My Corona Plea for Unity

My bus rolls through downtown to pick up the photographer
who kindly provided this shot. Thanks, Dean Turner!

Deke's Note: Why do I wear a mask? Mine are cool. My Beloved has crafted me several as has my friend Ahna. Still, they're on my face for one reason: I care about those I serve. The mask may not protect me, but perhaps it will protect them from me. 

I drive a city bus. Instead of shutting down bus service, our transit agency decided to keep us driving throughout the most dangerous of times we've known. Our safety is of little importance. They hire 20-50 people every month with replacement of veterans in mind. We're only expected to "serve" eight years or so, before management's restrictive and intensely-ridiculous edicts drive us screaming from the job. They pound down our benefits and contractual agreements with apparent glee. Our collective suffering falls on hardened, deaf ears. Even our "Bored of Directors (sic on purpose)" sits through our ardent pleas for justice with scripted one-liners at the ready when we're done pouring our hearts out to them.

"Don't hire Doug Kelsey, he hasn't a clue." Ignored.

"Management failed to fund the retirement fund for decades, and is now saying WE must pay for its mistake." Yawn.

"Fix what's wrong first, before spending billions on a MAX line to where nobody wants it." Yeah, whatever. We'll do what we want, because we CAN. Deal with it, lowly taxpayer. So what the economic "revitalization" of MAX lines brought no new businesses, yet did bring an unwanted element riding transit just to ride, so miscreants and drug addicts could wreak havoc on Milwaukie. Once at the line's terminus, they ride a bus without fare to Oregon City, where they congregate, do their drugs and terrorize those who depend upon transit for essential trips.

Fare evaders ride buses these days with little fear of penalty. They just breeze past with "I'm riding at my own risk" dismissive statement while not even looking at me. It's something that a bus operator is accustomed to. However, when we "inform" fare evaders we're often verbally assaulted and called on the carpet for having dared doing so. Coronavirus limits what cops are willing to do. I don't expect cops desire having any close contact with those most likely to spread this deadly disease. Still, they have become so brazen in their actions as to endanger not only operators, but also the essential workers and other passengers we convey.

Wake UP, Management! You SAY we are "valued frontline employees" but your actions say otherwise. We're simply pawns in a chess game in which you only seek to get federal funding to further your corporate takeover of local transit.

Management outsourced our para-transit division to a Scotland-based corporation a few years back. Now our brothers and sisters there have been laid off, their medical benefits cancelled, and all the while First Transit begs off and collects USA-provided "relief" to funnel back to their coveted home office to spend on things less than vital than our local operators. It's a pitiful example of shirking responsibility to those which "make Portland transit great", and those who provide that essential service are now suffering because of it.

It's all a big stinking mess. We should be paid more in normal times, but this is anything but that and we certainly deserve "hazard pay". But no. Don't rock the boat, even when someone spits at us while telling us they're infected with today's killer virus. Don't record our disciplinary meetings with you, because transparency is not acceptable.

I hope none of my brothers and sisters buy into some future celebratory nonsense in our honor. We do this not only because it's our job, but also because we're proud to. For some, it's all we've ever known. Few seem to realize our duties bring us into constant contact with Multnomah County's elevated COVID-19 cases of needle-using druggies. We should just shut up. "JUST DRIVE," they tell us through their heartless edicts. And make sure your fucking shoes are BLACK. And shiny. For crying out loud. This isn't the military. What's next? Our underwear?

Four weeks is just about as much as I can take right now without taking advantage of my union-earned time-off benefits. The stress weighs upon every minute a passenger is aboard. When was the last time they washed their hands for 20-30 seconds? I wash mine for 30-40 seconds at the end of every run, which means about five or six times a shift. How do I know if some COVID-positive passenger has breathed their micro-particles of devastation into my respiratory system? However, I hope my mask keeps those who board my bus safe. I would feel horrible if I passed this virus along to those who depend upon me to safely deliver them to their destination.

So, Bored of Directors, I hope you read this, but it will likely (if ever) end up in your sight if some management dork types up some memo to my blog's anger. YOU should be taking great care to ensure OUR safety, but you're likely working from home throughout this horrific time in space. I cannot do that, thank you not so very much. It's my job to be at the "front lines" of any bug that slithers through my front doors, or in that spittle bursting from the lips of some freaked-out homeless dude who insists he's infected with COVID-19.

Hey, Bored Members, did you know there are now 53+ incidents of violence against transit workers this year? WE do. Your silence is deafening, while management wonks do their best to spin our pain and suffering in carefully-scripted corporate media responses which distance management from responsibility. Still, they make sure to leave open the possibility that any incident could be the operator's fault, because it is "currently under investigation". When we're found to be not-at-fault, where is the exoneration statement? I don't remember seeing any.

Bus stops which are impossible to see are magnets for passenger complaints. Those who wear all black or dark blue clothing, sitting there hunched down over their phones and not aware of traffic noises because of the headphones cutting off their auditory sense, call in complaints when that horrid bus operator passes them by. Hey, whatever happened to personal responsibility? That damned phone has the innate ability to TELL you exactly when the bus will be at your stop, yet you blame a bus operator for your own failure to pay attention? Grow up and stop trying to shift blame to those who work diligently serving the public. It's time for the public to grow some pubes, but it won't happen as long as management allows whining to control US.

For over six weeks, we haven't accepted cash as payment for fare. Still, the hordes of con artists board with wads of cash in their hands, saying "I didn't know you weren't accepting cash". Even when they have used this tired excuse every day for weeks, they must think it fun. If I were to challenge this obvious con, I would likely be called onto the disciplinary carpet for daring to "insult" our agency's darling miscreants. It insults ME, and every operator who dares take the seat in light of New York City's 80+ MTC Operators who have died from this virus, to allow these cons to ride amongst the honorable ones who pay their fare. Groups of teenagers just out for some fun take away rides from the honest adults who put themselves at risk just to make a rare paycheck amongst those who suffer through exhaustive layoffs. I can only allow 10-12 passengers right now. I prefer to give rides to those who actually need to be somewhere, rather than to those who want to ride.

But hey, who am I to decide who gets to ride? I'm told not to make judgements thusly, just to drive the bus and alert Dispatch when my vehicle has reached its capacity. Once upon a time, operators were backed up, considered the ultimate authority on their vehicles as are airline pilots, ship captains and rail conductors. Now, we're simply meat in the seat, waiting for automation to replace us. We have too many needs. We are too expensive, I guess.

I do MUCH more than simply drive a bus. I provide solace to those who have lost their way. My words comfort those in pain. I assure the hordes they will arrive safely to their destination while I listen to their tales of woe. Why? Because I care. Some automated version of transit will not have the ability I have, to communicate with those who value our service. Many times I have kept peace upon my bus with a carefully-worded message of humor and compassion to those who ride.

"If you think you're too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito." 

-- Dalai Lama

Whenever someone boards, I greet them with a smile. Perhaps a compliment. Later, I give them "Patrick's Thought O' The Day," meant to inspire, or even humor those who grace my vehicle with their presence. Whether I think they're amenable or not, Tommy Transit's words of wisdom propel me onward. I am a human being. Sure, I possess faults or misgivings which could land me in trouble with the powers-that-be. Never mind that. I am a bus operator who is focused on providing a safe, peaceful and worry-free ride. If this requires me to be an "asshole", then that I must be. For the good of all, whether it be true or false.

Today, my heart lies heavy with the mourning of those who have lost loved ones to this horrific bug China shared with our unprepared world. Still, my job is to drive. No matter what danger lurks out there, I'm in my seat and I roll smoothly. Professionally. Whoever rides my bus is subject to the same dangers I am, albeit for a much shorter time frame. Keep the damn windows open, people. If I wanted them closed I would shut them myself. Cover your mouths. Be polite to me and those with whom you ride. Sit where you're supposed to and don't argue.

If we keep at it, we will largely survive this pandemic. Don't give in to the most fearful who argue we should abandon social distancing and go on, business as usual. That will only encourage that damned COVID-19 bug to make things much worse. This is not just the flu; it's a worldwide pandemic. Our country was once recognized as the world's leader. Now, we're simply leading the world in COVID-19 cases. Of all our 330 million-plus citizenship, half are impatient to get things back to "normal". If we do that, September could kill a great deal more of us in our lust for what once was.

This could never have been some political conspiracy. Viruses are humanity's most heinous enemy, besides ourselves. Only by working together to ensure our collective safety can we beat this latest assault upon our species. It seems to be an impossible chore given this political divide in the USA. If you choose to demonstrate against lockdowns, be reminded of someone you or someone you love has known, who has suffered a loss to this dastardly foe. New York City transit workers come first to my mind. Sure, there are thousands more of them than there are of us here in Portland.

While I may not always agree with our Governor, I support her decision to use everything within her power to ensure all Oregonians' safety. I could use a haircut, but I don't need one. My body cries out for a massage, but it's not worth subjecting myself or my masseuss to infection. I would dearly love to take my Beloved to a restaurant on my days off, but we can cook. We all miss Portland TrailBlazers games, concerts and farmers markets. Our way of life has been horribly disrupted. But what's more important? What good is an economy when its participants are mostly dead?

Life could be much worse, if we let it. For now, my hope is that we collectively stay the course. Allow humanity to beat this bug through intelligence and diligence, rather than giving way to our pampered modern existence. Otherwise, we could dwindle to a point where our numbers no longer allow us superiority amongst the world's leaders. We could be overtaken by China, to who we owe trillions of dollars of debt.

This is much bigger than simple American politics, my friends. We're poised at the precipice of massive failure, after nearly 230 years of democracy's beacon of hope to the world. Our status as world leader hangs in the balance. Instead of protesting states locking you down for your own good, try seeing things from another perspective. We need to come together to prevail, but so many are consumed with hatred for opposing political views they remain blinded to the goodness of working as ONE to see beyond the abyss we all face. It's painful to watch.

With all this in mind, I always wish you well. I pray for the great health and safety for you all.

Prayers for you and yours, I am
Deke N. Blue
Transit Blogger/Author