Lifelong Philadelphian. Foodie. Lover of sour beers and The Golden Girls. Passionate bus driver. Make someone laugh or smile today, it can change their life!
I had the best time w/
@marky_phl
, a Philly public transit advocate who drives the Phlash bus, the Navy Yard bus & substitute teaches in his off time!
His dream is to meld his passions together & create a transit education program for Philly students.
It just amazes me how transit agencies talk about how there's not enough operators to fill runs nationwide and then you charge people money to apply for the job in NYC.
Make that make sense.
@MTA
please get rid of this.
It's a little past 3 am here in Philly. Time to get up and get my day started. Follow doing on this tweet to see what can happen in the day of the life of a bus driver.
I wish that
@Amtrak
would have "set" fares between places.
A same day ticket from Trenton to Newark shouldn't be $103.
For a Keystone that doesn't even have a café car.
There is a teacher shortage because the conditions inside schools are insane.
The amount of disrespect I have encountered today is probably going to make me not teach anymore.
Like you want to get back to the community, but not under those conditions.
I'll be the first to say: building the Boulevard Subway is a matter of racial equity.
Philadelphia can have great things if Philadelphia wants to.
Simple as that.
This is gonna rile people up but another big issue in the transit industry is that there's always money for someone's latest "idea" but there's never money for the basics.
Yes, let's have electric buses because it makes us feel good
Bus still every 30 minutes tho 😒
@_EdricoA
No matter our differences, when we die, there's going to be two dates and a dash.
Make the most of the dash! Live your best life. You have some awesome people who will have your back! 💯😎
Transit operators (regardless of location) are EXHAUSTED! 😴
I don't think people understand how physically, emotionally and mentally draining this job is.
Higher wages isn't the savior y'all think it is. It doesn't not solve the problems plaguing this industry.
Quite often once you establish a rapport on your bus route, it becomes a rolling community center.
Excellent talks, advice, and stories of life happen on board. One of the coolest things about my job.
#transitdayz
It's really hard for transit operators to find restroom facilities while on their routes.
When ppl are clamoring for new things in n'hoods, they often forget about other ppl who need to use something they don't think is necessary in the name of progress.
@JLaxLaxLax
@Oreo
Great! More cookies for the rest of us.
@Oreo
thank you for sharing this and reminding ppl to share their stories.
Coming out is hard, but it lifts a huge weight off of your shoulders!
@JGitto
Well it's true.
People have lived here all their lives and have been ignored by all forms of government whether its your local city council or your local transit agency.
Now because a certain demographic of people think that cities are cool, they bend over backwards for them
Nah. Constantly having your ideas and opinions crushed really lowers your morale. It's depressing
You'd be surprised at the number of front line employees at any job that can make things BETTER if employers would just listen to their ideas & respect them!
Today I was driving a bus line I haven't worked in over a year. Ppl are getting on & this lady says:
"I know that's not Marcus still drinking that bougie water. Some shit just doesn't change."
Everyone laughed. Perrier burns when it comes out of your nose.
#transitdayz
So y'all I did this for a few reasons:
1.) A lot of people are working really hard to keep things somewhat normal. So again, please be patient and kind!
2.) A lot of people think that transit operators aren't well versed or educated (cont'd)
It's been a fun and interesting journey, but I finally graduated today with my associates degree. 🎉🎊🎓🎈
Ok, back to driving the bus, we go, because you know...folks gotta get home.
#graduation
#accomplishment
My work day is done. Now it's time to eat dinner & get some classwork done. I'm enrolled at
@SNHU
and I'm majoring in
#History
.
Hoping to be in bed by 10 pm because 4 am will be here soon.
A different adventure on a different line awaits tomorrow! G'd Night All!
This is mike. He works at the local acme along my bus route. He's a nice guy, tells a lot of dad jokes. He rides every day. This is rural public transit. You get to know everyone out here
Just because I don't tout a degree doesn't mean that my ideas aren't valid or I don't know what I'm doing.
You know how sad it is to apply for a job that you qualified for and you don't get it because you aren't bragging about a piece of paper?
Alright. We've reached the end of the line on my last trip!
Meet Jesse, another one of my regulars. He's a computer technician out here in
#Chesco
. He rides my first trip in the morning & the last bus of the night. This is rural transit!
#transitdayz
Y'all, I sub on my days off from driving the bus.
I would rather sit on 76 in rush hour traffic with only the shoulder getting by with a five mile backup than repeat what I experienced today.
Me: Ahh it's almost 8 am. I'm going to enjoy this day off and hang with my bestie and grab lunch and catch up.
*15 seconds later, the phone rings
Now I'm teaching 7th grade English.
They're reading Animal Farm and I'm excited.
I know this is going to make ppl upset but in Philly, reg. rail trains were delayed because of wire problems.
SEPTA sent out an explanation and apology for those riders.
Last wknd some bus riders had to wait 2 hr 45 min for the next bus.
They should get an apology too.
"Sauer said a work-life balance is as much a factor as pay when it comes to attracting operators."
Yes that's one reason.
Another reason:
People.
A lot of people in service industry jobs are really tired of the way people behave.
Poor behavior is not acceptable
I think it's a bad idea to *not* issue tickets during the pilot.
Please enforce basic laws so we can become a better city (or at least so I try to stay on time?)
It's been 2 yrs of covid. Yes, the "urkel looking mfer" that's driving the bus told you to put your mask on.
No I don't care how you feel. It's not the 1st day of the mandate, it's year 2!
#noexcuse
#maskup
I don't get paid enough for this malarkey.
Umm, the SEPTA push-pull cars used to have bathrooms. They were removed when they were overhauled.
I'm pretty sure the old Silverliner II & III cars had them as well.
They could expand station hours and install bathrooms but they chose not to.
Along my route is Jennersville Hospital which is closing at the end of the month because
@TowerHealthNow
says it's not profitable.
You're going to close the only hospital in the southern part of
#Chesco
. God forbid I had an emergency on the bus...
@Jaimemckay1
Most operators tend to not be outspoken, and have a get our 8 and skate mentality because we know that most agencies don't value our opinion and think that we don't know anything because of our position.
Those who speak up are usually considered threats, sadly
These 49er fans got on my bus trash talking the Eagles and said "Are you ready for 10-2 today." Ma'am... you are in the wrong town to be talking trash like that.
I changed that sign to read "Go Eagles" so damn fast
#flyEaglesfly
Yep. That's why you don't chase after every fad.
Just because everyone else is doing it doesn't mean you have to as well.
The goal should be to convert more auto trips into transit trips to reduce emissions.
Battery electric buses are "still in their infancy, actually." Milwaukee transit agency abandons plans for battery-electric fleet, due to high cost, manufacturers leaving US market.
Case in point. I applied for a job at
@NJTRANSIT
for a safety educator position that I've done in the past for free at a previous job. You'd think that'd get me to an interview with my decade of experience (nope)
@layer3switch
If someone is in a lower class position and wants to apply for this job, dishing out $91 when you have to make ends meet is complicated.
A public transit job is a ticket to the middle class, but I shouldn't have the struggle to attempt to make this goal.
I will rep the 215 until the day I die, but ffs y'all:
Please stop acting like y'all ain't got no sense today downtown. The ppl on my bus are terrified. Literally asking how do people in this city live like this...
Stop embarrassing us.
I'm now at
@LincolnUofPA
. It's the nation's first degree granting HBCU & one of the top 30 HBCUs in the country. Go Lions.
It's time to mush back to Jennersville, Toughkenamon, Kennett Square and West Chester. Next update in about 80-90 minutes
Finally got my certificate indicating that I'm now a member of The National Society of Leadership and Success Honor Society. It's a good feeling!
@SNHU
@theNSLS
#honorsociety
A lot of people are bummed out about public transit, but we can please talk about the livelihoods of those front line workers?
Guys, after a while, missing out on a lot of life events take a toll on you mentally, physically and emotionally.
Alright gang. It's almost 4 am. Time for my commute to work. It's about 35 miles.
The 1st song is Have A Nice Day by
@BonJovi
. I love this song.
#ThrowbackThursday
Here's my
@Spotify
playlist in case you wanna follow along:
@DuchessSexpert
I feel like this is England's fault after watching numerous videos that explained all the backstory from the beginning of the 20th century
@IngaSaffron
Some of the proposals are wild and I don't think I saw a decent transit option.
PennDOT should be required to put in a transit element when they're doing major reconstruction projects similar to how art-in-transit is required.
It's National Transit Workers Appreciation Day! Thousands of us across the country are on the job 24/7/365 helping you connect with people & safely get to places!
I'm Marcus from
#Philly
& I'm proud to be at your service!
#TransitDriverAppreciationDay
This!! 💯💯😎
Just listen to your frontline employees. Pay is nice but better schedules, time off and benefits plus room for advancement would make things a lot easier.
And of course time for bathroom, mental health, and meal breaks.
We urgently need more funding for transit. But more money alone will not solve worker shortages. Transit agencies must translate additional funding into high-road jobs, with good pay, job security, family-friendly scheduling, and safe working conditions.
@surlygopher
Before school begins, parents need to come to school, sit down with the student, teachers and administration and learn the rules and expectations.
Sign documentation that states you learned this
And just enforce rules and give out consequences as needed
@chadmccullough
As a transit operator, car driver, biker and pedestrian, I always wave
Just acknowledge someone else's exists.
It doesn't cost money to be kind.
All the other issues on Earth; this isn't something to cringe over.
This is so sad. So very sad.
Right up there with the death of Elijah McClain.
Mychal took the time out of his day to share his passion with the world and people decided to make fun of him for spreading the joy of reading.
I am beyond upset RN.
I lost the majority of my break time at the end of the line bc of double parked cars, ppl blocking the box & the bus lanes, trucks stuck because there aren't loading zones, and other bs in CC.
Can we enforce some traffic laws?
@PhilaParking
@PhillyPolice
@PeopleforParker
So my report time to work is 4:45 in the morning and I got here at 4:40.
Right now I'm in a process of doing my mandated dot pre-trip to make sure that my bus is in working order.
This includes checking lights, brakes, wipers, lifts, fluids, etc.
We're back here, good ol' West Chester. The county seat of Chester County. If you're ever here, check out
@CarlinosMarket
just a few steps away from
#WCTC
. Great pizza, food, & employees. Alright, it's almost time for my last trip! We're out at 5! 😎
I was very nervous about this first semester at
@SNHU
.
I can finally relax. I passed my first course with a B.
I'm out here driving buses, training new hires on routes and passing courses.
*pats self on back*
I think I have some ice cream when I get off to celebrate.
We're now in Kennett Square, PA! The mushroom capital of the world!
@dann_animal
when you're out here training next week, you'll experience the aroma of mushroom land! It'll grow on you after a while. 🤣🤣
@PresidentPat
I'd like to go to Black barbershop but I can't stand being there all day.
I get the cultural aspect of it, but ffs, cut my hair and lemme get on with the rest of my only day off.
Yes, this is disgusting but context is important.(hence why you learn about this in elementary school English)
Trains are cleaned at the end of the line.
If you board the train mid-route, chances are greater that it'll be a little messy (regardless of where you are)
@lasagnaaa420
Easy. Vote in ALL elections. Make sure your friends, families and loved ones vote.
Talk with people that might be different from you about why this is important.
People always say elections don't have consequences.
Yes they do; here is one of them.
I had to call the police this morning because there's a car double parked next to me & I can't get out of my parking spot.
First day of the new schedule and I'm going to be late to work.
Let's see how long it takes them to come & tow this car.
@EnglishRail
There are no 53 passenger 40 ft buses left.
You also use biodiesel.
Why is a 90 yr old GM exec making decisions about the future in a town he prolly has less than a decade left in?
Has he lost his mind?
Fun fact:
This is how most POC communities are. It's not a new concept for the majority of black people who grew up in the city and we're so much better for it.
To all of the working parents struggling to manage the logistics of a school day that doesn’t align with the work day, release days, the expenses of before/after care…
I have a story about living in a walkable neighborhood & sending your kids to the neighborhood school. 1/8
@FailSepta
You need 96 cars to run the current schedule at rush hour.
If you need to increase service as ridership builds (which it will because of all of the construction along the El) you're going to need more cars.
You need spares as well.
We have 220. We're down to 96.
I know a lot of fellow progressives don't want to hear this, but if we want more middle class families to ride transit we're going to have to address anti-social behavior on trains and buses.
it’s unfortunate that so much misinformation is being spread around due to the lack of understanding the difference between local and federal government. Let talk Maui and President Joe Biden
This traffic along Market Street in Center City is absolutely ridiculous.
The lane blockages, double parking, people running out in the middle of the street is absolute madness.
And sometimes, we have slightly difficult mornings. So right now I have to get another bus and start my morning all over again. This ought to be fun....