This morning I got a call which my caller ID identified as Broward County EOC which I believe is the Emergency Operations Center that deals with public emergencies and FEMA etc.
The call was pertaining to a complaint I made on October 31 to Broward County Transit!! Big questions: why is the EOC calling me about that? Second, she had absolutely no information about the complaint, so why did she call me in the first place? To issue platitudes to keep me happy?…as if that were possible on Broward County Transit. Third, really? It takes over a month to get called about an issue?? If Broward County Transit was privately owned, that would NEVER happen.
I told the young woman that I am waiting for replies on several different complaints to BCT, that I write a blog about this very subject, and that I would certainly be writing about this issue. As I couldn't access my information about complaints when she called, I asked her to give me her name, which she failed to do, and that she should call me back when she was informed about the complaint and what will be done about it. I shake my head even now wondering why she even bothered to call me. She took my contact information and said her supervisor…what, at EOC??…would call me back in nine or ten days. Of course, common sense forces me to wonder why she needed my information again; she called me and asked for me by name. How ridiculous are these people and these organizations? Taxpayers pay for this ineptitude. What a waste of money! How many ineffective calls do these people make each day? What problems are they part of solving? It's hard to imagine that they help solve any problems when they don't even know why they are calling.
I finally received a reply from Timothy Garling that answered none of my questions directly. It was all government-ese and frankly, I intend to compare what he wrote to what I actually asked him on this site. That's a bigger job than I have time for right now.
Until then, I remain
Condemned to Broward County Transit
Monday, December 9, 2013
Monday, December 2, 2013
Updates on Broward County Transit Response,
Here's a vague email I received recently from Dwann Jackson at Broward County Transit.
From: CService <cservice@broward.org>
To: '--------aol.com>
Subject: RE: Broward County Transit Comment
Good Afternoon. Thank you for contacting Broward County Transit. I apologize for the issues that you have encountered. I will forward your complaint to the appropriate office so they can address your issue. If you need further assistance you can contact our customer service department at 954-357-8400.
Dwann Jackson, Transit Operations Senior Agent
Customer Relations and Communications
Broward County Transit Division
1 North University Drive
Plantation, Fl. 33324
Office: 954-357-8400 Fax: 954-357-8446
Trip Planning: www.google.com/transit
Website: www.broward.org/bct
Hey, Dwann, which complaint?? Could this be more cookie-cutter? There's no mention of the nature of the complaint, what will be done, or to which department my complaint was sent. I'm guessing that's because he/she does not intend to do ANYTHING about ANYTHING and my complaint was sent to the circular file.
So, I tried to reach Dwann by telephone today; he did say in his email to call. I was actually transferred to Operations of which he is a Senior Agent, but the rude dude who answered said there is no one by that name in that department just before he pretended to transfer me but actually hung up on me. The second time I called the person who answered told me Dwann was out of the office and would "try" to transfer me to his voicemail. At least this guy thought he'd heard of Dwann. He was eventually successful at transferring the call..WooHoo! I left a message and am looking forward to the speediest of replies. Yeah, right...
I've also written to Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca regarding his lack of advocacy. Here's that email:
From: CService <cservice@broward.org>
To: '--------aol.com>
Subject: RE: Broward County Transit Comment
Good Afternoon. Thank you for contacting Broward County Transit. I apologize for the issues that you have encountered. I will forward your complaint to the appropriate office so they can address your issue. If you need further assistance you can contact our customer service department at 954-357-8400.
Dwann Jackson, Transit Operations Senior Agent
Customer Relations and Communications
Broward County Transit Division
1 North University Drive
Plantation, Fl. 33324
Office: 954-357-8400 Fax: 954-357-8446
Trip Planning: www.google.com/transit
Website: www.broward.org/bct
Hey, Dwann, which complaint?? Could this be more cookie-cutter? There's no mention of the nature of the complaint, what will be done, or to which department my complaint was sent. I'm guessing that's because he/she does not intend to do ANYTHING about ANYTHING and my complaint was sent to the circular file.
So, I tried to reach Dwann by telephone today; he did say in his email to call. I was actually transferred to Operations of which he is a Senior Agent, but the rude dude who answered said there is no one by that name in that department just before he pretended to transfer me but actually hung up on me. The second time I called the person who answered told me Dwann was out of the office and would "try" to transfer me to his voicemail. At least this guy thought he'd heard of Dwann. He was eventually successful at transferring the call..WooHoo! I left a message and am looking forward to the speediest of replies. Yeah, right...
I've also written to Broward County Commissioner Chip LaMarca regarding his lack of advocacy. Here's that email:
Commissioner,
What is the status of my response from Timothy Garling to my letter dated September 22? That was over two months ago!! What has your office done to get me the answers I requested from him? If you've done anything, why hasn't he responded? Is this level of disrespect for the Broward County Commission acceptable? Or is this just disrespect for the riders of Broward County Transit by both Broward County Transit and the office of Chip LaMarca?
Condemned to Broward County Transit
In addition, I resubmitted the original letter which was posted on this site in September It would nice to hear back from LaMarca or someone from his staff, but judging by what's been done or not done, I'm not too hopeful.
I remain,
Condemned to Broward County Transit
Friday, November 15, 2013
Broward County Transit's Thorough Disregard for Schedules
Yesterday, I had a meeting which required me to take the incredibly horrible route 10. I left early to make sure that connections were not an issue and that I might have a chance to arrive at the meeting without being furious or stressed from having to deal with Broward County Buses. The 10 bus was due at the stop at 1:47. At 1:57 customer "service," after telling me the north bound 10 bus was across the street…ya know…heading south …(duh!)" hung up on me while trying to locate the north bound bus. I spotted the replacement driver and asked what she knew. She said, "The bus is only 10 minutes late." ONLY??? REALLY??? What blatant disregard for getting people where they need to be WHEN they need to be there!
The attitude with regard to the respect for riders' schedules is appalling and is a strong part of the culture at Broward County Transit which is under the supervision of the Broward County Commission which is apparently helpless to get control over the behemoth beast that is Broward County Transit. (To give the replacement driver credit, she did make up time on the route.)
I remain,
Condemned to Broward County Transit
The attitude with regard to the respect for riders' schedules is appalling and is a strong part of the culture at Broward County Transit which is under the supervision of the Broward County Commission which is apparently helpless to get control over the behemoth beast that is Broward County Transit. (To give the replacement driver credit, she did make up time on the route.)
I remain,
Condemned to Broward County Transit
Bus 55 Unhelpful Driver
A Broward County Transit driver has again demonstrated Broward County Transit's dedication to good "service". A war vet and firefighter of 29 years tried to ask the driver of the departing 12:35 55 bus at NE 41st a simple question, but the driver refused even to acknowledge him. Nice!
I will grant that the man was loud and a bit repetitive, but a "service" organization should be all about providing "service". Drivers of Broward County Transit should have an adequate knowledge of routes and connections to provide all riders and potential riders with the information they require. However, that's not really the point; the driver wouldn't even ACKNOWLEDGE the gentleman. Was he deaf? If so, are deaf people allowed to drive public buses? I suspect he was just an arrogant, SOB who couldn't be bothered.
Drivers are the on-the-ground representatives of Broward County Transit, but many of them act like they're doing the riders a favor just for showing up. I guess the culture at Broward County Transit is less about "A job worth doing is worth doing well" and more about, "Hey, I'm just here for a paycheck so leave me alone."
Drivers are the on-the-ground representatives of Broward County Transit, but many of them act like they're doing the riders a favor just for showing up. I guess the culture at Broward County Transit is less about "A job worth doing is worth doing well" and more about, "Hey, I'm just here for a paycheck so leave me alone."
Well, any year now, I may actually hear back from Timmy or Chip with some answers, but I'm not putting any money on it.
I remain,
Condemned to Broward Transit.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Broward County Transit's Bus 55
This morning I needed to catch the normally reliable 55 bus in order to make a connection. The bus was late and nowhere in sight. When the 11 pulled up, I made the scary decision to take the 11 and hoped I would get my connection on that route and at the right time. It was a good decision. On the way two people at the back of the bus were going back and forth about how unreliable the 55 has been. The man stated that he was stuck waiting for his bus for over an hour and a half. The woman said she was at her stop for the 5:25 the previous evening, but a bus didn't arrive until 6:40.
The man went on to say that he's going to have to get up at 4;00am just to get to his job on time. The woman said that she had worked two shifts yesterday and just wanted to get home. She suggested that Broward County Transit was changing drivers on the routes.
Why would that be a problem? Is this the first time drivers have changed routes? Is there no procedure in place to assure buses will be on time to get people to and from work or school even with different drivers???!!
This is not the first year this "service" has been in operation. How are these routine changes able to bring so much pain to the people it supposedly "serves"??? It's disgusting.
Broward County Transit and everyone who works in any sort of management position should be shamefaced when discussing this "service" or even admitting that they work there.
Also, where's the "advocacy" of Chip LaMarca?? So far, I'm not seeing it as I have not heard from him nor his office staff, AND I still have not received a response from Timothy Garling regarding my letters that I sent to him well over a month ago.
Until next time, I remain,
Condemned to Broward County Transit
This is not the first year this "service" has been in operation. How are these routine changes able to bring so much pain to the people it supposedly "serves"??? It's disgusting.
Broward County Transit and everyone who works in any sort of management position should be shamefaced when discussing this "service" or even admitting that they work there.
Also, where's the "advocacy" of Chip LaMarca?? So far, I'm not seeing it as I have not heard from him nor his office staff, AND I still have not received a response from Timothy Garling regarding my letters that I sent to him well over a month ago.
Until next time, I remain,
Condemned to Broward County Transit
Friday, November 1, 2013
The Poorly Run Broward County Transit
Yesterday, I got to Bayview and Sunrise at 2:45 which left plenty of time before the 2:58 was due to arrive. In fact, that bus never arrived. It turns out that someone on that bus relieved him/herself inside the bus. That's not Broward County Transit's fault. Patiently I waited for the 3:18 which never showed up which is the fault of Broward County Transit and its lack of sufficient contingency planning. The 3:31 arrived at 3:35. I filed a complaint with a call-back request for the driver of the 3:18, but the complaint I wanted to file for the supervisor of operations had to be done online. Why? Anyway, I filed the complaint online and wondered if I would ever get a reply. I did. They sent me my complaint with no response…just my original complaint. Amazon, Apple, and every other venue that has a comment section sends a confirmation of an order, comment, or complaint. Not Broward County Transit, they send you your original complaint. What is that?? Here's what they sent me:
A lot of issues do fall at the feet of Broward County Transit's operations…even this pathetic "response." Why wasn't there a contingency plan in place to get people picked up? Someone peeing on a bus is not an anomaly. Why is nothing in place when problems arise? Why do the consumers of this "service" have to bear the brunt of common issues? I was late for an appointment as a result of the failure of operations at Broward County Transit.
I remain,
Condemned to Broward County Transit.
-----Original Message-----
From: DoNotReply <DoNotReply@broward.org>
Sent: Thu, Oct 31, 2013 4:27 pm
Subject: Broward County Transit Commen
I want to file a complaint against the Department of Operations. When there is an issue on the routes, there are no contingency plans in place to make sure people get to where they need to be. I want to be contacted about this situation!
I remain,
Condemned to Broward County Transit.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
New Missive from Chip LaMarca Regarding Broward County Transit
Regarding a follow up email I sent to him, Commissioner LaMarca sent me this:
Thank you for contacting me on this important transit issue. I am working with my district director, (name deleted) to get some answers to your questions and find solutions to your concerns.
Best regards,
Chip LaMarca
Broward County Commissioner
115 South Andrews Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
T: 954.357.7004 | F: 954.357.7798
So I responded:
With all due respect, perhaps you should compel Mr. Garling to respond to my letters. I've received nothing from him. On a separate matter, Supervisor of Operations, "Frank's" voicemail promised me a phone response to my iPhone concern, but I haven't heard from him either. None of that would be acceptable in a privately owned operation. Why is it accepted from a taxpayer-funded organization?
I'll post any new information.
I'll post any new information.
I remain,
Condemned to Broward County Transit
Still Waiting for Responses from Broward County Transit and Chip LaMarca
So the days just keep passing without any responses from Broward County Transit, and even though I heard from Chip LaMarca initially, I haven't heard back since he claimed ignorance of the letters I sent to his office through the US Mail.
Both Garling's and "Frank's" galling lack of response to my messages continue to make Garling's quote to the Broward County Commission even more laughable.
“...but the strength of Broward County Transit has been and
always will be its employees. We are all here to get you
there.” T. Garling
I remain,
Condemned to Broward County Transit
PS I'm wondering how Broward County Transit intends to deal with the increased traffic that will take place on A1A during the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show. I don't see any alerts or extended "service" on their site. They never plan ahead; why would this be different?
Both Garling's and "Frank's" galling lack of response to my messages continue to make Garling's quote to the Broward County Commission even more laughable.
“...but the strength of Broward County Transit has been and
always will be its employees. We are all here to get you
there.” T. Garling
I remain,
Condemned to Broward County Transit
PS I'm wondering how Broward County Transit intends to deal with the increased traffic that will take place on A1A during the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show. I don't see any alerts or extended "service" on their site. They never plan ahead; why would this be different?
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Broward County Transit's Supervisor of Operations (Frank)
Yesterday I called yet again regarding the iPhone service on the Maps and Schedules page. I asked the "service" rep to transfer me to the IT department, and she told me she couldn't do that. Why? She couldn't help with the problem.
I told her I've been fighting this problem for several weeks on many different levels and through various venues. I told her that although "Freddie" from IT can access the bus schedules at the Broward County Transit offices, those of us waiting for buses can't and that he was unwilling to address the problem. She then put me on hold and transferred me to a guy named Frank, Supervisor of Operations at Broward County Transit. I got his voice mail and was promised a call back. (I didn't catch his last name because it went so quickly.) I left my number several times, so I'm expecting a call back within 24 hours as most service industries demand of their employees. I'll keep you posted.
For now I remain,
Condemned to Broward County Transit
I told her I've been fighting this problem for several weeks on many different levels and through various venues. I told her that although "Freddie" from IT can access the bus schedules at the Broward County Transit offices, those of us waiting for buses can't and that he was unwilling to address the problem. She then put me on hold and transferred me to a guy named Frank, Supervisor of Operations at Broward County Transit. I got his voice mail and was promised a call back. (I didn't catch his last name because it went so quickly.) I left my number several times, so I'm expecting a call back within 24 hours as most service industries demand of their employees. I'll keep you posted.
For now I remain,
Condemned to Broward County Transit
Monday, October 28, 2013
Still Waiting for a Response from Broward County Transit's Tim Garling
It is Day 20 in the wait for a response from Timothy Garling at Broward County Transit. I sent the following email earlier today to Commissioner Chip LaMarca:
October 28, 2013
Commissioner:
I found the following quote in the online version of the Sun-Sentinel:
Chip LaMarca is a lifelong resident of Broward’s Fourth District
who has earned a reputation for being a citizen’s advocate and a
respected voice for the taxpayers that he is honored to represent.
Because I have heard back from neither you nor Mr. Garling regarding my two letters asking for answers to legitimate questions, this quote is just not ringing true.
At what point will I receive some advocacy? Is it acceptable that twenty days have elapsed since I sent my first letter with no response? I haven’t even received a “we’re looking into your issues...” response. Nothing.
If you are the “advocate” you are being portrayed as being, please let me know what actions you are taking to ensure that Mr. Garling responds to my questions. He is at least accountable to the Broward County Commission, right?
He sent me the following response soon after:
I appreciate your email, but this is the first email that I have received and this is the first of the issue that I am aware of. Please resend your email or letter to our office of call us at 954.357.7004. I am more than willing to assist, but I will need you to fill me in on the issue.
Best regards,
Chip LaMarca
Broward County Commissioner
115 South Andrews Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
October 28, 2013
Commissioner:
I found the following quote in the online version of the Sun-Sentinel:
Chip LaMarca is a lifelong resident of Broward’s Fourth District
who has earned a reputation for being a citizen’s advocate and a
respected voice for the taxpayers that he is honored to represent.
Because I have heard back from neither you nor Mr. Garling regarding my two letters asking for answers to legitimate questions, this quote is just not ringing true.
At what point will I receive some advocacy? Is it acceptable that twenty days have elapsed since I sent my first letter with no response? I haven’t even received a “we’re looking into your issues...” response. Nothing.
If you are the “advocate” you are being portrayed as being, please let me know what actions you are taking to ensure that Mr. Garling responds to my questions. He is at least accountable to the Broward County Commission, right?
He sent me the following response soon after:
I appreciate your email, but this is the first email that I have received and this is the first of the issue that I am aware of. Please resend your email or letter to our office of call us at 954.357.7004. I am more than willing to assist, but I will need you to fill me in on the issue.
Best regards,
Chip LaMarca
Broward County Commissioner
115 South Andrews Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
My response:
Commissioner,
I sent both letters through the US Mail to your downtown office as listed on your website. I am attaching both to this email. In addition, both letters are on my blog which I linked to my email earlier today.
Also, you are not authorized to disclose my email address to Timothy Garling or anyone else at Broward County Transit.
I guess it remains to be seen whether or not I receive some advocacy.
Until there's more, I remain…
Condemned to Broward County Transit
Commissioner,
I sent both letters through the US Mail to your downtown office as listed on your website. I am attaching both to this email. In addition, both letters are on my blog which I linked to my email earlier today.
Also, you are not authorized to disclose my email address to Timothy Garling or anyone else at Broward County Transit.
I guess it remains to be seen whether or not I receive some advocacy.
Until there's more, I remain…
Condemned to Broward County Transit
Thursday, October 24, 2013
iPhone FAIL and Broward County Transit
First of all, it is October 24, and I am still waiting for Timothy Garling's response to my letter sent to him on October 8th. So this is Day 16 of the Garling Watch. (This is a great example of the saying about feces flowing down.)
No one I know with an iPhone can scroll down to the bottom of the bus schedule page. I asked people with different versions, 4, 5c, 3, 4s, 5s to attempt to access the bottom of the schedule. Everyone can access down to the 11, but everything after that is inaccessible. How does this help riders?? I need to know schedules for buses such as the 36, 72, and 83. Now what? This is ridiculous!!
While I'm thrilled that "Freddie", sitting in the Broward County Transit offices, can access the schedule, I will be calling and filing a complaint from every stop I need information about but can't access online from the stop. To call Broward County Transit a "service" is a bad joke.
If you are having this problem, please post a comment below. I'll include the stats in my next letter to the oh-so-responsive Timothy Garling....or maybe my next letter will be copied to the Sun-Sentinel. The riders of Broward County Transit need some attention!!!
Sadly, I remain,
Condemned to Broward County Transit
No one I know with an iPhone can scroll down to the bottom of the bus schedule page. I asked people with different versions, 4, 5c, 3, 4s, 5s to attempt to access the bottom of the schedule. Everyone can access down to the 11, but everything after that is inaccessible. How does this help riders?? I need to know schedules for buses such as the 36, 72, and 83. Now what? This is ridiculous!!
While I'm thrilled that "Freddie", sitting in the Broward County Transit offices, can access the schedule, I will be calling and filing a complaint from every stop I need information about but can't access online from the stop. To call Broward County Transit a "service" is a bad joke.
If you are having this problem, please post a comment below. I'll include the stats in my next letter to the oh-so-responsive Timothy Garling....or maybe my next letter will be copied to the Sun-Sentinel. The riders of Broward County Transit need some attention!!!
Sadly, I remain,
Condemned to Broward County Transit
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Broward County Transit and iPhone Users and Another Missive to Tim Garling
So after several weeks trying to figure out why I can't scroll down to the specific bus routes and schedules I need, I called Broward County Transit and spoke with "Tina" and asked to speak with someone at IT. Of course, I never once believed I would be transferred to IT, but a gal can try, right? On both occasions, "Tina" the customer "service" operator asked what the problem was, put me on hold, came back on and said the problem is just with my phone. The second time I called was after I had been to the Apple Store where employees could not scroll down on their phones either. I guess that the only place this works, as if anything actually does work at Broward County Transit, is at their HQ. How convenient for them but without a care for the riders. Nothing new there. So, here's the letter I'm sending to Tim Garling, from whom I still haven't heard regarding my first letter sent to him on October 8. Again, what else is new? If you've been having trouble with getting schedules, call Broward County Transit and complain, or write to Tim Garling. Here's the new missive:
Mr. Timothy Garling
Transit Director
Broward County Transit
1 N. University Drive
Plantation, FL 33324
October 22, 2013
Mr. Garling:
I sent my last correspondence to you on October 8th and haven’t yet heard from you. If you “lost” it, please feel free to reference it at condemnedtobrowardcountytransit.blogspot.com. I posted it two days after I sent it, so you’d have a chance to read it before it was posted.
I have something else I’d like answered. For several weeks, I have been unable to scroll down on your site in order to see when buses could possibly be expected. On my iPhone, however, I can’t scroll down to the buses I need. So this morning I called in and spoke with “Tina” and asked to speak with someone in IT. Well, we all know that wasn’t going to happen, but she said that “Freddie” (sp) ...no last name available, says it works. Really? I was at the Apple Store today where multiple people tried it on all varieties of iPhones and NO ONE could scroll down to get information on routes like 36 or 72. How do you account for that???
Still waiting to hear from you,
cc. Chip LaMarca - Broward County Commission
condemnedtobrowardcountytransit.blogspot.com
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Broward County Transit - Letter to Tim Garling BCT Transit Director
Below is the letter I sent to Tim Garling at Broward County Transit. In looking at it, I realize I asked for the name of the supervisor of Customer "service" two different times. It was a mistake, but maybe it's because customer "service" typically infuriates me. Also, I kind of wish I'd mentioned that I have been called back maybe two or three times about issues, but that is an infinitesimal number compared to how many complaints I've filed for a call back. I'll let you know when or IF I receive a reply. I'm thinking about distributing this letter on some of the bus routes. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment.
So for now,I remain,
Condemned to Broward County Transit
Mr. Timothy Garling
Transit Director
Broward County Transit
1 N. University Drive
Plantation, FL 33324
October 8, 2013
Mr. Garling:
I am a frequent rider of Broward County Transit. I am educated yet disabled. Because of my issue, I am condemned to use Broward County Transit, and am extremely unhappy with the “service” from top to bottom. The last time I contacted you, I was pawned off to (name removed), and when I tried to reach him on the number he gave me, I was told he does not work for Broward County Transit. This time I want to hear from you in writing.
- If we have two traffic seasons here in Broward County, how do you suppose buses that can’t meet the schedules routinely during slow season can possibly meet their schedules during “the” season??? What will you do about this? See my blog post at condemnedtobrowardcountytransit@blogspot.com dated September 17, 2012.
- The 2010 COA Study highlighted specific problems. Two of the most outstanding to me were the fact that over 70% of the ridership is looking to get to work and school. The other was that 43% of bus trips are not on time. What is being done about this right now??? People get fired for being late. Are you aware of this?? Please see my blog post dated November 23, 2012.
- Why is it so difficult to get names of employees of BCT? You are a publicly owned facility, but when I ask for names so I can address my complaints appropriately, I’m dealt with rudely which makes this quote of yours laughable: “...but the strength of Broward County Transit has been and always will be its employees. We are all here to get you there.” What a joke!! Your employees are often arrogant, hostile, and they lie routinely. These people represent your “service” See my blog dated October 3, 2012.
- Who is in charge of scheduling? What is the name of the person(s) in charge of customer “service”? Why can’t I get transferred to these people’s extensions? BCT is not part of national security; why all the secrecy? Just so you know, I once asked for you by name, and the customer “service” person said no one by that name works at BCT. How do you account for that?
- Why don’t I get called back as promised by customer “service” when I file a complaint? Are my complaints typed in or written down ... then promptly placed in the trash...? If you say no, how would you know? Why don’t you have an electronic means of filing complaints where there might have to be some compliance?
- Recently the yellow line rule went into effect. Why weren’t the schedules adjusted to allow for all of the riders, even some who ride everyday, paying for their four dollar bus pass with nickels and dimes??? This tells me that no one at BCT actually rides the buses. This decision was clearly made to protect the county from their own drivers who don’t have the appropriate judgement skills, but the riders were never considered.
- Why is driver training taking place during traditional commutation hours (6-9am)? To follow up with that, last week the “trainer” was oblivious to the schedule and had no idea they were fifteen minutes late. See my blog post dated September 19, 2013.
- I attended the meeting at the community center by A1A and saw where you are intending to use more of those absolutely ridiculously small bus shelters. Why??? Those things are a joke. Take a bus on a rainy day; wait in one of those useless things, and try to arrive to your job looking professional. I can’t. You told the county commission, “New customer comforts and conveniences are on the horizon. A $23 million construction program calls for an additional 680 new bus shelters by 2014, bringing the total to 1,177 countywide.” Get our taxpayer money back and cancel all future orders. These things are awful.What are you going to do about this? Where is the comfort? Where is the convenience?
- Where’s the accountability? To whom do the drivers report? To whom do the customer “service” representatives report? How can they be contacted?
- At the end of your “Green” YouTube video you said we should join you on the bus. Do you rely on the buses to get you where you are expected to be? If not, why not? I suggest that everyone at BCT and the county commissioners be required to depend solely on the buses for one consecutive week each year especially when making decisions about our ‘comfort’ and ‘convenience’.
I look forward to receiving your answers to these questions.
Chip LaMarca - Broward County Commissioner
Thursday, September 19, 2013
I haven't been taking Broward County Transit routinely for a while. Recently, though, I found that I had to go into my office. True to form, Broward County Transit delivered the usual poor service. Much of which leads me to ask why Broward County Transit has no discernible contingency plan for when things go wrong.
Several weeks ago, the Oakland Park Blvd. drawbridge got stuck in the up position. The bus I was on was sitting before the turn to go under the bridge in order to go back where the bus could have gone up Bayview and over to A1A over the Commercial Blvd. bridge. The driver called his supervisor who told him to wait. When I suggested going under the bridge, he called the supervisor back who again told him to wait where he was. Why? Very close to an hour later, the supervisor came in his little supervisor car, talked to the police officer for less than a minute, came back to tell the driver....guess what?!?...go under the bridge to go back the other way!!! REALLLY??????? As a person who is condemned to Broward County Transit, how much of a day is it necessary to donate to their inefficiency, lack of forethought, and lack of contingency plans. Why aren't there contingency plans? I think back to the nonsense that was going on after Tropical Storm Sandy. There was no plan in place for getting commuters to work which should be a priority in this economic time. Why not have extra buses to go out during business rush hours? Or maybe starting the routes earlier to assure people got to work or school on time? No. There was nothing done to accommodate the riders trying to be on time to work or school. There was a detoured route, but that seemed to add time to the route without any compensation in the schedule. For up to six weeks, buses were extremely late, and employers were extremely impatient with these issues. Broward County Transit is deficient, defective, and ineffectual.
Last week, another lack of contingency issue took place. Apparently, an 83 bus was stuck on Copans Road/Royal Palm. So the bus I needed to get to work never showed up and I was with three other people who also needed to get to work. Two "Not in Service" buses went by us, but neither stopped to get us out of the situation their organization put us in. A third "Not in Service" bus pulled up to drop off people who were stranded on the stuck bus, but he would NOT take us to where we needed to be, which was en route to our workplaces. WHY NOT?????? Empty buses were driving around but weren't getting stranded riders to work! Appalling. When I called "customer service" they told me that the next bus would be there at it's scheduled time. No accommodations were offered, nothing done to right a wrong...just the usual "too bad for you" attitude. I filed a complaint...still waiting to hear from someone. The next bus that was due arrived fifteen minutes after the time it was supposed to have left from our location. Thanks for the "service." Almost an hour late to work. People get fired for things like that.
This morning was a prize! My 7:55am bus where I'd connect to the 8:30am 83 Bus was fifteen minutes late. When I stepped on, I asked the driver what my chances were of actually making that all important connection? He said, "Ask the trainer." Brilliant move, Broward County Transit; train drivers during prime commuting time. So I sat right across from the trainer and this was our conversation:
Me: What are my chances of making my 8:30 connection at Copans?
Trainer: Good.
Me: Really? This bus is running 15 minutes late!
Trainer : No, we're not that late.
Me: This bus was due to my stop at 7:55, and it's 8:10.
Trainer: What time is the connection again?
Me: 8:30 (He knows nothing about this route)
(After checking some of his stuff...)
Trainer: Well, you can always get the 48.
Me: It's not the 48; it's the 42 and since we're nowhere near it, that will also be gone by the
time we get there.
Trainer: Really?
Me: Do you or anyone at Broward County Transit realize that people need to get to work on
time and that people get fired for routinely being late? Do you realize this or care?
Trainer: We care.
Me: No you don't.
Trainer: Maybe we can get you to where you can run down Copans to catch the 83.
I'm thinking, "Yeah, that's what I should do- run down Copans road to make up for Broward
County Transit's failures."
(Meanwhile, the driver made two stops that were in error. The first one, he stopped to let someone off in front of a thick hedge that could not be negotiated and had to wait to get back into traffic to get to a place where the woman could actually exit the bus, and then he stopped when no one requested a stop and no one boarded the bus. Two waste's of time for a bus running 15 minutes late.
Me: Why don't you take over and drive? Maybe we can make up some time?
Trainer: No. He's doing a fine job.
Yeah, that's what I was thinking.
At some point he went on to say that driving buses is like being a cop; you only hear about the bad ones. I promise, when I experience a good bus driver, I'll write about it. Don't hold your breath, though; they are few and far between.
So, the trainer is oblivious to schedules; to me that doesn't bode well for the "trained." It looks like the idiocracy, which is my new word...sort of like an autocracy only with idiots, at Broward County Transit will continue with its new recruits. Hey, what are the standards for recruits, anyway?
I leave you now,
Still Condemned to Broward County Transit
Several weeks ago, the Oakland Park Blvd. drawbridge got stuck in the up position. The bus I was on was sitting before the turn to go under the bridge in order to go back where the bus could have gone up Bayview and over to A1A over the Commercial Blvd. bridge. The driver called his supervisor who told him to wait. When I suggested going under the bridge, he called the supervisor back who again told him to wait where he was. Why? Very close to an hour later, the supervisor came in his little supervisor car, talked to the police officer for less than a minute, came back to tell the driver....guess what?!?...go under the bridge to go back the other way!!! REALLLY??????? As a person who is condemned to Broward County Transit, how much of a day is it necessary to donate to their inefficiency, lack of forethought, and lack of contingency plans. Why aren't there contingency plans? I think back to the nonsense that was going on after Tropical Storm Sandy. There was no plan in place for getting commuters to work which should be a priority in this economic time. Why not have extra buses to go out during business rush hours? Or maybe starting the routes earlier to assure people got to work or school on time? No. There was nothing done to accommodate the riders trying to be on time to work or school. There was a detoured route, but that seemed to add time to the route without any compensation in the schedule. For up to six weeks, buses were extremely late, and employers were extremely impatient with these issues. Broward County Transit is deficient, defective, and ineffectual.
Last week, another lack of contingency issue took place. Apparently, an 83 bus was stuck on Copans Road/Royal Palm. So the bus I needed to get to work never showed up and I was with three other people who also needed to get to work. Two "Not in Service" buses went by us, but neither stopped to get us out of the situation their organization put us in. A third "Not in Service" bus pulled up to drop off people who were stranded on the stuck bus, but he would NOT take us to where we needed to be, which was en route to our workplaces. WHY NOT?????? Empty buses were driving around but weren't getting stranded riders to work! Appalling. When I called "customer service" they told me that the next bus would be there at it's scheduled time. No accommodations were offered, nothing done to right a wrong...just the usual "too bad for you" attitude. I filed a complaint...still waiting to hear from someone. The next bus that was due arrived fifteen minutes after the time it was supposed to have left from our location. Thanks for the "service." Almost an hour late to work. People get fired for things like that.
This morning was a prize! My 7:55am bus where I'd connect to the 8:30am 83 Bus was fifteen minutes late. When I stepped on, I asked the driver what my chances were of actually making that all important connection? He said, "Ask the trainer." Brilliant move, Broward County Transit; train drivers during prime commuting time. So I sat right across from the trainer and this was our conversation:
Me: What are my chances of making my 8:30 connection at Copans?
Trainer: Good.
Me: Really? This bus is running 15 minutes late!
Trainer : No, we're not that late.
Me: This bus was due to my stop at 7:55, and it's 8:10.
Trainer: What time is the connection again?
Me: 8:30 (He knows nothing about this route)
(After checking some of his stuff...)
Trainer: Well, you can always get the 48.
Me: It's not the 48; it's the 42 and since we're nowhere near it, that will also be gone by the
time we get there.
Trainer: Really?
Me: Do you or anyone at Broward County Transit realize that people need to get to work on
time and that people get fired for routinely being late? Do you realize this or care?
Trainer: We care.
Me: No you don't.
Trainer: Maybe we can get you to where you can run down Copans to catch the 83.
I'm thinking, "Yeah, that's what I should do- run down Copans road to make up for Broward
County Transit's failures."
(Meanwhile, the driver made two stops that were in error. The first one, he stopped to let someone off in front of a thick hedge that could not be negotiated and had to wait to get back into traffic to get to a place where the woman could actually exit the bus, and then he stopped when no one requested a stop and no one boarded the bus. Two waste's of time for a bus running 15 minutes late.
Me: Why don't you take over and drive? Maybe we can make up some time?
Trainer: No. He's doing a fine job.
Yeah, that's what I was thinking.
At some point he went on to say that driving buses is like being a cop; you only hear about the bad ones. I promise, when I experience a good bus driver, I'll write about it. Don't hold your breath, though; they are few and far between.
So, the trainer is oblivious to schedules; to me that doesn't bode well for the "trained." It looks like the idiocracy, which is my new word...sort of like an autocracy only with idiots, at Broward County Transit will continue with its new recruits. Hey, what are the standards for recruits, anyway?
I leave you now,
Still Condemned to Broward County Transit
Friday, November 23, 2012
Broward County Transit - Black Friday 2012
It's been a long while since I've written. It's not because nothing has happened but because I get home so late and decide not to go to bed in a rage over the &#%* that Broward County Transit dishes out on any given day. I keep track, though, so that when I write a scathing condemnation to the Broward County Commission, there will be no doubt that serious action must be taken in order to consider this bus system a "service".
Highlights of the last six weeks include:
Monday, October29, 2012 was the first commuting morning after Tropical Storm Sandy blew past South Florida. It's understood that A1A was closed due to the amount of sand left from the storm, so buses had to be detoured. These detours started over the weekend. Knowing that this was going to be a problem, what was Broward County Transit's strategy to make sure their customers were "served"? As far as any of us are concerned...NOTHING. No strategy. On the 29th, the morning 11 bus was 25 minutes late, and that was the first or second bus of the day. Three 36 buses, that used the exact same detour drove by, but not the 11. Why? Well, I asked the driver, and he yelled at me that A1A was closed. I countered that A1A had been closed for days and that three 36 buses came by before him. He told me to sit down or get off the bus. He then went on to say that the dispatcher sent him out to A1A not to the detour causing him to have to back up, turn around, and then proceed. So what was the strategy??? Make a bad situation worse through total INCOMPETENCE?? What morons.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012 - The bus was closer to schedule, but when I got on, the same driver took off like a shot, before I was even done sliding my pass through, sending me flying. Was that my punishment for asking a civilized, relevant, critical question the day before? Makes you wonder, right? He already knows by my pass that I'm disabled. Is this the "service" BCT talks about?? Don't ask any questions of this tyrannical organization or you'll be punished. Hmmm..
Thursday, November 1, 2012 - The buses are still running VERY late. Why? No strategy after an entire week?? If any other "service" carried on like this, they'd be out of business in a hurry. The 11 bus due to arrive at Copans and Federal at 5:20pm arrives at 5:47pm. Why?? Someone asked the bus driver of the 0136 bus, but the driver had turned belligerent, refusing to acknowledge that anyone spoke to him.
Thursday, November 8, 2012 - On the 83 route, bus number 0216 had no operational lift for the people in wheelchairs. A woman in a wheelchair, who rides the bus routinely was told she couldn't board. Life isn't hard enough for the woman. Broward County Transit, in their complete incompetence, sends out buses without essential equipment being operational. What if that woman had been mugged or beaten as she waited at her somewhat unsavory stop because bus 0216 left the depot without an operational wheelchair lift. I hope that woman complained to someone.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012 - (Morning commute) The 11 bus due to arrive at Copans and Federal at 6:50am was running late which threatened the clients needing to transfer to the 7:00am westbound 83 bus. , Desperate not to miss the bus entirely, people got off at an earlier stop and ran down Copans Road to catch the bus. It was threatening rain, so no one was happy about this. These are commuters. People hoping to get to work. To work!!!
Every morning a lady boards with her baby, and recently she's been talking about the probability that she will lose her job because of day care issues. On that morning, it became obvious that the 83 was not coming so I called Broward County Transit customer "service". The bus was not on its way; it broke down. I asked what contingency plan was in place for situations like that. He told me I could file a complaint and someone would call me back. Don't make me laugh. They NEVER have called, why would they start? Anyway, the woman, already distraught about her job, started running in the rain to get her baby to day care so that she could be on the next bus which she normally caught. The next bus arrived and picked up all the disgruntled, passengers. She didn't make it. Some of us worried about her job being lost that day. Did anyone at Broward County Transit care?? Suffice to say that all of us were late to work that day by at least a half hour.
(Evening commute) - After arriving back to Copans and Federal at the appropriate time, the 11 bus due at the stop at 5:20pm, was nowhere to be found. At about 5:40pm, I called...that's right...customer "service". I asked where the bus was. After a few moments went by, the agent came back and told me that he couldn't find any buses on the tracking system. Really?!? I was offered the option to file a complaint.... yeah, okay. So, the next 11 bus was due at 5:50pm. At 6:00pm, I called customer "service" again to find out where this bus was. This guy said there is no tracking system. I asked him how come other customer "service" agents access the tracking information. He told me he was new. New?...untrained?...lying?...who knows for sure. At 6:15 the bus finally arrived. Fifty-five minutes late. Who is responsible for buses being 55 minutes late? Can anyone explain how or why buses are untrackable? Can anyone explain why there are no contingency plans for anything? 50% of my buses did not show up that day.
Something has to be done about getting the commutation buses up to snuff. Politicians want to brag about bringing jobs back all the while ignoring a situation that could help people keep jobs they already have.
The 10 and 11 buses have been consistently late for weeks. Why? Apparently, the drivers were given new, faulty schedules. Knowing this, why not make adjustments? Have a meeting; make some copies of the unflawed schedule; distribute the unflawed schedules to drivers. Who at Broward County Transit can't figure out what to do??? I guess no one there can figure it out since none of that's been done. It's shocking how incompetent this organization is.
Highlights of the last six weeks include:
Monday, October29, 2012 was the first commuting morning after Tropical Storm Sandy blew past South Florida. It's understood that A1A was closed due to the amount of sand left from the storm, so buses had to be detoured. These detours started over the weekend. Knowing that this was going to be a problem, what was Broward County Transit's strategy to make sure their customers were "served"? As far as any of us are concerned...NOTHING. No strategy. On the 29th, the morning 11 bus was 25 minutes late, and that was the first or second bus of the day. Three 36 buses, that used the exact same detour drove by, but not the 11. Why? Well, I asked the driver, and he yelled at me that A1A was closed. I countered that A1A had been closed for days and that three 36 buses came by before him. He told me to sit down or get off the bus. He then went on to say that the dispatcher sent him out to A1A not to the detour causing him to have to back up, turn around, and then proceed. So what was the strategy??? Make a bad situation worse through total INCOMPETENCE?? What morons.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012 - The bus was closer to schedule, but when I got on, the same driver took off like a shot, before I was even done sliding my pass through, sending me flying. Was that my punishment for asking a civilized, relevant, critical question the day before? Makes you wonder, right? He already knows by my pass that I'm disabled. Is this the "service" BCT talks about?? Don't ask any questions of this tyrannical organization or you'll be punished. Hmmm..
Thursday, November 1, 2012 - The buses are still running VERY late. Why? No strategy after an entire week?? If any other "service" carried on like this, they'd be out of business in a hurry. The 11 bus due to arrive at Copans and Federal at 5:20pm arrives at 5:47pm. Why?? Someone asked the bus driver of the 0136 bus, but the driver had turned belligerent, refusing to acknowledge that anyone spoke to him.
Thursday, November 8, 2012 - On the 83 route, bus number 0216 had no operational lift for the people in wheelchairs. A woman in a wheelchair, who rides the bus routinely was told she couldn't board. Life isn't hard enough for the woman. Broward County Transit, in their complete incompetence, sends out buses without essential equipment being operational. What if that woman had been mugged or beaten as she waited at her somewhat unsavory stop because bus 0216 left the depot without an operational wheelchair lift. I hope that woman complained to someone.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012 - (Morning commute) The 11 bus due to arrive at Copans and Federal at 6:50am was running late which threatened the clients needing to transfer to the 7:00am westbound 83 bus. , Desperate not to miss the bus entirely, people got off at an earlier stop and ran down Copans Road to catch the bus. It was threatening rain, so no one was happy about this. These are commuters. People hoping to get to work. To work!!!
Every morning a lady boards with her baby, and recently she's been talking about the probability that she will lose her job because of day care issues. On that morning, it became obvious that the 83 was not coming so I called Broward County Transit customer "service". The bus was not on its way; it broke down. I asked what contingency plan was in place for situations like that. He told me I could file a complaint and someone would call me back. Don't make me laugh. They NEVER have called, why would they start? Anyway, the woman, already distraught about her job, started running in the rain to get her baby to day care so that she could be on the next bus which she normally caught. The next bus arrived and picked up all the disgruntled, passengers. She didn't make it. Some of us worried about her job being lost that day. Did anyone at Broward County Transit care?? Suffice to say that all of us were late to work that day by at least a half hour.
(Evening commute) - After arriving back to Copans and Federal at the appropriate time, the 11 bus due at the stop at 5:20pm, was nowhere to be found. At about 5:40pm, I called...that's right...customer "service". I asked where the bus was. After a few moments went by, the agent came back and told me that he couldn't find any buses on the tracking system. Really?!? I was offered the option to file a complaint.... yeah, okay. So, the next 11 bus was due at 5:50pm. At 6:00pm, I called customer "service" again to find out where this bus was. This guy said there is no tracking system. I asked him how come other customer "service" agents access the tracking information. He told me he was new. New?...untrained?...lying?...who knows for sure. At 6:15 the bus finally arrived. Fifty-five minutes late. Who is responsible for buses being 55 minutes late? Can anyone explain how or why buses are untrackable? Can anyone explain why there are no contingency plans for anything? 50% of my buses did not show up that day.
Something has to be done about getting the commutation buses up to snuff. Politicians want to brag about bringing jobs back all the while ignoring a situation that could help people keep jobs they already have.
The 10 and 11 buses have been consistently late for weeks. Why? Apparently, the drivers were given new, faulty schedules. Knowing this, why not make adjustments? Have a meeting; make some copies of the unflawed schedule; distribute the unflawed schedules to drivers. Who at Broward County Transit can't figure out what to do??? I guess no one there can figure it out since none of that's been done. It's shocking how incompetent this organization is.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Broward County Transit October 4, 2012
Tonight I paid my vehicle registration bill. Yes, I own a car; I can't drive it safely, but I own it. My youngest son is about to acquire his driving permit. And, as I paid that registration bill, I realized that I would rather traverse the county with a fifteen year old novice than take a Broward County Transit bus.
This morning on the bus, I had an interesting conversation with a gentleman who sat down next to me. He's not Broward County Transit's biggest fan either. He feels that, in general, the drivers are rude and self-serving; he then brought up the point that they are in a service industry and should be respectful to riders. What?!?!? A service industry...respect...?!?!?! I wonder how Broward County Transit views itself. Somehow, I don't think they see themselves in the service industry. He seemed disgusted by the filth, debris, and general smell of the buses.
He liked my idea requiring every Broward County Transit employee to take the buses exclusively for an entire month...once each year. They should pretend they live in the real world where they can actually get fired for not showing up to work on time. Put them in the exact same stressful situations that most riders find themselves in daily.
(As a mother would explain to a small child) You see, Broward County Transit, real world employers don't promote people who routinely show up late for work. Sometimes, they cut hours of late employees and give the forfeited hours to someone else, and sometimes...yes...they fire people who show up late too often even when they've taken the bus that is supposed to get to the destinations way, way in advance of a job's start time. You see, service industry bus drivers and schedulers, there's a world you don't seem to know anything about. It's not a game.
Let me just end with this; how can the first two buses out of the central terminal be late? There aren't that many people out on the road at 6am.
Plenty more to come, unfortunately,
Still,
Condemned to Broward County Transit
This morning on the bus, I had an interesting conversation with a gentleman who sat down next to me. He's not Broward County Transit's biggest fan either. He feels that, in general, the drivers are rude and self-serving; he then brought up the point that they are in a service industry and should be respectful to riders. What?!?!? A service industry...respect...?!?!?! I wonder how Broward County Transit views itself. Somehow, I don't think they see themselves in the service industry. He seemed disgusted by the filth, debris, and general smell of the buses.
He liked my idea requiring every Broward County Transit employee to take the buses exclusively for an entire month...once each year. They should pretend they live in the real world where they can actually get fired for not showing up to work on time. Put them in the exact same stressful situations that most riders find themselves in daily.
(As a mother would explain to a small child) You see, Broward County Transit, real world employers don't promote people who routinely show up late for work. Sometimes, they cut hours of late employees and give the forfeited hours to someone else, and sometimes...yes...they fire people who show up late too often even when they've taken the bus that is supposed to get to the destinations way, way in advance of a job's start time. You see, service industry bus drivers and schedulers, there's a world you don't seem to know anything about. It's not a game.
Let me just end with this; how can the first two buses out of the central terminal be late? There aren't that many people out on the road at 6am.
Plenty more to come, unfortunately,
Still,
Condemned to Broward County Transit
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Broward County Transit October 2, 2012
This evening, there was yet another new driver on my last ride home for the evening. She wasn't hostile, rude, or aggressive as a driver. The bus, however, stank of something important burning. The windows apparently couldn't be opened so that we could have some fresh air!! ??? It was a very toxic smell.
All of a sudden, about two miles from my final destination, an alarm rang; the bus came to a screeching halt, and the driver started yelling for everybody to exit the bus immediately!!! The engine was apparently on fire. Yup. Nice driver, timely ride, waited at the junction appropriately...and then...fire in the engine. Well, I enjoyed it while it lasted...twenty minutes.
I remain...
Condemned to Broward County Transit
All of a sudden, about two miles from my final destination, an alarm rang; the bus came to a screeching halt, and the driver started yelling for everybody to exit the bus immediately!!! The engine was apparently on fire. Yup. Nice driver, timely ride, waited at the junction appropriately...and then...fire in the engine. Well, I enjoyed it while it lasted...twenty minutes.
I remain...
Condemned to Broward County Transit
Broward County Transit October 3, 2012
I've been too busy to write, but that does not mean things are fabulous on the buses. I won't go too far back, just two days. On October 1, it was pouring rain most of the day which makes commuting of all kinds its own brand of misery, but waiting in the rain for the bus that may or may not arrive to pick you up on time or otherwise is uniquely miserable. I had been pretty fortunate with my connections that stormy day. My bus from work to the connection stop pulled in a couple of minutes early. This happens on rainy days because people who don't have to be out are not out which means fewer stops. Anyway, at the connection site, it was raining in torrents, and the connecting buses weren't there yet. At this point, my fellow riders got off the bus. I was flabbergasted. The bus we were on wasn't scheduled to depart for ten minutes or so and, optimistically, the connecting buses were not due for about five minutes. Oh yes, it must be the wonderful new shelters that were built with the best interest of riders. Well, no - not actually. The new shelters are about one-third the size of the old ones; no one can be sheltered from anything in those. The driver was out of his seat for a break from sitting making it obvious that he wasn't leaving imminently. Still, I was the only one left. I had no intention of stepping out there until I absolutely had to. When my bus arrived a couple of minutes later, I hopped out and ran the thirty feet to the bus and got drenched even with my rain gear. Drenched. That's how hard it was raining. You can only imagine the others.
To my surprise, we had a new bus driver on my last bus home (bus number0741) . In literature, lots of water is usually interpreted as a renewal, a rebirth, a new beginning. Could it be that that ride would be a gentler, but still effective ride home? I get crazy sometimes. A cockeyed optimist, I guess. The woman was so rude, I almost missed the old driver who pretends to be a deaf mute. She yelled at a passenger for accidentally indicating a stop prematurely. Hey, it's hard enough for us passengers to see out the bus windows with all the advertising wraps on the buses, not to mention the white muck (to be discussed in the future) that never gets cleaned, then add pouring rain in the dark. Really, she scolded loudly a grown man who had already apologized for his error! She was every bit as aggressive in her driving as the last guy, muttering to the drivers in front of her as if they could hear her barrage of complaints. She arrived at the special junction, discussed in previous posts, six minutes early. Again, the rain makes that easier...fewer stops... The twist here is she didn't wait until her scheduled departure time. She left six minutes early. The joining bus wasn't even in yet??!!!!! So, in torrential rain, the passengers expecting to transfer to my bus got to wait out in that pouring rain in an ineffective shelter for more than thirty minutes. I can only hope they called often to complain about that situation. The riders need to call in, clog the lines, but they also need to write to their Broward County Commissioners. The county treats the riders of Broward County Transit without regard for service or wellbeing. Maybe I'll start handing out addressed envelopes with letters of discontent addressed to the commissioners. Hmmmm. I'm percolating.
Until next time...
I remain Condemned to Broward County Transit
To my surprise, we had a new bus driver on my last bus home (bus number0741) . In literature, lots of water is usually interpreted as a renewal, a rebirth, a new beginning. Could it be that that ride would be a gentler, but still effective ride home? I get crazy sometimes. A cockeyed optimist, I guess. The woman was so rude, I almost missed the old driver who pretends to be a deaf mute. She yelled at a passenger for accidentally indicating a stop prematurely. Hey, it's hard enough for us passengers to see out the bus windows with all the advertising wraps on the buses, not to mention the white muck (to be discussed in the future) that never gets cleaned, then add pouring rain in the dark. Really, she scolded loudly a grown man who had already apologized for his error! She was every bit as aggressive in her driving as the last guy, muttering to the drivers in front of her as if they could hear her barrage of complaints. She arrived at the special junction, discussed in previous posts, six minutes early. Again, the rain makes that easier...fewer stops... The twist here is she didn't wait until her scheduled departure time. She left six minutes early. The joining bus wasn't even in yet??!!!!! So, in torrential rain, the passengers expecting to transfer to my bus got to wait out in that pouring rain in an ineffective shelter for more than thirty minutes. I can only hope they called often to complain about that situation. The riders need to call in, clog the lines, but they also need to write to their Broward County Commissioners. The county treats the riders of Broward County Transit without regard for service or wellbeing. Maybe I'll start handing out addressed envelopes with letters of discontent addressed to the commissioners. Hmmmm. I'm percolating.
Until next time...
I remain Condemned to Broward County Transit
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Broward County Transit September 25, 2012
Because my son's school bus is scheduled to arrive at 5:24am which is RIDICULOUS, we take the same bus, the 6:03 up to the home of a friend of his whose mom drives them both to school. There is a small area that seems kind of dicey to me, and it's pitch black at that hour, so I go with him and then wait for the next bus on the same route.
The 6:03 is supposed to get to its last stop (destination) at 6:25am and then leave that location (origination) for the return route at exactly 6:30am. At 6:42am, it's due to arrive at the connection spot I discussed in last night's blog. (BCT September 24, 2012). I was waiting for my bus right across the street when that original bus arrived back at 6:33am! Did it fly?!?!? I wasn't waiting for that bus, but what about the commuters who showed up by 6:30am expecting to be taken to their jobs? (Jobs that are very hard to come by these days. Jobs where, if you are late too often, you can be easily replaced with someone who will be there on time. ) That driver left that origination point ten minutes early!! Why? He then sat in the bus at the connection spot from 6:33 until 6:39 before he drove away, still early. Couldn't he have done that at his origination point and kept people/citizens/riders condemned to Broward County Transit on their schedules??
Again, a driver who had the power to ruin someone's day, took the opportunity to do just that. Any consequence to the driver? Doubtful.
Continuing to my office on a different bus route, a lady came aboard at the same time as three or four other people. Her ticket was invalid, but the machine says that all the time even when tickets are valid. It turns out this lady's ticket really was invalid. Why? When her dollar bills didn't go into the machine right away, the driver on her previous route, told her to give him the money and he miraculously pulled a ticket out of his pocket for her. It had no date or time stamp, but she didn't realize it, so she paid three or four dollars for a ticket that was no good. These people transferred either from the 14 or the 18; with all the yelling from everyone who saw the lady pay the driver, it was hard to focus on where exactly we were.
I believe this is a scam. One day, a driver from another bus hopped on to my bus which was waiting to leave. He clicked some code into this thing drivers use to keep track of fares, and then took somewhere between five to ten tickets out and left the bus. I didn't know what to make of it at the time, but it was the first thing I thought of this morning listening to the hullabaloo going on.
So, again, a couple of drivers making Broward County Transit proud.
One last interesting observation about my final bus ride of the day. The driver of bus number 9918, the same driver as last night, chose to drive across 14th Street completely in the left lane. I'm scratching my head wondering how you can pick up citizens/riders/fares speeding down the left lane since the curb is to the right of the right lane. It's a head scratcher alright. Could it be he doesn't want to pick up riders? Could it be that he enjoys seeing people chasing after the bus as he leaves them high and dry just so he can get down to that connection spot five minutes early again? Is there a reward for getting to that particular spot early?? Really, is there? A bonus, perhaps??
The employees of Broward County Transit are supposed to be civil servants not uncivil sadists.
Still no reply from the central supervisor.
That's it for now. Sadly, there will be more to come. Until then, I remain...
Condemned to Broward County Transit
The 6:03 is supposed to get to its last stop (destination) at 6:25am and then leave that location (origination) for the return route at exactly 6:30am. At 6:42am, it's due to arrive at the connection spot I discussed in last night's blog. (BCT September 24, 2012). I was waiting for my bus right across the street when that original bus arrived back at 6:33am! Did it fly?!?!? I wasn't waiting for that bus, but what about the commuters who showed up by 6:30am expecting to be taken to their jobs? (Jobs that are very hard to come by these days. Jobs where, if you are late too often, you can be easily replaced with someone who will be there on time. ) That driver left that origination point ten minutes early!! Why? He then sat in the bus at the connection spot from 6:33 until 6:39 before he drove away, still early. Couldn't he have done that at his origination point and kept people/citizens/riders condemned to Broward County Transit on their schedules??
Again, a driver who had the power to ruin someone's day, took the opportunity to do just that. Any consequence to the driver? Doubtful.
Continuing to my office on a different bus route, a lady came aboard at the same time as three or four other people. Her ticket was invalid, but the machine says that all the time even when tickets are valid. It turns out this lady's ticket really was invalid. Why? When her dollar bills didn't go into the machine right away, the driver on her previous route, told her to give him the money and he miraculously pulled a ticket out of his pocket for her. It had no date or time stamp, but she didn't realize it, so she paid three or four dollars for a ticket that was no good. These people transferred either from the 14 or the 18; with all the yelling from everyone who saw the lady pay the driver, it was hard to focus on where exactly we were.
I believe this is a scam. One day, a driver from another bus hopped on to my bus which was waiting to leave. He clicked some code into this thing drivers use to keep track of fares, and then took somewhere between five to ten tickets out and left the bus. I didn't know what to make of it at the time, but it was the first thing I thought of this morning listening to the hullabaloo going on.
So, again, a couple of drivers making Broward County Transit proud.
One last interesting observation about my final bus ride of the day. The driver of bus number 9918, the same driver as last night, chose to drive across 14th Street completely in the left lane. I'm scratching my head wondering how you can pick up citizens/riders/fares speeding down the left lane since the curb is to the right of the right lane. It's a head scratcher alright. Could it be he doesn't want to pick up riders? Could it be that he enjoys seeing people chasing after the bus as he leaves them high and dry just so he can get down to that connection spot five minutes early again? Is there a reward for getting to that particular spot early?? Really, is there? A bonus, perhaps??
The employees of Broward County Transit are supposed to be civil servants not uncivil sadists.
Still no reply from the central supervisor.
That's it for now. Sadly, there will be more to come. Until then, I remain...
Condemned to Broward County Transit
Broward County Transportation September 24, 2012
Why does Broward County Transit breed so much ill-will? Well, this evening, the bus I was on (bus #0129) pulled up five minutes early to the corner where a transfer of passengers takes place; the connecting bus wasn't there yet. It pulled up at 5:41pm, less than a minute before my bus was supposed to leave. My bus driver took off as soon as the on-board clock clicked over to 5:42. Passengers from the connecting bus were making their way over, one guy had a walker, and it was threatening to rain, but the driver didn't care. I even asked, "Why not wait a second?" The guy is a deaf mute or, at least, he pretends to be. (He doesn't hear anybody asking for assistance either.)
What was that?!? Was he mocking those people. He waited five minutes just to take off when they arrive and try to catch the bus??? Really?! To me that says, "In your faces, stupid passengers!" Is this guy on some kind of power trip? I guess he had the power to ruin evenings, and he used it to do just that. I was always taught that you represent the company you work for. Broward County Transit, this is one of your representatives. You all must be so proud.
I still haven't heard back from the supervisor of drivers regarding my complaint. I guess I'll ramp it up and start copying in my Broward County Commissioner.
More to come...
Until then, I remain Condemned to Broward County Transit.
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