hemlo comrade!!

Welcome back to Hexbear~

I really like public transport and trying to get a city job like driving the bus

As a fellow lover of public transportation, driving a bus has been the most exciting and fulfilling job I have ever had! Not only does it satiate my interest in transportation, but its the one job where I finally feel like im providing a compelling service to the community. It feels like I can make a difference by providing fast, safe, and friendly service to people. Its something worth considering!! but there are a few things to consider:

Training and Hiring process:

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Be prepared to wait for the Hiring- it took me four months from my initial submission of the application to get interviewed, have a drug screening, have my background checked, and perform the DOT physical exam to finally starting the job.

Training requires zero CMV (Commercial motor vehicle) experience and is even paid! Trainers may rush on certain aspects and be thorough on others- they may also be pushy sometimes. Depending on how your city operates and how desperate they are for new bus drivers (hence forth referred to as operators/ops) they may let up on their pushiness as to not overwhelm and discourage new ops.

One thing worth noting is while their training is very comprehensive, they may paint the city you'll service is as this magical wonderland where no antics happen and every single bus stop is immaculate and clean. If you're able to work past that , nothing will surprise you.

Regardless Training is going to be easy at first- but as it progresses and they go from "how to turn this bus" to "get ready for the driving exam" it can get overhelming (especially with Pre-trips ugh). Depending on the city/state you live in, the DMV exams will be done in house at the bus agency's training department, and the only effort required on your part is just dropping off paperwork to the DMV office to convert your driver's license into a CDL (commercial driver's license) At the end of training, your license should be a commercial with passenger endorsement. Your state may or may not also provide you a VTT (Verification of Transit Training) card which will be separate from the CDL.

Revenue Service/Seniority:

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While the job is unionized, and the union will back you up and do everything they will to stop management from telling you to work harder for less money, your "seniority" will be low. This doesn't affect your money, but it does affect what routes/lines you can bid and drive. "Chill and easy" duties with weekends off and consistent hours (for example) may be out of reach to you for the first few years. (I have Mondays and Tuesdays off and I found that working on weekends is easier, and I love having my weekdays off because more businesses and stores are open). You may find yourself working on the "extra board" which has inconsistent hours but pays well.

One thing I reccomend is READ READ READ the constitution when your local union gives you one. Back to back, whenever time allows. Its a slog to read, It helps you navigate the minutiae of the agency and what is allowed and what isnt.

No two agencies operate the same, and you may actually find yourself getting chill routes in the beginning, I work for an agency that operates in multiple counties and countless ops, so bidding is how work is assigned to people and the newer ops are basically bottom of the barrel. Bidding here is done 5 times a year, usually every season.

Comraderie maybe broken:

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I have yet to see the agency I work at produce any "surplus value" as nothing makes profit. Not only is everything funded by the govt, but everything runs at losses- even if every passenger on your bus pays full fare, the cost to run and maintain that bus will exceed whatever farebox returns are made. However, this does not stop management from trying to run the agency like a business. The union keeps them in check, so dont expect pay cuts or layoffs. But one thing they will do is sow discord among ops; particularlly with new and seasoned veterans. However, plenty of ops look past that smokescreen and will guide new ops through the system, these are the ops you want to hang out with as they are friendly, approachable, and extremely helpful. Their assistance will work hand in hand with reading that union constitution as you'll gain a better understanding of how the agency runs (And believe me agencies presumably run off of vibes and shenanigans).

Be mindful of road supervisors and operations control (the radio people), they operate in the same way as management and their only goal is to keep the bus rolling. They may try to steamroll you into doing something you dont like (such as operating a bus with a biohazard or continuing en route with a bad tummy ache) but you can steamroll them back by simply saying the phrase "I dont feel safe" because safety is as much of a priority as keeping the bus rolling.

Your clientele is going through it:

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As you know, we live in hell world. A large portion of bus passengers are marginalized groups who scrape by and turn pennies into quarters. A lot of them will not satisfy full fare or even ask for a "courtesey ride" (free ride). This is where my public service kicks in. Me, personally, I dont care about fare. My main goal is to get people where they're going safely, fare be dammed. As mentioned, the bus is already operating at a loss anyways.

You'll be picking up a broad range of people:: the unhoused, drug users, extremely depressed and extremely entitled. A lot of people will be angry, and may lash at you for things beyond your control (late bus, detours et al). Driving the bus will be the easiest part of the job, the hard part is the customer service. I've been called slurs and have had threats made to me. But I still push on. Nothing these passengers tell me is new, I've already heard it from my reactionary siblings and boomer parents. So im pretty patient with them. The bigger the city, the bigger the antics, rule of thumb.

But you will have WAY more positive interactions with people. Lots are super friendly, extremely chatty and love small talk, are super greatful when you show up (regardless if you're late) and may even give you gifts! No two ops are going to have the same experience. I know ops who work in the same yard as I do and have never had a really negative encounter. I find that being friendly and greeting everyone with a smile in addition to just letting them ride (NOT TRIPPING OVER FARE) really helps out in the long run.