According to the driver I had this morning I shouldn't be polite!

[ryanbytes]

I try my best to let seniors board before me. It's respectful and just plain nice. I got an earful from a driver on Montrose today. An older man was waiting with me and was kind of spacing. I tried to let him go first and he wasn't paying close attention. When I saw that he wasn't going to board I started and had the doors slammed in my face and the bus pull out. I gave the unversal what the hell look to the driver. She opens the door and berates me for trying to let the man on first. She tells me that I shouldn't be polite like that because it makes everyone late. She then went on about how she was four minutes late, people will miss their trains, buses and anything else she could throw at me. So I gave up and said that I would give up on being polite to seniors so that the CTA can be on time.

I still can't believe it happened. Seems like she didn't get the message about customer service improvements. I'd hate to see what she says to somebody that has a problem getting on or off the bus easily.

[nflyer22]

I try my best to let seniors board before me. It's respectful and just plain nice. I got an earful from a driver on Montrose today. An older man was waiting with me and was kind of spacing. I tried to let him go first and he wasn't paying close attention. When I saw that he wasn't going to board I started and had the doors slammed in my face and the bus pull out. I gave the unversal what the hell look to the driver. She opens the door and berates me for trying to let the man on first. She tells me that I shouldn't be polite like that because it makes everyone late. She then went on about how she was four minutes late, people will miss their trains, buses and anything else she could throw at me. So I gave up and said that I would give up on being polite to seniors so that the CTA can be on time.

I still can't believe it happened. Seems like she didn't get the message about customer service improvements. I'd hate to see what she says to somebody that has a problem getting on or off the bus easily.

Yeah, I saw almost the same thing yesterday too on the 62 Archer. Since it runs between Chinatown and the edge of Bridgeport, where a lot of Chinese folks and seniors live, they take the 62 to get around and to visit each other, you know, etc.. So I saw several seniors got on and the driver got mad at them because they still don't really know where to put the fare card in. BUT HEY, you can't blame them for not speaking English that well, just politely show them how or do it for them, just takes a mere 3 seconds.

Here's another thing I don't like about the bus schedule, etc., the bus schedule is planned out too accordingly and precise, like this run and bus MUST be at this stop at THIS time. They should maybe add like an extra minute or two to every, I dunno, 7 - 10 stops, because eventually a bus will be delayed, if not a little, due to a red light, extra passengers, etc.

[Busjack]

Sure sounds like the driver needs some retaining. Even if seniors now ride free, they should be treated as customers with respect.

I thought that you were going to say not to be polite to the driver. I remember one time when I was on the wrong side of 55th Street, muttered "Sh..." and the bus stopped and let me on. I hope the driver didn't hear me, but in that case, not being polite may have worked.

[Guest]

Sure sounds like the driver needs some retaining. Even if seniors now ride free, they should be treated as customers with respect.

I thought that you were going to say not to be polite to the driver. I remember one time when I was on the wrong side of 55th Street, muttered "Sh..." and the bus stopped and let me on. I hope the driver didn't hear me, but in that case, not being polite may have worked.

Well the first problem the operator has is that she works Montrose, this isnt the most desirable street to work. You get hung up at one or two lights youre pretty much messed up for a while unless you get lucky and find a supervisor to get you back in time. Ive worked Montrose many times and it can get to you.

[jajuan]

Ryanbytes, you go ahead and keep on being polite. That driver was way out of line pointblank. I don't care how hard a run Montrose is, her behavior was inexcusable and should be reported. There's a driver who works Roosevelt during the morning rush, which also can be trying with all the teens that ride on school days along with the regular crush of people that ride going to work. And Buslover before you comment that I'm trashing kids again, I'm only pointing out how much of a tight squeeze it can be that early in the morning. Her bus can be jammed to the gills and some people's tempers can be short because of it, but she never lets it get to her to the point that she disrespects a customer. As a matter of fact, she asks someone whos better able to stand for an extended period to give up their seat for a senior citizen, mother with small children or the occasional blind rider going to the Chicago Lighthouse. No matter what's happening she greets everyone with a smile, and even goes the extra step of stopping the bus at the front door of your workplace so you don't have to walk as far from the stop, especially in our city's brutal winters. By seeing her smile every morning with all she may deal with driving the Roosevelt route, she puts a smile on the faces of those of us who may not be in a totally great mood in the earliest parts of the morning. She honestly deserves her line instructor position that she currently holds.

One final thing, that driver and the rest of us who act like we're in too big of a rush to show each other common decency and respect, we can all hope to be this man's age one day. If any of us do get blessed to reach that point in life, we'll want to be treated with the same courtesy and respect that ryanbytes tried to show this morning. Bravo to you.

[ryanbytes]

My politeness will still be around for riders and drivers alike. I'd like to think that I make the day at least a tiny bit better for somebody else because of it.

[CHI74]

JAJUAN: I agree whole Hartley .

Was this driver reported i can understand that driving a bus is hard but that is NO excuse for that kind of statement .

And i to agree that driver NEEDS to be retrained there is no excuse period.

With the way that the job market is in this day and age the driver in question should be happy to have a job and not to treat riders like that.

I know that it is hard to join the CTA and it is a very hard job but when you are dealing with people you have to be nice .

This driver and all other drivers like this one need to be retrained in the aspects of customer service.

Image if the drivers that are driving now had to work like it was back before the transit cards and such remember back in the days of the "super transfer" when the drivers had to punch the transfers and to give change ?

The way that i see it all of this hurry up and get their uses you fair card because it`s faster just makes people more irritable and cranky but this is no excuse for that driver to have treated a paying customer like that .

And i find it refreshing that some one took the the to be polite for a change so ryanbytes you just go on being polite it is good for you and good for the people around you .

I to agree that the time table should be revised, can their be a A/B stop thing made in to the time table ?

Thank you for your time.

[trainman8119]

Speaking as one who is becoming an old crumudgeon in the business, I will not be so hasty in crucifying the operator in question. For all we know the person in question just got a lecture on her way out of the garage of the importance schedule adherance and be careful cause Huberman is watching. Reading the situation as it is, my first thought would be, "are you getting on or not...okay, I am going, see ya". Again, as someone who goes through this day in and day out, it gets real old seeing people doing just stupid things (not the case here, don't misunderstand where I am going here) and then expect you to be nice. Remember, I was one who had to sit and listen to complaints on a daily basis at Pace, and on many occasions would be berated by some of my subordinates, who felt I gave passengers too much credit, and, as a former driver didn't back operators enough. My reply to them was that I would listen for key words and phrases and go from there. Was I wrong. Sure, from time to time yes, but just the same I would say my correct average was in the 90% range. In this case, I am not in a rush take an operator off the street all so quick.

I give an example of something that happened to me on Saturday that ranks in the same category. 55th Street, inbound. One car open. Passenger (young male) walks 3 cars to the only open car in the train and asks the question "which door opens at Roosevelt Road". My answer, "how many doors do you see open now ??" Does that mean I need retraining. No, it means I need to see my shrink because I need a course in anger management. Understand it and face it...the stuff on the street gets old, and no matter what you do, you never, never, never seem to satisfy anyone. Contraer to popular belief, the customer is not always right, they just think they are. This business has just gotten so much more complicated than it needs to be. Personally, I think the public gets too much info and gets coddled way to much. The system seemed to function fine when gas was cheap and buses and trains just ran. The biggest problem now, is that there are non transit people in control and are too coddlesome and give in way to much. With ADA (after many years, I'll give in and say it is a good thing), free seniors, bikes, automated announcements, shiny bus floors, transit cards, etc. the system has become way to complex and will probably never run smooth. Why, because no matter what is done, there will be those who will never be satisfied and always be whining about something.

I know I am on an island here, and don't expect one person to agree with me. But, unfortunately, that is the way I see it. Have I had my fill of this (burnout ??), yeah, I think I might have, it might be time to turn in my punch and move on. It's a shame, but if I could move on and pay the bills, I'd leave the train at the platform and move on in a heartbeat. I know there are the few who will jump on this and say, yeah, what a loser, he doesn't get it, he doesn't belong, good riddance. So be it.

[BusHunter]

That driver was just venting her frustrations at Ryan. The only thing that you did wrong was be at the wrong place at the wrong time. There's alot of pressure being put on the drivers these days. Like someone else said, gas prices being so high has brought alot more people to ride the CTA and other agencies in general. The CTA hasn't seen ridership this good in the last 50 years. This makes the driver work harder. Then add all these green arrows the city has installed at intersections, along with stop signs where they don't need them and you have gridlock. It's only going to get worse. With gas prices scheduled to hit $4.00 this summer there will be even more people to ride the bus or train. I see your point Trainman. You hear the same questions over and over and you are aggravated. I don't blame you. That's part of working with the public. I've also been crabbed at by drivers. I boarded and didn't pay fast enough so I heard the ten commandments. It doesn't help to say anything back you'll just hear the same jazz. Probably the best policy is to say nothing and walk away. Maybe you speak another language and don't understand them. They don't know you anyway. They are just trying to get a rise out of you that's all it is. BTW, I had a woman operator on #152 a few weeks ago that passed up a guy, the customer behind her yelled hey you passed him up, she stopped he boarded and they started arguing. It got loud and she put the bus in park refusing to drive. After two minutes she proceeded despite this customer ranting at her. She seemed like she was emotionally distraught and her voice was cracking as if she was going to cry. I felt sorry for her. If that was my bus I would've put the bus in park and pressed the silent alarm and got the cops to take this guy away. He was scaring the customers.

[Busjack]

A slight diversion.

In a Sun-Times article on a basketball star wanting to open a charter school here, it was also said:

Other interested Renaissance 2010 parties include the Chicago Transit Authority, which is considering starting a Transportation Academy on the top two floors of CTA headquarters to groom future transportation workers and leaders...

Putting aside the political issue about the CTA Taj Mahal, you wonder what the CTA can teach if this thread is any example, since it doesn't seem to have customer relations or anger management training for its employees in focus yet. Trainman will probably say on how to reallocate the fleet every two weeks.

[trainman8119]

A slight diversion.

In a Sun-Times article on a basketball star wanting to open a charter school here, it was also said:Putting aside the political issue about the CTA Taj Mahal, you wonder what the CTA can teach if this thread is any example, since it doesn't seem to have customer relations or anger management training for its employees in focus yet. Trainman will probably say on how to reallocate the fleet every two weeks.

How appropo. Transit wannabes teaching transit wannabes. Or more like, the blind leading the blind.

[CHI74]

TRAINMAN8119: I agree does any one know what they will be teaching at this " TRANSPORTATION ACADEMY" ?

Just thought that i would ask .

Thank you for your time.

[Busjack]

TRAINMAN8119: I agree does any one know what they will be teaching at this " TRANSPORTATION ACADEMY" ?

Just thought that i would ask .

Thank you for your time.

A serious answer would probably be premature, as the article said it was "considering starting" the academy. Now if someone has inside information on what (and if) Ron submitted to Arne, let us know.

I have some satirical answers, along the lines of the advanced logistics course previously mentioned, but I'll keep them to myself (they are in the areas of math, political science, and logic).

[sw4400]

BTW, I had a woman operator on #152 a few weeks ago that passed up a guy, the customer behind her yelled hey you passed him up, she stopped he boarded and they started arguing. It got loud and she put the bus in park refusing to drive. After two minutes she proceeded despite this customer ranting at her.

Sounds all too familiar to me... Just like the one I mentioned in a previous post on the #152, only thing it was a male driver, the guy threatened him, and the guy parked the bus and called the police(who chased him down and arrested him).

She seemed like she was emotionally distraught and her voice was cracking as if she was going to cry. I felt sorry for her. If that was my bus I would've put the bus in park and pressed the silent alarm and got the cops to take this guy away. He was scaring the customers.

It's just too bad we(the customers) can't physically remove these (expetive) from the buses and trains without fear of the $300.00 fine plue arrest. I would in a heartbeat, berating a driver like this, and I bet a very good one at that. She probably didn't see him for whatever reason(heavy traffic, jerk was 20 feet from stop, etc...). I wish somebody would have enough courage to defend the drivers from time to time.... They aren't always wrong.... I know how Customers think they're always right, but not all the time. And no public servant deserves a tongue lashing like she got. People can be so ignorant at times!!!

[BusHunter]

Sounds all too familiar to me... Just like the one I mentioned in a previous post on the #152, only thing it was a male driver, the guy threatened him, and the guy parked the bus and called the police(who chased him down and arrested him).

It's just too bad we(the customers) can't physically remove these (expetive) from the buses and trains without fear of the $300.00 fine plue arrest. I would in a heartbeat, berating a driver like this, and I bet a very good one at that. She probably didn't see him for whatever reason(heavy traffic, jerk was 20 feet from stop, etc...). I wish somebody would have enough courage to defend the drivers from time to time.... They aren't always wrong.... I know how Customers think they're always right, but not all the time. And no public servant deserves a tongue lashing like she got. People can be so ignorant at times!!!

To give you more detail on what happened, the operator I think did see the guy ( she was hesitating on the pedals a lot like you do when you are caught at an intersection and the light is yellow and you don't know if you can make the light or not.) The guy was moving his hands like he was telling her to go on, ( on approach) so she passed him. The other guy on the bus yelled and he got on about 10 feet from the stop. She starting by saying to him you waved me by and he said no I didn't then they argued about his farecard and things just went downhill from there. If you want to know the particulars the guy got on at kilbourn eastbound the bus parked at milwaukee eastbound the guy exited at western eastbound he was yakkin about he was late for work. I don't understand why she took his crap, just call the cops it's easy. They come fast too. Once i was on a #73 bus there was a fight on the bus the alarm was pressed and the cops were there in under 3 minutes. Anyway this alarm also notifies the supervisor hey we have a problem over here and they are required to intercept the operator to see are they ok to drive the bus. It not good to drive when your upset you could have an accident. She needed a time out to gather herself instead of pushing herself. People on the bus did approach her with their support after the guy exited that area of the bus. She seemed to improve emotionally by the time we got to kimball. It was just all the pressure he was putting on her was unbearable and she cracked a little.