THATS RIDICULOUS, by jeff rose

This is what dawned on me tonight:

I've noted before that overall communications at Trimet is pretty sub-par. For
instance, we
might hear about a policy that is going to take effect somewhat in advance- but
we never
hear about it when it is initially being discussed. I have experienced this
outside of work to
with stuff relating to my neighborhood. So what dawned on me is that I know
more about my
work from what I read in the newspapers than I do from actual communications
from
management. How much have you all read in papers, or heard on the news- and
maybe on
various blogs about our current security issue? How much have you heard about
it through
communications at work??!! If I had a passenger who had obviously been reading
the papers
and asked me anything about what we are going to do to address our problem- I'd
have to
tell them that they probably know just as much as me. That's ridiculous.

Jeff

We need a daily briefing, by jeff rose

First of all, Merry Christmas!!

Now that that's out of the way, I have a little story from the
weekend that highlights Trimet's biggest problem- communication.

Last week I received an email alert (one intended for the public
that I signed up for) that said that from 7 am Friday through the
end of service on Monday (I think) busses would not be going into
the parking lot at Clackamas Town Center. I think it was either on
Tuesday or Wednesday that I got the email. Any of the busses that
serve the Town Center (28,29,31,71,72,all the 150's that go there
etc) would pick up and drop off people around 85th and Monterey.
OK, great!

When I started asking people around the Powell garage- nobody had
heard ANYTHING about this. On thursday, the night before, the
station agent was stuffing notices into the pouches when I was
passing through on my way home and I asked her if they were for the
Town Center changes. Yes, they were. I asked here when SHE had
first heard about the temporary change- She said "less than an hour
ago."

On Friday I didn't go anywhere near the town center- I was doing the
15. I had the weekend off- but on Monday I was doing 72 in the
morning. I checked the pouch after I left the garage- no notice.
In the garage before I left- no notice about the change posted
ANYWHERE. After doing an off-line trip on the westside, I
deadheaded to Swan Island and fortunately I got there before my
leader left and he explained exactly what was going on at
Clackamas. Had I not signed up for public email alerts and had I
not been talking to people about this change- I would have probably
arrived at Clackamas Town Center completely unaware of what was
going on. The best official clue would have been a BDS Message that
read:

"*Clack TC d'heading buses: please do NOT use the BACK entrance to
Clack TC from Sunnyside exit off I-205 use the CENTER lane exit, R-
Sunnyside, R-82, R-Monterey to Temp layover"

?

OK, what does this tell me? If I am clueless about what's going on
I'm going to think that there is an accident or something blocking
the normal "back door" entrance to the town center.

So in any case, what's wrong with posting a notice about the changes
a week before they happen so that operators know what the hell is
going on? Maybe we could actually tell all the passengers that
ride around the Clackamas area a couple days before it happens!!
Also, it would greatly cut down on our stress level if we are
adequately prepared for this kind of thing.

What could we do to set up a system of communications that will
allow operators greater access to this and other kinds of
information that will help us be better prepared in the future?

I would like a daily briefing of some sort posted somewhere in the
garage that gives us the heads up on a variety of things that are
going on around the company. Little snippets with contact
information for the person that we sould have to get in touch with
to learn more- or where to find more info on Trinet!!! In any case,
I'm tired of being out of the loop.

Jeff

listen to me, by jeff rose

Fred's speech to the City Club appears to be a pretty comprehensive plan of
attack- but
it's missing one thing. Howabout improving communication with your troops on
the
ground!!

The "Enhanced Safety and Security Plan" suggests taking these steps:

1. Increase police presence and officers

2. Increase fare inspection

3. Improve maintenance of Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs)

4. Expand the Code of Conduct

5. Improve station areas

6. Reevaluate Fareless Square

7. Establish partnership with Victory Outreach Community Services, Inc.

I propose adding:

8. Improving communications with operators: operators are the organizations
eyes and
ears out on the street. Although they don't see everything that goes on, they
often times
observe the early behaviors that later result in crimes being committed both on
Trimet
properties and in the areas surrounding them. Operators should feel that when
they
observe behavior that is in violation of Trimet code, they can easily reach a
dispatcher and
that the dispatcher will either notify a nearby supervisor, Wackenhut security,
or the police
depending on the situation. In order to improve communications with operators
we
should have at least one more dispatcher on duty at all times, and should place
an
emphasis on being able to communicate safety and security issues quickly when
the BDS
and VCHs are redesigned.

This should actually be number 1, if you ask me.

Jeff

wrong daycodes by Mark Tiedemann"

Hehehe speaking of wrong daycodes, That reminds me of a time I got
stranded once because the bus I transfered from (#6) the operator gave me
a transfer with the wrong daycode on it. I 30 minutes for my next bus to
come, (Forget which line it was, 96 I think). I show my transfer to the
operator, and he says, That's not valid, it's not the correct daycode, he
then shows me his transfers with the correct daycodes on it. I was
telling him how I just got off the #6 line and was handed this transfer
(the times all match up) but he told me that I can't ride because it's not
a valid transfer and I would have to pay the $2.00 if I wanted to ride his
bus. I had no money left as I spent my last $2.00 20 minutes ago on the
#6 bus, so I was refused a ride, and ended up haing to call someone to
come pick me up downtown and take me to work, (which I ended up being late
because of all of this).

The operator did tell me that it was my fault that I didn't ask the
operator for another transfer. Now my question is, how am I supposed to
know as a customer which daycode is being used that day? If an operator
hands me a transfer I'm going to assume all the information is correct on
it, it shouldn't be my job to ask him, now do you have the right daycode
punched?

Anyways, sorry to vent, but that just brougt up some memories.
Now I know I do vent alot, but I have had some great expierences riding
TriMet, (mainly on the west side) and I know there are great people who
work for the company, but sadly it's the small few that kind of ruin it
for everyone else.

i'd rather be safe, by steve james

Wow. I thought two drivers might get into it over a new button
someone was talking about. It said "I'd rather be safe than on time."

But what I really called about was the cost of increased security on
the buses and trains and at transit centers. It seems there's never
enough money. Well, I was talking to a passenger, and he had an idea.
To offset the cost of increased security, he said, why not have
gambling on the buses, trains, and transit centers. It would generate
lots of money, and a portion of it could be used to pay for increased
security; armed guards, police dogs, etc, etc.

On the other hand, drivers could be taught jui jitsu, a safe,
nonlethal tool to use on troublemakers. Better than stun guns which a
determined troublemaker could get away from the driver and use on
the driver and other customers.

I was talking to another driver and he said drivers who don't enforce
the rules make it harder for those who do.

Just trying to sort it all out.

Be safe.

fare evasion by jeff rose and al margul

Did I ever tell you the story of this one guy who used to get on at
15th and Alberta?

Well this guy WOULD ZOOM RIGHT PAST ME! No look, no transfer, no
nothing, JUST ZOOOOOM! He's gone to the back of the bus.

Y'all know my philosophy on this matter, WHO CARES, I sure as hell don't.

It went on day after day, same thing, ZOOOM, right on by me.

Finally, after a couple of weeks of this, I FINALLY GOT UP OUT OF MY
SEAT, WENT TO THE BACK OF THE BUS, AND ASKED THE GUY:

"do you have a transfer or something"

He said: "isnt this fare less square" {this is not a fabrication)

I started laughing, of course its not.

The guy went directly out the back door and I never saw him again.

TRUE STORY!

`````````````````````````````
--- In trimetoperators@yahoogroups.com, "Jeffrey Rose"
wrote:
>
> Since my "what would you do" post isn't getting the play I hoped it
would (there the hell is
> everyone?!!) I'll just get to the point. I was thinking about how
it is usually the riders that
> evade fares that end up being the most trouble on the bus (and, one
would have to
> assume on the lightrail as well)- we should change the way we deal
with fare evaders
> WITHOUT increasing the risk to operators. How to do this? There
are a number of things
> that ought to perhaps change.
>
> There are more than one kind of fare evader- perhaps the least of
anyone's worry would
> be the ones who get on in fareless square and hide in the back of
the bus hoping the
> driver won't notice. They are quiet because they are trying to
avoid detection. If operators
> even notice them, the usual response from an operator is simply to
punch the fare evasion
> outmessage and that's it- eventually there will be a fare inspection
and eventually, you
> would think, this person's going to get ticketed.... maybe.
>
> Another kind of fare evader is the type that I mentioned that says
things like "you don't
> need to see my ticket MF'er" and whatnot. Another might get in your
face when you ask
> for a second look when they flash their transfer by you and .....
well- this is more than
> just a simple fare evasion. I think it deserves another outmessage
that could be perhaps
> called "aggressive fare avoidance" or something like that. It
should also prompt a different
> response. Fare evasions sent in are simply counted and compiled- a
potential "AGA"
> message should result in any fare inspection units in the area to
intercept your bus, and if
> there isn't one available should direct the transit police or
regular police to your bus to
> remove and cite the individual for both evading the fare, AND for-
what would it be,
> menacing? Whatever.
>
> As soon as a passenger either refuses to present a fare to an
operator when asked, or
> refers to them as "MF'er" or SOB or whatever- that person should be
IMMEDIATELY
> removed from the system. How it should be played out is this:
>
> The operator POLITELY asks passenger to show their fare. Passenger
refuses and says
> something like "I already showed you, you dumb SOB- screw you!"
Operator says "OK"!!
> Passenger sits down and perhaps (this is my experience) starts
cussing up a storm in the
> back of the bus. Operator presses FARE- AGA into the BDS. A mile
down the road the
> police pulls over the bus. Officer gets on, operator explains what
happened, passenger
> gets yanked off bus, gets put into police car and the operator gives
a little speech to the
> remaining passengers explaining why the individual got yanked and
hands out courtesy
> cards.
>
> What gets learned? Menace the busdriver and you AREN'T going to
have a good laugh
> about it, and you AREN'T making to where you THINK you're going.
You AREN'T going to
> have a good night. When you get on a bus, you show your fare so
that the operator can
> read it and if he or she asks you to see it again- you smile, nod
and show it again. Call
> the operator MF'er, or try to intimidate them in any way- you're
going to get yanked more
> often than not!
>
> What would this means for the remaining 99% of the riders? A
system where THEY aren't
> menaced by these people either. It gives the operator much more
control over their bus
> without placing them in harms way, and makes the system far more
comfortable for the
> 99% to ride who will also feel much safer and they WILL be much
safer. Of the 1% that are
> the trouble, a few will get yanked off and the others will quickly
learn- cause trouble on
> Trimet and it'll come back on ME!!!
>
> Jeff

enforcing it by farelessfareevasion

I have risen and broken my long silence! (yeah, go back to sleep!
lol)
Al, someday I need to grow up & be just like you! he he! Sounds
like I could get on your bus with an old movie ticket and it wouldn't
matter. just teasin big guy. My "policy" is somewhere between Al's,
Luci's & Jeff's. If the end of the month rolls into a weekend, I
give them through the end of Monday night or Tuesday. If it is
during the work week, to avoid argument (and Al's beer bottle), I
also give em a couple of days.

After about the 2nd, maybe the 3rd (depending on my mood), then I
start "enforcing" it (which amounts to telling them about it). If
they persist (which about 60% do) about not having it yet cause mommy
hasn't been paid yet, I let them rise, but don't offer transfers. I
have heard several drivers confiscate the old passes, give them a day
ticket in return, and this "forces" acttion. I also was lead to
believe that passes were still the property of TriMet, but transfers,
once given to the customer, are theirs, and cannot be confiscated. I
get a little more pushier now about alowing the next month's passes
before the month starts..I used to allow it more, figuring that if
they had a pass, they probably has last month's too..

And those STUPID white machine tickets? If it looks even remotely
close to a white Trimet ticket, it's valid to me..last years? so
what. Didn't issue me a magnifying glass with a hole punch. I don't
have the time to screw with those! Dumbest design I've ever seen.
Fred (or his designated representative-he he) needs to be on the bus
to stand by the farebox and personally inspect each one of these for
authenticity and correct time. You could take one just printed and
one that just came out of the washing machine and they would be
identical!

I really understand Al's point of not wanting to be assaulted over a
stupid fare, BUT I also REALLY see Jeff's point(s): I used to drive
for a transit system that really frowned big time on fare evasion. A
nickel here & there ok, but no fare or 27cents- later! It's been
very hard to readapt myself to let these jokers get away with this
crap when you have other hard working people sitting behind them who
paid the fare, some of them scarping it together, to have them watch
me let this idiot ride cause he's is scamming the system--AGAIN. And
like alot of you, I am of the frame of mind that if you really
are "down on your luck" or need a ride and you ask me BEFORE you try
to scam me, you have a 90% chance of getting on with no problems and
I will probably even give you a transfer (hell, with some, I've even
issued day passes). BUT, if you try to scam me FIRST, then you want
me to let you ride AFTER you have been caught trying to screw with my
intelligence..

You folks have a great day...I've been reading daily (some really
good posts guys, don't lose the passion...) but have been quiet for
far too long. Gotta get active again. Remember, rubber side down
and keep 'er betwen the little white lines!