Bus needs elbow grease.
In a recent post
(http://bikenazi.blogspot.com/2008/12/boise-bus-tale.html), Bikeboy
notes the oft-cited shortcomings of the Boise bus system, acknowleging
the lack of funding for large-scale improvement. Commenters discuss
whether or not free rides would increase ridership. I share Bikeboy's
cynicism on that point, but that's not the idea I want to take up
today. Today I want to complain about the Bus.
But first...
My Dad is a person who never does anything "adequately." He has always
held the position that you often don't need to invest money to improve
or replace something because there's usually plenty of free
"elbow-grease" that could -- and should -- be done anyway. As you can
imagine, as a very young lad, I frequently ran afoul of this attitude.
Happily for both my Dad and me, I eventually absorbed much of his
concept, and it has always served me well.
Several years ago I worked for a brilliant local business owner who,
among a very large bag of business philosophical concepts, has one he
calls "Above Zero Work" (AZW). Most people work in the "up to zero"
realm -- they do just what is expected of them, and not one gram more.
AZW is a fancier term for my dad's idea that everyone should try to do
just a little more than is expected, and to put just a little more
elbow grease into everything one does. For my Dad, it's a matter of
person honor and dignity. For my ex-boss, it's a successful model for
employee training.
It's a fact that the Boise bus system needs more money. However, I
think there's some elbow grease they could invest NOW, at no cost,
that would improve the quality of service, increase ridership, and
possibly even increase the general attitude people have of the bus,
which tends to be less than wonderful.
PAPER SIGNS
It is common nowadays to see Boise busses with printed paper signs in
the window announcing the route number. I assume this is due to broken
electronic readerboards. Whatever the reason, I don't dislike the idea
of paper signs in general. They COULD be a great low-tech solution, if
two easy details were taken into account: (1) make 'em larger and (2)
don't double up.
The signs are printed on standard 8.5x11 paper, but the actual route
number is a tiny little thing in the middle. Why not maximize the
printing to use all the available space, and make the sign visible
from afar? Perhaps more annoyingly, bus drivers seem loathe to remove
signs when they swap routes, so you will often see two route signs in
the window at one time. I realize it would take a bit more effort to
swap the sign every time the route actually changes. But this is
precisely the type of "elbow grease" that my Dad would point out
"shows you give a damn about your work."
ANNOUNCING INTERSECTIONS
It is rare to hear drivers announce upcoming route intersections, and
even more rare to hear one that does, do it audibly. I can think of a
single driver (who will appear in my next example as well) who makes a
point of audibly and clearly announcing all route intersections. This
falls squarely into the aforementioned category of "show you give a
damn." And it's free.
FUN DRIVERS
Most of the Boise bus drivers are basically pleasant -- that is to
say, they're not noticeably obnoxious or rude, and operate in the "up
to zero" realm of customer service. The aforementioned driver who
announces all the intersections is also the ONLY one who is truly fun
to ride with. He greets everyone warmly and thanks everyone stepping
off. He cracks an occasional joke, he laughs, and he smiles. My Dad
would like this guy. I'm not saying every driver needs to be a
performer every day. But personality is a very powerful draw.
AND SO...
I offer these three ways that the Bus could be improved today, at no
cost. There are undoubtedly more ways -- I ride the bus on average
once a month or less, and I'm sure daily riders could cite other
improvements that could be made. Share your own "Above Zero" ideas for
the Bus folks as comments here.
