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[MA] MBTA bans possession of cell phones on the job

 
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RailBus63
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PostPosted: Sun May 10, 2009 5:35 am    Post subject: [MA] MBTA bans possession of cell phones on the job Reply with quote

Boston Globe - T to ban workers' phone use on the job

Quote:
The general manager of the MBTA yesterday said he would ban on-the-job possession of cellphones by T operators and would fire anyone caught carrying a phone, pager, or similar device. Officials believe the ban would be the first of its kind in the country.

"Leave it at home. Leave it in your car. Leave it with a friend. Leave it in a locker. But you are not to get on board that bus or [train or trolley] and have a cellphone on your person or in the cab. Period," said Daniel A. Grabauskas. "This is going to be a zero-tolerance policy."

The proposed rule came less than a day after a Green Line operator told investigators from his hospital bed that he was tapping out a text message to his girlfriend just before his trolley slammed into the back of another on Friday night. The crash injured dozens of passengers, derailed both trains, and caused the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to suspend service at Government Center.

Grabauskas worked with state Transportation Secretary James A. Aloisi Jr. and Stephan G. MacDougall, the president of Boston Carmen's Union, to develop the policy. It will be implemented this week, after the T informs employees about it, he said.

The no-phone order would replace a policy allowing drivers to carry cellphones but banning them from talking or texting while on the road or tracks. That policy, created in 2000, calls for a three-day suspension for the first offense - though Grabauskas has the right to fire violators. He said he would terminate the driver in Friday's accident as early as this week, provided the final investigation confirms initial findings.


Quote:
"We don't need to learn any more lessons about this," said Aloisi, who predicted that other states and transit agencies would follow the MBTA's lead. "There's no question in my mind that the initiative that we're undertaking to prohibit the possession of these devices is absolutely the right thing to do and, frankly, overdue."

Officials and union leaders said the policy would not compromise communications in an emergency because cabs are equipped with radios and emergency call buttons.


I have to disagree with the union official here - based on my experience when riding and photographing MBTA vehicles, cell phone usage by operators was bordering on a serious problem:

Quote:
MacDougall said that he considered texting-while-driving inexcusable and that the vast majority of the T's nearly 2,400 bus, trolley, and subway operators would never talk on the phone or text on the job.

"This is not some rampant kind of culture that exists with MBTA bus drivers, trolley drivers, train motor persons. This is the act of an individual that was reckless and callous," said MacDougall, who called the rule change "the right thing to do."


Click on the link above to read the full article.
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Dieseljim
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PostPosted: Sun May 10, 2009 6:09 am    Post subject: Get Rid of the Cell Phones Reply with quote

Not only should the drivers and train operators not have cell phones, but neither should the passengers for that matter. That Maryland MTA driver on the 17 bus I rode on could have rearended someone ans sent me through the windshield, the way he was yakking it up on his cell. On the aforementioned Greyhound trip I mentioned in a posting elsewhere, the guy's cellphone ringer, more than anything was annoying to the driver and also could have led to an accident. Restrictions on these damn things should apply to passengers as well.
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Bill D




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Location: Waterbury, CT

PostPosted: Sun May 10, 2009 12:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another quote in the article from the union official:

Quote:
Given "the high level of reliance on the human condition" on the Green Line, MacDougall said, "we need to make certain that we have the public confidence and the public feels safe that everyone who comes to work everyday to operate a Green Line vehicle, a bus, a dual-mode vehicle, a trackless trolley, or a train is operating that vehicle as if their own children, their own spouse, their own grandparents were on that car."


There has been a lot of the discussion about the lack of automatic safety systems to stop the trains on the Green Line, but the fact is, if the operator is concentrating on doing their job, and not distracted by cell phones or other matters, then there is no safety issue.

While it is the union official's job to stand up for the rank and file, the writting is obviously on the wall regarding cell phone use, and I'm sure that this has been an ongoing discussion between the union and management, as evidenced by how quickly the new rule was argeed to.

If the rule is not enforced, the public should demand accountability from the MBTA management, as well as their elected officials.

Bill
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RailBus63
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PostPosted: Sun May 10, 2009 10:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm not sure what's going on with the Green Line. Growing up in Boston, there were always the occasional accidents, but it seems to have really gotten out of hand in the past ten to fifteen years. I believe that what we are seeing is partially the result of changes in the way the MBTA hires operating personnel. The former system involved political connections and favored white males, but I believe that the resulting employees exhibited a higher level of professionalism. Since the 1970's, the MBTA has utilized a lottery system that is strictly engineered to bring in women and minorities. I'm not saying that those candidates cannot be trained to be professional operators, but my anecdotal experiences lead me to believe that things have changed for the worse. The MBTA was also utilized by several governors as part of the commonwealth's 'Welfare to Work' program and some of those hires were given operating positions. Riding and photographing the system over the years, I've had numerous moments where I just can't believe how some of the people I see driving buses and trains for the T ever got hired.

The accident problems have also been made worse by the fact that today's articulated light-rail cars are much heavier and operate at higher speeds than the PCC cars which once operated along the line. Despite decades of supposed safety improvements, today's accidents seem to cause far more damage and involve many more injured people.
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Bill D




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Location: Waterbury, CT

PostPosted: Mon May 11, 2009 3:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

RailBus63 wrote:
... I've had numerous moments where I just can't believe how some of the people I see driving buses and trains for the T ever got hired.


I suspect that this is not unique to the T. I look at other systems, including my own place of employement, and see a different type of attitude than was seen years ago. It seems that management has lowered the standards that are expected from their employees, but still are unhappy to hear complaints from the passengers. I suspect that this is an industry wide problem, but to be fair, there are stilll many employees that do perform their duties in a professional manner. I believe that this has more to do with the individuals attitude towards the job rather than how they were trained to do it.

Bill
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