Why I Wrote This Book I was asked about why I wrote a book about being a bus driver in San Francisco. The first reason was in answer to why I am here. “We are all here to do what we are all here to do,” as the Oracle tells Neo in the matrix trilogy. …
Category Archives: bus commuter
Vintage or Tech? Que Paso
Impact of Technology on My Job as a Bus Driver 1. Navigation and Route Management 2. Communication Tools 3. Ticketing and Fare Collection 4. Safety Features 5. Maintenance and Diagnostics Conclusion Overall, technology has significantly transformed my role as a bus driver by improving navigation, communication, fare collection, safety, and maintenance. These advancements not only …
How would you design the city of the future?
We’ve seen planned communities built such as the one in Columbia, MD–heralded in the seventies as a “garden to grow people.” James Rouse bought up undeveloped farm land between Baltimore and Washington, DC, and sixty years later, urban planners still use aspects of this template in their current design plans. We also see strip malls …
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Safe Driving Training Vault
One of the most frustrating aspects in the bustle and tussle of a large, dense city is just missing a connection. This book is for the regular transit rider that may still be missing transfers to another bus that can be averted by one simple rule: your desire to catch that trolley bus actually hinges …
The Late Ring
I approach a stop that I sometimes pass up without a ring or without anyone standing on the curb. Still no chime or no dash light. I coast without accelerating. I make the decision to stay in the traffic lane and pass the point of pulling to the right to bring the door to the …
Follow my Leader
It seems like a quiet Friday today, I think to myself. The bus has several seats open; no one is standing in the aisle. The bus is most definitely in the Zen zone, even though we are halfway through the trip in the middle of the line. How can this be? The answer is usually …
Avenues or Streets ?
My friends always ask me about what line I am driving. Then they ask about the F Streetcar line on Market Street. The railway has a number of historic streetcars from around the world, and they have been restored and repainted in colors from cities such as Melbourne, Philadelphia, Milan, and Kansas City. It is …
The Kneeler
“You’re supposed to lower the kneeler for seniors,” or “Thanks for lowering the steps,” sarcastically spoken after departing to the sidewalk does not help much. A request for the kneeler with a condescending tone (as if I’m a mind reader) after ascending or descending, may not reflect where my attention is focused at the time. …
Crunch Zone
I picked up a man in a wheelchair near downtown at Third Street outbound and was amazed at how smooth and fast he boarded and locked in. I could tell he was a regular rider. Instinctively, I knew he was going to get off at 16th and Mission, and sure enough, when I asked, he …
The Argument You Cannot Win
A good bus driver should be seen and not heard. Well, I certainly don’t fall in to this category, no way. Most operators follow the golden rule of: Information gladly given but safety requires avoiding unnecessary conversation. When a passenger wants to “be right,” the best advice is to let them “win,” so I can …
The Dao of Doug: A Bus Driver's Perspective 