February Snow - Winter Driving

Remember folks, this is all just my personal opinion, my two cents as it were.
That said:

If you drive a car and you're on the roads today, you're a big dummy!
If you drive a car and you've parked it on the streets downtown today, you're a big stupid dummy!

LoL, just saying folks.

As always, "Welcome aboard, find you're seats, I'll crank up the heat - Let's Roll!"

Pravda Comrades!

To my fellow RTD Drivers:
The scuttlebutt we've all been hearing for the last six months about Light Rail operators being in short supply...

Propaganda created and spread by the union and its entitlists to panic more full time operators into applying in order to keep the myriad of part timers who apply under employed so they quit!
Those who pay attention to such things notice that for every light rail train operator posting, whether for 4, 5, or 10 openings there are more than 30 full time operators listed on the answer sheet who didn't get the job
And that answer sheet doesn't list the at least equal amount of part timers who apply.

So don't believe the hype folks, it's simply a typical liberal tactic to spread propaganda created to fool the gullible into doing their bidding!

This Ain't The Post Office Baby!

Whether rain, snow, traffic or crime

Your Driver will deliver you

Even IF we're not on exactly on time!

Smartphones to the Rescue?

Sample MobiScan Barcode

A couple of years back we started the "MyStop" program where you can be at a stop, pick up your phone and call RTD then punch in the 5 numbers you find on your stop and get a recording telling you when the next however many buses are "approximately" going to be stopping there.

On that note, we all carry (most of us) smartphones, right?
Why not stick those MobiScan barcodes on the bus stop sings as well?
We can just walk up to and scan the barcode and the schedule immediately pops up.

That works 24 hours a day and is more thorough than the recording that only tells you a limited number of times and stops on your route.

Just a thought, it's cheap and easy.
Scan that barcode and see where it takes y'all!?

As Always, "Welcome aboard, break out your smartphones, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

HAPPY (Belated) NEW YEAR 2012!

Happy 2012 folks.

Don't forget the schedules change this Sunday, January 22nd, 2012.
Grab a new schedule from one of the Stations (Market Street & Civic Centre) or from your Driver so you're ready for all the changes and cuts coming this year.
I make sure that folks who hop on my routes grab the new schedules since there are so many changes coming (cut backs and all!)

As I enter my third year here as an RTD Driver, I want to remind y'all that this is my personal blog and drop the legal blah blah blah to cover my butt in the new year.
You can find this quote in my "about" section as well as in many of my posts:

"I'm just one Driver in a sea of Drivers here in Denver and across the Front Range of Colorado. These are just my thoughts, opinions and experiences. And as I've repeatedly pointed out, I'm not in any way speaking for RTD, in fact they've asked me to remind you that they neither sponsor nor endorse my blog. If you have questions, please leave a post and I'll respond to you either personally or post a public response. As long as I don't find out you're the media, that is! The media has no permission to quote or reference anything found here in/on my blog."

As Always, "Welcome aboard, Happy New Year, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

Quote of the Week - October 24th, 2011

Overheard in the Driver's Room:
"Some people just aren't happy unless they are making other people miserable."


Of course my first thought was that this applies perfectly to the Union.
Their motto MUST be:
"We just aren't happy unless we're making other people miserable!"

I'm So Sorry, Uncle Albert...

In between random stops, standing "in the street" as it were having come from between parked cars, there is a Lady with her dog on a leash and luggage stacked beside her.
She flags me down.

As I pull next to her and open my door she starts to cry and says, "I have post traumatic stress, can you help me?"

I'd thought that I'd heard all the excuses for free rides - for not having fares.
From grandmothers dying to just having gotten out of jail or the hospital.

My first thought was "Hey I've got PTSD too but I don't ask for free stuff!"
But instead I simply repeated the talk tract we're taught to say:
"The fare is $2.25 and I'm not authorized to give free rides...."

She reacted as if she'd been slapped and said, "No! I can pay... my stuff!"
She came on and paid her fare as another passenger jumped off and grabbed her luggage.

For the rest of the day I felt like a huge JERK!
I'm becoming one of "them" - the older Drivers who treat passengers like the enemy.
The older Drivers who are bitter, cold, heartless and have forgotten their customer service skills.

I felt like crap and I can only imagine what the other passengers were thinking about me since I was thinking that badly about myself on the long long long last leg of the route.

I pray that if you're one of my "regulars" and you see me acting this way, that you come up to me and slap the jerk outta me.
Remind me that I'm a good Driver and that I love my Passengers/Customers.
Remind me that I love working for RTD and Driving the bus because I am allowed to work with/for YOU - The Passenger all day & night.

All rest of the route long I wished that I could rewind the day and drive up to that Lady and her dog again and without her having said a word, jumped out of the bus and grabbed her luggage for her.
I wished I'd jumped out of my seat and grabbed her luggage while she was paying her fare.
I wished the other passenger didn't have to do it for me.
I wished I'd radioed Dispatch and asked to give her a ride to where ever her final destination was, whether Parker, DIA or Boulder.

This was one of those moments when we say, "Betcha won't make THAT mistake again!"
You'd be right, betcha I won't.

I'm sorry to you, Ma'am and I'm sorry to all the passengers who had to endure my jerk-dom.
I'm sorry to my employer, RTD for failing them in this instance.

Bus Drivers are the front lines, we are the faces of RTD, we are the one chance to give you, the customers and passengers a positive experience with us.
I blew that and I won't do it again.

As Always, "Welcome aboard, I'm sorry, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

T'Ain't No Such Thang As A Free Lunch!

Bus is full, to the brim.
Standing room only.
I'm at the Colfax & Broadway intersection outside of the Civic Centre.
More people are trying to get on the bus.

Every time I get ready to pull out, another passenger or two runs up and pounds on the door to get in.
And at least one of each of the new group has nothing but small change to feed the fare box or they are digging deeply into their pockets and bags as if they weren't aware they were about to board a bus that required them to have their fare ready!

Either way, we are becoming later and later leaving the stop and the bus is filling further and further beyond capacity and tempers are growing shorter and shorter...

At one point - the last time I opened the door to let a runner board, go figure - a kid, maybe 21/22 gets on, skateboard in hand.
Got his wife beater on, hat on backwards.
Shorts hanging down around his knees, cig hanging off his lip.

He says, "Can I get on for free?"
I simply replied, "Fare's two-twenty-five."
He says, "I got the cash, I just don't wanna pay, I'm only going a couple of blocks..."

I didn't even have time to laugh out loud.
The crowd exploded around me.
When they were done and I'd closed the door and was driving away, I think I was still crying from how hard I was laughing!

"Get off the effing bus, you moocher!"
"Shut the door on his [butt]!"
"You don't get no effing free ride [butthole]!"
"Hey D-bag, get an effing job like the rest of us and pay your fare!"

But the best that came out was the very last.
The kid never blinked at all the other comments and turned to me and asked,
"Can I get a transfer at least?"

I'd been doing my best poker face to this point and was laughing my behind off on the inside but I think a tear squeezed out as I said, "Are you serious?" then almost broke.

The bus was quiet.
One passenger from the front came up to the kid and asked his name then asked him where he worked.
The kid said, "Best Buy."
Passenger, "How about we come to your work and you give us some free [poop] then we'll give you a free ride?"

They all exploded again but this time they were all laughing and I couldn't help it, I let loose as well.
The kid left without so much as a one finger salute.

As we drove away, I must have laughed/cried for at least another two blocks.

Best Day Eva!

As Always, "Welcome aboard, pay your fare, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

Speaking About Cost Cutting....

Did you know that the Union - here comes that entitlement minded, "we could care less about the customer" group of people again - did you know that they would rather send a Full Time Driver out who already has more than 40 hours on the clock and spend your tax dollars on overtime than allow a Part Time Driver to do his work for close to half the cost?

Part Timers are not allowed to get raises - the Union discriminates and makes it very difficult for a part timer to keep his job, pay his bills and continue to work for an employer he loves.
So the Part Timer maxes out on his salary almost immediately while a Full Time Driver continues to get raises, whether deserved every six months or so until he maxes out at 25% more than the Part Timer.


So the part time Driver who can only work 30 hours a week can volunteer (hypothetically) for more hours because he has at least 10 to go to reach his 40 like a full timed Driver.
But wait, that part timer doesn't get paid "overtime" (the union again discriminating!) and so he can work all the way up to his maximum DOT (70hs in 8 days) and not get paid as much as a full time Driver does in 40 or 50 hours.

AND that part timer doesn't get paid days off, paid sick days or any other benefits so you get more bang for your tax dollar buck when you put the limited group of part timers to work.

So you'd think that there would be some number crunching and some consideration for spending wisely the limited number of tax dollars we have.

On top of all that, the Union can force a full timer (mandate) that he comes in on his days off - screw his family and friends and plans - and work those over time hours.
Not only does the union rip off the tax payer but they hurt their full timer Drivers all in the name of discrimination.

Mostly because the senior Drivers are union friendly and they are scratching each other's backs and they see part timers as a threat to be hated.

But of course that's just me, an average Driver who gets to hear the conversations between union reps and leaders and senior Drivers.
I even got to hear a union leader/rep tell a part timer that he literally hates part timers, that he feels they should go find another job because they obviously don't have what it takes to do this one or they'd go full time!

I cringed at that but kept my mouth shut, I like my job and my life and didn't want either to end any time soon.

Anywho, point is that a flexible work force like a group of Part Timers is beneficial to a company, beneficial to the tax payer in that it saves beaucoup bucks and keeps both the full timers and the part timers, the employer and the public happy, employed and affordable.

As Always, "Welcome aboard, thank that part time Driver, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

Why Do I Feel Like Somebody's Watching Me?

Around this time last year, RTD began a new test to see if having new cameras on some buses helped protect Drivers and passengers.

The cameras we have currently show various angles and views within the bus but you can't see what the driver is doing, whether texting, on the phone or simply falling asleep.
Nor can you see what's going on in a 180° outside the front of the bus.

The new cameras began recording when a Driver hit a panic button and when the bus hit a big enough bump - that could be interpreted as an accident - and when the bus stopped or swerved quickly and sharply enough that it could also be considered an accident.

Those video clips were monitored by a third party and sent to RTD if there were concerns.

The majority of the concerns came from Driver's habits that could stand to be corrected.
Habits that caused safety concerns.

Safety is RTD's number one priority - the Passenger (customer) and other traffic both vehicular and pedestrian are our number one concern.

But not the Union - they could care less about y'all.
The unions lied to everybody about the benefits of the cameras.
They said that the cameras would not improve Driving habits.
They said the cameras were not cheaper, more efficient and complete than the current systems.
They said they would not save money in insurance claims, whether to the costs of holding the insurance or the pay outs made.

Senior (union friendly) Drivers went nuts.
The union threw a fit.
Drivers complained that their privacy was being violated.
That they didn't want to be watched while they ate their lunches or picked their noses while they drove.
They felt they were entitled to privacy while they were operating public tax payer vehicles owned by their employers.

There's that "entitlement" mindset again, which rules the unions and ruins companies.

The fact that they are on company time, company property, operating company equipment doesn't matter to a union friendly Driver.
The fact that they are responsible for hundreds of lives and paid by those hundreds of lives doesn't matter to a union friendly Driver.

These Drivers and their union are entitlement minded, they are self absorbed.
You OWE them a pay check and you owe them privacy.
They don't owe you any accountability, or any responsibility.

Taking correction for simple bad habits that can make them better Drivers, safer Drivers and improve the quality of service we provide to you, the customer and our employer...that is not within the paradigm of the union friendly, entitlement minded Driver.

Me?
I'm sure I have a few bad habits but I'm still in my second year and my habits can be corrected.
Personally I take correction well because I am customer service oriented.
I know that my corrections improve my service to the customer and when my service improves, attendance grows and revenue increases.
I also know that if I'm hit or involved in an accident that is not my fault, that camera will cover my rump and show hard core proof that will save my bacon.
Those cameras showed a 360° view of everything inside and outside of the bus, including what I'm doing and what folks are doing around me.
I felt better having those cameras in the bus.
I wished RTD had turned on the "watch live" feature so that they could log in when they contacted us and they could see and monitor live what is happening both in and outside and help or take action accordingly.The police can use that feature in the case of dummies on the bus who are intent on harm.

Needless to say, those cameras all disappeared after the six or 8 month trial period.

Union friendly and entitlement minded Drivers are all happily back to their bad habits, no cares or concerns of being corrected or even recognized for their behaviour.

I've even been on a few buses where the Drivers use their phones while driving, telling me outright that they know they won't be fired, at most they'll get a counselling memo!

You, the passenger and the payer of the taxes that pay our bills and wages - you should complain left and right.
Demand more accountability from Drivers, that we are safer and use your tax dollars more wisely.
You demand it from representatives, police and firemen who are paid with tax payer funds.
Why not your bus Drivers as well?

As Always, "Welcome aboard, smile for the camera, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

Service Cuts & Fare Hikes - Again?

There are articles all over the Denver Media outlets and rumours flying around left and right about service cuts and rate hikes coming in the next year.

Let's start with some random numbers:
Let's take the $382 million budget / operating cost for RTD in 2009.
With more than 100 million boardings, that means that every single time every single passenger boards the bus, light rail or sky ride that passenger would need to pay $4.

A boarding is not simply when somebody pays and receives a transfer or show their fare card/pass.
A boarding is when any person crosses that door threshold and gets on a bus or train.

Keep in mind that companies pay significant discounts for eco passes for their employees, students of all ages pay discounted fares whether as they board or through their colleges.
The elderly and disabled pay discounted fares.

Then of course we have those who use expired transfers, fake passes, invalid and improper passes and even those who refuse to pay out right but still board.

So does the "fare" collection pay for the operation of our mass transit system?
Far from it.
And with sales revenue way down these last couple of years, RTD tax revenue has left us with severe deficits these last few years.

Because RTD is not a for profit company but a tax payer funded municipality, there may come a day when the only buses you see running around town are the First Transit and Veolia companies operating the system because RTD had to shut its doors due to budget cuts.
And you've seen the quality and infrequency of their routes, buses and drivers - and that's while they have RTD as competition & oversight!
Imagine once RTD's gone, what they'll degrade into...

I've said this before but I enjoy reminding folks that this "entitlement" minded society that wants everything for free (paid for by somebody else besides them) are in for a rude awakening.
You can't keep expecting free rides, discounted fares and service improvements without at some point paying for that expectation.

Everybody is whining and moaning about service cuts and fare hikes.
But like the liberal govt in Washington, Colorado & RTD can't keep spending without raising taxes.

And if you think that those who don't use the service (ignoring for the moment the left's cry of, "it benefits us all with cleaner air, more efficient transportation, less traffic..." etc etc etc) want to continue to pay more and more for it - you're wrong.

Companies are so burdened with the taxes, fees, penalties and punishments coming down from the Federal levels for all these entitlement programs such as health care, welfare/unemployment and unions that they can't afford to continue to pay more for a bus ride.

And more and more passengers want discounts and free rides.
More and more want to moan about paying two and a quarter for a ride!

The gas in my truck won't get you across town for only two bucks let alone a 25 ton bus getting a couple of miles to the gallon.
But you want a cheaper fare?

Don't misunderstand what I'm saying here.
I still don't support the union and all its extortionist crap nor do I support these private companies operating on RTD routes.
And I still don't support the RTD tax, causing tax payers to pay for those who ride RTD.

BUT...
I do agree that a fare hike is needed.
I want to keep my job, and trust me I'm not getting a single raise, benefit or day off with pay because of any of these rate hikes.
I want to see service continued, not discontinued as something like 18 routes will be come January 2012.

RTD has had to scale back in order to afford to operate.
Tax revenue is down and I've heard rumours that Federal monies (taxes) are being lost due to a Federal Mandate that RTD has to miss because of a lack of funds (tax revenue) to meet the requirement.

I honestly believe that if everybody who got on the bus was honest, paid their full fare, didn't sneak their expired transfers, didn't reuse their transfers going back the other way, didn't simply get on without paying or try giving me an excuse not to pay...
If everybody paid, revenue would skyrocket and RTD could afford to operate at current levels without going into debt.

But that's not going to happen - everybody wants a free ride and the rest of us have to pay for that free ride for the few.

Tax increases, service cuts and fare hikes are coming.
The next time somebody sneaks on the bus, thank him for raising your fare while he steals from you.
Those of you who have that RTD tax taken out of your paychecks - when you cover your expired transfer with your fingers, or cover the direction, date, am/pm punches, etc and think you're getting away with fooling me....
Thank yourself the next time you see an increase in taxes taken outta your paycheck.
It is your fault.
You stole from yourself, thinking you got away with it.

I don't hound you, kick you off or refuse you service when you do that.
It's not my job, I simply tell you the required proper fare and let you board.
Either that fare inspector behind me will getcha or Uncle Sam via taxes from your paycheck.

Either way, fare hikes, tax increases and service cuts are coming.

As Always, "Welcome aboard, pay your fare, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

Go Speed Racer - Go!

Race for the Cure today.

50,000 participants and more than $3,000,000.00 raised for the cause.
75% of that stays here in Colorado.

And if the Ladies on the microphone at the Finish Line are right, Denver is tied with St. Louis for first place as the largest in the Country for this event.

And speaking of the Ladies at the Finish Line - WOOHOO!!

Yeah, if you were there and heard them for more than a few minutes, you know exactly what I mean when I say, "WOOHOO!"

LOL - of course as a Driver I was able to listen to these Ladies for a few minutes at a time as I sat in Lot B near the Finish Line while participants loaded onto the bus to be taken home after the Race.
So it was entertaining and at one point, I lost count of how many times these Ladies said, "WOOHOO!"

Does anybody know who these Ladies are?
I tried to look them up on the Komen site and one of the Ladies sounded like Rosie O'Donnell - in a good way of course.

Anyway, this year was WAY busier than last year and the sea of participants seemed endless as I drove back and forth all morning long from the Finish Line to various Park N Rides.
Passing under and around that sea streaming along Colfax and up and down the on and off ramps.
I'm told the sea of Pink Participants forms a Pink Ribbon right there at the Finish Line - I'll have to look that up on YouTube.

Thanks for being such a fun group of riders, of racers and of participants.
Second only to the Bolder Boulder folks, I LOVE volunteering to drive for y'all each year.

As Always, "Welcome aboard, gimme a WOOHOO, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

I Can't Drive 55...

I felt the need, the need for speed!
Yes, I broke the sound barrier today.

Ok, well the modest sound barrier of the bus Driver.

I got on the highway and went from zero to 60 miles per hour in a bone shattering...

40 seconds.

Yes yes yes, I understand that these days most commercials, movie stars and  sex doesn't even last this long but let me tell you...

Yeah, you're right.
I even bored myself.
I think I took a nap, got up, walked around and stretched my legs and read my email between the time it took to get to sixty.
But still, c'mon folks.

I actually got a bus up to 60 miles per hour and I did it in under a minute!

Where's my medal?

As Always, "Welcome aboard, grab a neck brace, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

D-Line Disaster In Denver

Before I say another word, I need to remind y'all:

"These are just my thoughts, opinions and experiences. And as I've repeatedly pointed out, I'm not in anyway speaking for RTD, in fact they've asked me to remind you that they neither sponsor nor endorse my blog."

Get it?
Got It?
Good!

Ok, recently we had a young Lady chase down, run in front of and pound on a local Light Rail train here in Denver.
I do not know what RTD's official reporting on the story is, only what I've heard and read in the local news reports.

I'm going to quote a FOX31 article:
"[The Lady] reportedly had been celebrating her 26th birthday in downtown Denver immediately before her death.

She was crushed by an RTD Light Rail train near 24th and Welton Tuesday afternoon. A spokesperson with the organization said train conductors are not permitted to allow passengers on or off the train anywhere other than official trains stops.

Yet FOX31 Denver discovered that RTD’s policy isn’t always practiced."

This is the part that got me riled up.
"Yet FOX31 Denver discovered that RTD’s policy isn’t always practiced."

First, I'm very sad and sorry for the death of this young Lady.
But the news is twisting the truth here to turn this into...

We've all (Drivers & Passengers) seen the signs posted at all of the stations that tell Passengers not to chase the trains or buses out of the gates.
They tell Passengers not to board outside of the gates.
They warn of the dangers of slipping and falling under the vehicles.

I've had passengers run up to the bus in the middle of the street.

And here is where it gets convoluted.

RTD teaches us that we are not to load passengers ANYWHERE it is unsafe.
Whether that is in the middle of a Station but not at a gate or in the middle of traffic with cars flying by within inches of the doors.

BUT...
It is completely UNSAFE to leave a passenger standing in the middle of the road, while you try to move the bus out of traffic with a passenger hanging onto the door.
It's unsafe to leave a passenger standing in traffic whether on the street or in the way of other buses in a station while you're trying to explain to them through a closed door that you are not allowed to let them in.

We are taught a mantra,
"Educate and accommodate."

The safety of our passengers, of our customers is NUMBER ONE.
Get that passenger off the street and out of harm's way, then lovingly and gently remind them that standing in traffic like that was not only deadly to them but it also puts other Drivers and Passenger's safety at risk.

So this Light Rail operator sees a Passenger chasing his train from the station, she jumps in front of the vehicle and he stops, she pounds on the vehicle and he educates her but she continues to chase the train and ends up doing exactly what the signs warn - gets caught under the vehicle.

I don't know the official word on what happened and I'm neither defending the Driver nor the passenger in this case.

Whether he should have stopped and boarded her, whether she was too drunk and missed her desired time slot and decided to chase the train, whether the price of tea in China caused a butterfly in Africa to flap its wings and the wind eventually blew across the globe to blow this young Lady under the train...

Yes, it's still a tragedy and sad.
Yes, I am praying for her family and loved ones.

Yes, it is a policy, a rule that we are not allowed to board a passenger away from a gate but our passenger's safety is our number one priority and for FOX31 to throw out that comment, as if our concern for the safety of our Passengers in some way is responsible for this young Lady's demise is not only uncalled for but completely out of line.
"A spokesperson with the organization said train conductors are not permitted to allow passengers on or off the train anywhere other than official trains stops.

Yet FOX31 Denver discovered that RTD’s policy isn’t always practiced"
Shame on you FOX31
Justin Joseph, take that back.


As Always, "NEVER chase an RTD vehicle, Welcome aboard, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

The Ol' Switch-er-OOOOO

So it's been three weeks or so into this new "Fall" Schedule.
We've all figured out the changes in the route times and discontinued services.

And I'm sure that by now some of you have noticed your new Drivers and the Drivers who "relieve" them.

That's what I wanted to address here for y'all today.
"The Relief Driver"

For the rest of the year I've been assigned to the "relief" runs.
That means that I get to wait at a random stop for a Driver to arrive and take over his route for him.

Wait - let me start from the beginning because I'm sure y'all have seen these random switches and have been wondering what the heck is going on.

Ok, so early early in the morning one Driver "pulls out" a fresh bus and begins a route.
After his 8ish hour shift - at that 8 hour mark, he'll pull over at a pre-determined stop and the next Driver will get on and take over.

Most of the time this will happen at Stations, like Colorado Station.
The 21 will stop, unload all the outbound passengers and load up all the inbounds.
Then the Driver will step out and the new Driver steps in and takes over.

Because danged near everybody got off and the bus is filled back up with new passengers and there is a few minutes of "lay over" where y'all sit for a few minutes, nobody really notices a change of Drivers.

On the busier routes, for some reason these changes of the guard don't happen smartly - at these lay overs where the buses sit for up to 20 or 30 minutes.
Like the 38: rather than change over at Downing Station or Walmart or even Stapleton, Drivers swap out at 15th & Stout.

So what you, the passenger notices is that you were waiting at the 15th & Stout stop and the bus is already 10 minutes (or more in the cases when I had to relieve the Driver there!) and you're late to your transfer at Lipan, Federal or Sheridan.
The bus finally arrives and boards y'all but then you see him stand up, pack his bags, yackity yack with another Driver then leave!

Leave?

He just walks off and leaves you sitting there?

And the new Driver who gets on seems to take f.o.r.e.v.e.r.! getting "ready" - he's adjusting the seat, playing with the inside and outside mirrors, over and over and over and over again.
Then he starts beeping and farting around with the radio and the fare box.

Eventually, another ten minutes later, the bus starts moving but by now you're a good 15 or 20 minutes late and you could have slept in this morning!

Trust me, I feel for you.
Being that "new Driver" who has to take over when the other Drivers are super late (even "on time" Drivers screw us because by the time the new Driver gets ready, we're ten minutes behind to start out our day) I can feel y'all aiming your darts at the back of my head - I can feel all the nasty looks and even hear the crappy comments.
But I'm not allowed to move that bus until it is safe to move.
And Downtown you don't want me trying to drive when I can't see properly out those mirrors.
That's a 60 foot battering ram and if we can't see clearly to the left and right, we'll hit or get hit and then you'll not just be 10 minutes late but potentially out for the day or at least 30 minutes behind while you wait for the next bus.

Speaking of being Downtown, I had a senior Driver tell me that routes swap out Downtown like that so that the Drivers don't have to go far to relive the other Drivers and the "other" Drivers can easily get back to the garage and go home from Downtown.

But this excuse doesn't hold water.

Those of you who've been on the route 0 (Zero) have seen new Drivers change out at California and Welton streets.
When we all know the Route 0 lays over for up to 20 minutes at the Market Street Station.
We've all seen them sitting, sometimes two at a time, not down IN the Station but up on the street level, out of traffic and with no passengers aboard.

These Drivers sit for 20 minutes at Market Street Station then head 5 minutes down the road to California & 17th and swap Drivers.
Then the new (relief) Driver takes 5 to 10 minutes changing and getting the bus ready, making life difficult for you, the passenger when the Drivers could have changed over on their own time and not yours.

And both Drivers would be changing at Stations like other routes (such as the 21), making it easier for both Drivers to arrive and leave.

That's a ton of blabbering to explain what you're seeing but I hope it helps a bit.

You're seeing one Driver ending his shift and a new Driver take over.
The New Driver has to reprogram the fare box, the radio, the overhead signs.
The New Driver has to punch correct and new transfers, he has to clean up the previous Driver's mess, organize the clutter and throw out all the trash left behind.
The New Driver has to adjust the wheel, the seat and all the mirrors.
The New Driver has to restock the schedules and has to fill in the DOT (Driver's Vehicle Inspection Report) paperwork/book.

So that takes a few minutes and the Driver must do all this or get written up and even fired.
He can get fired because the TSA made a new one strike rule in 2009 stating that when the error involves passenger safety, it's one strike and you're out.
So a Driver who takes off without properly adjusting his mirrors or what not and gets into an accident because of this, has been reckless, careless and is endangering you, the passenger.

And in my case these last three weeks, my outgoing Drivers have all been grumpy pusses because I won't drive their vehicles to the relief points.
That's a long story but the short of it is that I don't want to be responsible for their personal vehicles and because the Union only pays enough "travel time" to speeding bullet straight to and from the relief points, these Drivers are upset because they have to take light rail and buses back to the garage and that takes up to an hour and half (with only a few of those minutes "paid time").
So these grumpy pusses simply grunt, get off and run away.

No cleaning, no paperwork, no communication about the status of the bus, detours or passengers and I can't complain because they are senior (to me) Drivers who out rank me and will make my life hell for complaining!

LOL

Are you glad you learned all this?

I hate politics in the work place.
It's one of the reasons I love working at RTD.
I can come to work, Drive a bus for an entire day (or night) and go home.
I only have YOU, the customer with whom to deal and y'all freaking rock.
But as soon as other Drivers & the Union get involved in our days, the poop hits the fan and morale falls through the floor.

But these affect you, the passenger/customer when we have to change over (relieve) at odd and inconvenient stops like the 0 & 38 do.

Now you have a bit more insight (whether you wanted it or not!) as to what's going on at these switches.

As Always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats, have a little patience - Let's Roll!"

Seasons Change...

Here we go again, Folks.
Another schedule change as we get ready to enter the Fall Season this Sunday.

And you folks (my Passengers - regulars) are having fun embarrassing me again.
As we count down this week, the last few days before we all change routes, I've been getting more kisses, hugs, cards, gifts and food than ever before.

Today one of my regulars brought me a cupcake.
Freaking DEEEE-Lish!
She made it herself and decorated it to match me. o_O

I spend most my days blushing this last week.
And while that's great for my skin (one regular told me) I'm starting to feel sunburned.
LOL

Anywho - I wanted to remind y'all to grab a new schedule as many of the routes have had some sort of adjustment whether it is a reduction or time tweak to sync with the light rail.

Your Drivers have had the new schedules on the buses all week and I've been reminding y'all every day to take a new schedule so y'all won't be surprised on Monday as you're coming into work.

You can also check your routes online ( RTD Schedule )
I use this ALL THE TIME when y'all ask me about other routes and their times, this is what you see me checking out online - I'm going to the RTD site and looking up the times and route information for you.
We're able to check Bus & Light Rail times and routes.

It's been a great Summer folks, I'll see you in the Fall...

As Always, "Welcome aboard, grab a new schedule, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

It Ain't Rocket Science!

Which sounds better:

"Pedestrian Relocation Specialist"
or
"Pedestrian Redistribution Engineer"


LOL - trying to pad my resume...
I'm not going anywhere.
I'm just trying to compete with your trash man (Sanitation Engineer!)

As Always, "Welcome aboard, don't trip over my title, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

It's So Big!

I'm cruising along in the predawn dark this morning when outta the shadows....

I hollered, "Holy Guacamoley - lookit the size of those racks! They're HUGE!"

I slowed down and turned off the lights and every guy on the bus was glued to the glass - snapping photos.
Even the Ladies were impressed and remarked on the beauty and size of the beasts.

One Lady explained to me that, "Oh those aren't nothing!"
As they get older their racks get bigger.
These two were still young and as they mature, their racks were going to get even more impressive.

We counted and they were each 7 pointers, I'm told that's young and many grow to at least 10 points...

These bucks were ginormous, I'm not kidding.
They could have stood on their hind legs and looked in the windows had they been so inclined.

As soon as I figure out how to load & post photos on this blog I'll post some for y'all to see.

As Always, "Welcome aboard, don't pass the bucks, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

Don't Eat Those Berries!

Funny story today.

You know us Drivers joke that this time of year, we're more tree trimmers than bus Drivers.
Most of you understand that.

Well this morning I was leaving a stop and the tree above us reached down and dragged itself across the top of the bus.
I had the roof vent open so berries and leaves flew in from both the top and the side windows.

I hopped on the mic and let everybody know I was trying to pick berries for lunch since they don't feed us here at RTD, I apologized for the mess and folks laughed.
There was a large group of kiddos in the back on whom the majority of the berries and leaves had fallen.
I quickly added on the mic:
"By the way, I wouldn't eat, smell or even touch or look at those berries, they're poisonous!"
Some of the girls who'd been gathering up the berries dropped 'em like they were hot potatoes and screamed & jumped soo loudly you'da thunk they'd just realized those weren't candy bars they'd been pulling outta the toilet bowl!

This got a huge laugh from the rest of the bus and the guys in their group had to explain to these gals that I was just joking.

Yeah....I'm "THAT" Driver!

All in all, a good morning and a good start to my day.

As Always, "Welcome aboard, avoid the foliage, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

K-I-S-S-I-N-G

I love my customers.
I love my job.
Many of my passengers can tell and like to thank me.

I get tons of letters (you are more than welcome to write or call in ANY/ALL the time!)
I get candy, cards, bananas....
If you're a regular, I may trust the food you give me but to be honest you can understand why your Drivers need to be cautious when receiving gifts, including food - right?
I've even been given phone numbers - and NO, I didn't call them.
LOL

Well this weekend I received more than all that.
And what I'm about to write is NOT a "Dear Playboy" moment so get your minds outta the gutters, pervs!

I've said before that we have tons of regulars because regardless of the time and day everybody has to get somewhere and most of us work around the clock and around the week.

One of my "regulars" is this really pretty young Lady who always gets on without anything more than a smile for me as she flashes her pass.
She has her ear buds in and never says anything or returns the "Good Morning/Thank You, Ma'am"s I offer.

I even asked, "Would you Marry Me?" one time when she got on and she just smiled and nodded as she went to her regular seat right next to me.
The whole group of regulars in the front of the bus laughed so hard I didn't think we'd ever get back under way.
Even I shed a tear I laughed so hard.

Sometimes (most of the time) I think the kids these days, especially the pretty ones wear those ear buds simply to discourage all the pervs and horn dogs from talking to them and bothering them, etc.

This weekend the Young Lady wasn't at her normal stop.
I'm used to this and I know folks take holidays, vacations, sick days, etc.
But this was an exception for this Young Lady and after an extra 30 seconds sitting at her stop waiting, with a few of the other regulars helping me look around for her, we gave up and started to leave.

I'm the Driver y'all see twisting to the left and right looking down streets and creeping across intersections looking for "runners" and sure enough, as we pulled out there she was, half a block away running for dear life with her arms waving around like she was trying to fly!

I did the double quick tap on my horn and pulled to the opposite corner with my back end sticking out enough for her to see we were waiting so she wouldn't slow down.
And just a few seconds later she tumbled onto the bus, out of breath, crying and laughing at the same time.
She literally fell onto me, wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me this huge, long, kiss on the cheek.
Smearing up my glasses with her makeup and tears.
As she sat down, she explained to us that she's one of those 24 hour live-in nurses for old folks and she does a 3 day stretch every Sat, Sun & Mon for an older lady who goes absolutely crazy if her schedule is upset - like her nurse being late to work!

Her power had gone off the night before during a rain storm and she was late to her stop and she was grateful that I had waited.

As she got off the bus she gave me one last hug, stuck her face in my ear and thanked me and whispered:
"And by the way, I CAN hear with my ear buds in - the answer is yes."

Then she left.

o_O
Um...

I think I peed a little!
ha ha ha

Kidding - sort of

Seriously, If I wasn't old enough to be her father, I would have fallen over dead right there.

BUT that's not the whole story believe it or not.

So far this week my face looks like a pimple factory.
This knock out of a gal who always looks so natural and beautiful wears more makeup than Cleopatra.
It took me the rest of the day to finally get all that smeared makeup off my glasses so I could see while I was driving and so far this week I'm breaking out in reaction to all her makeup on my face.

I feel like I'm 13 again.

As much as I was thrilled with the hugs, the kisses and the sweet nothings whispered in my ear...
I'ma go with: please thank your Driver with cards, calls and letters.
LOL - keep the kissing down to a minimum, Folks!

And to YOU Miss "Mila Kunis" (I call her this because she looks EXACTLY like Mila with her hair down) if you're accidentally reading this - I really did appreciate your show of gratitude, thank you.
Come to work without makeup on this weekend if you're going to be late.
I need to be able to see the road and my glasses were both smeared and steamed up for hours after you got through with me!

As Always, "Welcome aboard, thank your Driver, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

The "New" Federal Center Station

So the new Federal Center Station opened up this week (Sunday) and it’s HUGE!


I believe it is 1000 parking spaces and 22 bus gates.

Two rails, one in each direction.

Once those lines open up, the station will be busier than Broadway Station….maybe!

They are still planting the landscaping and if you walk over to the platform and the fence, you can see the light rail tracks under construction.

Sadly, there are no Driver’s restrooms, only the public outhouses.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t feel that Drivers are better than the passenger or general public and deserve separate bathrooms.
It is just that the port-a-potties are unsanitary.

There is no running water and if we’re lucky, a bit of dried up “alcohol rub” next to the door handle.
That alcohol only kills 99% of germs and SOME bacteria.

None of the “E” series such as e Coli (found in human waste) the pathogenic strains of which can be commonly found all over door handles, walls and the inside of outhouses.

That alcohol does not kill any of the venereal diseases that can be spread on door handles and alcohol dispensers after touching one’s self in the process of using the restroom.

And on and on with the diseases found in a public bathroom that are easily spread if there is no running water with soap, allowing your drivers to wash their hands after using the restroom.

Instead, they visit these highly trafficked outhouses, collect these diseases and bacterium and come back onto the bus, grab hold of the hand rails that you will grab when you come in, hand you a transfer with that diseased hand and spread that illness all around Denver and the Front Range.

That’s why a major station such as the new Federal Center Station should have a restroom for Drivers that limits the amount of public exposure and allows the Driver access to soap and water.

Just as you would and in fact require of your server and food handler who is exposed to hundreds if not thousands of people every day.

As Always, "Welcome aboard, wash your hands, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

Say What You Wanna Say...

Today a passenger creeped up to me on his way out, girlfriend in tow and he dropped his voice really low and got his game on:
"Yo, can I get another transfer? You only gave us one and we paid for two!"

Ok, first - yes, I'll give you one because overall it's better customer service and God knows I could have made a mistake.

But second:
I give everybody their transfers WHEN they pay.

I have one ripped off in my hand and already held out to you the moment you walk up, before you even pay because I want that to be on your mind as you pay and see that so that you’re ready and I can immediately accommodate your request for one.

Thirdly – had I forgotten to give you a second transfer, you know darn well that either you’d have said something right then and there (whether to show your woman you’re responsible or tough) or your girlfriend would have spoken up and reminded you to get the second ticket.

C’mon – I know the routine; I get hammered with attempts to get free rides and transfers all day and night long.
This isn’t my first trip to the rodeo, don’t think you’re pulling one over on me.

But when all is said and done, I don’t say all of this out loud to you because that’s rude.

I was taught 30 some odd years ago when I first got a job and started serving the public that the customer is ALWAYS right.

It takes longer to argue with you, it causes more stress and revenue loss to debate you than it does to just give you another slip of paper.

I’m sad that it doesn’t bother you that you are stealing from the other passengers who’ve paid their fares, from the tax payers who pay your fares and from RTD who provides the service.

I see you, thief.
I hit the button and recorded your theft.

Maybe next time a fare inspector will be on board when you try that….


As Always, "Welcome aboard, pay your dang fare, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

I Want To Ride My Bicycle I Want To Ride My Bike...

For some reason this year there are a TON of bike riders running around Denver.

My guess is the price of gas plus these bike stations (y'all have seen the red bikes & racks around town) and the warmer weather, etc etc etc all combined to get people  out on their bikes to and from work.

I know that bikes are legally allowed to "share the road" now but I'm still a bit irked by this.

As a driver, whether personal or professional I was required to obtain a license.
Proving that I both knew and understood the rules, regulations and ways of the road.
And that I had shown a reasonable aptitude for surviving out in traffic with other drivers.

I also pay taxes for using these roads.
I pay license and registration fees.
I pay gasoline taxes and other taxes that are applied to the support of the privilege I've earned by being granted a license.

NONE of which a bike rider has to do.
Yet they share the benefits that you and I had to work hard to be given.

Back to these laws, rules and ways...
If I get caught wearing head phones or ear buds or using a phone to make calls or text while driving my vehicle, whether my personal vehicle or the bus, I'm fined up the ying.
In fact, at RTD I can get into serious trouble as that's a major safety hazard & violation: it divides my attention and prevents me from hearing both the conditions around me and emergency vehicles.

If I don't use my turn signals, if I run red lights, if I exceed the speed limit and if I fail to use head lights from 30 minutes before sunset to 30 minutes after sunrise - I'm fined.
And not just teeny tiny warning shot fines.
We're talking $100 and up for any of these.

So yeah, I'm a bit miffed that I have to share the road with folks doing 10mph in the bus lane during rush hour:  folks who have their ear buds in, never look behind them, dart in and out in front of me and folks who don't share any proven qualification or financial burden for the use of the same road as I'm using.

Am I going to go out of my way to scare the poop outta riders with the bus?
LOL - nope.
I tap the brakes so they can hear that air release and know I'm coming up behind them, I go around them when traffic allows and I avoid them when I'm able.

What I do like to do is pull up beside them and mention that if they'd hop on board, pay the fare and let me take them home, they wouldn't be sweating so much in the heat or they wouldn't be as soaked to the bone in the driving rain!

I'd say I could care less but all the words I've typed above would prove me wrong.
So let's settle for, "I could care less but not by much!"

As Always, "Welcome aboard, set your bike in the rack, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

Transfers, How Long Do They Last?

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!"

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!"