bus hits car
Friday, February 13, 2009
School bus hits car in PDX!
A co -worker had a hair raising experience day before yesterday when a driver at NE Bryant and MLK blew the stop sign and tried to beat 4 lanes of traffic, the last lane containing a 28 thousand pound school bus traveling at 28 mph. The results which I have some pictures of and will post later is that the driver after being cut from his/her car was sighted for not obeying a traffic control. The car was demolished being pinned between the bus and the a utility pole. The bus driver was emotionally distressed. Apparently no one was seriously injured. Like I said, pictures soon.
My hopeless despair has changed to something
I posted an ad last night on Craigs list and got a response. Just that small effort has changed my hopeless despair to hopeful uncertainty.
I am calling the guy today.
I didn't sleep well last night waking up 2 hours before I usually do. Thank goodness for coffee and that it is Friday.
My mind woke up thinking of how I am going to manage my stuff and what it is going to be like, giving up my cat and living in my van.
Of course, that would be somewhat better. I could pay off my debt and save money. Of course, I would have to become a member of the JCC or someplace with a shower, eat a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and cliff bars, occasionally getting some greens somewhere.
I can do whatever is necessary to survive and not hurt anyone in the process. I just get so darned disappointed that the society that I thought would take care of me has little real idea just how desperate many of us are.
Even my friends all 3 of them here in PDX don't knwo how close I am to a new lifestyle change. I tell people that I am really poor, but I suspect most of them don't really believe it. I believe it now! Even I was in denial about my situation. It is real to me now. Action is called for and I am taking it!
I am calling the guy today.
I didn't sleep well last night waking up 2 hours before I usually do. Thank goodness for coffee and that it is Friday.
My mind woke up thinking of how I am going to manage my stuff and what it is going to be like, giving up my cat and living in my van.
Of course, that would be somewhat better. I could pay off my debt and save money. Of course, I would have to become a member of the JCC or someplace with a shower, eat a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and cliff bars, occasionally getting some greens somewhere.
I can do whatever is necessary to survive and not hurt anyone in the process. I just get so darned disappointed that the society that I thought would take care of me has little real idea just how desperate many of us are.
Even my friends all 3 of them here in PDX don't knwo how close I am to a new lifestyle change. I tell people that I am really poor, but I suspect most of them don't really believe it. I believe it now! Even I was in denial about my situation. It is real to me now. Action is called for and I am taking it!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Beyond the bottom
I don't get it. I work hard, I contribute to society and I have nothing. Not only do I have nothing, but I am now indebted to my bank that has charged me an over draft fee of $33 and that is not the last of it. They will charge me another overdraft fee of $33 when my cell phone check tries to clear.
There is nothing like kicking those that are done and grinding your boot into their faces so that you can't see their pain. I don't know what I am going to do.
I work at a job part time that pays little money and I'm sinking. I owe the state, I owe my rent, I owe a student loan, I need to get to work, I, I I.
I'm to old for the service. I don't know what I can do. And if you think I should quit my on line connection, sorry, I am boot legging it. I can't afford one.
I don't even have a home to put into default. Winter isn't over, but it looks like I may have to give a months notice and move into my van with my cat and my dog. I'm going to craigs, post an add that says help me. I just don't know what to do. I have never been in this kind of situation since I have cleaned up from using drugs. It's been more than 22 years and my level of desperation is over the top.
There is nothing like kicking those that are done and grinding your boot into their faces so that you can't see their pain. I don't know what I am going to do.
I work at a job part time that pays little money and I'm sinking. I owe the state, I owe my rent, I owe a student loan, I need to get to work, I, I I.
I'm to old for the service. I don't know what I can do. And if you think I should quit my on line connection, sorry, I am boot legging it. I can't afford one.
I don't even have a home to put into default. Winter isn't over, but it looks like I may have to give a months notice and move into my van with my cat and my dog. I'm going to craigs, post an add that says help me. I just don't know what to do. I have never been in this kind of situation since I have cleaned up from using drugs. It's been more than 22 years and my level of desperation is over the top.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Sometimes I just get over loaded and have little room for anything that is not ...
that is not either structured or I have done it many times. I had a bad morning in my bus made the decision not to chain up when other buses were. I have these drop down chains that work most of the time, but today they retracted when I turned something else on everything went haywire, my horn was honking, the anti theft system and my lights were flashing, cars were stopping in front of me, behind me, people were running up to my bus asking if they could help me and that wasn't so bad, but I had to explain what was happening to each and everyone of them.
and it was snowing and icy and cars were crashing. It was all to much. The mechanic came and assisted me putting my chains on, which I am completely capable of doing myself, except I was overloaded and the 4 kids I had on board were really asking me non stop questions and at one point I just told them to shut up. Later I apologized and one of them said, oh it's ok, people tell us to shut up all the time. that's as much as I can write about it. I have to walk my dog and go back to work. I did get my bus back to the garage, but their system for repairing our buses is not very efficient. I'll be surprised if I get my bus back today or if they dealt with all the issues I am having with it, since well. We have a book where we go over our systems before operating our buses and if there are any problems we are supposed to write them down. I was told they would be reviewed and addressed. Now there are 200 buses and there must be a huge back log, because non of my issues the very ones that occurred today have been repaired. I'm just FRUSTRATED working for so little and having more responsibility than should expected.
and it was snowing and icy and cars were crashing. It was all to much. The mechanic came and assisted me putting my chains on, which I am completely capable of doing myself, except I was overloaded and the 4 kids I had on board were really asking me non stop questions and at one point I just told them to shut up. Later I apologized and one of them said, oh it's ok, people tell us to shut up all the time. that's as much as I can write about it. I have to walk my dog and go back to work. I did get my bus back to the garage, but their system for repairing our buses is not very efficient. I'll be surprised if I get my bus back today or if they dealt with all the issues I am having with it, since well. We have a book where we go over our systems before operating our buses and if there are any problems we are supposed to write them down. I was told they would be reviewed and addressed. Now there are 200 buses and there must be a huge back log, because non of my issues the very ones that occurred today have been repaired. I'm just FRUSTRATED working for so little and having more responsibility than should expected.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
ON the way to the laundry mat...
Just a short note since I am on my way to the laundry. I wrote a short letter this morning to the Rosie Setzers office outlining my concerns with the Bus zones at PPS.
I wrote it because it is the next step after having presented my concerns to the company I work for and the PPS superintendent's office and being told to stop bringing this to their attention.
You know, we can only put up with so much bullshit. My bullshit meter is filled up after working for this outfit now almost two school years. And the school district is complacent in their enforcing or working with the city to prevent the abuses that occur at the school zones with the city. I've talked to, written letters and sent pictures of the bus zones. If they refuse to act, there is the PB, City Council transportation member who used to be the now mayor and the newspapers of course, but I hesitate to bring issues of this nature there.
The school district doesn't want to piss off the parents or students, but safety neglected does more than piss people off. An avoidable accident occurs and the blame finger starts pointing. If it has anything at all to do with a driver of a bus, we are are the biggest targets. Never mind that the school or the district or the company didn't follow their own rules, we are expendable as far as they are concerned. There are thousands of people waiting to take our places, hungry to work and if there is a reason, we will be gone and perhaps prosecuted as well.
Of course, that is just projecting one scenerio. There are many to consider.
Just the other day, Friday, one of the busiest days of the week, I saw a student all excited to be going somewhere that her ride a private vehicle double parked in the traffic lane when attempting to enter the car fell flat on the ground. Her friend was very concerned because the girl that fell wasn't getting up. At that time there was a double tanker gasoline truck behind them that was tired of waiting and he crossed the double yellow line at an intersection with a crosswalk to pass the car. What are these people thinking? Everyone of the vehicles at that intersection was violating one traffic law or another.
The school district thinks their traffic plan is ok and I disagree. With my email and picture to the PB I am attempting to bring serious issues to someone who has the authority to take some action. I'm just hoping they send out an unmarked car to sit across the street to observe for a couple of days to decide if my issues have validity. If I'm concerned, there must be others. Here is just one of several trucks pulling onto NW Salmon at the bus loading zone because they can't drive through the tunnel on 26 west bound because of a fire danger, so they drive by the school to drive over the hill the tunnel goes through in order to get to the other side and apparently this is the most drivable route. Of course, one might think that 1000 or so of Portland's high school students don't deserve the same considerations as people driving through a tunnel, but I certainly think there is grave concern.
I wrote it because it is the next step after having presented my concerns to the company I work for and the PPS superintendent's office and being told to stop bringing this to their attention.
You know, we can only put up with so much bullshit. My bullshit meter is filled up after working for this outfit now almost two school years. And the school district is complacent in their enforcing or working with the city to prevent the abuses that occur at the school zones with the city. I've talked to, written letters and sent pictures of the bus zones. If they refuse to act, there is the PB, City Council transportation member who used to be the now mayor and the newspapers of course, but I hesitate to bring issues of this nature there.
The school district doesn't want to piss off the parents or students, but safety neglected does more than piss people off. An avoidable accident occurs and the blame finger starts pointing. If it has anything at all to do with a driver of a bus, we are are the biggest targets. Never mind that the school or the district or the company didn't follow their own rules, we are expendable as far as they are concerned. There are thousands of people waiting to take our places, hungry to work and if there is a reason, we will be gone and perhaps prosecuted as well.
Of course, that is just projecting one scenerio. There are many to consider.
Just the other day, Friday, one of the busiest days of the week, I saw a student all excited to be going somewhere that her ride a private vehicle double parked in the traffic lane when attempting to enter the car fell flat on the ground. Her friend was very concerned because the girl that fell wasn't getting up. At that time there was a double tanker gasoline truck behind them that was tired of waiting and he crossed the double yellow line at an intersection with a crosswalk to pass the car. What are these people thinking? Everyone of the vehicles at that intersection was violating one traffic law or another.
The school district thinks their traffic plan is ok and I disagree. With my email and picture to the PB I am attempting to bring serious issues to someone who has the authority to take some action. I'm just hoping they send out an unmarked car to sit across the street to observe for a couple of days to decide if my issues have validity. If I'm concerned, there must be others. Here is just one of several trucks pulling onto NW Salmon at the bus loading zone because they can't drive through the tunnel on 26 west bound because of a fire danger, so they drive by the school to drive over the hill the tunnel goes through in order to get to the other side and apparently this is the most drivable route. Of course, one might think that 1000 or so of Portland's high school students don't deserve the same considerations as people driving through a tunnel, but I certainly think there is grave concern.
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