“Is this the way to Powell Station?” intenders ask as I open the door. I tell them they need to take the bus in the other direction. This question gets asked often at Steiner and Hayes across from the Painted Ladies at Alamo Square. They have arrived at the park from the crosstown 22 Fillmore …
Author Archives: driverdoug2002
Summertime in the City
The inability to see or read the head sign of a bus, or to know where to stand based upon stalled traffic or double parked vehicles notwithstanding, one detail that usually does not escape notice in our fair city is when our air temperature is not fair. The afternoon fog moves in, the temperature drops …
Great Expectations
I pick up a runner crossing from the far-side corner after I turn the corner and wait for him to come to the rear door as I toggle the rear door open. A little boy with tears in his eyes giving the constant low moaning wail of not getting something he wants, lights up and …
Tree Trimming
Of all the calls I make to TMC, (Transit Metro Control), none is more gratifying than seeing the response to a tree trimming request. Homeowners are required to trim the trees in front of their home or business, but this has created some disparity in when limbs and leaves get cut away from our overhead …
Tree Trimming
Thanks for your service, In the middle: Noticed very little, By the by, Many in the Cars, The Trucks, the Buses, Have passed you on the way: To bars And you stood quietly, Giving us fresh air, As we didn’t seem to care,, Now that you are bare, More aware, Of your trunks, and your …
A Rose by any Name
One of the subtle aspects of joy about being a transit operator are the many people we see on a regular basis. We may never talk to them or get to know their name. They inadvertently become a part of my friends and acquaintance list, even though I have no written list, or what would …
Rider Alert
Nothing is more disconcerting than seeing people waiting for a streetcar that isn’t coming. Especially in the afternoon when the fog is rolling in and visitors are caught in shorts and without jackets. If you plan to visit San Francisco between the Fourth of July and Labor Day, prepare for early spring/winter conditions. Even though …
Alpha Dog
People watching is the greatest job benefit of being a transit operator in the Baghdad-by- the-bay. Friends and family always ask about the great benefits a that civil service worker must have in being a government employee. I usually mention the post office as having the best defined contribution plan or pension. But in the …
Welcome to my collection of Stories: CAR CLEANERS
I am sure these coworkers have stories to tell! I can only imagine what sorts of things they have had to pick up, wipe up, or mop up in their day. If there be any sequel to this missive, I am sure the experience of a graffiti cleaner, a floor sweeper, or those that pick …
Continue reading “Welcome to my collection of Stories: CAR CLEANERS”
The Dao of Doug 2: Keeping Zen in San Francisco: A Line Trainer’s Guide Glossary 2
kneeler: pneumatic pistons installed at the front door of a coach that can lower the steps for those needing assistance in placing a load or themselves on to the first step lift: another device located below the front steps of a bus that extends from the bus and on to the sidewalk to allow for …
The Dao of Doug: A Bus Driver's Perspective 