On Tuesday, Tri-Met put into effect some new schedule changes and switched our bus drivers. Why they decided to do both of these things on the same day is something I don't understand.
My energy drink selling driver is gone. Despite the pushing of energy, he was a great driver. He was speedy and knew the tricks of Portland traffic. I was usually early to work. Now I have Grandma Driver. We spent yesterday's drive telling her the stops of our express route. We had to tell her when to use certain lanes and when she should merge. I kept my mouth shut and let other passengers help her. At first I found it amusing then I felt sorry for her. Why would you put someone on a route with little assistance? I thought it was cute that she did a test run with her husband. She acknowledged driving the route in a car on Labor Day is different from rush hour traffic in a large bus. I started to lose some of my patience when she drove up the hill to work very slowly. Very slowly. Therefore, I am silently referring to her as Grandma. Afternoon bus driver? Fine.
This morning? Little better. The muttering to herself can end sometime soon. My focus turned today on a new commuter. A very talkative person joined our bus this morning. Talkative and loud. I am sorry. I just don't need to hear that much chatter that early in the morning. Unfortunately, some of the other regulars engaged her in conversation. I put on my iPod full blast and I could still kinda hear her. Between Grandma and Loudmouth, I am cranky. These are the days when I really miss driving to work.
3 comments:
"Why they decided to do both of these things on the same day is something I don't understand."
It's a test. We are all actually part of a large graduate student sociology experiment. Yes, the entire Portland area. They're clever those grad students! But you've got to watch out for them, of course. Never know what they're going to be up to next...
Four times a year, bus operators sign up for which line/times they want to work during the next 1/4th of the year. Changing schedules when a new work period starts is the easiest way to go. Operators don't have their work times changed mid-way through the period. In addition, new schedules may also mean that operators need to be shifted around, if service is added to one line or removed from another one.
I guess that makes sense however they don't provide a lot of training. Our particular line has had to train at least three bus drivers in the last few weeks. I just don't understand why they put that on the passengers. We have had to tell them stops etc. The chaos of the new schedules just added an interesting mix.
Post a Comment