I was doing a 4 today and pulled into the last Z stop at Ankeny and there was a
54
with its 4-ways on. According to the SOP I'm supposed to wait until it leaves
and
then pull up to the first position- no exceptions. After about 60 seconds, I
could see
that there was nobody at the stop so I broke the rule and pulled up next to the
54.
No driver. Stupid.
Hope you're all having a nice night!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Hilton restroom ? by c parker
According to my route description, we have a restroom at the Hilton on 6th ave. we can use. For a while I was using their nice clean restroom on the second floor, which is much nicer than the one at McDonalds. The one at the Hilton is now often locked and requires a hotel guest card to open it. The front desk is often busy with hotel guests. Does anyone here know of another Hilton restroom to use that doesn't require a guest card ?
worth repeating by daycode
Nicely put together, "b." All the nattering about
light rail and streetcar and funding and blah blah
blah in the papers.... and nothing about the working
folk who get ripped off by bad machines and a worse
service ethic.
I need to take another look at that pamphlet, "How To
Ride the Bus." Is it all about making things
convenient for TriMet (how to be a good little rider),
or is it also about how to make the best use of the
system?
For instance, how many people are aware that you can
buy passes at the grocery stores? Many times I've told
this to folks who I'd figure would know this, but
don't. Are stores still selling half-price passes
after the 15th of the month?
Transit Tracker has been in place for over a year, and
it's only now showing up in the chat columns of the
paper - like "wow, it really works!" What has TriMet
done to promote this on the local TV news?
Who in Corporate is reaching out to Spanish language
radio and TV stations with helpful information like
this? We could be doing so much more to make this
easier for passengers (and thus for operators), but
all we get are the "sexy" news about accidents and
altercations. (And of course the obligatory
chaining-up scenes every time it snows. [yawn] )
Granted, there will always be those clueless
passengers among us. I had more than my share on the
road today. [sigh] But there are plenty of other
riders who are smart and savvy enough to make use of
information that's *provided* through appropriate
channels.
Not everyone reads pamphlets. Hell, *I* don't read
'em. But I turn on the car radio, and I watch the
stupid local 10 o'clock news for bedtime
entertainment. Let's get this stuff out there where
people are looking and listening!
light rail and streetcar and funding and blah blah
blah in the papers.... and nothing about the working
folk who get ripped off by bad machines and a worse
service ethic.
I need to take another look at that pamphlet, "How To
Ride the Bus." Is it all about making things
convenient for TriMet (how to be a good little rider),
or is it also about how to make the best use of the
system?
For instance, how many people are aware that you can
buy passes at the grocery stores? Many times I've told
this to folks who I'd figure would know this, but
don't. Are stores still selling half-price passes
after the 15th of the month?
Transit Tracker has been in place for over a year, and
it's only now showing up in the chat columns of the
paper - like "wow, it really works!" What has TriMet
done to promote this on the local TV news?
Who in Corporate is reaching out to Spanish language
radio and TV stations with helpful information like
this? We could be doing so much more to make this
easier for passengers (and thus for operators), but
all we get are the "sexy" news about accidents and
altercations. (And of course the obligatory
chaining-up scenes every time it snows. [yawn] )
Granted, there will always be those clueless
passengers among us. I had more than my share on the
road today. [sigh] But there are plenty of other
riders who are smart and savvy enough to make use of
information that's *provided* through appropriate
channels.
Not everyone reads pamphlets. Hell, *I* don't read
'em. But I turn on the car radio, and I watch the
stupid local 10 o'clock news for bedtime
entertainment. Let's get this stuff out there where
people are looking and listening!
COMPANY OF THIEVES! by b carlson
He's the nicest guy. He rides my bus daily, always smiling, always
happy, and always friendly. Originally from the Yucatan, you can just
see the Inca in him. He works at a Chinese restaurant washing dishes,
for minimum wage and a box of food he takes home with him each night.
Today he told me that on Saturday he fed the max ticket machine $65
for a monthly pass, and got back nothing!
NO TICKET, NO MONEY BACK! NOTHING!
Now he is not only out the $65, but he is faced with having to buy a
bus ticket every day! It's a huge blow to him. But he is still
smiling! He doesn't even understand how to attempt to get his money
back!
Why do I feel so badly? Why do I feel partly responsible? Does it
have to do with the realization that I am making such a good hourly
wage while he struggles to survive? Does it have to do with the fact
I work for a company that touts customer service while all the while
customer service is the farthest thing from the company's reality?
Does it have to do with the fact that MY COMPANY, the company whose
insignia I wear on my hat and shirt, has just stolen the money from a
poor man while I sit pretty in my driver's seat?
What should I do? Why do I feel like GOD is watching me right now?
Hell its not may fault!
I take out my wallet and give him some of my money, what else can I
do? The "company" isn't going to help this man, therefore I must!
This is the second time in six months that this has happened to one
of my working poor passengers. The last person this happened to was a
very fine young lady who cleans up crap from the developmentally
disabled! It took her more than a month to get her money back from
TRIMET, and several phone calls! This poor Mexican man won't be able
to handle the TRIMET bureaucracy!
THESE TICKET MACHINES ARE A DISGRACE! The fact that TRIMET won't do
anything about it shows the true face of TRIMET, and it aint pretty!
1) Stop focusing on bureaucratic hires, and hire a couple more shirts
to go out there and do proper maintenance/repair on all these damn
machines.
2) Give the communications/marketing bureaucrats a helpful assignment:
Compose and print a card, printed in lots of languages, saying "If you
deposited money for a fare and did not receive it, please call
xxx-xxx-xxxx (a special set-aside number, *not* 238-RIDE) to report
the problem." Place these cards in a hopper attached to the vending
machines, and keep a few in the buses and/or operator's pouches.
When the ripped-off person calls the special number set aside for this
problem (again, *not* 238-RIDE so they don't have to listen to a
confusing menu but can go straight to the problem), a recording on
that number will tell the caller to press buttons 1 through X for
various languages, and will guide them to give their contact
information for a refund.
3) Give the communications bureaucrat a direct tie-in to PSU language
labs to get help with caller translations if needed, so these poor
folks can actually get some service.
It just galls me how the subsidized employees with their purple
stickers can take full advantage of public transportation, and the
recovering drug addicts can flash their honored citizen cards -- while
the subclass of immigrants and hand-to-mouth minimum wage workers who
need to use TriMet are left to fend for themselves. It's shameful.
happy, and always friendly. Originally from the Yucatan, you can just
see the Inca in him. He works at a Chinese restaurant washing dishes,
for minimum wage and a box of food he takes home with him each night.
Today he told me that on Saturday he fed the max ticket machine $65
for a monthly pass, and got back nothing!
NO TICKET, NO MONEY BACK! NOTHING!
Now he is not only out the $65, but he is faced with having to buy a
bus ticket every day! It's a huge blow to him. But he is still
smiling! He doesn't even understand how to attempt to get his money
back!
Why do I feel so badly? Why do I feel partly responsible? Does it
have to do with the realization that I am making such a good hourly
wage while he struggles to survive? Does it have to do with the fact
I work for a company that touts customer service while all the while
customer service is the farthest thing from the company's reality?
Does it have to do with the fact that MY COMPANY, the company whose
insignia I wear on my hat and shirt, has just stolen the money from a
poor man while I sit pretty in my driver's seat?
What should I do? Why do I feel like GOD is watching me right now?
Hell its not may fault!
I take out my wallet and give him some of my money, what else can I
do? The "company" isn't going to help this man, therefore I must!
This is the second time in six months that this has happened to one
of my working poor passengers. The last person this happened to was a
very fine young lady who cleans up crap from the developmentally
disabled! It took her more than a month to get her money back from
TRIMET, and several phone calls! This poor Mexican man won't be able
to handle the TRIMET bureaucracy!
THESE TICKET MACHINES ARE A DISGRACE! The fact that TRIMET won't do
anything about it shows the true face of TRIMET, and it aint pretty!
1) Stop focusing on bureaucratic hires, and hire a couple more shirts
to go out there and do proper maintenance/repair on all these damn
machines.
2) Give the communications/marketing bureaucrats a helpful assignment:
Compose and print a card, printed in lots of languages, saying "If you
deposited money for a fare and did not receive it, please call
xxx-xxx-xxxx (a special set-aside number, *not* 238-RIDE) to report
the problem." Place these cards in a hopper attached to the vending
machines, and keep a few in the buses and/or operator's pouches.
When the ripped-off person calls the special number set aside for this
problem (again, *not* 238-RIDE so they don't have to listen to a
confusing menu but can go straight to the problem), a recording on
that number will tell the caller to press buttons 1 through X for
various languages, and will guide them to give their contact
information for a refund.
3) Give the communications bureaucrat a direct tie-in to PSU language
labs to get help with caller translations if needed, so these poor
folks can actually get some service.
It just galls me how the subsidized employees with their purple
stickers can take full advantage of public transportation, and the
recovering drug addicts can flash their honored citizen cards -- while
the subclass of immigrants and hand-to-mouth minimum wage workers who
need to use TriMet are left to fend for themselves. It's shameful.
Oh yeah, TVM II by jeff rose
I talked to a lightrail operator over at the Beaverton Transit Center tonight
and he told me
that they don't even call in and inform the control center when TVMs aren't
functioning- as I
said before- you can see the light flashing on the TVM from the train when they
aren't
working (especially at night). "They know they aren't working," is what he told
me! It sounds
like the root of the problem is inadequate staffing in the ol' maintenence
department, and a
general lack of concern in regard to the whole TVM problem. Jeez. I wonder why
we don't
have enough money to add a minute or two to some of these routes.
and he told me
that they don't even call in and inform the control center when TVMs aren't
functioning- as I
said before- you can see the light flashing on the TVM from the train when they
aren't
working (especially at night). "They know they aren't working," is what he told
me! It sounds
like the root of the problem is inadequate staffing in the ol' maintenence
department, and a
general lack of concern in regard to the whole TVM problem. Jeez. I wonder why
we don't
have enough money to add a minute or two to some of these routes.
new yellow card by jeff rose
Actually, I think this card is a HUGE step in the right direction.
Unfortunately- if I
understand correctly- this card is really only intended for use in connection
with the
manditory class. I don't think it is replacing the current yellow card. In any
case, if it were
to replace the big yellow card, I think there should be a place at the top for a
name and/or
department. You'd simply turn the card into the station agent and the station
agent would
have the responsibilty of routing it the the department head or individual that
would be
most appropriate place/person to respond to the suggestion or concern. I'd
prefer a card
that I write up on schedules to go to Bill Coffel for instance, not the director
or operations
really. And I want a response.
Another thing that I'd do is publish a monthly report that would include all
suggestions
(and the name and badge of the person making the suggestion) and the responses
that
have been made to them.
Unfortunately- if I
understand correctly- this card is really only intended for use in connection
with the
manditory class. I don't think it is replacing the current yellow card. In any
case, if it were
to replace the big yellow card, I think there should be a place at the top for a
name and/or
department. You'd simply turn the card into the station agent and the station
agent would
have the responsibilty of routing it the the department head or individual that
would be
most appropriate place/person to respond to the suggestion or concern. I'd
prefer a card
that I write up on schedules to go to Bill Coffel for instance, not the director
or operations
really. And I want a response.
Another thing that I'd do is publish a monthly report that would include all
suggestions
(and the name and badge of the person making the suggestion) and the responses
that
have been made to them.
new yellow card by l mishey
I have been asked again to represent another operator in reagards to the
link below, another yellow card. This new yellow card represents exactly
what is wrong with this agency. The card goes to nobody, no name, just
"the executive and senior staff". The words executive and senior staff
don't impress this particular operator and he requests that the
management scrap this card and put down the name of the exact executive
and/or senior staff that this card will go to and who will personally
handle the response. Otherwise this operator will file this card with
all the other cards, in the round file. The operator requests anonymity.
( I am begining to feel like a lawyer)
http://autos.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/trimetoperators/photos/view/161c?\
b=9
link below, another yellow card. This new yellow card represents exactly
what is wrong with this agency. The card goes to nobody, no name, just
"the executive and senior staff". The words executive and senior staff
don't impress this particular operator and he requests that the
management scrap this card and put down the name of the exact executive
and/or senior staff that this card will go to and who will personally
handle the response. Otherwise this operator will file this card with
all the other cards, in the round file. The operator requests anonymity.
( I am begining to feel like a lawyer)
http://autos.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/trimetoperators/photos/view/161c?\
b=9
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