Badge 0202

Deke's Note: As promised, I've invited a few of our brothers and sisters to write guest posts on FromTheDriverSide during my hiatus. The first response was from Badge 0202, and after a few weeks working with this operator, I'm very impressed with his initial foray into bloggery.



Attack on

the Jerry Springer Express


by Badge 0202




THE ASSAULTS 

They've come home...

A few weeks back I was threatened with physical harm over a simple misunderstanding. I have had my hat knocked off my head while driving, been screamed at directly into my ear, called every racist name in the book and then some, and told I would be killed numerous times. What happens? The people are off at the next stop and you're in the wrong and left to pick up the shattered pieces. 

Recently a training classmate and dear friend was sexually assaulted. She was running a rough route late at night. Her assailant had been kicked off a bus previously by a Road Supervisor. As he was leaving the bus he ran his hands along her inner thigh. Where the whole story gets messy is here. This rider had been kicked off the bus, just two buses ahead for whatever reason. There was no heads up about this guy. No message over the CAD. Just silence. Our sister had no warning a possible assailant awaited her bus. It makes for a dangerous situation and an environment ripe for these type of assaults to happen.

Management will throw us under the bus any chance they can, they got a whole fleet of them too. Just wait your turn, it'll come. This agency has the local media on lockdown. This transit agency is deathly afraid of bad publicity. Management's No-Fare-Free-Ride policy, coupled with Oregon having the least mental health services in the country for two straight years, is putting its public service workers in great danger.

Two people were killed and one grievously injured two years ago on the MAX. A working Joe asks a few kids to turn down their music on the MAX. What do they do? They beat the hell out of him and break his jaw in front of his family.



THE UNION

Our union should be our greatest defender, and the public's as well! They're here to stand up to TriMet, to be our voice. We're left wondering: where are our leaders? It feels like their only interest is themselves.

I became a shop steward because I want to help my fellow brothers and sisters, and to be a strong voice on their behalf. I love helping my fellow operators. The Top Three Executive Board members need to go. They don't stand up for us. They continually dictate policy on bloated ridership numbers.

I'm tired of us being punching bags. I'm sick of my brothers and sisters being put in dangerous and hostile situations. I'm not afraid of authority. Actually, I despise it! You know that saying: "You gotta respect authority." B.S. Authority needs to earn my respect.



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