too kindly to their fellow union members opposing them!
It's no small wonder the police were there with their riot gear - the union memebers were always one heartbeat away from violence.
At least those who were threatening me with violence almost every minute of the rally!
Just another day in the life of an RTD Driver who's required to be in an oppressive union in order to keep a job he loves!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Do You Hear What I Hear...
I hope not.
LOL
Seriously.
You'll notice that I don't allow comments on this blog.
Remember that this is my personal blog and that it only represents my personal thoughts, ideas, practices and customer service attitudes, etc.
RTD has stated that they neither support nor endorse this blog.
That said, I get some ugly comments from both my fellow Drivers and from angry passengers and drivers.
I respond to y'all personally but I will not allow those posts.
If you want the negative posts/comments, there are plenty of them to be found on the net.
That's one of the reasons I started this blog.
There are tons of Passengers commenting out there but I couldn't find any Drivers.
This is blog is for that.
I am an RTD Driver giving you my point of view of the road and my job.
I will however, answer your questions and concerns and help you to better understand an issue or situation.
But keep in mind, this is my personal blog and RTD neither supports nor endorses...
LOL, yeah - that again!
As Always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats - Let's Roll!"
LOL
Seriously.
You'll notice that I don't allow comments on this blog.
Remember that this is my personal blog and that it only represents my personal thoughts, ideas, practices and customer service attitudes, etc.
RTD has stated that they neither support nor endorse this blog.
That said, I get some ugly comments from both my fellow Drivers and from angry passengers and drivers.
I respond to y'all personally but I will not allow those posts.
If you want the negative posts/comments, there are plenty of them to be found on the net.
That's one of the reasons I started this blog.
There are tons of Passengers commenting out there but I couldn't find any Drivers.
This is blog is for that.
I am an RTD Driver giving you my point of view of the road and my job.
I will however, answer your questions and concerns and help you to better understand an issue or situation.
But keep in mind, this is my personal blog and RTD neither supports nor endorses...
LOL, yeah - that again!
As Always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats - Let's Roll!"
Oh The Weather Outside Is Frightful...
NOT!
The last few weeks have been a weather rollercoaster.
From -35° to 66°.
From warm (if not HOT) and sunny to 8" of snow and icy in most places.
And when it gets bad, you know the roads lock up.
But that doesn't always mean YOUR bus will be late.
In fact, most are not.
Keep in mind that it's not the weather or the roads that are bad but the folks driving them.
Many of you passengers know this as you watch all kinds of wild driving abilities being displayed front of the bus.
The buses which are late are usually the "inserts" but what does that mean?
Remember, I'm only talking about RTD here, not the private companies which lease RTD buses and run routes.
RTD has around 400 runs in any given day, at least 20% of which are Trippers.
Those numbers are not exact but pretty close.
The point is that a tripper is not the full run most passengers are used to.
A full run of say the 0 goes from Denver to Highlands Ranch.
A tripper may start at the Broadway Station and run to Broadway & Colfax then change into another route and do another partial run.
In the mornings for example, the 116X from Ken Caryl Ranch goes to the Civic Centre Station then changes to a 38 at Wadsworth and only goes to Stout & 18th before shutting down and heading back to the garage.
So the folks who ride the 38 don't know that the bus is inserted into the 38 schedule at Wads and always freak out when it stops at Stout/18th.
The 38 that runs from Walmart in Applewood to Stapleton and back would only have to deal with local traffic in bad weather and would most likely be within a few minutes of being on time.
The 116X that is inserted would have to contend with traffic on 6th Ave into town, then traffic in Downtown, then traffic inside the Civic Centre Station then traffic on I-70 West to Wadsworth.
In snow & ice like we had a week or two ago, that bus could be an hour late while the buses on the route who are not inserts would only be a minute or two behind.
Even when the roads are clear and the sun is out, traffic can still be an issue.
Jams, accidents, obstructions, etc can make an insert late.
I'm not making excuses for late Drivers, I'm just trying to help some of you Passengers understand why they are late.
Again, this only applies to RTD because I'm told that the private bus Drivers can be an hour late if they show up at all - even in the summer when the roads are bone dry and the sun is shining and there is no traffic on the road!
Something I noticed after the weather cleared last week:
TONS of broken mirrors on cars parked downtown.
While I pray for more careful Drivers and don't condone or encourage folks breaking these mirrors on purpose, I really don't feel sorry for folks who park downtown, on the street in bad weather.
Don't misread that as me saying, "I'm glad it happens..." - that's not what I'm saying.
I am saying that when cars are sliding all over the place, when you have to park 2 feet from the curb and you KNOW big commercial vehicles and buses are already driving close to your parked car...
Is it really smart to park there?
Is an extra few bucks for a paid parking lot spot worth it over coming out the next morning or after work and finding you got hit, nobody left a note and your insurance wants a huge deductible to replace a very expensive mirror?
Even when the weather and roads are clear, some folks park so far from the curb that I have to literally change lanes and obstruct traffic just to avoid the accident.
Be careful out there.
Winter is far from over.
You KNOW that here in Colorado, when the weather treats us to this many sunny and warm days in a row, it exacts a price by handing out the opposite soon after!
Stay warm, patient and safe folks.
I'm doing my best...
As Always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats - Let's Roll!"
The last few weeks have been a weather rollercoaster.
From -35° to 66°.
From warm (if not HOT) and sunny to 8" of snow and icy in most places.
And when it gets bad, you know the roads lock up.
But that doesn't always mean YOUR bus will be late.
In fact, most are not.
Keep in mind that it's not the weather or the roads that are bad but the folks driving them.
Many of you passengers know this as you watch all kinds of wild driving abilities being displayed front of the bus.
The buses which are late are usually the "inserts" but what does that mean?
Remember, I'm only talking about RTD here, not the private companies which lease RTD buses and run routes.
RTD has around 400 runs in any given day, at least 20% of which are Trippers.
Those numbers are not exact but pretty close.
The point is that a tripper is not the full run most passengers are used to.
A full run of say the 0 goes from Denver to Highlands Ranch.
A tripper may start at the Broadway Station and run to Broadway & Colfax then change into another route and do another partial run.
In the mornings for example, the 116X from Ken Caryl Ranch goes to the Civic Centre Station then changes to a 38 at Wadsworth and only goes to Stout & 18th before shutting down and heading back to the garage.
So the folks who ride the 38 don't know that the bus is inserted into the 38 schedule at Wads and always freak out when it stops at Stout/18th.
The 38 that runs from Walmart in Applewood to Stapleton and back would only have to deal with local traffic in bad weather and would most likely be within a few minutes of being on time.
The 116X that is inserted would have to contend with traffic on 6th Ave into town, then traffic in Downtown, then traffic inside the Civic Centre Station then traffic on I-70 West to Wadsworth.
In snow & ice like we had a week or two ago, that bus could be an hour late while the buses on the route who are not inserts would only be a minute or two behind.
Even when the roads are clear and the sun is out, traffic can still be an issue.
Jams, accidents, obstructions, etc can make an insert late.
I'm not making excuses for late Drivers, I'm just trying to help some of you Passengers understand why they are late.
Again, this only applies to RTD because I'm told that the private bus Drivers can be an hour late if they show up at all - even in the summer when the roads are bone dry and the sun is shining and there is no traffic on the road!
Something I noticed after the weather cleared last week:
TONS of broken mirrors on cars parked downtown.
While I pray for more careful Drivers and don't condone or encourage folks breaking these mirrors on purpose, I really don't feel sorry for folks who park downtown, on the street in bad weather.
Don't misread that as me saying, "I'm glad it happens..." - that's not what I'm saying.
I am saying that when cars are sliding all over the place, when you have to park 2 feet from the curb and you KNOW big commercial vehicles and buses are already driving close to your parked car...
Is it really smart to park there?
Is an extra few bucks for a paid parking lot spot worth it over coming out the next morning or after work and finding you got hit, nobody left a note and your insurance wants a huge deductible to replace a very expensive mirror?
Even when the weather and roads are clear, some folks park so far from the curb that I have to literally change lanes and obstruct traffic just to avoid the accident.
Be careful out there.
Winter is far from over.
You KNOW that here in Colorado, when the weather treats us to this many sunny and warm days in a row, it exacts a price by handing out the opposite soon after!
Stay warm, patient and safe folks.
I'm doing my best...
As Always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats - Let's Roll!"
Your Tax Dollars At Work
I've mentioned this before.
Your tax dollars, public funds/monies support abortion, homosexuality, religious education and a myriad of other "extremist" issues that divide this State.
Your tax dollars go to support the Union that demands that RTD Drivers either become members or not be allowed to Drive.
That union extorts membership fees which are used to support candidates and the causes mentioned above.
Whether you're a conservative or a liberal, you don't want your public tax dollars being used to support the other side's causes and or politicians.
The ATU will tell us that only ~$2.00 of an about $600 member's annual contribution goes to this political left wing but that doesn't jive with the millions spent annually just here in Colorado.
But again, regardless of your political bent, public tax dollars should not be spent to support either side's political agenda.
Even more frightening use of public tax dollars by the Union:
If you are a Christian slash Conservative and you oppose the Union by objecting or refusing to participate in its mob-style practices (such as strikes) you can be fired.
I love Driving for RTD.
I love serving the public.
I love Driving a bus for YOU, the Passenger.
I do not love the Union and as a Coloradoan Tax Payer - I despise this use of our tax dollars.
Forcing an employee to be part of a union to get a job and to compromise his religious beliefs in order to keep his job...
And to use public tax payer's dollars to support this...
As a human being I'm disgusted.
As a tax payer I'm appalled.
As an RTD Driver, I'm afraid for my career and my physical, emotional, financial and mental health.
I don't want to be fired because of my Faith and my opposition to the Union.
Or any other excuse they'll fabricate (in lieu of) to cause me to be fired!
Your tax dollars, public funds/monies support abortion, homosexuality, religious education and a myriad of other "extremist" issues that divide this State.
Your tax dollars go to support the Union that demands that RTD Drivers either become members or not be allowed to Drive.
That union extorts membership fees which are used to support candidates and the causes mentioned above.
Whether you're a conservative or a liberal, you don't want your public tax dollars being used to support the other side's causes and or politicians.
The ATU will tell us that only ~$2.00 of an about $600 member's annual contribution goes to this political left wing but that doesn't jive with the millions spent annually just here in Colorado.
But again, regardless of your political bent, public tax dollars should not be spent to support either side's political agenda.
Even more frightening use of public tax dollars by the Union:
If you are a Christian slash Conservative and you oppose the Union by objecting or refusing to participate in its mob-style practices (such as strikes) you can be fired.
I love Driving for RTD.
I love serving the public.
I love Driving a bus for YOU, the Passenger.
I do not love the Union and as a Coloradoan Tax Payer - I despise this use of our tax dollars.
Forcing an employee to be part of a union to get a job and to compromise his religious beliefs in order to keep his job...
And to use public tax payer's dollars to support this...
As a human being I'm disgusted.
As a tax payer I'm appalled.
As an RTD Driver, I'm afraid for my career and my physical, emotional, financial and mental health.
I don't want to be fired because of my Faith and my opposition to the Union.
Or any other excuse they'll fabricate (in lieu of) to cause me to be fired!
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