Packed powder

...
This unattractive lump is snow still melting from the five-day series we had four months ago in January! This picture was taken 17 May behind the Parking Garage on my way to work.

Recall that we had 64" that wild week last January, and don't forget too that Finals Week before had 2 additional feet of snow.

Kudos both to our drivers who had to deal with horrendous conditions this winter and to the Grounds people at the University who worked around the clock, with little sleep, opening up our roads and bus stops!

First BBQ of the Year!

(90) getting his Ketchup fix of the day
unable to describe this picture in fear of sounding inappropriate

(65) getting some yummy grub

The start of a pretty amazing maneuver

Bus 13 started in our neighbors bus bay so our brilliant MCT boys devised a plan to move the bus from one bay to another without leaving the bus barn.

(124) was the helpful spotter who kept bus 13 from destroying the entire bus barn structure





(91) and (124) enjoying their sweeeeet victory!!

(88) brilliantly dodges another photo!



(90)'s beautiful face is finally a part of the slack adjuster...... doesn't he seem so happy about if??Another picture that may be deemed inappropriate if commented on....

(65) ends the BBQ taking a fun short break from her new found authority

Fulltimers return

Mandatory meeting: SATURDAY, 19 SEPTEMBER, is a MANDATORY meeting for all department employees. Those who have a conflict and cannot attend must contact Erin. Time and location TBA.

Friday, 21 August, we'll have a POTLUCK and BBQ, celebrating the return of all our friends and fellow employees, and concluding a very busy and profitable summer. Bring what you can and maybe a buck or two to help pay for the BBQ essentials, and have a grand time! We'll be setting up about 11:30 am Friday.

Point Of Our Policy: Clean the washbay after washing any of our vehicles. If you don't have the time to rinse out the floor and put all equipment back after washing a vehicle, then schedule the wash for another time. Under no circumstances should we leave the washbay dirty.

Van driver certification training will be taking place during all of next week (first week of school) as well as 31 August and 01 September. This means the south portion of the Dome parking lot will be coned off during that time. Please respect those who will be van training and leave them plenty of room to maneuver around that parking lot.

Those van drivers working for MCT who do not yet have a University van certification card will be expected to complete the course themselves as soon as possible. You can sign up for that class by going online to nau dot edu, looking up Transportation Services Center, and clicking on "Van Training."

Major detour: A major detour is coming to Route 2 when San Francisco will be completely closed off to traffic at the Rec Center beginning 14 September and extending for the next several weeks. Transit plans regarding Route 2 buses and Route 2 Express Vans will be discussed soon.

We have been practicing the new Staging departure scheme under 50's direction the past few days. More drills will be taking place with the new hires and returning FTEs this week.

Time cards are due Thursday, 20 August, no later than 10:00 am.

If you have any items for The Slack Adjuster, please submit them to 61.

We finally got the last major striping and curb painting job finished last Friday. Tinsley pullout got the white exclusion line painted after the resurfacing of Knoles adjacent to Tinsley Hall was completed. The final line at Tinsley is dedicated to 77, who loved painting and really misses it.

This offset driveway entrance will be the Communications bus stop for our transit when all the construction is done with the Comm building extension.

In driver news, we've had two more former bus drivers tie the knot. Drivers formerly known as 79C and 84 (was it??) were married over the past weekend. Pictures to come.

In other news, 67 was injured while unicycling last Friday. Luckily, the injury was to her left foot, so she still hasta drive haha. Close one, 67.

Also, current driver and newlywed 84 (pictured below) had surgery to remove some malignancies on his forehead. He is doing fine, and boasted of receiving (how many was it now?) something like 26 stitches during the operation. Ahh, war wounds!

All of our returning summer workers and drivers and our newly returning FTEs, plus the new hires, met with our department manager Erin on Monday. She welcomed us all back and encouraged us to emphasize good customer service as we go about our routes. Thanks for stopping by, Erin!

Finally, driver 96 made a chilling discovery when a massively monster beetle decided to take a hike on him on Monday.

Panicking slightly, he quickly decided to remain calm and to provide the best customer service possible, recalling what our department leader had encouraged us to do earlier this morning.

Nevertheless, 83 found the challenging situation for our slighly panicking driver highly amusing.

In the end, 96 realized it was nearing lunch time, and decided to dispatch the critter in Rambo fashion.

Let them eat cupcakes

Marie is famous for the title blab, but 88 no less. There were a couple dozen of the sticky treats to enjoy at the barn today, courtesy of 88. It was after all her birthday. And someone made sure she couldn't get away with it quietly!

Afterwards, 84 and 88 popped tennis balls, very generously donated to us by Varsity Tennis, for later placement on poles we will be using to train on our Extreme Skillz course at the Dome. The soft balls on top of the poles help protect body damage in the insanely tight training exercises our bus drivers will be attempting in the days ahead!

Announcements and deadlines

Time cards due Thursday, 25 June 2009, by 10 am please. If the office is closed please place your time card in 50's box before the deadline.

Thanks to everyone wishing 61 well while sick over the weekend! Most appreciated!

If you are intending to apply for one of the FTE driver positions just posted, delay no more! One of the positions closes later tonight, 24 June 2009. The other two FTE positions remain open and will continue to accept applications after today.

The big driver news is now public! 84 has announced nuptials to his lovely fiance R. !! A list has been started for all those interested in attending the wedding. See 84 for more info. RSVP to 84 if you will attend and how many there will be in your party NO LATER THAN Tuesday 30 June 2009. Thanks!

Skillz at work. During the Road Xtreme Skillz course, 84 skillfully tucked this bus perfectly next to the curb in one smooth move. This part of the course requires backing around a corner and aligning the bus body parallel to the curb and no farther away from the curb than the concrete gutter. 84 nails this one. Nice job!

Above two photos courtesy of 84

We were fortunate to have an old-timer join us for a week before the National Park Service called him in for their employment. 79C helped us with odd jobs and route driving. Good luck to you on your new post!

We have a new member of the family! Christened Van 520, this sleek and shiny brand-new unit will promote additional service for our customers using The Lumberjack Express and the College-Shop Hop (CCC and Wal-Mart). A big-time THANK YOU goes out to everyone at EMSA for supporting the Transit program and providing the vans and buses to do it!

We broke in two more events this week for this summer's Xtreme Skillz course at the Dome. The first event was the Forward Offset lane maneuver. After a couple tries, 77, 91 and 84 succeeded in snaking through this without tapping a cone. *Cheering section was provided by 87 and 80 at no extra charge*

This was followed by an adaptation of the old CDL Alley Dock, tightened up to make it more challenging. The approach calls for backing a bus into an extremely short "alley" from the driver's side without using any pull-ups. 91 readily shows that it is possible to do, making it look easy, but it is certainly not a cakewalk.

Then we attempted to do what had never before been tried in the history of humankind: An Xtreme Skillz Blind-side Alley Dock. 84 is visible from the driver's seat clearing the pole during backing. (Get a haircut lol.) The feat eludes conquest. Still, we think it is possible.

61 here indicates the elusive geophysical end-goal of the Blind-side Alley Dock.Above photo by 84

Watch for future pictures of the near-impossible Skillz Left Turn and Right Turn to be posted soon right here. Also, two new events, the Excessively Horrible Way Far Beyond Anything Ever Imagined Left Turn and Right Turn, suggested by that lovable sadist 79, will soon be incorporated into the Skillz Maze. Get that adrenaline flowin'!

For Monday

PAINTING OF THE OFFICE

Hopefully, on Monday morning the paint crew from Capital Assets will come in and begin painting the lounge and office. The remaining furniture will have to be removed before that. Conducting business during this time will be difficult at best, please be patient. After the first coat of paint is finished, tile will be laid, then a final touch-up of paint will be completed. When after all that dries (usually in a day) we will begin putting everything back.

OUR PAINT CREW
For those who will be on one of our paint groups, we will begin collecting supplies and will probably start our first job painting the yellow poles on Monday or Tuesday. Dress appropriately: Your clothes and shoes will act like a paint magnet!

BUS LANE SOON!
Soon we will have a dedicated, Bus Rapid Transit bus lane, our first for the campus at large.

At an unspecified date in the not-too-distant future, Pine Knoll drive going westbound between the Forestry driveway and almost up to McConnell drive will be re-striped in order to set aside a bus lane for MCT.

Late last April, Grounds installed signage that will inform vehicle operators of the prohibition of operating in the lane on the north side of the street. This north-side lane will permit occupation only by buses and bicycles; all other traffic (including MCT vans and office cars) will travel westbound in the center lane. The exception will be for vehicles traveling west along Pine Knoll that will be making an immediate right turn into Huffer lane where Mountain Line bus barn is located. It will be important for our drivers operating in the bus lane there to watch carefully for vehicles turning right into Huffer, as well as bicycles using the bus lane.

When the bus-lane project is completed, it will help MCT buses avoid the heavy traffic that occurs during class changes there and will cut three or more minutes from our running times.

CDL TRAINING
CDL training will continue this week, including pre-trip, engine, and undercarriage. If you will be learning the undercarriage systems, please wear grubby clothes and inform the trainer if you would like a hair cover and/or eye goggles (recommended).
VAN TRAINING
Van training is also to continue once we get 123 back from the shop. If you haven't done the Extreme Skillz for Van training yet, we'll set something up soon. Relax. It's easy.
OUR FIRST BBQ
Thanks to everyone for a very nice outdoor bbq last Friday. If you have any ideas for future bbqs on Fridays, let us know.

A POINT OF OUR POLICY
Just to remind all our MCT drivers, regardless of university vehicle, that talking or texting on a cellphone is prohibited. Boston's WCVB-TV 5 reports that a trolley operator who was texting his girlfriend last week did not see another trolley stopped in front of him and crashed, injuring 46 people. Let's not make that horrible mistake.

NEW ENTRANCE
A new entrance is being constructed on Knoles not more than 20 feet north of the University Union bus stop. It will allow vehicles earlier access into the parking lot between Cline Library and the Field House. Once it is open, Route 1 drivers will need to exercise caution for vehicles slowing to turn right into the lot. The driveway into the lot will be one-way eastbound only. This should ease up a significant amount of traffic snarling that normally occurs during class changes at the Library stop sign, and help improve the timeliness of our service a bit.

THANKS
... to everyone for doing such a great job the first week of summer! And don't hesitate to make use of the links on this page, or to submit your own ideas for this Slack Adjuster blog.