RTDriver.com

Don't tell my Grandma I'm a Bus Driver, She think's I'm a Piano Player at a Whorehouse

2007-07-04T20:54:00.001-07:00

When I transitioned from "young adulthood" to an *actual* Adult, I was in a state of delusion, desperation and grandeur . What to do? Who will hire me? Am I qualified? I'm gonna run this Biatch!! Will I eff up?

Well, I managed to accomplish all of the above.

I hopped a few jobs, leaving one for another that I was convinced would be better than the last. Sometimes that was the case, but more often than not it was a myriad of broken promises, double speak and my personal indiscretions.

Learn a few things or five I did, but never did I anticipate that I would end up in the employ of Sacramento Regional Transit.

When I told Gram's that was hired at RT, her first question was if we still use those nifty belt mounted change thingy's. Of course I had no idea what she was talking about, so I asked her to tell me about what public transit was like in Sacramento when she was my age.

Gramma started out talking about the old California State Fairgrounds, which used to be in Oak Park at Stockton Blvd. and Broadway. It's now a Jack in The Box, Check Cashing Store, Chinese Restaurant and the sprawling UC Davis Medical Center Campus. More specifically, she mentioned "Joy Land".

Way back when, Joy Land was the only game in town for entertainment in Sacramento. The proximity to the Central City coupled with access via Street Cars made Joy Land a viable and long lasting tradition in Sacramento.

Until the Street Car lines were abandoned and tore up in favor of the Automobile.

Gramma remembers when Street Car's rumbled up and down Broadway, 4th Avenue, J Street and 10th Street ushering eager Sacramentan's to where they wanted to go.

Funny how history repeats itself. In Sacramento, the powers that be have struggled to recognize and keep up with the popularity and demand for Light Rail.

History will be repeated over and over again, but I hope that we look at the past as a basis for future solutions.

My Grandmother will be 79 tomorrow.

Happy Birthday Grandma.

Using the Senior & Disabled Ramp at Light Rail Stations-Common Sense rules...unless you are Hell on Wheels.

2007-06-30T21:14:00.001-07:00

First, did you notice that they are called "Senior & Disabled" ramps??

The ONLY reason for the existence of these ramps at Light Rail Stations in addition to kneeling buses with wheelchair lifts & ramps is all about accessibility for passengers with disabilities, or senior citizens who still maintain independence, but may not move fast enough to board a train or have the agility to climb stairs on a bus .

Let us also remember RT's commitment to ADA Compliance, and trust me, ADA compliance is a huge deal at RT.

Secondly, I have read no rule that says if you board my train using the "Senior & Disabled" ramp that you need to be a complete shit head.

So....here are my step by step instructions on how to use the "Senior & Disabled" ramp.

I'll start with the rarest of boardings on the "Senior & Disabled" ramp....Wheelchairs! No shit, I board more walk on's and baby momma's on the ramp than I do wheelchairs...go figure.

The most important thing to remember is not to be drunk. Simple request maybe, but give me an effing break....do you really need to be off your marbles on 4 bottles on Thunderbird wine by 11 A.M? Odds are if your drunk I will leave you. If you start talking drunken shit to me, I will most certainly leave you. When you are on the ramp with 2 other wheel chairs, play nice with your wheeled comrades. I don't like moderating a 4 wheeled battle royale, and I know you like that prime spot behind the drivers door or close to the aisle. Tough shit. You wheel yourself to the location I politely direct you to. This is for your good and the other 300 passengers on the train. And almost as important as not being drunk is knowing how to operate your 200 horsepower wheel chair. Please, Please, Please, learn to drive your chair. When you do a swan dive off the platform into the street at 9th & K, I promise to not say "I told you so", while muttering something about hell on wheels under my breath.

Wheelchair passengers are easy street compared to baby momma, daddy, and the assorted children that accompany them....especially around the 1st and 15th of the month. Don't get me wrong, I know you have 3 kids, a stroller that carries 1 maybe 2 of them babies and that your man is probably in jail or sleeping with your sister. But rules is rules. If I have to follow them, you have to follow them.

They are spelled out, in simple English..

Learn it, Love it and Live it.

Start walking, buy a Wagon or bail your man out of County.

Bottom line is I don't want to hear it। I used to be sympathetic, and now I'm not

Read the sign posted at the ramp...If you are illiterate, it's cool...because too many people in Sacramento are in the same boat you are. Ask and me, and I shall tell you.

"You have 15 minutes to figure out what you want & where you want to go."

Train 5 proceeding.......

Watt/I-80 Bound Train, The Next Stop will be 16th Street

2007-06-27T19:52:00.000-07:00

No sweeter sound can be heard, with each station she reminds me how close I am to a "potty" break.

Cammie Winston is the voice of Sacramento RT on Light Rail trains.

Not so long ago, Cammie also announced the transfer point at 16th Street Station inbound & outbound. Basically, passengers arriving at 16th Street who were traveling to destinations outside of the CBD (Central Business District) were informed so by Cammie at least 2 times before my train rolled into 16th Street on inbound and outbound trips.

Not anymore.

Seems that Cammie's lovely voice irked some of the denizens along the R Street corridor, so now you have to endure my voice.

Let me be the first to say, my voice over the PA system we use aboard trains is horrible. I'm a twenty something year young guy....over the PA I sound like a 40 year smoker with a limp and 10% of my vocal chords.....Unless you are dicking around and delaying my schedule....I roar like a Lion-

My point is, I want Cammie back. I miss her.

"You grinned, then winked at me in the mirror as I reached for the button to open the door..."

2007-06-25T01:44:00.000-07:00

I did?

Transitarians can be a fickle bunch. I received a complaint today, in the most official way possible in my opinion.

The person responsible for making me aware of said complaint was not a supervisor...but the passenger herself!

"You grinned, then winked at me in the mirror as I reached for the button to open the door..."

Funny thing is that I didn't do it! No, really I didn't do it. This rider even went as far as to board on the senior & disabled ramp my next trip through to make sure she was able to give me a piece of her mind. Fair enough, after all I am a public servant and she seemed sweet enough so I just listened and apologized....and smiled the whole time and swore I would never do it again.

Lets dissect this situation-

She was wearing eye glasses with lenses thicker than the makeup my baby sister applies to her face with a paint gun. Sorry for generalizing, but I wonder how far she can actually see?

But I digress....

More often than not, I can barely make out the man or woman driving the train headed in the opposite direction that I am when we pass...and the windshield glass is transparent. The windows that are on the left and right side of where I sit are tinted pretty dark, helps keep me cool in the heat which generally makes me a happier train driver. Couple the darkly tinted windows with a pull down sunshade (I can see out, but the sun barely comes in) I wonder how she saw anything at all? I grinned and winked? And she saw all of that while looking at my reflection in the mirror attached to the side of the train?

Let's assume she is right, and I actually did what she said (I would be a total liar if I said I never pulled a stunt like that once or thrice, accidentally of course). I find her approach rather cavalier, considering the reputation some RT Drivers have with the passenger populous. In fact, I am kicking myself as I write because I did not thank her properly for personally addressing me about her gripe.

Next time I see her, I will thank her properly...Grin and point her to "How to Complain about Sac RT Drivers"

I hope she can see the letters on her key board.

Congratulations to RT Rider!

2007-06-21T23:16:00.001-07:00

My blogger in arms over at RT Rider had an editorial featured in the Sac Bee today where he talked about being Transitarian.

Kick ass editorial John, let's hope that the message sinks in with the SUV chained folks in Sacramento.

And I am glad you ended up getting your button!

Policing Public Transit

2007-06-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

"Police first must develop a reliable method for measuring important statistics that accurately relate the condition of the transit system in terms of security. These strategic measurements should be broad-based enough to provide a picture of the security needs of the entire system and take into account subjective assessments by passengers of transit security. With this information, police and transit authority officials can develop specific proactive strategies to enhance security throughout the transit system. The ultimate goal should be to make riders feel safe by ensuring that they are safe."

Kurt R. Nelson, F.B.I Law Enforcement Bulletin, January 1997

In a previous post, I less than eloquently pontificated about the environment on Sacramento Regional Transit light rail trains and buses as it relates to me, the driver/operator.

Remembering that as a youngster I took advantage of RT throughout my wonder years, and I have family and close friends who rely on the system everyday, I want to share my .0000000002 cent's on the "State of Safety" throughout our lovely public transit system.

My observation of Regional Transit Protection Services is this-

Ineffective, Inept, Lacking accountability, Zero oversight, Did I mention lacking Accountability?

"If the level of crime and disorder becomes so high that it has a measurable impact on the public's perception of safety, the number of riders will decrease either on the entire system or on specific routes or lines."

Kurt R. Nelson, F.B.I Law Enforcement Bulletin, January 1997

Wow, pretty simple if you think about it. Ensure that people "feel" safe when riding the transit system....and when they feel safe, they tell their neighbors, and then their neighbors tell others and so it goes....

Ridership increases, and I become more relevant...you as a passenger are conceptually safer.

Conceptual reality is nice, it pacifies us.

Pacification only goes so far.

Contact your local elected member of the RT Board of Directors should you have any questions or concerns, these folks direct policy.....

Policy affects everyone who depends on RT for service.

Bag-O-Seniority

2007-06-19T00:53:00.000-07:00

New bid, new life.

Thanks to the internet I do not have any children.

If I had children, at this rate I would be capable of spending maybe a day a week with them until they graduated from High School. Pets? No such luck, you would read about me in the Bee...something related to animal cruelty. Such is life, and I work for RT...so I get payed like....a zillion dollars an hour... what am I sniveling about? Life is effing great right?

Wrong.

I'm stuck with an empty bag of seniority. Well, not empty...I think I have some vapors somewhere in my bag. Point is, I am cast to the land of shifts that would make some people cringe.

On the other hand, if you can appreciate working until 1 AM 5 days a week, 8 hours and 10 minutes per day on a split shift which more or less guarantees you spend upwards of 12 hours at your job but get paid for 8, you might smile gleefully.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my job and I am thankful to have it. Since I am in my twenties, I'm still in that phase of life in which I require instant gratification. Nothing too fancy, but maybe a Friday and Saturday off instead of Wednesday and Thursday. Or maybe a route that starts at say...9 in the morning and ends at around 5 in the afternoon versus 2:30 in the afternoon and ends at 1:12 the next morning.

As soon as I become ensconced in my self-gratificationism, (I know thats not a word, I made it up, think Transitarian) I realize that I must pay the proverbial dues like the scores of rookies who came before me.

It's the truth. It still sucks, and I can still hate it....But I also appreciate it.

See you this afternoon.

Bumpy, Hard, and Yellow....Think Safety, not STD!

2007-06-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what the bumpy yellow tiles are that line each side of the platform at Light Rail Station's throughout the system in Sacramento?

I'm sure you have, so here it is.....

No, they are not just so you have something bright and shiny to improve your outlook on life, and they are certainly not to massage the bottom's of your bare feet. What they are intended to accomplish is to keep you and your children from getting smacked by a train. Although I have never been bumped, pushed or otherwise made contact with a train other than driving one I can assure you it hurts.

Real bad.

Please, save my sanity and possibly save your life. Stand behind the Yellow Safety tile until the train comes to a complete stop.

For all my 16th Street peeps, this means you.

Natomas, Holla!

2007-06-11T18:42:00.000-07:00

What's up North Natomas?

Being in the employ of Sacramento's principle Public Transit Agency, I often talk to commuters from neighborhoods, cities and towns that stretch from Amador County to El Dorado County to San Jaoquin County and back again.

Funny thing is, folks from other Counties that surround Sacramento are not the folks who's queries puzzle me more than the denizens of North Natomas. Not puzzling because they are from North Natomas, not puzzling because they all work downtown, but puzzling in a puzzled kind of way.

Currently, 3 Regional Transit bus routes serve the Natomas Community. 3 routes. Sta tistics from 2005-2006 show a populous of 67,000 residents.

If that figure is correct, there's alotta them their people in Natomas.

I'm all for expanded service in and out of Natomas. I guess it all boils down to funding priorities, and it would appear that Natomas is not much of a priority at this point unless you count the Downtown-Natomas-Airport Light Rail extension which will never see the light of day.

In the meantime, check out "The Flyer"

I was astonished to discover that the North Natomas TMA has their very own local shuttle service. I'm glad that Natomas has transit options not provided by RT, but I am also a little twisted because myself or one of my brother or sister operators might have an opportunity for expanded choice for work. Natomas win's because they get RT, we win because we have more to choose from in terms of hours and routes.

So, in short I am asking people who happen to reside in Natomas how they feel about options for transit in their own backyard.

Fire Away!

Am I the only one that wanted to throw my TV out the window after last nights climactic end to the Sopranos?

Dirty RT Police Cruiser+Sound Fiscal Management=Harv's Metro Carwash?

2007-06-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

I read a post on From The Capitol this morning by Matthew McGuire. Mr. McGuire tells his readers about what he saw at Harv's Metro Car Wash on his way to work, which was an RT police cruiser getting a bath. It would have puzzled me as well, as I remember that as a youth, when I got busted work project consisted of 2 things- Picking up rubbish on the side of the road or washing County vehicles at the Branch Center.

Mr. McGuire does some interesting math, take a look HERE

Is that how I'm supposed to do it HeartenSoul? (-;

Blue Line (South Line) on Friday & Saturday Night

2007-06-05T01:12:00.000-07:00

Riding Dirty, on RT....

Has your bus driver been Beat by a thug?

2007-06-05T00:20:00.000-07:00

So.....I might be treading on some water that just might drown me.

When passengers bitch and moan to me about stuff that happens on the train, I usually nod my head and apologize on behalf of Regional Transit. Usually, this quells the rants and sometimes it only enrages people to the point that they attempt to assault me or something like that. More often than not, they are drunkards, and fall down to the concrete whilst swinging at my lovely face.

I'm one handsome train driver....

But, let me swerve back to the point.

Regional Transit contracts with both the City of Sacramento and the County of Sacramento for enforcement and protection of "every inch" of the transit system in Sacramento.

Um...yeah.

I have searched all over the web, including Sac PD Crime mapping, and Sac County Sheriff Crime mapping and I see incidents near, adjacent, even ON light rail platforms. Since they are folded into the UCR (Universal Crime Report) statistics, most people have no idea when or where the crime was committed. It's a numbers game, and RT plays the odds better than poker after dark on NBC..

Not suprising that I could find no specific information related to assaults, incidents or crimes committed against Bus operators.

I would guess, with relative accuracy that Bus drivers in Sacramento are Assaulted at a rate of 2 per week, at a minimum. Please recognize this is my non-scientific assertion as a bus driver in Sacramento.

My question is this.....

What is more important?

The mantra that the wheels on the bus move no matter what happens is long gone. If the safety of a bus driver is in question, so is that bus drivers passengers.

And...in the end.

Who is responsible for everything that happens on his or her coach?

The BUS OPERATOR.

Bravo?

California Capital AirShow

2007-06-04T16:24:00.000-07:00

Upon us again this year is the second annual California Capital Airshow at Mather Field in Rancho Cordova.

If you were lucky enough to have actually made it off of Highway 50 and into the Air Field last year you no doubt enjoyed one hell of a show. In an effort to avoid the traffic nightmare that resulted last year just ride RT. I know, the majority you have had your automobile surgically attached to one or more appendages on your body, but just for once leave the car in the driveway.

If you purchased tickets for the Air Show ahead of time, the ride to and from the event aboard lig ht rail and bus is FREE!

Board any of Regional Transit's 44 Light Rail Stations from North Sacramento, South Sacramento, Rancho Cordova, College Greens and yes.....Folsom.

Yeah, nothing is better than free!

Imagine upwards of 50,000 people trying to exit at Mather Field Rd. over the few hours leading up to the show......

Now imagine that you and your family are not among them!! Lovely thought I know.

If you have never taken RT, or have and know someone who has not, please encourage them to give it a try. In addition to extra bus service and 4 car trains, RT will have folks crawling all over the Mather Field Mills station to steer people in the right direction, answer any questions and ensure that the ride from the train to the bus to the show is seamless.

Click any of the links in RED for detailed info about using RT to get to the show. I would post what they have up now, but odds are the details will change the closer we get to the Air Show.

Do this:

Photo by Scupper

Not this:

"How to complain about SAC-RT Drivers"

2007-06-03T03:38:00.000-07:00

I must admit, sometimes I feel like the public that I serve is completely out of touch with reality. Granted, I am skewed to the "pro SAC-RT DRIVER" point of view, more often than not my fellow "SAC-RT DRIVER'S" tend to board the best Sacramento has to offer.

You had a bad day. You just got fired. You missed a connecting bus at 65th Street. Your normal bus is 10 minutes late. OMFG! the light rail broke!

My cousin e-mailed me the following article, with detailed instructions on how to file a complaint against me. And honestly, it hurts.

Update!

The author of the article below reminded me that her article is copywritten material, so here is a direct link to the content written by HeartenSoul.

I'm going to post the entire article, which is long so play along.

"Riding Sacramento Regional Transit buses and light rail can be an infuriating, even frightening, experience. Little guidance exists to resolve issues unless you understand how “the system” works.

In Case of Emergency: Know the difference between a complaint and an emergency. If you are riding Regional Transit and feel that lives are in danger, you must notify the appropriate law enforcement officials. Do NOT call the Customer Satisfaction Unit or 321-BUSS as this will only delay the response of public officials. Contact law enforcement immediately in any way that you can. Trained public-safety officers protect every inch of the public transportation system. You cannot expect the customer service operators to handle a life-or-limb-threatening emergency.

Advocacy: That being said, it is highly likely that you will someday wish to lodge a complaint against the Sacramento Regional Transit level of service. If you follow a few guidelines the complaint process can result in change. However, do not expect that you can file a complaint against a driver and have them removed from the line. It is NOT going to happen. The union is a formidable advocate for the rights and continued employment of each driver. No complaint will escalate to disciplinary level without satisfying the criteria for causing suspension or dismissal as established by the union. Your advocate is any employee of the Regional Transit Customer Satisfaction Unit.

No Immediacy: You must also know that you will not be permitted to lodge a complaint while you are still riding the bus or the light rail. Customer Satisfaction Unit employees are instructed to discontinue your call until you have disembarked. This precaution is necessary so that an altercation between driver and passengers cannot arise and for various other reasons. In any case, there is no immediate remedy available to resolve your complaint. No supervisor can or will be dispatched to stop your bus en-route to discipline the driver. It WILL NOT happen. No radio contact can be made with the driver from the Customer Satisfaction Unit. There are no exceptions. Customer Satisfaction Unit employees do not represent the drivers nor do they talk to the drivers neither do they reprimand the drivers. They may only present your case to the driver’s supervisor in a manner that is approved for communicating complaints. That manner is in writing. Without a life-threatening emergency, there is no immediate resolution forthcoming for any complaint.

Don’t Ask for A Supervisor: Driver Supervisors do not come to the front office to speak with passengers. Driver Supervisors will not take your phone call and will not drive out to address you in person. There are many, many myths about people who think they can call the Customer Satisfaction Unit and have a supervisor personally address their complaint on the spot. It will not happen. Don’t even ask.

Identify the Vehicle: Before getting on the phone and dialing the complaint department, it would be helpful to have the necessary information ready. The necessary information for filing a complaint in published periodically in the bus-book. It includes providing the route number of your bus or which light rail line you are upset about. What is the date and time of day, your direction of travel, and the location of the beginning of your trip? You may be asked to give a physical description of the driver. Then you will be asked to provide a dialogue of the situation. Complaining in the heat of the moment might cause you to forget details that will either make or break your complaint.

Identify the Driver: RT Supervisors dismiss many more complaints for lack of accurate identifying information than the number of complaints that result in any type of action. For instance, identifying a driver as a Hispanic male when he is a Native American male will cause a dismissal. If you don’t know it as a fact, don’t share it. For some routes in the RT system, it is vital to provide a description of the driver. There are so many Route 23 buses, for instance, that seldom run on schedule. If a #23 driver “catches up” to the bus running ahead of it and passes it, the first driver to arrive at Arden Mall will not be the first scheduled driver. You could easily cause the wrong driver to be reprimanded if you don’t provide a physical description. The Hispanic male could be more accurately defined as male, caramel colored skin, brown eyes, cropped dark hair with sunglasses and an RT baseball cap.

Just the Facts Once you’ve provided the facts of who, when, and where it is time to share the “what” and the “how” of the situation. Do not presume the “why”. Just state what happened. Don’t guess that the driver passed you at your stop because he was talking to another passenger. Don’t suppose that the driver jerked the bus so he could knock you off your feet because you took too much time getting on the bus. State the fact and only the fact. “The bus jerked and I fell on the floor before I could take a seat”. Don’t suppose to explain why a driver did anything. Your complaint can be dismissed if your guess is wrong and chances are, even if your guess is correct, the driver will have an alternate story. Facts cannot be disputed. Suppositions can. Do not suppose anything.

Satisfaction is NOT guaranteed If you expect to know the outcome of your complaint it is absolutely vital that you request a response in writing. Do not file a complaint and leave out the punch line. “I want a call from the supervisor”. State your desired outcome in simple language and your request will be addressed by the driver’s supervisor. If you ask for a phone call, provide your phone number. This is not to say that the supervisor will grant you your request. It only assures you that they will reply.

ADA: If your complaint involves an ADA issue, a process and timeline is published online and in the bus book. There are stringent laws in place to protect the rights of the disabled. Please refer to the latest publications from Sacramento Regional Transit for understanding your rights in the complaint process. Signature Required Debate continues about the union requirement for signatures on passenger reports. According to union rules, without a signature, the complaint cannot become a part of the driver’s permanent record. If you send an email complaint and expect it to escalate to disciplinary action or to become a part of the record, you must follow up by signing and mailing a physical copy. Don’t Hold Back In any case, this article could not possibly address all the various situations encountered on the Sacramento Regional Transit System that a passenger would wish to report.

The majority of the passenger service reports filed each month are for driver behavior so this article focuses on reporting situations of that nature. Do not expect the driver to be removed from his job without sufficient cause. One complaint does not satisfy the criteria to establish sufficient cause. Multiple complaints by various riders must be received and substantiated. It may distress the readers and passengers to know that some of the most egregious complaints are dismissed on minor insufficiencies in the complaint process. More reports will net better results. If more than one passenger reports a driver’s surly or nasty behavior, the reports become more credible and substantial."

Honestly, if the author of the above article is of the notion that I (SAC-RT Driver) and my brother and sister driver's start out our day with the intention to provide as horrible an experience as possible for them, it seems he/she is skipping the medication. As with any large urban transit organization, hiccups happen. It's life. It's part of coping.

And, contrary to what some people think...when a passenger complains about a driver...they find us. RT is like the NSA.

I remember details, forget almost nothing, Guarantee Satisfaction & safely get you and your family to where they need to be everyday.

I'm an RT Driver

A little more on "Service Disruption"

2007-06-02T22:28:00.000-07:00

When I wrote about service disruptions as it relates to light rail, some of you may have tried to picture exactly what I was talking about (then again, maybe not).

I talked about what actually powers the train, which is an electricity collection device called a pantograph Essentially, the pantograph collects electrical current from overhead lines which makes the light rail go, more or less.

Here is a video of a pantograph catching something on the overhead lines and pretty much disintegrating. Rendering the train powerless, constituting a "Service Disruption"

Friday's Sign of the Times

2007-06-01T17:18:00.000-07:00

Service Disruption

2007-06-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

I'm sure many of you have been the lucky commuter on a light rail train or bus that has encountered some newfangled problem getting you from point A to point B. Whether it be a wheelchair lift stuck in the out and up position, or a door that wont close on the train we have all been affected in one way or another by a "Service Disruption".

Generally speaking, when something stops the wheels of a bus from moving the fix is relatively easy with instructions from a supervisor. In worst cases, when a bus absolutely refuses to crawl another inch it's not so bad since sending another bus is as easy as sending a driver out with a new bus. You may be a little late and irritated, but at least you will be on your way.....eventually.

When it comes to Light Rail, problems are a little more complicated to troubleshoot and sort out. Not only are we dealing with the Light Rail trains themselves but we also are dealing with overhead power lines, substations, track switches, signaling, and electricity. When problems arise, Light Rail supervisors crawl out of the ballast to offer help which is why the problems on the train are usually short lived short of a major incident.

Here are a few examples of minor situations that cause "Service Disruption"-
(considering my rookie status as a Light Rail driver)

When the wind blows too hard, the train loses connection to the overhead wire system that powers the system. When this happens, all kinds of systems need to be reset, checked and rechecked again by yours truly before the train will move again.

Same goes when the weather in Sacramento reaches upwards of 100 degrees. The wires that supply power to the train gain some slack caused by the heat, and in turn lose connection with the train at high speed.

And finally, teaching a Spanish engineer how to Speak German, and a German engineer how to speak Spanish.

At RT, I drive 2 types of Light Rail trains. The old school Siemens cars (German) and the new school CAF cars (Spanish).

When the German cars play strictly with the other German cars, all is good.

When the Spanish cars only boogie with the other Spanish cars life is great.

When you mix the two, most of the time all hell breaks loose. For some reason, they just don't know how to communicate with one another. It seems that they play nice for a few trips, and then one says something to the other and neither of them want to play anymore.

I'm not sure why RT insists on mixing the two, but as the weather gets warmer we can look forward to some good old fashioned German-Spanish culture immersion.

Crazy Light Rail Stories!

2007-05-31T18:53:00.000-07:00

I was cruising Youtube and ran across video of a guy who is a student at Sac State, uses the transit system in Sacramento and video blogs about his experiences. I thought it was funny....PRAISE JESUS!

Let us Discuss Downtown Portland

2007-05-30T21:16:00.000-07:00

Seems every article I read in the Bee or see on the TV about Sacramento Regional Transit mentions something about Portland, Oregon's Public Transportation and what steps they took to whitewash their downtown "common" areas, especially those areas centered around or adjacent to a public transit bus stop or train platform.

What a comparison!

So.....I did a half ass job of researching exactly what makes Sacramento just like Portland!

Lets compare populous-

Portland, Oregon= 545,140 source
Sacramento, California=454,330 source

Wow, that is a difference of only 90,810 people! Man, that's some trivial shit huh?

Now, just for a visual interpretation lets compare Portland's pedestrian mall to Sacramento's pedestrian mall.....

Portland, Oregon

Cathedral Square, Sacramento

You might be asking yourself what the difference is, besides the obvious.

Ray Kerridge is the difference.

Yeah, teh Ray Kerridge that was the Asst. City Manager in Portland who just happens to be the City Manager here in Sacramento. I truly feel that his method has a madness. That madness will make Downtown a better place to live rather than commute to.

RT Rider

2007-05-30T18:42:00.000-07:00

Please make sure you visit my blogger in arms John over at RT Rider

My inspiration to start a blog about being an RT Driver was influenced by John over at RT Rider

Thanks John

St. Rose of Lima Light Rail Station....Soon to be "Greyhound Light Rail Staion"

2007-05-30T01:33:00.000-07:00

Lets talk about spurring "Economic Growth" along the K Street Mall. Some genius burried somewhere along the long and narrow halls of Sacramento City Hall seems to think that moving the light rail station on K Street near St. Rose of Lima Park around the corner to 7th Street, closer to L Street will be the catalyst to Tiffany & Co. setting up shop on K Street.

For me, as a light rail driver this presents some challenges.

Where the current station is situated, I can look in my mirrors and see the entire length of the train stretching across 8th Street. Which also means that I can see if some wayward asshat pedestrian has decided to jump across the couplers because they are too impatient to wait out the 20 seconds that I block the intersection so they can get an ice cream cone at Rite Aid.

The new station location (heh, that rhymed) means that I am going to stop my train on a curve. Yes, a curve. Basically, all I can see is the first car and part of the second car. With a four car train I would not be able to see dick going on around the last 2 cars.

Sound safe?

Mmmm, not so much.

Here is the full text of which I opined on
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Do you feel safe riding the bus or light rail in Sacramento?

2007-05-29T22:26:00.000-07:00

If you feel unsafe, imagine how I feel. Knowing that I am responsible for the safety and well being of every passenger aboard my bus or train, I also am often just as afraid as most passengers are of what lurks in the public transit environment...but hey thats what I signed up for, right?

In the article below, you will gather an idea of how something left unabated becomes a very dangerous situation for all of those involved. I'm not comparing Sacramento RT to Detroit Public Transportation, but like I said things get out of hand fast.

This article from the Detroit Free Press
paints the picture of what happens when things get out of hand.

May 24, 2007

BY MARISOL BELLO and SUZETTE HACKNEY

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS

"The return of 850 City of Detroit bus drivers after Wednesday's walkout is contingent on an understanding that the Detroit City Council will vote today on a $12-million federal grant to allow Wayne County sheriff's deputies to patrol city buses.

But a council vote is not certain.

"It's a strong possibility, but I would definitely stop short of saying it's a guarantee," said Council President Kenneth Cockrel Jr.

Detroit Public Schools officials said they will run school buses on 33 bus lines for those students who normally ride Detroit Department of Transportation buses, should the walkout continue today.

The drivers, saying they were frustrated that the city had not policed the buses for almost two years, walked off the job at 3 a.m. Wednesday, they say, to send a message to the council, which two weeks ago voted down the grant.

"We're going back to work, but somebody's got to wake up," said Desi Smith, a driver for 19 years. "We were alerting the city before it's too late.

"If they don't decide, we're not driving," said Smith, who two months ago had a gun pulled on her by a motorist in a road rage incident.

One day without the buses was enough for riders who spent the day walking, trying unsuccessfully to flag down SMART buses, calling friends and relatives for rides or piling into taxis. Officials with SMART, the bus system that runs primarily in the suburbs, said they don't offer local service along the routes they run in Detroit.

Eric Young, 18, stood at a bus stop at Gratiot near State Fair, oblivious to the fact that no public transportation was coming to pick him up. The east-side resident said he caught a snippet on television about the work stoppage before leaving home but was rushing and didn't hear the details.

He catches a DDOT bus and transfers to a SMART bus daily to attend an adult education school in Clinton Township. By 9:30 a.m., he conceded that he wasn't going to make it to class Wednesday.

"I'm pretty sure they had a right to protest, especially if it's for their safety," Young said.

"I'm not angry; I just wish I would have known about it."

Drivers complain that the council has been debating the issue with little progress for five months and in the meantime, they say their colleagues are getting relentlessly attacked. They said two drivers were beaten on their routes in the last two days.

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's administration spent the day scrambling to get the drivers back on the buses and convince enough council members to vote for the contract.

Deputy Mayor Anthony Adams, who is in charge of city business while the mayor continues a vacation with his wife, announced a deal early in the day that would have had drivers return to work in exchange for a temporary 24-hour patrol on the buses by the sheriff's deputies.

But when the Office of Wayne County Sheriff Warren Evans issued a statement saying it wouldn't send deputies without the council's approval, the administration had to keep negotiating.

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 26 President Henry Gaffney said his members would return to work today.

"Our intent is never to hurt the public," Gaffney said. "But at what point is enough, enough?"

Councilwoman Monica Conyers is expected to be the swing vote. She voted against the contract the first time, even though she publicly maintained she supported it.

On Wednesday, she again reiterated her support, though she said she would not be intimidated by the union's actions."