Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Welcome to TriMet
Let's play catch up.
Started my new job with TriMet a couple months ago and so far it has been a whirlwind of crazy but I love driving and the people make things interesting...
Friday night I was inundated with drunk passengers needing directions and telling me their life stories, thankfully the night flew by until I noticed a beautiful girl hop on at 6th and Alder with tears running down her face. Her boyfriend was clearly irritated and held up their tickets then the two quietly sat in the back. I figured they were fighting so I didn't really greet them like I normally do. About five minutes later at Burnside I noticed in my rear view the boyfriend standing up, she grabbed his arm as if to stop him from leaving when he grabbed her shoulders and threw her back against the wall. I immediately got on the intercom and told him he wouldn't be hitting his girlfriend on MY bus that night and that he needed to leave. He EXPLODED into a rage calling me a C&%*, walking towards the front violently pointing and telling me to drive the ****ing bus. An older gentleman I drive around regularly was brave enough to stand up in between myself and this charmer. Called dispatch, explained he wasn't exiting the bus and that he had thrown his girlfriend against a wall in the back. She denied medical and didn't want to file a police report, he got off after insulting 5 other passengers who came to my aid and that was that. As she got off the bus I could hear her on the phone with him apologizing over and over again.
Tonight as I was coming back from a quick layover on the corner of Ainsworth and MLK I heard a voice coming from the driver's side window, as I peeked out I saw a man in his late 50's laying on the ground! I immediately leaned out my window and asked him if he was okay, he looked up at my and told me to $%^& off...then continued rambling on about nothing to live for and how he lost his day ticket. I tried unsuccessfully coaxing him up off of the street with a day pass. The sun was setting and light flooded into the street, the drivers COULDN'T SEE HIM! I notified dispatch and police then went out and directed traffic around him but for a moment I honestly thought I was going to witness this poor man's death.
So far those are the only two crazy crazy incidences that come to mind. It's unfortunate they're so close together, maybe it's the full moon?
There are a handful of favorites I look forward to seeing regularly, sometimes they'll bring me flowers or treats and I beam the rest of my trip and gloat to my husband when I get home. It's true what one dispatcher told me, every day it's something different, there's always room for surprises. Lets hope the rest of the month calms down, not sure how much more excitement I can take LOL.
Started my new job with TriMet a couple months ago and so far it has been a whirlwind of crazy but I love driving and the people make things interesting...
Friday night I was inundated with drunk passengers needing directions and telling me their life stories, thankfully the night flew by until I noticed a beautiful girl hop on at 6th and Alder with tears running down her face. Her boyfriend was clearly irritated and held up their tickets then the two quietly sat in the back. I figured they were fighting so I didn't really greet them like I normally do. About five minutes later at Burnside I noticed in my rear view the boyfriend standing up, she grabbed his arm as if to stop him from leaving when he grabbed her shoulders and threw her back against the wall. I immediately got on the intercom and told him he wouldn't be hitting his girlfriend on MY bus that night and that he needed to leave. He EXPLODED into a rage calling me a C&%*, walking towards the front violently pointing and telling me to drive the ****ing bus. An older gentleman I drive around regularly was brave enough to stand up in between myself and this charmer. Called dispatch, explained he wasn't exiting the bus and that he had thrown his girlfriend against a wall in the back. She denied medical and didn't want to file a police report, he got off after insulting 5 other passengers who came to my aid and that was that. As she got off the bus I could hear her on the phone with him apologizing over and over again.
Tonight as I was coming back from a quick layover on the corner of Ainsworth and MLK I heard a voice coming from the driver's side window, as I peeked out I saw a man in his late 50's laying on the ground! I immediately leaned out my window and asked him if he was okay, he looked up at my and told me to $%^& off...then continued rambling on about nothing to live for and how he lost his day ticket. I tried unsuccessfully coaxing him up off of the street with a day pass. The sun was setting and light flooded into the street, the drivers COULDN'T SEE HIM! I notified dispatch and police then went out and directed traffic around him but for a moment I honestly thought I was going to witness this poor man's death.
So far those are the only two crazy crazy incidences that come to mind. It's unfortunate they're so close together, maybe it's the full moon?
There are a handful of favorites I look forward to seeing regularly, sometimes they'll bring me flowers or treats and I beam the rest of my trip and gloat to my husband when I get home. It's true what one dispatcher told me, every day it's something different, there's always room for surprises. Lets hope the rest of the month calms down, not sure how much more excitement I can take LOL.
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