1506
This morning’s (Monday, 4/24) Transit dream was about good old 1506, the last “Express to Latta” of the day, which I drove for a summer.
Early in the morning, at night, and all day Saturday and Sunday, the 10-Dewey drove all the way out to Latta Road in Greece, north of Rochester. Midday on weekdays the 15-Crosstown serviced Latta Road, and during rush-hours we ran express service downtown from and to Latta Road.
The eastern end of the 15-Crosstown became so moribund it was discontinued, but the west end continued. This was two buses an hour apart, one of which was 1506.
Even west-end service was moribund. I made two trips during which I might pick up 10 people. The regular driver, a high-seniority guy who had switched to Kodak service for the added money, told me to keep quiet when I said 1506 was silly.
The lack of work was apparently his little secret.
I made two trips in Greece, and then deadheaded downtown to make the final “Express to Latta” at 6:10 p.m. That was about 10 people too.
True to form, my dream had me doing a slightly different route. It had me going through Midtown Plaza, our Park-and-Ride terminal. 1506 didn’t do that.
I then drove all over Robin Hood’s barn to make my three westbound Main St. stops: Sibley’s (Main-and-Clinton), Lerner’s (Main-and-St. Paul) and Main and State. I might pick up eight.
I then turned north on State St., which became Lake Ave., and was supposed to operate express all the way to Ridge Road (Kodak Park).
This meant stopping at only “Lake-Express” stops; about every fifth-or-sixth Lake Ave. stop (there were Lake Ave. buses).
People along Lake Ave. that wanted my bus were supposed to be at express stops, but often weren’t. The customer is always right, so I would stop at any stop where the customer was frantically waving.
Lake Ave. passengers riding my bus got punished. I only stopped at express stops outbound, which meant they might have to walk. The clientele wasn’t getting away with murder.
I might pick up a few at the Federal Building on State St., and a few more at Kodak Park. After that it was boom-and-zoom out to Latta Road with people getting off along the way.
I remember doing a school-teaching interview out on Latta Road after the Corvair crippled. I rode the 10-Dewey out to Latta Road, then was surprised when the 15 didn’t go downtown. It crossed the Genesee river on Ridge Road, to operate the east side of its 15-Crosstown route.
Showing up for a job-interview by bus is an automatic failure. I also had to ride bus to work at the bank when the TR250 was in the body-shop.
Latta Road wasn’t a Park-and-Ride — beyond Latta Road (to Hilton) was. Senior drivers liked Latta Road — a city run with a suburban clientele; often few.
(Not distingushing between 10 and 15 is an old passenger gig. If a bus is coming, it will take me home — i.e. where I want. [“Hey; where ya goin’?”] No matter; I wouldn’t have waited the whole afternoon for a 10 downtown.)
Early in the morning, at night, and all day Saturday and Sunday, the 10-Dewey drove all the way out to Latta Road in Greece, north of Rochester. Midday on weekdays the 15-Crosstown serviced Latta Road, and during rush-hours we ran express service downtown from and to Latta Road.
The eastern end of the 15-Crosstown became so moribund it was discontinued, but the west end continued. This was two buses an hour apart, one of which was 1506.
Even west-end service was moribund. I made two trips during which I might pick up 10 people. The regular driver, a high-seniority guy who had switched to Kodak service for the added money, told me to keep quiet when I said 1506 was silly.
The lack of work was apparently his little secret.
I made two trips in Greece, and then deadheaded downtown to make the final “Express to Latta” at 6:10 p.m. That was about 10 people too.
True to form, my dream had me doing a slightly different route. It had me going through Midtown Plaza, our Park-and-Ride terminal. 1506 didn’t do that.
I then drove all over Robin Hood’s barn to make my three westbound Main St. stops: Sibley’s (Main-and-Clinton), Lerner’s (Main-and-St. Paul) and Main and State. I might pick up eight.
I then turned north on State St., which became Lake Ave., and was supposed to operate express all the way to Ridge Road (Kodak Park).
This meant stopping at only “Lake-Express” stops; about every fifth-or-sixth Lake Ave. stop (there were Lake Ave. buses).
People along Lake Ave. that wanted my bus were supposed to be at express stops, but often weren’t. The customer is always right, so I would stop at any stop where the customer was frantically waving.
Lake Ave. passengers riding my bus got punished. I only stopped at express stops outbound, which meant they might have to walk. The clientele wasn’t getting away with murder.
I might pick up a few at the Federal Building on State St., and a few more at Kodak Park. After that it was boom-and-zoom out to Latta Road with people getting off along the way.
I remember doing a school-teaching interview out on Latta Road after the Corvair crippled. I rode the 10-Dewey out to Latta Road, then was surprised when the 15 didn’t go downtown. It crossed the Genesee river on Ridge Road, to operate the east side of its 15-Crosstown route.
Showing up for a job-interview by bus is an automatic failure. I also had to ride bus to work at the bank when the TR250 was in the body-shop.
Latta Road wasn’t a Park-and-Ride — beyond Latta Road (to Hilton) was. Senior drivers liked Latta Road — a city run with a suburban clientele; often few.
(Not distingushing between 10 and 15 is an old passenger gig. If a bus is coming, it will take me home — i.e. where I want. [“Hey; where ya goin’?”] No matter; I wouldn’t have waited the whole afternoon for a 10 downtown.)
posted by BobbaLew at 2:29 PM
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