Operator Exonerated, Hooray!

Can you see an operator in the seat here, without zooming in?
If so, your vision is better than my corrected 20/20.

Deke's Note: Fair is fair. In my book, I pledged to continue working with our management in hopes we could forge a positive relationship. This post is dedicated to the notion that good can happen when the facts are honored.

Some time back, a young operator I've become very fond of was unjustly accused of having a cell phone in his hand as he drove a bus. This complaint came from someone high in management, new to our transit agency. I was furious as I listened to the operator explain to me he did not, in fact, have a cell phone in hand as he drove bus.

"Are they fucking crazy?" he exclaimed. "We were taught from Day One not to do that. What, just because I'm a 20-something kid in their eyes, I automatically have to have a phone in my hand even when I'm driving a 20-ton machine?"

He was frantic. A very dedicated, serious and intelligent guy, he feared for his job. What he had in his hand was actually a route description, since he hadn't driven a Line 15 that included a difficult U-turn in the middle of a narrow street. He didn't want to miss a critical point, and was periodically checking the directions as he drove. We've all done this, in fear we would end up in a place that's very difficult to get out of without assistance.

The "management" guy supposedly "was positive" as a pedestrian of our lad's holding a cell phone, even though he witnessed the driver from across a street, through a windshield that's very difficult to see through from the outside. It was an obvious lie... nobody can see that well; and I know this operator well enough to be assured of his honesty.

He appealed the case, after he was suspended for five days; on the simple word of a pedestrian with supposedly super-human vision, across a busy street. Upon further investigation, onboard video could not support the claim our operator had a phone in his hand. His appeal was successful, and his suspension was overturned.

In all fairness, I must applaud management's decision to exonerate the operator. We're often subject to false accusations without a fair assessment of the facts. Many blatant lies are called in as complaints, and remain on our records, often resulting in harsh and unjust discipline. The SIP (Service Improvement Program) is the punishment we receive performing under extremely difficult circumstances while dealing with outrageously-ridiculous passengers. They make stuff up on a daily basis, just to show us "who's boss." We tell them to obey transit rules, they retaliate by calling Customer Service and completely fabricating a situation, conveniently leaving out their own faults or misdeeds. Unfortunately, management tends to side with the passenger. If we weren't honest, we wouldn't have passed their silly personality profiles in the hiring process. It's a program that often leaves us feeling as if we're automatically guilty, and our own evidence is disregarded.

Passengers are often incredulous when I explain they can also call in compliments and commendations to the same line on which complaints are lodged. Management simply fails to inform the public of this. By simple wording, commendations are not encouraged. People are quick to criticize, slow to commend. It's sadly just human nature.

In this case, management came through for our young brother. It saw there was no evidence to convict, and exonerated him. I applaud this action. It gives me hope that it is possible to win even when someone in management is the false accuser. Hopefully this transit newbie manager learns a lesson here: we are the professionals, and management should be working with us, rather than against us.

Here's hoping this silly SIP process gets a much-needed makeover, because it's pretty ugly as is. Our management should do more to support us instead of vilifying us for silly and unjustified shenanigans. We know how to do our jobs, and expect to be supported. In this case, justice prevailed. Thanks, management.