clarifying things a bit

After a week of weirdness and not writing anything at all, I am back to it and have realized that I need to clarify this blog a bit. I will be posting random musings and things on  a regular basis. Items posted and signed  Alba T. Ross are from the book and that is how I will use this page. Hopefully, that helps you see the difference.  Have a good day and happy travels.

things that make me rage --- part 2

In the last installment, I mentioned things that make me irritated while driving. Drivers on cell phones took most of my attention at that time, but there are other distractions that irritate me. I see them all day and every day. People will be reading while driving - this usually happens during "rush hour", since most cars are not travelling fast the drivers obviously think it is ok to read. I have seen newspapers, books on the steering wheel, magazines, papers or reports, lots of various other types of reading materials- even porno mags!  One handed driving is not acceptable guys!!!  That totally makes me nutz!!!!  Other distractions I have seen are applying makeup while driving- folks, cant you just spend a few extra minutes in front of the mirror at home?? Please? My favorite distraction occurs in family cars, when the driver is reaching into the backseat to grab, pop, or do something with the kids- that is just an accident waiting to happen. People do so many strange things while driving, and most of these things could be done safely on the side of the road or in a parking lot.  Let's spend more time driving safely and less time trying to do all these other things while speeding down the road. Y'all have  a safe weekend and drive like your life depends on it.

comments and content welcome

Hello fellow travelers, I am pleased that you have stopped by to check out the blog. If you have stories or info for the blog, feel free to add it or get me an email address for idea exchanges. I am sure there are lots of stories out there that need to be told. I am trying to figure out how to get pics & photos loaded up and will be glad to include them as needed. Have a great time and happy motoring.  Drive safely.

things that make me rage

There are things that make me crazy while driving: un-attentive drivers, speeders, tailgaters, and stupid car tricks.  I am a fairly calm driver on a regular basis, but when someone does something totally stupid and/or dangerous- it just makes me nuts! That is why I decided to start this book series & blog. My biggest pet peeve has got to be drivers on their cell phones.  As a city bus driver, I know the most important thing one should be doing while driving IS concentrating on what is going on around them. There are too many factors involved in moving a big vehicle across town, and concentration is a necessity.  This is an issue that I will speak on many times because I do not think it gets enough "air time" across the country. I often wonder how many people need to die before the legislature will actually ban cell phones while operating motor vehicles (nationwide - locally) of any type?  How many accidents are you aware of in which lots of people have been severely injured or have died. I personally know of 3 different families that have lost loved ones due to someone driving while on a cell phone & causing an accident.  That  is why it is an issue for me, and I personally believe that when the legislators lose family members {or know someone that has lost a family member} there will finally be some serious changes. I just wish it didn't have to end in tragedy before the powers that be will get involved and do the "right thing". There have already been far too many lives lost throughout the country, and yet the legislatures across this great country refuse to deal with this because they want to be able to talk on their phones while driving.  I wish they would "wake up and get a clue", and save some lives in the process.  Take care and drive safely.  

Cars in a hurry

I'm driving my route (which happens to go by the mall) and this day I am totally concentrating on everything around me. People drive their worst around the shopping malls (especially during the holidays). This is an ordinary day and as the sportscasters say, I'm “on my A game”! I roll up to the bus stop to “drop and roll”. It's early for the mall so I let off my folks that are going to open their businesses and since there is no one at the stop - I roll on slowly. This young gal comes barreling down the hill from the other direction. She is headed straight for the front of the bus. She is supposed to be in the oncoming traffic lane and turning lane, but she cuts diagonally across 3 lanes of traffic (hoping to cut in front of my bus). I stop just in time to see her car swerve in order to miss my front bumper. She then fish-tailed and drove right into the park bench & trash can on the curb, scattering garbage & pidgeons everywhere. I stopped to check on her and see if she needed the police or EMS. She is ok, just cuts and bruises, but her BMW is smashed up pretty good. “Where are you headed in such a hurry?”, I ask her. “I am late for work and need to get the store open”, she says. “Are you sure you are ok? You are gonna need some help to get your car there, now”. She refuses the help and so I leave her to figure it out, I have a bus route to run.        Alba T. Ross

Average Riders

I am not trying to study or examine human behavior. I am merely reporting it as I have seen & experienced this behavior. As a city bus driver, I've seen people at their best, worst, and all points in between. Any emotion that you can imagine, we the bus drivers, get to deal with regularly. Most of the day is good with good natured folks, but every encounter has the potential to end badly. It is up to us to keep our cool when everyone around us ends up losing theirs. We end up being a psychiatrist on a regular basis, even though we don't get paid their kind of money. Volatile situations...we have to try to diffuse them without causing major delays to the route, or trouble for the other passengers. Irate passengers...it's always fun trying to calm them down and keep a peaceful bus. Drunks of all kinds...I see them on a regular basis, and most just want to get down the road, but there are a few that always want to cause problems. The majority of people on the buses are good folks that are just trying to get somewhere, and it's my job to take them. I take that job very seriously, and do the best that I can. I'll tell you up front that I am not perfect. I'm also not a perfect driver, but I do my best to provide a smooth, safe ride for the people that depend on me every day. I also want the occasional rider to feel as safe & secure as my regular passengers. In the early morning, I have regulars that will catch a nap on their way to work - safe in the knowledge that I will make sure they get there, without missing their stops. Yeah, I know that the company says not to let folks sleep on the bus because, sudden movements may throw passengers out of their seats. Well, it is my job to limit those jerky movements, and to provide a smooth and comfortable ride across town. I try to scan the road far enough ahead to be able to anticipate most traffic and the occasional obstacles. There are always a few things that I miss, but that is the day to day traffic pattern that I am a part of. It's kind of like a jigsaw puzzle. Every piece fits a certain way, and when you put a piece in the wrong way - our results can be deadly. That is the hard part and also what causes the most stress. Knowing that there are many lives on the line helps to make me a safer driver. I just wish that more people would consider this fact while they are driving. I think the roads would be a much safer place IF other drivers would spend more time concentrating on safe driving, and less time worried about how quickly they are going to “get there”. Safe driving is a conscious attitude to pay attention to what you are doing, what is going on around you, and reacting to it in a safe manner. Part of that safe attitude is not rushing into an intersection as the light is changing. People need to be more aware of their surroundings and more responsible with their actions. In the last few years, cellular phones have become a major distraction. People can't seem to put them down long enough to do anything, especially drive their vehicles. I would love to be able to say that most drivers are doing a great job of driving safely, but I can't. I just see too many distracted drivers on a daily basis. I would like to believe that it is a phenomenon that is only a problem in my city, but I really can not imagine that. Do you think that my city is the only place where people are too busy to see what's happening around them? I see the problems of most major cities, and those drivers have to deal with them daily; so I believe it is a major problem throughout the country, and the world, as well. But how do we, as a civilized society, deal with this issue and create change? We need to be more aware of the problem and be willing to change it, even if it is just our behavior that is changing. Change happens one person at a time, and if we all try to drive safer; then, I believe we can make a difference. We have to try to make a difference, in order to have safer roads for our children. We also need to teach our children safe driving habits & not expect others to do that for us. I know that before I started driving city buses, I did not think about safe driving on a regular basis...I was too busy getting to my destination. I did not spend much time worrying about how to do that safely. I was avoiding accidents, after all? I just wasn't in a space to concentrate on my driving habits and how they affected other drivers or the situations I was involved in. I imagine that most drivers are in the same place, emotionally. They are just getting down the road and going about their business, not expecting that others will impact their driving and/or their abilities to do it safely. That is part of the problem. Until we all realize that every move we make in our vehicle WILL affect others, and their movements WILL affect us … we will not be able to keep our roadways safe from major collisions. Recently, I overheard someone joking to his friend. He said, “every time I don't drive my car, I'm 50% less likely to be in a major collision”. Sadly, he is right. On the other hand, if he is a passenger in a friend's car, then he is right back to that probability of being in a collision. Why, because his friend may not be paying close attention to their driving and could very easily get involved in a wreck. I'm sure that you have heard the statistics that most wrecks happen within 5 miles of our homes. Do you know why that is? Most of us let our guard down when we are near our homes. We are more accustomed to those roads, parking lots, alleys and the traffic patterns around them. However, we tend to take more risks and chances in the same areas, because we know that we can do it and not have a problem. That is when we end up in a wreck just around the corner from the house. How many times have you zipped in front of a vehicle approaching from the other direction, to get into the subdivision faster or to get home quicker? Not a safe maneuver, but we all do it regularly. Those kinds of chances are the ones that get us into trouble and lead to more unsafe driving habits. So, we need to try to change those and turn them into good driving skills that will save our life or the lives of our families, one day.   Alba T. Ross

Fellow Travelers

Good Morning, welcome to the world of bus driving!  There are many different types of bus routes: inner city, crosstown, intra-city, rural, interstate, intra-state, charters, and school trips/sight seeing. This list is not complete, but it does give you an idea of the range of routes available to riders. They fall into 3 main categories of bus travel.  Each of these will give you, the rider, a different experience. Some of them are designed to carry folks across town or from the suburbs into & away from the city. Others are designed to carry people & cargo from town to town, city to country village & from state to state. The remaining few are set up to carry folks on specific trips to specified destinations or cities. The type of trip you need will give you a completely different experience each time you participate. I encourage you to try out some of these that you may not be familiar with, and enjoy the benefits of letting someone else do the driving for your trip. If you are a commuter, then try public transit and see what it offers for you. You might find that it will relieve some stress and give you more "me time" to catch up on some reading, or other activity. When taking a trip to another city, try the commercial routes "Greyhound, Trailways, charters" and see if they provide you with a nice, relaxing journey that is mostly stress free.  School or church field trips are always a good time, charter trips to the casinos always provide a fun experience, and  group party buses will let you share the fun with many more people. So, take a chance and change up your travel plans just a bit. You might be pleasantly surprised with the results & you will surely end up with some good bus stories of your own.  Happy Trails.                 Alba T. Ross

Curiosity

I am not sure exactly how to proceed with this, but I'm gonna try to do a little writing every week, and post something from the book, as well.  I want to get the conversation rolling about bus rides and how they affect your life.  Does the bus have any effect on your life?  Are you curious about things that happen on the bus or around them?  Do you wonder about all the crazy things that happen on the buses? I'll bet you probably never even think about what happens on any given day in the buses around America. I am trying to change that and give you the opportunity to get involved in this process.  I hope you like it, and I look forward to any comments & suggestions you may have to offer. Thanks for stopping by.                      Alba T. Ross

2 steps up and 3 steps back

I am not sure about you, but I get so tired of life kicking me in the ass on a regular basis. It always seems that in the game of life- I take 2 steps forward and then life knocks me 3 steps back.  The last 2 years have definitely been like this for me. I got my vehicle repossessed because of the economic downturn ( I just couldn't afford to keep it) and there has been a constant battle to get decent transportation, ever since.  I have one of those jobs in which I need decent, dependable transportation. If I do not get to work, then someone else will take my route and I will  get stuck sitting around the shop for a couple of hours, or not working at all.  So, my biggest aggravation lately has been the hunt for a decent car that I could afford and that will get me down the road consistently and safely. I bought an old car last summer, a 1995 Honda Civic that is in decent shape, but needs some work. I spent too much money for it (remember that repo on my record) and have had lots of problems with it since I bought it. The darn thing will not stay running and every time we get something fixed, another problem pops up to keep the car from running good, or that keeps me from getting rid of the car. I really think the car is either possessed, or it hates me as much as I hate it.  I got it paid off in March and since it was running good, I decided to take it and get a loan on the title so I could buy a motorcycle. The car would not start and it has been causing problems ever since. I have spent almost $600.00 just in the last 3 months trying to get the damn thing to run and stay running. You name it, we have repaired or replaced it - gas cap, spark plugs, battery, fuel filter, fuel pump, muffler...  all in an attempt to get the car to pass inspection, and get new tags for this year, plus get me down the road to work and back.  We have tried everything short of replacing the computer on the car- which costs too much money, and I would rather sell it for scrap than to spend that much money on this piece of crap car. I have spent entirely too much money on it already. My problem is that I need the transportation to work and back in order to keep my job.My 25 min. commute to the other side of town has now been stretched to 2 hours to get to work on the bus (connections take time) and get some lunch along the way.  I take my bike with me on 2 days because I get off work too late to take a bus home, so I get to ride the bike 14 miles home, after a 9 1/2 hour work day.  I started doing that last month because I needed to "train for the Hill Country Ride for AIDS"  charity bike ride. I am now resigned to doing this because I need to save the money to buy a different type of transportation in the near future.  Needless to say, that doesn't leave a lot of time to devote to the book or other things. I spend most of my time resting or playing computer games to help calm me down, but lately the games don't even calm me down. So, I need to find a better way to release this stress, and Voila!  this blog is now in existence to help me do just that.  I am not sure what to do or where to turn at this point, but I would really like it if LIFE  would just leave me alone for a couple of months.  I would like to have some peace and get a break from all these problems, so that I can actually get some solutions going.  I feel totally defeated at this point and I really don't like that feeling.  I want to get just a bit ahead and be able to stay there for a short time before everything falls apart on me again. I know that the RATS have already won the "Rat Race",  I would really like to finish the damn race instead of constantly being disqualified for whatever reason.
I am currently trying to decide if I should get rid of this p.o.s. car  or keep it and try to fix it.  I understand the financial situation, gas prices, bad economy, etc and so I have a big decision to make. I just needed to vent for a few minutes, and relieve some stress. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 

It's a whole different world on the bus.

You've got nice sensible folks that are just trying to get across town or down the street. There are people going to and from work,class, doctor's appointments, church, etc. There 's always someone with groceries, shopping bags, lots of stuff they just bought at a yard sale, thrift store or pawn shop. You'll always run across someone who is having a bad day. I generally try to help make their bus ride relaxing; of course, it doesn't always work out that way. There are happy folks, sad folks, people on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and let's not forget about those folks that have already had that breakdown & been locked away for awhile. There's the girl that is just a little “off her rocker”, and the dude that's totally “bonkers”. Some gal that has been in the woods for far too long & smells like it, or some guy that just got out of prison and is now loose on the streets. Either case will bring lots of crazy stuff to deal with. You know the one's that are always driving everyone else crazy with their insane laugh, constant mumbling, rocking back & forth, or just plain staring at nothing for hours on end. If you drive through the bad part of town you will, no doubt, encounter some gangbangers, thuglets, street people or other riff raff as you go along. Well, guess what? They are on the buses too, and usually bring their own kind of drama with them. We have routes that require a constant police presence, and some that just need minor supervision. There are other routes that need video surveillance, and then there are the routes that need no supervision, at all!! These routes are nice and friendly, even laid back. Those are my favorites, the calm relaxing routes that just go across town and basically “mind their own business”.

We have the good, the bad, and the ugly with this job. Sometimes all at once, sometimes scattered out along the route, but it's always there lurking around a corner just waiting for you to come rolling along. Most routes have a couple of bad spots, or even trouble spots, but some are just “war zones” from one end to the other. That's a part of the job, unfortunately. There are drunks a'plenty, druggies too; we've got psycho's, how 'bout you? City buses go all over town and carry so many different people - it's always worth a laugh or two to just hop on a bus and ride it around for a few hours. I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed. You will always see something funny happening, there is usually something sad as well. You can go through so many emotions just riding a bus for a few hours. Believe me, we do it all day and there are so many stories to be told from riding/driving these buses, that I decided to write a book about them, then it turned into a series of books because there are so many tales to be told. I wanted to break up the stories in a more sensible way & to try to combine them into a cohesive unit for you. I think it will be a much easier read, that way. So, without further ado, I will start with the tales and see where we end up. Now, it is up to you to sit back and relax. Start reading and I hope that you enjoy these tales from the buses.                            Alba T. Ross

Wonders on a saturday afternoon

I am playing around with this page to see what works and what doesn't. The original color scheme was too easily blurred, so I have changed it and made it easier on the eyes.  I am constantly amazed at the things that can be done on a computer and am pleased to be able to share this with you. I am not sure what the day brings,but the book is in motion and I need to add some of it here, for you. That is a lesson for another day.

So, it starts!

I slowly open the door to the bus and step inside. It is a whole new world. Let's explore it together.