[PRCo] Re: Boarding buses and trains

[John Swindler]

Once again proving, Fred, that the motorman's supervisor was clueless about 
the transit companies business.

John


>From: "Fred W. Schneider III" <fschnei at supernet.com>
>Reply-To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
>To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
>Subject: [PRCo] Re: Boarding buses and trains
>Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2001 18:28:51 -0500
>
>
>There was an old Fibber Magee and Molly Radio Show with Fibber and Molly
>riding home to 79 Wistful Vista on the trolley.  Molly became very
>indignant when the motorman passed up a waiting passenger.  Fibber
>explained that the Motormen are told to do that to keep on time.  I
>believe it was part of the Christmas 1947 radio show.  So fellows, its
>not new.
>
>John Swindler wrote:
> >
> > >Bob Rathke commented:
> > >
> > >
> > >The Pennsylvania bus driver's lament must have resulted from some part 
>of
> > >the training for all public transportation employees.  I heard pretty 
>much
> > >the same comment from an Amtrak conductor in New Jersey in 1986 when he
> > >said that Amtrak could get its trains out of the stations faster if 
>they
> > >didn't have to wait for all those passengers to board.
> > >
> > >Bob 11/13/01
> > >
> >
> > Yes, Bob, I guess the railroad industry is somewhat legendary in that
> > respect.
> >
> > This might come as a shocker to those who were in the service years ago, 
>but
> > to paraphrase recent Army doctrine:
> >
> > Most employees want to do a good job.
> >
> > Most bus drivers and Amtrak conductors want to serve the public.  They 
>are
> > the organizations front line workers.  They are the ones who have face 
>time
> > with the customers.
> >
> > When employees say that keeping on time is more important, I bet that 9
> > times out of ten they have been criticized in the past for not running 
>on
> > time, but never heard any comment about helping the customer. (the ratio 
>is
> > three ata-boys equals one criticism)
> >
> > Therefore, the problem is not the driver or conductor, but clueless
> > supervisors who don't understand the organization's mission.  Or how to
> > supervise.  Yes, running on time is one of the employees tasks, but is 
>it
> > the primary mission??  Is it running on time or providing 
>transportation??
> >
> > Am tempted to make a link with public operation of 'demonstration rides' 
>at
> > trolley museums, and railfans who think they are there to play motorman, 
>but
> > suspect most of you are fed up by now with my bad attitude.
> >
> > Sorry, Bob, for rambling.
> >
> > John
> >
> > >----------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > >----- Original Message -----
> > >From: "John Swindler" <j_swindler at hotmail.com>
> > >
> > >Or the bus driver in Scranton (or maybe it was Wilkes Barre; whatever) 
>who
> > >complained that it
> > >wouldn't be so difficult to run on time if not for all these 
>passengers.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
> > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at 
>http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
>


_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp