“The bigger they are the harder they fall” seems to be completely unrelated to this, but after filling out the number of accident reports I have over the years, I think somehow this does seem to matter. Every occurrence relates to what I was first told in my final interview upon hiring, and in my …
Category Archives: Uncategorized
New Year’s Eve
Halloween is only three days away as I write this chapter, and it’s a Saturday and already I have seen costumes last night, and even earlier in the week. But the holiday season vibe is picking up and everyone is in the change of gears of the season. The air is crisp and clear. The …
Special Events
Finding the Zen zone during special events can be a challenge. Such as doing the 21 Line by Golden Gate Park on the weekend of a major concert or running event that ends or lets out near the Polo Fields in the park. I had made a wise choice to work the 21 line on …
On Your Marks. . .
The first thing to do when a fight looks ready, is to open the rear doors and pop the brake. The sound of the brake let’s everyone know we aren’t moving. The rear door open gives an out to one of the people in the argument. Since impatience is usually the prevailing mood, one of …
The White Lie
https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/douglas-griggs/collections/usual+excuses Because San Francisco is such a small, compact city with water on three sides, our crosstown bus routes intersect with every line that goes downtown inbound, or out to a beach on the ocean or by the bay in the opposite direction. Since we also have a large visitor population, we get asked about …
The Black Hole
The seat opposite “shotgun,” behind the operator’s seat, is unofficially called, “the black hole.” Folks who sit here become invisible. They cannot see to the front of the bus because their view is blocked. And there is no pull string to activate the chime or stop request. Acoustics are very poor because of the wall …
Daily Writing Prompt – Who is Driver Doug?
I’m serious about work and my coworker relationships, and the bounty has flowed as an abundance that has served me well–although I have bad fortune with subordinates and with my private life sexual excursions. Glib, quick-witted and able to read a group and others when I am still and quiet–is a rarity in and of …
Continue reading “Daily Writing Prompt – Who is Driver Doug?”
From the Training Vault 2
The Late Ring
Nothing can get a passenger angrier than passing up a stop. I can tell a lot about their day by how they respond when I pass-by where they wanted to get off. Intuition does come in to play when I am in the beat of the flow, and I know to stop and open the …
Secure the Coach
Part of testing a new operator in being qualified by a state inspector is coach securement. As this book is written by a trolley operator, the added requirement of coach securement is in cradling the poles by the hooks near the harp at the back of the coach. Many a day goes by where a …
The Dao of Doug: A Bus Driver's Perspective 