Happy New Year!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Over The Hills & Through The Woods..

Oh My God, Becky....


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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you.

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

Baby It's Cold Outside...

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


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

So here are some updated tips:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

People Are People So Why Should It Be...

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

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

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

Let's start over...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Very discriminatory towards the Part Time Driver.

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

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

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

Happy Thanksgiving

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

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

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all...

We Can Dance If We Want To...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Private Eyes Are Watching You...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We all have the same destination: Safety

Oh My God that sounded cheezy!

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

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

You'll Never Find...

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

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

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

And speaking of burning out...

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

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

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

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

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

[Skip to refrain]

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

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

It's The Law!

So I'm sure 100's of Drivers before me have asked this question.
And when I ask my supers, they give me a look like, "Shut up, Kid!"

It's the Law here in Colorado.
We're not allowed to Text & Drive.

And as CDL & RTD Drivers, we're not allowed to text or to be on the phones while Driving.
Not even hands free.
Anything that distracts from our attention is a huge "No No"

So why do "they" constantly text us or call us while we're Driving?

Every time a text comes over the radio, I gotta pull over and read the text.

One time, the Bus was packed - Standing Room Only.
Major traffic downtown, I was turning into a really busy stop.
The vehicle & Passenger traffic had us WAY behind schedule.

And "They" had the nerve to call me on the phone.
When I was unable to answer right away, I could hear them hollering at me,
"Bus XXXX, pick up the phone!"

LOL
Really?
Really?

Anywho - it's one of those "Why don't we park on the parkway and driver on the driveway?" type of questions.
The question that when I ask I'm told it's my job to answer their texts and calls but nobody else's texts or calls.

Too Funny

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

Cough Cough Cough...

Super busy run today.
Had at least four moms with their strollers and with at least 3 kiddos each packed in the front part of the bus and standing room only further back.

Nobody on the bus was talking.
Everybody was afraid to take a deep breath.
You could tell when somebody did because you could hear the random coughing, choking and gagging.

One of the moms closest to me was on the phone, very loudly and she said, "You too? It must be something in the air. I took a deep breath and felt like I was going to pass out!"

And I thought, "You and the other 60 of us here on the bus. Maybe changing that kid's diaper would make us all feel better!"

It was really bad.
I KNOW y'all have had to endure this as well.

It took two hours and an entire can of Lysol to air out that bus after she landed on her stop.

Phew...

I actually felt badly for the moms because you just know they knew but there was nothing they could do until they got their kiddos home.

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

The Three Men I Admire The Most...

Ok, there are a few topics you just don't talk about at work.
They include religion & politics.

And that's exactly what a portion of your Taxes & Fares pay for - religious & political propaganda!

Let me back up here.

As an RTD Driver, I'm forced to be a member of the AT Union.
I say forced because if I want the job, I have to pay their extorion fee.
If I don't want to pay, I give up the job.

The Union deducts (steals) around $50 a month from my paycheck.
There are literally thousands of RTD Drivers (including RTD & the contractors who drive RTD buses).
That's a ton of money in their pockets.

That money (from YOUR Fares & Taxes) goes to support religious and political agenda that I'm sure not everybody agrees with.
I know I don't agree with a single bit of it.

For example, I'm a "Christian" and within my beliefs is the opposition to what we're taught are sins such as abortion & homosexuality.
The Union just sent out a mass mailing (using your Tax & Fare dollars!) to "recommend" to all the Drivers to vote for Candidates who support these issues.

And whether you agree with them or not - makes no difference.
Public tax dollars, public funds should not be used to supports ANY religious or political agendas.

The Union allows Drivers to "opt out" of paying what they say is a very tiny portion of the monthly extortion that supports this political and religious agenda.

And I've "opted out" according to their instructions, three times so far.
And they still take out the same amount.
Many other Drivers have told me the same - we all have the same amount extorted from us, regardless of our attempts to curtail this behaviour.

Again, whether you agree with the opinions & beliefs of the Union, your money should not be supporting this behaviour.
And trust me, it NEVER becomes "my" money before the Union steals it.
They "deduct it" straight from RTD - long before it gets deposited into my account.

They do that because they know most of us would NEVER pay otherwise.

If you disagree with my beliefs look at it from another point of view:
Would you like your Taxes and Fares supporting the Union sending out mass mailings to all the Drivers, mailings that recommend we all vote for candidates who support the Personhood Amendment, or who are against the new healthcare Bill?
Wouldn't that grate your cheese and get you all fired up?

That's the point of my post.

This mass mailing offended me.
Not just as a Christian but as an employee.
As a Tax Payer and as a Passenger who has paid a Fare or two over the years.
To know that my money, your money goes to support this is both offensive and upsetting.
When I voiced this to the Union, they said they'd remove me from the mailing list.
I asked if they'd removed ALL Drivers and cut the mailings out and he said no.
The mailing would still go out to others, I'd just be removed.
Kinda like sticking my head in the sand for me!

And RTD just pulled out the big guns and talked The Front Range into a Fare increase because they were millions in the hole.
If we took the 100s of thousands of dollars each month that RTD pays the Union and put that back into the system, we'd have newer buses, more Drivers, more routes, cleaner and more stops.
Stops that have lights that work, etc etc etc etc etc.

Instead, our Taxes & Fares are applied to the religious & political agenda being pushed on Drivers by the Union.

Again - I want you to remember that this is MY blog, filled with MY thoughts & opinions.
Not RTD's.
They neither support nor endorse this blog.

And I'm not trying to convert anybody to my beliefs by telling y'all this.
I'm trying to point out some MAJOR waste.
Some inappropriate spending - giving money to the Union so they can use it to promote their religious & political agendas, regardless of what those agendas are.

I hope y'all see that.

I don't know what the "fix" is.
Personally & professionally, I'd like to be rid of the Union.
Mostly because I feel RTD could deliver better product & service without the Union.
All the Union does is guarantee that the grumpy, mean and angry Drivers are kept around.
That the wages are kept low.

And that your taxes and fares are spent pushing a religious & political agenda.

Hey, that's my two cents (or in this case, $50!)

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

Let's Give 'Em Something To Talk About!

I almost had a heart attack.

I was talking to a Passenger and she mentioned that she'd read something online about "blah blah blah" but the blah blah blah was what I'd posted here on my blog!

You wanna bet I tried to change the subject and get away from that one.
But of course she took my side of the discussion and  well...
Do I really need to tell you my heart almost jumped outta my throat and off the bus?

So it's good to know y'all are reading this.
I appreciate it.
I do want to remind y'all that this is just me.
Joe Bus Driver.
Not RTD.
While I do work there, EVERYTHING posted in this blog is my opinion, my idea, my feelings, thoughts and actions about customer service, safety, etc.
RTD neither supports nor endorses this blog or anything in it.

Ok, that outta the way.

I noticed that this Passenger seemed to be talking about ideas I'd posted across several posts, not just one or two.

The thing about my posts...
The way I feel about my job, my responsibilities, my Passengers, customer service, etc etc etc...
The way I feel is PASSIONATE.
If y'all haven't noticed!

Seriously.

I'm not just some worker drone who gives lip service to what I post.
I practice this stuff daily.
Hourly and by the minute, by the customer.
By the opportunity.

You may think I'm just a slacker in reality and I'm some blow hard for RTD.
I'm not.
When you ride my bus, you'll know you've bumped into the Driver who writes this.

I don't work hard for the pay (although it's nice to pay the bills and keep my home!)
I don't work hard for the compliments or the praise.

I work hard because I truly believe that's what I'm ALREADY PAID TO DO.
Every minute I'm on the clock and even many when I'm off - is a chance to do something right, well and extra ordinary for the Passenger.

RTD didn't ask me to write this.
Would probably ask me not to as soon as they figure out who I am - if they didn't fire me first.
o_O

I write this because I want to share with y'all what I learn, what I love and what I run into daily.
My tips, tricks and adventures.

I also want you to see that there are Drivers out here who care.
Who are trying to make a difference.
Drivers who are trying to give y'all a better impression than what I've been reading out here on the net.
And I admit, it's an uphill battle.

But I am dedicated to winning that battle, one Passenger at a time.
One minute at a time.

Stay with me.
Don't give up and head to the contractors over in the private sector.
Stick with us, your RTD Drivers.

Keep giving me something to talk about and I'll give y'all something worth hearing.

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

Speak Out - Lift Up Your Voice

I've said this before (as I do alot!) but I want to remind y'all.
If you want to see improvement - say something.

We have numbers behind each Driver.
Little clear plastic boxes on the walls behind us, grab that slip of paper.
That and the time/date is all you need to say something about that exact Driver.

If we're doing something you like, compliment us.
That reinforces good behaviour and encourages more of it.

If we're doing something you don't like, complain.
That encourages improvement.

The more complaints, the more we get rid of bad Drivers.
The more compliments, the more the good (and bad) Drivers do more good to get more compliments.

I know that you shouldn't need to do all this because we're professionals and all.
You pay your fare and expect that professionalism in return.

I agree with you totally.
I get it.

But like all humans, like all worker bees - these guys could use some motivation.
Whether it's the continued employement or the threat of losing that job, they need motiviation to improve.

So motivate your Drivers with your voice.
Say something to make a difference.

After-all, you want the most outta your Fare, right?
If they are going to raise that Fare, they'd better start providing your money's worth for a change, right?

Start picking up those phones and speaking out.

Thanks y'all.

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

A Clean Bus Is Next To Godliness....

I've been kinda fighting back lately.

Let me start from the beginning.

Some of you may have seen this, many not.
Right in the middle of your trip, your Driver gets off the bus and another sits down and takes over.

We call that making relief.
The Driver who leaves is being relieved and the one taking over is relieving him.
When I pull a bus outta the garage and get relieved, I'm the Driver who makes sure all the windows are spotless clean, the bus has been kept clean and everything is organized and uncluttered.
I'll even punch an extra book of transfers so that in the middle of the next run, your new Driver doesn't need to stop, panick and take time out (putting everybody behind) to punch more transfers.

But when I'm the new Driver taking over, all the other Drivers for whom I'm taking over have been giving me the shaft!
Dirty butt buses, no transfers, mirrors and glass so dirty that half the time I can't see out through all the spots, glare and shadows.

I got on one of the Drivers once and he had the nerve to tell me that he's an operator, not service & cleaning (the guys who pretend to be cleaning buses all night for us) so he's not responsible for cleaning the bus.
I asked him if that doesn't reflect poorly on him, the Driver, when Passengers get on a bus that is filled to the hilt with trash.
He replied that it reflects poorly on the dumpy passengers, then he went on to trash and dump all over his slobby Passengers, etc.

That's the attitude of the guys I'm relieving!

I've been reminding them recently that they are supposed to walk the bus at the end of each run to look for lost items left on the bus.
In that process, they need to clean.
If they, in their negligence leave a broken bottle, something tiny, something poisonous, etc that a new passenger, his kiddo or whomever gets in their mouth or cuts themselves on - it's that Driver's responsiblity for allowing harm to come to his Passengers.
And that we're one big company, helping each other out all day long.
If service and cleaning needs to spend twice as long cleaning his bus, that means they don't have the time to clean my bus and I get screwed the next morning, thanks to him.

So yeah, I've been spoiling the guys who relieve me and the guys I relieve have been treating me like crap.
I know I'm still "the new guy" to many of them but I'm going to start fighting back.

Drivers need to start treating customers like customers, like Gold.
None of this, "The customer is the bad guy" here.

Sorry - I'm still in my First Year but I'm getting soo sick of these Senior Drivers who are all grumpy and ticked off at the Passenger as if y'all are the enemy.

That bus is the whole means of taking care of the Customer/Passenger.
The Service we provide is on that Bus.
Clean it, Driver it and provide the best possible service to our Customers/Passengers.

I shouldn't have to be the guy telling or reminding y'all.
I should be the guy learning from y'all but all I'm learning is that if I ever get to be a manager or boss, y'all are fired!
I've read too many complaints by the Passengers about you nutters and you're making us look bad.

LOL
Ok, rant over.
Sorry folks.
Please don't judge us all by the bad apples surrounding us.
You know the good Drivers when you meet them.
We are the true heart of RTD.

And speaking of RTD, remember - these posts are solely my thoughts and opinions.
RTD neither supports nor endorses...etc yada yada yada....
Y'all know the drill by now.

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

Get Up, Stand Up - Stand Up For Your Rights!

I want y'all to open your FaceBook and add RTD's page:

http://www.facebook.com/RideRTD

Why?
Well, they do put out updates and keep us informed.

One of those updates just mentioned that the public meetings for the proposed January service changes start tomorrow with 4 meetings in Aurora, Highlands Ranch, Longmont & Park Hill.

You, the Passenger and Public, those who pay our bills with your taxes and fares - you ALL need to exercise your right/obligation to have a voice in how we spend your money.

ESPECIALLY if RTD is going to raise the Fares next year - you really need to have a say in how we spend that money.
Whether it's a new route, an additional run early in the morning or late at night on a particular route.
Etc etc etc.

Come speak, come listen, come and get involved in how we spend your money.
Come and get involved in how we affect your community.
Come and make a difference.

Sunrise, Sunset!

You know, it's been a long while since I've said this so I need to remind y'all...

As we've all noticed by now, by this the first day of October, 2010 - it's getting darker earlier and staying dark later every day.
And as many of you have probably already noticed, your Driver (or the guy filling in for your regular if you're lucky enough to have a regular Driver!) keeps passing you by in the mornings.
Well, hopefully he hasn't but I've met a few passengers who've been passed the mornings before.

How do we prevent this?

First and foremost: MOVE AROUND and stay next to the bus stop sign.
The first thing we see in the dark is movement.
Our bus headlights don't really shine further than ten feet in front of us so I'm straining to keep on time but also to see each stop so that I've got time to stop without slamming on the brakes, sending all your fellow passengers up to the front door to greet you when you come aboard!

Most of our stops are dark so I'm eyeballing the bus stop sign and looking for shadows.
When you move, blamo - you got my attention.
That's saved me and many passengers these last couple of weeks.

That and those little handy flashlights.
And if you don't have a flashlight, but you see me coming...
Break out the cell phone and pop on the light.
I've seen so many passengers do this the last week or so - it's a great idea and it's worked so far.

This last note I need to stress the most because as it gets darker, I can't see more than a few feet to either side of the stop.
Come Early.
Many of my regulars are "runners" meaning they arrive at the last second and much of the time I scan all around and catch them running down the block towards me.
I've learned to look for them running and I wait for them to arrive.

Now that it's dark, I can't see y'all running down the street and y'all know I can't hear you screaming, yelling or whistling over the heaters, the engine, the air brakes, the talking and all the rattles and creaks y'all have heard on the bus.

So come early, stay close to the bus stop sign/pole, move around when you see me and pop on the flash light or cell phone and wave it at me.

It sounds like going out of your way just to get a ride but that little extra effort gets you noticed, picked up and taken to work.
You won't be left behind and I won't get written up for missing you.
It's really a win win situation!
LOL

Enjoy Fall, folks.

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

Hakuna Matata

Chill Out, Man.
It's the circle of life!

So I'm sure y'all have seen those wild life shows where they study Lions & Lionesses hunting and prowling the wilds.
Then they show the hyenas who group by the dozens, out numbering the lionesses and stealing their kills.
One on one the hyena doesn't stand a chance.
But in the large groups, they sometimes even attack and kill lionesses.

Then you always see the King of the jungle come pouncing in and taking out an entire pack of the mangy hyenas all by himself, tossing the kills left and right, never even once going in for a second bite or to eat them.
Killing them just because of the rivalry.

Sometimes I feel like that's how the taxis drivers in this city see us.
There are a bazillion of them and they run in packs.
Taking over the streets, turn lanes and intersections.

They don't drive by any laws; running red lights, edging into intersections and cutting off smaller buses.

Then along comes a City bus, or better yet, the accordian bus.
One honk, one turn into a pack of taxis and they scatter likes flies.

Dirty little taxis.
They treat other drivers on the road like tripe.
They cut people off and lie to fares about the costs and availablity of The Bus.

Their slogans are like, "Lowest Rates In Denver" but they forget that I can take you from the Cold Springs Park N Ride all the way to the Airport Park N Ride for only $2.00.

BEAT THAT you pesky little fleas!
LOL

Yeah, RTD - the Kings of the Jungle.

Ok Ok, I know - I have a very active imagination.
Hey! I drive for a living.
I have tons of time to think up these wild ideas.

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

PSA - REMINDER...(Kinda)

Don't forget that this is my blog.
I'm just a regular Joe like the rest of us here in Denver.
I have a job and that happens to be a Driver for RTD.
But this is my blog, not RTD's.
These are my beliefs, my opinions and practices.
Not RTD's.
They've reminded us that they neither support nor endorse anything I post, this blog, etc.

You'll find that in my posts I generally post in favour of the customer, the passenger & the tax payer.
I don't support raising fares.
I do support customer service, safety & efficiency.

I usually agree with RTD, never with The Union.
That puts me at odds with about 40% of the Drivers (in my experience).
So far in my first year that's produced job, death and physical violence threats.
None of which I want to "report" because that would jeopardize my career, my home, my family and my health - both mental and physical.

So again, this is my blog.
About my job.
My thoughts, my opinions and my ideas.

Keep that in mind as you read my posts.

Oh Sugar - Honey Honey....

I forgot to tell you what happened to me last week.

First, let me fill in the process and story.

After the bus gets to the end of each route, each direction, Drivers walk the bus and check for anything left behind by Passengers.
When we find something, we take it back to the Garage and fill out a little form, the item gets tagged and sent to the Lost and Found, at the Civic Centre Station.

Passengers call the following Business Day and claim their belongings.

We are required to go through whatever is left behind.
We have to count cash, we have to discard perishables.
Food, drink, cigarettes, etc all get tossed - our Supervisors tell us that they can't take it.

Ok, so that said - last week I find a huge box left in the back of the bus.
It's super light so I'm not thinking it's a bomb and it doesn't rattle.
The box had scooted under the seats in front of the back seats so I can understand how they missed it.

And I'm pretty sure I know the Ladies (and their daughters) who left it behind.
But of course I didn't find it until the end of the run.
As soon as I opened the box, I KNEW who owned it.
Well, who lost it.

It was a box of cookies.
The good kind too.
And not just a single, what 8oz? box, but a box full of boxes, like a case of cookies.

I didn't know (remember) what stop the Ladies had gotten off at and I couldn't drive back.
The next two trips back and forth I looked high and low to see if the Ladies had come back to find me and their box.

So I took it back to the Division (Garage) and tried to turn it in.
You can see where this is going...
It's "Perishable" and I was told to toss it.
Don't eat it, don't take it home, toss it.

I'd considered taking it with me for a couple of days until the Ladies came back on.
But I think my supervisors either knew what I was thinking or they thought I was going to try to sneak it home to eat em.
Either way, they kept their eyes on me as I left.
For all I know, they went and got the box after I left!

They had a good point:
I didn't know these passengers from Jack.
The "cookies" could have been laced or something.
Or the Passengers could have come back for their cookies and charged me for the eaten cookies, etc.

Either way, following their instructions was the wise thing but I wanted to give them back.

So if you lost your cookies (yes, I realize how funny that sounds!) on the bus, I did find them and did try to turn them into Lost & Found.
I'm sorry but they won't take perishables.

The Moral of this Story, my friends?
Don't leave stuff on the bus.
And I realize there will be accidents.
So when you do forget something on the bus, call the number (303-299-6000).
I (we) turn your stuff in as soon as our runs are over and the next business day, you can pick them up at the Civic Centre Station.

As always, "Welcome aboard, find your seats (& check em before you leave) - Let's Roll!"