Fun

Signs

Signs - Oh What Fun!

A passenger comes walking up to the bus. And you say, you are too late, the last bus left 30 mins ago and they start to walk away forgetting that you are the next bus. With a little help, signs can be confusing!

Signs - Reserved

I had a piece of string and tied it between the two stauchons along the front seat at 10 pm or so with a reserved sign in the middle. Had a couple of ladies riding wondering why it was there. Then boarded a semi regular passenger from the post office and i gave her my pocket knife to cut the string to sit there. The one lady said to the other, "Isn't that nice that he reserved a seat for her?" Too funny!

Signs - Foreign Language

I had some fun writing down some jibberish to put on the seat. I had some confused looks and everyone moved along not sure what to make of it!

Signs - Mind Moving Back

Old Transit Tom says on a sign near the front to move a little further back. Then in the middle of the bus it says, a little farther please and beyond the back door, you get a thanks for moving back sign!
Saw another sticker one day. It said, Mine moving back, the bus driver stinks! Sheeeshhh!

Signs - Wet Paint

Imagine coming on the bus to see a Wet Paint sign... What would a person do? Wish that i had the Candid Camera crew on board to film it. Some would touch to see if the seat was dry, others would go to sit down and then jump up as they noticed the sign, some never did see the sign. Most people had to touch and check.

Signs - 1st Class

Right above the jump seat opposite the driver was a sign that said 1st Class, 2nd Class, 3rd Class with an arrow pointing to the rear of the bus and No Class with an arrow pointing down!

Flashback!

I remember being a kid riding my bike up and down the sidewalk pretending to be a bus driver. My good friend's father was a Winnipeg Transit driver as well. A friend at church was a driver as well until they moved to Regina. So i guess that i had some early influence on my life. I was pretty much a people person which helps in this type of work. I seem to work as either a delivery driver or in service before i settled down to my life long career.

Free Lunch!

I use to drive by mom and dad's house and mom would bring me out a sandwich and a drink many times. Thank you mom. Oh, that was sooo many years ago. My parents are long gone now. It was always nice to drive in familar neighborhoods.

Supervisor Surprise!

We had this one guy visit the supervisor a lot. He was a lot of bricks short of a load if you know what i mean. On day the supervisor sent him across the street to get a box of donuts. I want 12 donuts, you know, 12... so the guy brought back 12 dozen donuts!!! 12 boxes of them!!!

Three Garages and a Whole City to Learn

Luckily since i lived in Winnipeg, i was able to get around okay. Since i lived in the far south, working out of the north or the west garage was not my cup of tea. Over a period of time, you get senority and things improve. All the fellow employees were a great group to work with. The hard part really was the bitter winters that did not end for months on end! When the cold hit, it stayed and refused to let go until one day it had to!

A New Experience

Driving a bus full of passengers is really different. And so began the new career. It was challenging at times. People cannot figure out why the bus is late in a blizzard. One driver would say, "It's not a fine hot day in July!" Many interesting coworkers and many interesting passengers. I will have to post some stories of both of these individuals as time goes on.

Two Black Suits!

The drivers in the system thought that i was a husband and wife team and myself and my partner both wore black suits! I heard that she retired a year ago or so now. And here i am still slaving away! What is wrong with this picture?

Training Begins...

Around this island we go as we get the feel of driving the bus. The first thing that i notice, is that the front tires are behind me. Take a look at a city bus and you will see what i mean. The driver sticks out over the front wheels! That of course means that you have to drive a bus a bit different than your own vehicle.

The Beginning

My story is about a friend who worked for the system already and told me about the job. I was at a point in life where i wanted to buy a house, have a fairly stable job and income, beginning a new career. This position opened the door for me. It was the beginning of a long career going around in circles. And i will try and remember the events of the 9 1/2 years that i had spent in this city and share those stories with you.

Introduction - October 16, 1978 to May 12, 1988

I started in transit, October 16, 1978 working for the City of Winnipeg for 9 1/2 years and then moved to Calgary to continue the same line of work starting May 12, 1988, just after the Olympics were held here. It is funny how you can remember your starting dates. At the time of starting this blog, i am looking for the exit door. This blog is about the life in the curb lane!