Age 52
Title Train operator
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Employer Chicago
Transit Authority
Salary range $12.77-$20.01 per hour
Q. How did you get started in this job?
A. I boarded a bus in the Loop and started talking to the driver. We had been Marines–we’d both served time in Vietnam–and I asked him how I would go about getting the job. He directed me to the Merchandise Mart. There was a gentleman walking in the hallway, and he observed that I still had my Marine fatigues on. We got to talking and he said, “Are you here looking for a job?” I said, “Of course, yes.” I did not know at the time who I was talking to. He was superintendent of transportation.
I filled out the application, and in about two days, I took a test and a physical. Another two days later, they called me down to pick up my badge. That was on Nov. 20, 1970.
Q. Were you always interested in trains?
A. Oh yes. I was born and raised in a rural area, and when we’d go into town, there was this big freight train that would come through, which at that time I was very afraid of. But I’ve always been fascinated by trains.
Q. What’s your educational background?
A. High school [in] Arkansas. A little rural area–you probably wouldn’t find it on the map. After that, I came to Chicago … and I was drafted into the Marine Corps in January 1969.
Q. Do you always work the same routes?
A. Not all the time. I’ve been on this shift (the Yellow Line or Skokie Swift) for about a year. We get “picks” about every four months, and we go by seniority. (With 30 years on the job) I am No. 9 on the list.
Q. Do you have a favorite route that you drive?
A. This is my favorite. I have been with the Yellow for a year now. This is more relaxed, more peace-of-mind. Prior to that, it was the Red Line. It depends on the mood I’m in when I pick. On the Red Line, time goes by fast, and I like the challenges. The Red Line is full of action. You encounter it all on the Red Line. Robberies, you name it, it’s there on the Red Line. But overall the Yellow Line is the line I prefer.
Q. Describe a typical day as a train operator.
A. You encounter so much, the time of the day goes by very, very fast. There’s so much. You deal with the time schedules and the passengers, and assisting the disabled boarding the train. You have to make sure the tracks, the rails, are clear. You always have to be sure that you’re keeping to your schedule. From one end to another, your train will have “time points.” On the Red Line, you have time points at Wilson, Fullerton, Clark and Division, Roosevelt, 35th, and 95th. You have to try to stay as close to the running-time schedule as possible, and sometimes that’s hard to do. You try to make the best of it.
I, for one, am very concerned about my passengers being on time. These people, I see their faces every day. I’m not just out here for the paycheck; I’m concerned about the people, and I mean that wholeheartedly.
Q. You must see a lot from the driver’s seat. What’s something out of the ordinary you’ve encountered?
A. Sometimes you have passengers who commit suicide out here. Not on this route, but on the Brown Line and the Red Line. They just jump in front of the train. I have encountered one in my career here. You have to use a lot of caution in this job.
Q. What have you experienced with changes in the job over the past 30 years?
A. Basically, the rules haven’t changed. It’s the equipment. We didn’t have this equipment here, this speedometer for example; we operated by sight. So it’s a little bit more complicated than it was before, but it’s safer. It’s definitely safer.
Q. What’s the best part about your job?
A. Just meeting the people. The public brings out the light in me. I love dealing with the people. You meet some interesting people out here, co-workers and passengers both. If you work on one line for a long period of time, you see the same people every day, and it’s sort of like a family.
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Q. What’s the worst part?
A. Ahh, dealing with passengers who are impatient and just cannot understand the reason for a delay. You try your best to explain it, and they will in turn use profanity, cursing, whatever. I try to please my passengers as much as possible, and sometimes I think I try a little bit too hard.
Q. What are three qualities essential to doing this job well?
A. Being on time. Patience. Courtesy.
Q. What advice would you give to someone interested in this job?
A. First of all, they’ve got to want it. There are times when you have to come out here and work some holidays.
You qualify for the job by staying as close to the rules as you possibly can. If you practice safe operations, this job will not be a problem.