Seasons Change...

Here we go again, Folks.
Another schedule change as we get ready to enter the Fall Season this Sunday.

And you folks (my Passengers - regulars) are having fun embarrassing me again.
As we count down this week, the last few days before we all change routes, I've been getting more kisses, hugs, cards, gifts and food than ever before.

Today one of my regulars brought me a cupcake.
Freaking DEEEE-Lish!
She made it herself and decorated it to match me. o_O

I spend most my days blushing this last week.
And while that's great for my skin (one regular told me) I'm starting to feel sunburned.
LOL

Anywho - I wanted to remind y'all to grab a new schedule as many of the routes have had some sort of adjustment whether it is a reduction or time tweak to sync with the light rail.

Your Drivers have had the new schedules on the buses all week and I've been reminding y'all every day to take a new schedule so y'all won't be surprised on Monday as you're coming into work.

You can also check your routes online ( RTD Schedule )
I use this ALL THE TIME when y'all ask me about other routes and their times, this is what you see me checking out online - I'm going to the RTD site and looking up the times and route information for you.
We're able to check Bus & Light Rail times and routes.

It's been a great Summer folks, I'll see you in the Fall...

As Always, "Welcome aboard, grab a new schedule, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

It Ain't Rocket Science!

Which sounds better:

"Pedestrian Relocation Specialist"
or
"Pedestrian Redistribution Engineer"


LOL - trying to pad my resume...
I'm not going anywhere.
I'm just trying to compete with your trash man (Sanitation Engineer!)

As Always, "Welcome aboard, don't trip over my title, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

It's So Big!

I'm cruising along in the predawn dark this morning when outta the shadows....

I hollered, "Holy Guacamoley - lookit the size of those racks! They're HUGE!"

I slowed down and turned off the lights and every guy on the bus was glued to the glass - snapping photos.
Even the Ladies were impressed and remarked on the beauty and size of the beasts.

One Lady explained to me that, "Oh those aren't nothing!"
As they get older their racks get bigger.
These two were still young and as they mature, their racks were going to get even more impressive.

We counted and they were each 7 pointers, I'm told that's young and many grow to at least 10 points...

These bucks were ginormous, I'm not kidding.
They could have stood on their hind legs and looked in the windows had they been so inclined.

As soon as I figure out how to load & post photos on this blog I'll post some for y'all to see.

As Always, "Welcome aboard, don't pass the bucks, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

Don't Eat Those Berries!

Funny story today.

You know us Drivers joke that this time of year, we're more tree trimmers than bus Drivers.
Most of you understand that.

Well this morning I was leaving a stop and the tree above us reached down and dragged itself across the top of the bus.
I had the roof vent open so berries and leaves flew in from both the top and the side windows.

I hopped on the mic and let everybody know I was trying to pick berries for lunch since they don't feed us here at RTD, I apologized for the mess and folks laughed.
There was a large group of kiddos in the back on whom the majority of the berries and leaves had fallen.
I quickly added on the mic:
"By the way, I wouldn't eat, smell or even touch or look at those berries, they're poisonous!"
Some of the girls who'd been gathering up the berries dropped 'em like they were hot potatoes and screamed & jumped soo loudly you'da thunk they'd just realized those weren't candy bars they'd been pulling outta the toilet bowl!

This got a huge laugh from the rest of the bus and the guys in their group had to explain to these gals that I was just joking.

Yeah....I'm "THAT" Driver!

All in all, a good morning and a good start to my day.

As Always, "Welcome aboard, avoid the foliage, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

K-I-S-S-I-N-G

I love my customers.
I love my job.
Many of my passengers can tell and like to thank me.

I get tons of letters (you are more than welcome to write or call in ANY/ALL the time!)
I get candy, cards, bananas....
If you're a regular, I may trust the food you give me but to be honest you can understand why your Drivers need to be cautious when receiving gifts, including food - right?
I've even been given phone numbers - and NO, I didn't call them.
LOL

Well this weekend I received more than all that.
And what I'm about to write is NOT a "Dear Playboy" moment so get your minds outta the gutters, pervs!

I've said before that we have tons of regulars because regardless of the time and day everybody has to get somewhere and most of us work around the clock and around the week.

One of my "regulars" is this really pretty young Lady who always gets on without anything more than a smile for me as she flashes her pass.
She has her ear buds in and never says anything or returns the "Good Morning/Thank You, Ma'am"s I offer.

I even asked, "Would you Marry Me?" one time when she got on and she just smiled and nodded as she went to her regular seat right next to me.
The whole group of regulars in the front of the bus laughed so hard I didn't think we'd ever get back under way.
Even I shed a tear I laughed so hard.

Sometimes (most of the time) I think the kids these days, especially the pretty ones wear those ear buds simply to discourage all the pervs and horn dogs from talking to them and bothering them, etc.

This weekend the Young Lady wasn't at her normal stop.
I'm used to this and I know folks take holidays, vacations, sick days, etc.
But this was an exception for this Young Lady and after an extra 30 seconds sitting at her stop waiting, with a few of the other regulars helping me look around for her, we gave up and started to leave.

I'm the Driver y'all see twisting to the left and right looking down streets and creeping across intersections looking for "runners" and sure enough, as we pulled out there she was, half a block away running for dear life with her arms waving around like she was trying to fly!

I did the double quick tap on my horn and pulled to the opposite corner with my back end sticking out enough for her to see we were waiting so she wouldn't slow down.
And just a few seconds later she tumbled onto the bus, out of breath, crying and laughing at the same time.
She literally fell onto me, wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me this huge, long, kiss on the cheek.
Smearing up my glasses with her makeup and tears.
As she sat down, she explained to us that she's one of those 24 hour live-in nurses for old folks and she does a 3 day stretch every Sat, Sun & Mon for an older lady who goes absolutely crazy if her schedule is upset - like her nurse being late to work!

Her power had gone off the night before during a rain storm and she was late to her stop and she was grateful that I had waited.

As she got off the bus she gave me one last hug, stuck her face in my ear and thanked me and whispered:
"And by the way, I CAN hear with my ear buds in - the answer is yes."

Then she left.

o_O
Um...

I think I peed a little!
ha ha ha

Kidding - sort of

Seriously, If I wasn't old enough to be her father, I would have fallen over dead right there.

BUT that's not the whole story believe it or not.

So far this week my face looks like a pimple factory.
This knock out of a gal who always looks so natural and beautiful wears more makeup than Cleopatra.
It took me the rest of the day to finally get all that smeared makeup off my glasses so I could see while I was driving and so far this week I'm breaking out in reaction to all her makeup on my face.

I feel like I'm 13 again.

As much as I was thrilled with the hugs, the kisses and the sweet nothings whispered in my ear...
I'ma go with: please thank your Driver with cards, calls and letters.
LOL - keep the kissing down to a minimum, Folks!

And to YOU Miss "Mila Kunis" (I call her this because she looks EXACTLY like Mila with her hair down) if you're accidentally reading this - I really did appreciate your show of gratitude, thank you.
Come to work without makeup on this weekend if you're going to be late.
I need to be able to see the road and my glasses were both smeared and steamed up for hours after you got through with me!

As Always, "Welcome aboard, thank your Driver, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

The "New" Federal Center Station

So the new Federal Center Station opened up this week (Sunday) and it’s HUGE!


I believe it is 1000 parking spaces and 22 bus gates.

Two rails, one in each direction.

Once those lines open up, the station will be busier than Broadway Station….maybe!

They are still planting the landscaping and if you walk over to the platform and the fence, you can see the light rail tracks under construction.

Sadly, there are no Driver’s restrooms, only the public outhouses.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t feel that Drivers are better than the passenger or general public and deserve separate bathrooms.
It is just that the port-a-potties are unsanitary.

There is no running water and if we’re lucky, a bit of dried up “alcohol rub” next to the door handle.
That alcohol only kills 99% of germs and SOME bacteria.

None of the “E” series such as e Coli (found in human waste) the pathogenic strains of which can be commonly found all over door handles, walls and the inside of outhouses.

That alcohol does not kill any of the venereal diseases that can be spread on door handles and alcohol dispensers after touching one’s self in the process of using the restroom.

And on and on with the diseases found in a public bathroom that are easily spread if there is no running water with soap, allowing your drivers to wash their hands after using the restroom.

Instead, they visit these highly trafficked outhouses, collect these diseases and bacterium and come back onto the bus, grab hold of the hand rails that you will grab when you come in, hand you a transfer with that diseased hand and spread that illness all around Denver and the Front Range.

That’s why a major station such as the new Federal Center Station should have a restroom for Drivers that limits the amount of public exposure and allows the Driver access to soap and water.

Just as you would and in fact require of your server and food handler who is exposed to hundreds if not thousands of people every day.

As Always, "Welcome aboard, wash your hands, find your seats - Let's Roll!"

Say What You Wanna Say...

Today a passenger creeped up to me on his way out, girlfriend in tow and he dropped his voice really low and got his game on:
"Yo, can I get another transfer? You only gave us one and we paid for two!"

Ok, first - yes, I'll give you one because overall it's better customer service and God knows I could have made a mistake.

But second:
I give everybody their transfers WHEN they pay.

I have one ripped off in my hand and already held out to you the moment you walk up, before you even pay because I want that to be on your mind as you pay and see that so that you’re ready and I can immediately accommodate your request for one.

Thirdly – had I forgotten to give you a second transfer, you know darn well that either you’d have said something right then and there (whether to show your woman you’re responsible or tough) or your girlfriend would have spoken up and reminded you to get the second ticket.

C’mon – I know the routine; I get hammered with attempts to get free rides and transfers all day and night long.
This isn’t my first trip to the rodeo, don’t think you’re pulling one over on me.

But when all is said and done, I don’t say all of this out loud to you because that’s rude.

I was taught 30 some odd years ago when I first got a job and started serving the public that the customer is ALWAYS right.

It takes longer to argue with you, it causes more stress and revenue loss to debate you than it does to just give you another slip of paper.

I’m sad that it doesn’t bother you that you are stealing from the other passengers who’ve paid their fares, from the tax payers who pay your fares and from RTD who provides the service.

I see you, thief.
I hit the button and recorded your theft.

Maybe next time a fare inspector will be on board when you try that….


As Always, "Welcome aboard, pay your dang fare, find your seats - Let's Roll!"