MBTA thinking maybe subway trains, trolleys don't need two drivers apiece
In the rest of the world, trains run with just one driver. And by "rest of the world," be sure to include East Boston and Revere.
The Carmen's Union, of course, raises the specter of national security, in "a post-9/11 world."
Comments
Ok, Carmen, your choice
Second drivers OR the MBTA Police Party Bus and random searches.
You can't have both in this post-9/11 world. It's overkill. So, choose which one you think will protect the people better (and not your fluff jobs).
We'll give you a week.
Good idea. Especially since
Good idea. Especially since in the last month alone one door operator was caught asleep, the other with a cell phone against policy.
These guys make really good money for what they do, and have an even better pension system. It's time to cut the fluff out and cut costs to the system.
No reverse
Unlike automobiles, subway trains don't have a reverse gear.
The door operator sits in the fifth car of a 6 car train to operate the doors bu MBTA policy. If the motorman overshoots a station platform, that door operator moves to car#4 to back the train up a few feet.
There is little leeway on these train platforms and sometimes when the rails are wet or brakes weak an overshoot can happen.
Without that 2nd operator the main operator has to walk the length or 2 cars to the next abailable operator compartment to back up, then walk back to the operating compartment to run the doors.
And just for kicks... if you break down in the tunnel do you want 1 person with a flashlight or 2 to walk you out of there.
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Dennis K.
dmk@roslindale.us
No curse
Does saving a minute on the rare occasion that a train overshoots a stop justify doubling the number of operators?
There might be something about having a person other than driver focused on doors; I don't know.
As for flashlights, you could stick an emergency flashlight on the wall in each car. (Add "ALARM WILL SOUND" sign and local buzzer in the mount, to discourage theft.) You only need one person to say "This way!"
By that logic
Japanese subways are screwed! Some of their trains don't even have a FIRST guy to drive it forwards!...but somehow they manage.
And really? You think flashlight holders deserve $50k/yr? Really? For $50k, I think we could install emergency flashlights so that EVERYONE could have one on the way out of a dark tunnel...on every train.
Get real.