Reliefs

[Buslover88]

I just thought that I would share a story about reliefs on a couple of Chicago Garage routes. When I leaving the Walgreens on Diversey and Pulaski after buying a few things, I go to wait for a EB #76, right? Well, a few minutes later, #6682 shows up and I get on, thinking the driver was going all the way to Sheridan, but when the light turns green, the driver gets out of his seat and starts putting his coat and hat on. He then tells us a relief would be showing up any minute. We wait for a few minutes (and the driver too) for a relief, then the driver kicks us off saying that another bus was behind him (there actually was). We all get off and board #13XX (forget the number, but I know it was a 1300), who is also waiting for a relief. We waited a few minutes, then the driver saids a bus is behind him. We got off that bus and get on #6696, who finally was going to Sheridan.

A similar thing happen on WB #76 today also (even though I wasn't on those buses after leaving the Walgreens). I guess #1004's driver was waiting for a relief so the bus sits there for a few minutes then #6663 shows up behind it, also waiting for a relief. A couple of minutes later, #1417 shows up then leaves the stop. I guess now you're all wondering what happen to the reliefs for WB #76. Well, they all showed up on #1002, which was running NB on #53. I left the scene on #6696 before I saw any reliefs for EB #76.

[BusExpert32]

I just thought that I would share a story about reliefs on a couple of Chicago Garage routes. When I leaving the Walgreens on Diversey and Pulaski after buying a few things, I go to wait for a EB #76, right? Well, a few minutes later, #6682 shows up and I get on, thinking the driver was going all the way to Sheridan, but when the light turns green, the driver gets out of his seat and starts putting his coat and hat on. He then tells us a relief would be showing up any minute. We wait for a few minutes (and the driver too) for a relief, then the driver kicks us off saying that another bus was behind him (there actually was). We all get off and board #13XX (forget the number, but I know it was a 1300), who is also waiting for a relief. We waited a few minutes, then the driver saids a bus is behind him. We got off that bus and get on #6696, who finally was going to Sheridan.

A similar thing happen on WB #76 today also (even though I wasn't on those buses after leaving the Walgreens). I guess #1004's driver was waiting for a relief so the bus sits there for a few minutes then #6663 shows up behind it, also waiting for a relief. A couple of minutes later, #1417 shows up then leaves the stop. I guess now you're all wondering what happen to the reliefs for WB #76. Well, they all showed up on #1002, which was running NB on #53. I left the scene on #6696 before I saw any reliefs for EB #76.

These narratives are very clear-cut. All of Chicago's West-East routes have their relief points at Pulaski because of the garage being located at Chicago/Pulaski where as newly drivers can take one route to their designated areas, and the ones leaving can easily get back to the garage. Relief points are a pain for passengers, but are needed for bus operators because there is rarely a relief at the end of a route, unless at a major terminal.

[jajuan]

This reminds me of a situation during late October/early November when I was waiting for a NB 52 Kedzie/Calif bus and a WB 21 Cermak was waiting for a relief driver. The bus waited there a good almost 15 min maybe more because it was there when I got to the bus stop and my wait for the 52 was about 10 min. Anyway, another bus came behind it about two minutes later and also had to wait for a relief. However this bus's relief got there right away and soon departed with the riders from the first bus. The first bus had to be taken out of service and returned to the garage because it's relief came driving a totally different bus. (A NABI by the way. The first bus was a Flyer.) I commented to my mother that I wondering why the relief driver came in a different bus when there was apparently nothing wrong with the first bus because that bus's driver waited for a relief for that bus quite length of time.