Y'all are reading it, but maybe I'm not selling it right. My last post dealt with the new fare system, and how I've noticed those who use it aren't as polite. I don't think I was "immature," or "rude," for the butt reference. I simply used it in describing what I've noticed to be a growing trend.
Am I "passive aggressive?" Perhaps occasionally, but we're trained to be, in a sense. Otherwise, we'd never get our bus back into traffic after servicing a stop. Our jobs are deeper than just driving, and anyone who disagrees is only fooling themselves.
Truthfully, as long as folks behave on my bus, then I usually accept their absence of manners. I have noticed however, a growing sense of our not needing to exert authority. Operators have their own style of doing things. But we are Captains of the Ship, no matter who owns the vehicle we drive. I don't use this term because I'm some transit bully, but we have to display some authority on the job or things can turn south on us really fast. Unfortunately, our management doesn't support us and has some misguided notion that passengers are "customers." This is a dangerous trend, when those we transport are protected by our bosses, but we're not.
I was interested in the comments of my fellow operators on Facebook, some I consider my good friends. Sure, I can take criticism and actually appreciate it. It helps me grow, and I'm fascinated by human nature. Unless you comment, it's impossible for me to understand your view. There's no such thing as always being right. I'm simply one individual, describing what I see and feel. I can't please everyone nor do I expect you to agree with everything I write. Thank you for reading and feeling free to air your disagreement though.
It's a tough job, and the longer you do it, the harder you have to work to keep a positive attitude. Rude people have always annoyed me, but I realize there will be someone who irks me from time to time. It's human nature, and we deal with a wide range of people. If you say that of the 600-800 people you see daily, none of them pisses you off, that's a bit strange to me. A form of denial, in a way. If someone annoys me, I don't always tell them. It's wiser not to acknowledge negative behavior. I have pleasant interactions with 95% of those who board my bus. It's enjoyable to me to interact with the public. But once in a while, I'm gonna slip and (oh dear, throw me in front of a firing squad for my fallibility as a human) mutter my displeasure. Oh well.
Tom Petty was much more poetic than I in his (immature?) description of not allowing the actions of others to rule your day. He sang "Don't sweat the petty stuff, pet the sweaty stuff." It's pretty good advice I try to follow.
Peace out and safe travels, brothers and sisters.
Am I "passive aggressive?" Perhaps occasionally, but we're trained to be, in a sense. Otherwise, we'd never get our bus back into traffic after servicing a stop. Our jobs are deeper than just driving, and anyone who disagrees is only fooling themselves.
Truthfully, as long as folks behave on my bus, then I usually accept their absence of manners. I have noticed however, a growing sense of our not needing to exert authority. Operators have their own style of doing things. But we are Captains of the Ship, no matter who owns the vehicle we drive. I don't use this term because I'm some transit bully, but we have to display some authority on the job or things can turn south on us really fast. Unfortunately, our management doesn't support us and has some misguided notion that passengers are "customers." This is a dangerous trend, when those we transport are protected by our bosses, but we're not.
I was interested in the comments of my fellow operators on Facebook, some I consider my good friends. Sure, I can take criticism and actually appreciate it. It helps me grow, and I'm fascinated by human nature. Unless you comment, it's impossible for me to understand your view. There's no such thing as always being right. I'm simply one individual, describing what I see and feel. I can't please everyone nor do I expect you to agree with everything I write. Thank you for reading and feeling free to air your disagreement though.
It's a tough job, and the longer you do it, the harder you have to work to keep a positive attitude. Rude people have always annoyed me, but I realize there will be someone who irks me from time to time. It's human nature, and we deal with a wide range of people. If you say that of the 600-800 people you see daily, none of them pisses you off, that's a bit strange to me. A form of denial, in a way. If someone annoys me, I don't always tell them. It's wiser not to acknowledge negative behavior. I have pleasant interactions with 95% of those who board my bus. It's enjoyable to me to interact with the public. But once in a while, I'm gonna slip and (oh dear, throw me in front of a firing squad for my fallibility as a human) mutter my displeasure. Oh well.
Tom Petty was much more poetic than I in his (immature?) description of not allowing the actions of others to rule your day. He sang "Don't sweat the petty stuff, pet the sweaty stuff." It's pretty good advice I try to follow.
Peace out and safe travels, brothers and sisters.
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