Good Morning.

As 2023 breathes its last, I am personally looking forward to drowning it's sorry ass in a tumbler of gin tomorrow night, just to watch it suffer.


Yes, Trisec has reached that point. I am old, tired and worn out. About the only thing that has brought me any pleasure since about August has been watching the misfortune of others.

A job I once loved has turned into a soul-sucking daily exercise in survival. It's shown no sign of letup, even into the winter. I was completely set up to fail this past Wednesday, and I very nearly did. Just like every other day I've dispatched since cruise season.

Before Thanksgiving, I picked up a side hustle for the winter, knowing that hours are thin in tourism in the first quarter. In just a few days of driving for the new shop, the scales have fallen from my eyes.

Far and away - the new job pays more. MUCH more. Which means there are a lot of drivers. Nobody is stretched thin, and there are plenty of resources on busy days. It makes a difference.

The vehicles are all new and well-maintained. I can find a mechanic easily in the morning if something is not working, and the company prefers that a vehicle doesn't leave the yard if something is wrong with it. It makes a difference.

The work is quite different. Given that it's all for-hire, or MBTA shuttle service when the subway breaks down, There are always happy people out there, looking forward to get on board. Nobody is upset or screaming at me that they've been waiting 5 minutes for a trolley. It makes a difference.

Management at the new gig is also quite different. There is a quiet competence that exudes from the upstairs office, unlike the chaos that is tourism on a busy day. When I leave the yard, I am the commander of my vehicle; nobody tries to micro-manage what I am doing out there. And with the sole exception of the HR person, every single person upstairs has a CDL, and is certified to drive every vehicle. Including the dispatchers, trainer, and the owner. It makes a difference.

And then there is me. I have driven at Yankee Bus for just over two weeks. I came in and played dumb; I sat on board, worked with the trainer, learned my way around, and then blindsided the trainer after he told me that I was pretty good, and he hadn't seen anyone pick things up that quickly in a while. I told him that I too was a trainer; I used to teach people how to drive a trolley, and used to train them on giving the tour. Which sat him back on his seat and he said "oh". THE VERY NEXT DAY, I was out there training a new driver on wheelchair operations. It makes a difference.

And so, today I am going in to trolley-land earlier than my shift. While I am not going to leave outright, I'll be having that conversation today with my boss and the schedule maker.
For the first quarter I'll be cutting back to the bare minimum so I don't lose my tour certifications and driving privileges. I would only be driving tourists one day a week, and perhaps dispatching every now and again.

I already have it in my mind to be done with this. I still want to get a few more paychecks under my belt and do some maths.

But the intangibles have already won the argument for me. Plus, my trusted lieutenants at the trolley have all weighed in with their opinions. At least one of them is interested in following me down the road to see what happens.

Do try to have a Happy New Year out there. The jury is still out on mine.