Thursday, July 16, 2009

http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2009/07/dispatch_from_the_commute_a_tr.html#comments

Well the first two comments are typical of some of the attitudes that us bloggers run into when it comes to trimet and trimet bus drivers.

Over at Jack Bogdanski's blog some of the writers there go so far as to call TRIMET corrupt, a completely false charge made by people that are bordering on TRIMET obsessive/compulsive disorder who just cannot accept the fact that “their” tax dollars would go to any thing as ridiculous as mass transit. THE HORROR, THE HORROR!

Luckily, the TRIMET bashing that happens on the internet really isn't in line with the majority of public opinion. Most people don’t have any opinion one way or the other, and there are plenty of people who would be lost without TRIMET.

Anyway I’m the driver that Mr. Rose did indeed ride with and I would encourage any other TRIMET drivers to take him up on his proposal!

How bout a 72 driver step up and ask him to ride one complete round trip in the middle of rush hour? Or the 12, 20, 4, 33, 8, 9,6, or any other really crappy run that your stuck with.

My 67 run wasn’t able to give him the full flavor of our wonderful employment opportunity.

He really needs to take a whole loop on one of the high density routes to get a complete understanding why bus drivers get mean.

I agree with everything Mr. Hanon had to say.

However there is much more to why bus drivers get downright mean.

Routes that are 2 hours from end to end make a driver MEAN!

Routes that have no breaks make a driver MEAN!

Embellished or completely false complaints make a driver MEAN!

Having to defend yourself over every little thing that happens makes a driver MEAN.

Being forced to take drug tests randomly makes a driver MEAN.

Being forced into a drug test when an accident happens that was clearly not the driver’s fault makes a driver MEAN.

When your job is always hard, when the public thinks you don’t deserve health care, when you are disrespected by the community at large, YOU GET MEAN.

People are people and react to stimulus in very predictable ways.

Bus drivers are people.

Most trimet bus drivers are great!

But when they do get mean, look to the causes behind the behavior.

This is a rotten stinking job at times.

http://www.box.net/shared/static/5yrdxnltxs.bmp

(I do not believe that Mr Rose is on a crusade, I believe him when he says he is reacting to letters from readers)

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