RTDNovember 1985Volume 13 Number 11

I P Chief James Burgess elaborates on the Transit Law Enforcement Policy Task Force'sgoals and objectives.

Inside This Issue.. .• Earthquake Protection• Great American Smokeout• Director John E Day• Puppies-in-Training• Transit Cops• Roadeo Banquet• The Riverbed• 16 de Septiembre

Board Faces Public on Proposed Fare Hike

The people talk and the Board listens.

The possibility of a reduction in fed-eral operating subsidies led the Boardof Directors to hold a public hearingon September 28 in order to receivepublic testimony on proposed servicecuts and/or fare hikes to be institutedlater this year.

Convened at 10 a.m., the hear-ing provided a forum for the publicprotesting what could be the secondfare hike in the same year. After themany public officials presented theirtestimony, at times the meeting couldhave been described as a crossbetween an encounter group and theGong Show. Angry bus riders heapedscathing criticism on the Board amidpleas for the retention of their particu-lar bus lines in the three minutesallotted each of the speakers.

Among the state and local repre-sentatives giving public testimony

were Assemblywoman Gloria Molina,State Senator Art Torres, and Council-man Mike Woo. Spokespersons repre-senting the blind, disabled, students,single parents, elderly, Network forMental Health Clients, Peace andFreedom Party, National Organizationfor Women — LA Chapter, various citychambers of commerce, and privatecitizens presented testimony.

Kate Wilkerson, speaking on herown behalf, described her difficulty inprocuring a discount bus pass for thedisabled. "I filled out all the necessarypaperwork and delivered it to theRTD. They wrote back telling me I hadto have my head examined. I wroteback saying if I could get my hands onthe head of whoever wrote that letterhe'd have to have his head examinedall over."

Continued on page 3.

Transit Crime Task Force Cover Story

Seeks Funds for Study Dwight Delights in the RTDThe Transit Law Enforcement PolicyTask Force (TLEPTF) was organizedthis summer in response to a studyauthored by two UCLA professors inenvironmental planning, Drs. MartinWachs and Ned Levine. The study,entitled "Factors Affecting the Inci-dence of Bus Crime in Los Angeles,"received much play in the media as itintimated that the RTD underreportedthe incidence of crime on its buses.Later, the Los Angeles Times inferredin an editorial that the RTD tried tocover up its alleged underreporting ofcrime.

In an effort to study the issuesconcerning transit crime, the RTD setup the task force whose membershipincludes representatives from theCounty Board of Supervisors, LosAngeles County Transportation Com-mission, Mayor's Office, Sheriff'sDepartment, Los Angeles PoliceDepartment, District Attorney'sOffice, City Attorney's Office, CityCouncil, and Chamber of Commerce

among others. The active member-ship, in order to cover more ground,has subdivided itself into three func-tioning committees: the technicalcommittee, the interagency manage-ment group, and the policy group.

The goals of the task force, gen-erally, are to develop strategies toreduce the incidence of transit crime;to improve the collection and coordi-nation of transit crime data, its analy-sis and use; and to identify additionalresources for dealing with transitcrime.

It's initial task was to identifyand define the problem. The Wachs-Levine Study promoted a portal-to-portal concept of transit crime. Ineffect, this means that any crime com-mitted against a bus rider occurringfrom the time the rider left home tothe point the rider boarded the buswould fall into the category of transitcrime. According to Transit PoliceChief James Burgess, many of the inci-

Continued on page 2. Division 5 Operators Tommie V. McNeil Ill (left) and William H. Fitzgerald(right) kid around with RTD whiz kid Dwight Ferguson (center).

Many 14-year olds today who ride theRTD can't wait to trade their RTD buspass in for a driver's license. This isnot the case for Dwight Ferguson whoknows all the District bus line num-bers, has his own bus system map,and has at least one copy of everyschedule printed by the District.

When out of school during thesummer, Dwight doesn't run off to thebeach with friends, nor does he playDuran Duran or Wham at supersonicdecibels on the stereo when Mom's offto work. Instead, Dwight usuallyjumps on a RTD bus and cruises downto the Administration Building. Hispractice is to go, first, to the CustomerRelations Department to get the latestupdates on schedules. Then, he pro-ceeds to the Marketing Department toget available new brochures.

Dwight maintains that the rea-son for this interest in the RTD is"'Cause it's something to do."Employees have probably seenDwight from time to time. He wearsan operator's cap and a black-and-white RTD jacket. He's a slender boywith an inquisitive face set off by arather large pair of horn-rimmedglasses. He says his favorite movie isE. T. Having said that, one begins tosee a physical resemblance betweenDwight and the movie's lead characterElliot.

Dwight, the youngest of fourchildren, lives in the city of Bell withhis mother, two brothers, and a sister.His mother doesn't seem to mind hispreoccupation with transit. His fatherargues with him about his choice."My father doesn't like it much

Continued on page 3.

HeadwayPage 2

Transit CrimeTask Force Continued from Page 1

the incidents for the first time."It was obvious that we needed

a definition of what constituted transitcrime," said Burgess. "The Wachs-Levine study included crime en routeto the bus stop. The definitionadopted by the task force differs, inthat it states, Any crime occurring ona publicly owned, operated, orfinanced mass transportation agen-cy's vehicle or at a station or bus stop.'This definition is narrower yet broadenough to cover any future rail devel-opments in the RTD service area."Both Drs. Wachs and Levine, who aremembers of the task force, concurwith the new definition of transitcrime.

To further its goals for increasingthe reporting of transit crime and theprevention of such crimes, the taskforce is applying for an UMTA StudyGrant as well as urging the participat-ing agencies within the task force tocommit funds to complete the study.

"We are looking for positive ben-efits to come out of the task force," saidBurgess. "That is how we can bestfund the study to develop novel meth-ods that will prevent transit crime."

Firefighters Shown HowTo Put Out Bus Fires

dents cited in the Wachs-Levine Studywere not within the jurisdiction of theRTD Transit Police. The study criti-cized the design of bus stops in termsof the safety they offer patrons andsimilar environmental aspects overwhich the RTD Transit Police have nocontrol.

Transit Police Chief James Bur-gess said the reporting of crime by theWachs-Levine Study was done in abroad-brush fashion. "Our crimereporting records all crimes commit-ted on buses. Local crime happens onthe streets, yet, the study includedthat as well!'

The statistics compiled by Wachsand Levine were gathered through arandom sampling telephone survey of1,100 residents in the West and SouthLos Angeles areas. Each person inter-viewed was asked the same series ofquestions. The results of their sam-pling purported a crime rate 30 timesgreater than that which was reported.It was revealed later that a high per-centage of the respondents had neverreported the crimes. The telephonesurvey became a long-neglectedopportunity for the victims to report

The awards for the Operator Recogni-tion Program for the month of Augustwere announced in September. Thepresentations include the Manager's

JIM6 Award and the Sweepstakes Award.The program, begun in February

1985, has as its purpose to recognizeand reward the many bus operatorswho consistently perform in an out-standing manner.

The theme of the program is "InPursuit of Excellence!' Those opera-tors excelling in their pursuits arelisted below.

MANAGER'S AWARDDivision Recipient

3201

Bonifacio H. Campa3202

Felix G. Rubio3203

Braxton C. Shankle3205

Verena M. Stewart3206

Walter F. Scott3207

Robert P. Solomon3208

Juan D. Moya3209

Edward L. Messner

The Personnel Department's BenefitsSection is in transition from its olddata processing system to its new hightech system. Until the system isinstalled and functional, the sectionwill not send out bills for retiree lifeinsurance for the next three months.

Pension and Benefits ManagerEdward G. Paull assures retirees thatthe District will not cancel anyone'slife insurance benefits. "Assuming theworst;' said Paull, "absolutely no oneshould be concerned about not get-ting a bill until the end of February1986. If they do not get a bill by thattime, they should call the life insur-

3210

Cresencio Rodriguez3212

Major McKay3215

Richard P. Jones3216

John H. Boles3218

Paul Charles

SWEEPSTAKES AWARDDivision Winner

3201 Gwynette M. Edwards3202 Ralph H. Willys

Joseph Curtis3203 Phillip A. Trevino3205 Zakiyyah W. Salaam

Francis L. Lakey3206 Donald R. Cleveland3207 Kervin M. Bryant

Carter M. Norwood3208 Cesar S. De Guzman3209 George A. Dixon

Lloyd R. Gilland3210 Huie L. Allen3212 Robert E. Bushong3215 Arthur S. Wake3216 Samuel A. Reynolds3218 Darrell D. Wuest

ance desk at (213) 972-6381."Retirees' benefits would only be

cancelled if they failed to pay theirbills, as presented, after the second orthird notice has been sent. If Districtmail is not reaching retirees, they arerequested to call the life insurancedesk to report a correct address. Retir-ees can assume the District has theircorrect address if they are receivingthe Headway.

The carrier of the life insurance,Allstate, recently printed a newbooklet/certificate. Copies are availa-ble by calling the life insurance desk.The Group Policy Number is 6440-0624L.

Los Angeles Firefighters met withSafety Department Director Joseph G.Reyes at Division 3 on September 7 tolearn about the design and mechani-cal operation of District buses, shouldthey ever be called to a bus fire inci-dent.

Four buses were made availablefor viewing by the firefighters. Theseincluded a Neoplan, GMC RTS, MiniBus, and 7400 series.

"This is part of our outreach andinformation exchange program withother agencies," said Reyes. "We willbe doing this on an ongoing basis sothat we reach every fire precinct thatservices the District."

The firefighters were takenthrough the buses to view the exitsand emergency exits on the differentbuses, and around the periphery ofthe buses for location of fuel tanks,battery compartments, and emer-gency engine shut-off switches.

Major fire incident consider-ations, causes, and fire-fighting strat-egies were discussed. Causesincluded the common source of fire —an electrical malfunction; brakes andtires; fuel leaks; seats and interior; or aroadway of fire.

After completion of the trainingdrill, Reyes commented that "Thepayback here is that with an informal

The first of the newly rehabilitated4300 series buses was on display at theDistrict Administration Building Sep-tember 12.

Originally manufactured by theFlxible Corporation in 1973, the 4300series have proven to be some of themost dependable and economicalvehicles ever operated at the District.These buses are 35 feet in length, 96inches wide, are equipped with 45seats, and air-conditioned.

The retrofiting of these busesrepresents a cost savings to the Dis-trict as the buses are given a five-yearextension of life for $55,000 per bus.New buses in this size range wouldcost approximately $155,000 each for alife of 10 to 12 years. Added to the sav-ings are the bus' dependability, econ-omy, and versatility. The rehabilita-tion project, begun in August at SouthPark under the direction of AssistantSuperintendent Larry Lennihan, willcontinue through August 1986. Thirtybuses will be rehabilitated during thattime.

The newly rebuilt Flxible 4300 series.

overview on how a bus works thesefirefighters can quell a fire and rescueoccupants more efficiently. Secondly,it will reduce damage to busesbecause now they won't have to usecrowbars to open the doors to get tothe cause of the fire."

Safety Director Joseph G. Reyes showsLos Angeles firefighters the engine shut-down switch on a Neoplan bus. The spe-cial bus training drill was held atDivision 3 on September 7, to familiarizefirefighters with the design and mechani-cal operation of RTD buses, should theyever be called to a bus fire incident.

South Park's Systems Group SupervisorJohn McBryan and Mechanic A HarveyRobles unveil a newly rehabilitated 4300Flxible at the Administration BuildingSeptember 12. Here they point out therebuilt engine.

RTD's Top OperatorsNamed For August

Benefits' DP SystemDelays InsuranceBilling

Flxible 4300 SeriesRides Again AfterRetrofit

Headway Page 3

Public Fare Hearing

Dwight RTD Whiz Kid

continuedfrompage 1

Another woman, speaking upfor her plight as a single mother andangry over the proposed cancellationof her bus line, blasted the Boardwith, "I need the bus to get to workand support my children. And, let metell you, this is one woman who wantsto work and not go on welfare."

The proposed service cuts and/or bus hikes are in anticipation of fed-eral budget cuts of up to $9.5 millionin annual operating dollars allocatedto the District.

General Manager John A. Dyersaid fare hikes could range between 5to 10 cents added to the current busfare. "While it is an unpleasant task tobring these proposals before the pub-lic, this process is necessary to posi-tion the District against possiblefuture federal budget cuts." Congresshas left the District's federal subsidyintact; however, Dyer said he stillexpects some cuts in federal funding.

A total of 51 lines that presentlyoperate on weekdays, Saturdays,and/or Sundays are under consider-ation for elimination. The proposedcuts would affect approximately 5.1million boardings annually, about onepercent of the District's annualboardings. The 51 lines were selectedbased solely on the operating ratio,passenger revenue as a percentage ofoperating cost.

"These affected lines generate$17.5 million in total annual operatingcosts and require over $14.5 million insubsidy, representing an 84 percentsubsidy ratio. They are the least costeffective when compared to otherlines in the system," said Dyer.

Dyer noted, "If Congress doesnot reduce mass transit funds this fall,the service cuts and/or fare hikes willnot be necessary, or they can bedownscaled if the federal cuts are notas deep as expected."

If eliminated, the lines wouldsave the District $5 million this fiscalyear in operating costs, or $10 millionon an annual basis.

Board President Nick Patsaourassaid he hoped the 84 cities in LosAngeles County and the Board ofSupervisors will pledge at least a por-tion of their Proposition A tax moneyto help the District balance its budget."The cities and county have availableas much as $150 million in unspentlocal Proposition A transit tax funds,"said Patsaouras.

"If our partners in transit justdedicated the interest on that money,we could withstand a $5 million to $7million cut in federal funding and stillmaintain current District bus fares andservice," Patsaouras added.

The Los Angeles County Trans-portation Commission (LACTC)administers the allocation of Proposi-tion A funds. Proposition A moniesavailable to the cities ($75 million) or tothe LACTC for discretionary use ($120million) could be used to offset the $10million the District expects to lose infederal dollars, providing the LACTCapproves the expenditure.

Dyer said he is optimistic thatthe cities will supply the money. "It isjust too important to the area," hesaid.

The Board heard from:

The poor

Assemblywoman Gloria Molina

Councilman Mike Woo

State Senator Art Torres

Continued from page 1.because he thinks the Santa Monicabus line, you know, the blue buses,are better," he said.

Your average 14-year old stands agood chance at getting hopelessly lostif he travels alone outside his neigh-borhood. Dwight usually travels thelines by himself and can get himself toany point within the 2,280-square-mile area served by the RTD. Dwight'stravels on the RTD have taken him toCypress Gardens, San Bernardino,Riverside, Redondo Beach, HermosaBeach, Manhattan Beach, and LongBeach, just to mention a few. Essen-tially, if the RTD goes there, so canDwight.

In fact, Dwight is so knowledge-able about the RTD that when he is atLAX he pitches in and tries to helppeople who are looking at the RTDbus map. "I just go up and tell themhow to get to certain places," he said.

It isn't only passengers thatDwight has kept on course. Division 5Operator Tommie V. McNeil III recallshis first day on Line 439. "This kid is alifesaver. He really helped me out. Hehas every schedule, so he knowsevery line. He sat up close to me andstarted by telling me to turn left onMarine because there were no stops. Iwouldn't have made it without him,"said McNeil.

Dwight expanded his knowl-edge of the District by talking to opera-tors. He'll tell you proudly that heknows about all the controls on a bus."I know how to start it, where thesilent alarm switch is, and prettymuch about most of the equipment. Ieven know how to punch transfers."

Like many 14-year-olds, Dwightis an avid video-gamester. It did nottake him long to discover the videogames at the divisions. His favoritegames are Ms. Pacman and Centi-pede.

His favorite division for videomachines is Division 5. He adds thatmost of his best bus operator friendsare out of Division 5.

Dwight remembers that he firstbecame interested in public transitabout 2-1/2 years ago when he begantaking the bus to school. "The driverswere friendly. So, I just started ridingall over the place after I met them."But, he states, his interest lagged for aperiod in 1984 after being hit by anRTD bus. The bus was only going 5miles an hour. Dwight was standing atthe bus stop when the bus made a leftturn and its back corner jumped thecurb and struck him. Dwight was notseriously injured and bears no hardfeelings. "It wasn't the RTD's fault,the driver just didn't know how todrive. But . . . it did turn me off forabout a year. Around January or Feb-ruary of 1985, though, I started gettinginterested in the RTD again."

Is Dwight interested in a careerin public transit? It appears that hisinterest in his career goals waxes andwanes between being the generalmanager or an operator. When lastasked, Dwight responded, "Yes, Iwant to be an operator to help put methrough college. But, what I reallywant to be is a paramedic." Dwightadds his current favorite TV show isEmergency, about, what else, para-medics.

The senior citizens

The students

The unemployed

HeadwayPage 4

To Your HealthOsteoporosis The American Epidemic

6 AK? reffOsteoporosis is an epidemic in theUnited States. It has no early symp-toms and it hits without warning.

Persons most at risk are:1. All women over 45 who do not

get enough calcium in their diets.2. Women who have had hyster-

ectomies before going through meno-pause.

3. Persons who smoke heavily.Osteoporosis is a condition

where the bones are stripped of cal-cium and for some reason the calciumis not replaced, leaving weak bonesthat can easily bend or break.

Bone is living tissue which likeall other living tissue, is constantlybreaking down thus in need of con-stant buildup and repairing. Nor-mally, and when you eat nutritionally,the body is supplied with enough cal-cium to build and repair our bonesunder normal activities. Between 8 to27 percent of all the bones in the bodyare renewed annually.

Bones are made up of a combina-tion of materials with calcium andphosphorus giving the hardness anda lattice work of protein for flexibility.All together the main ingredients aswell as the other vitamins and miner-als make for a sturdy straight body —if all things go right. As we become

by Elia HagerVisiting Nurse

less active and our bodies age we losethe ability to use calcium and repairour bones.

When women reach menopausethey no longer secrete estrogen at thelevels needed to use calcium for bonerepair. Some women will becomestoop shouldered and shorter becausetheir bones have compressed orbecome misshapen because ofosteoporosis.

Activity levels decline as we age;

this can also cause osteoporosis. Thebody needs gravity and exercise to usecalcium. Long muscle activity likepowerwalking is needed to lay downcalcium and phosphorus as well asadequate levels of vitamins A and D. Itis important to consume enough cal-cium to supply the body's dailyneeds. This may pose a problem tosome who are milk intolerant or whodo not like milk. Those who have thisproblem will have to rely on calciumsupplements. Check with your physi-cian to ascertain the amount of cal-cium you should be taking daily.

Remember:Don't allow osteoporosis to come intoyour life:

1. Eat well throughout your life-time.

2. If you don't or can't drinkmilk, take calcium supplements.

3. Have regular medical check-ups.

4. Get a little sunshine — Vita-mins A and D are generated by thesun's action on the skin and withoutthese vitamins you cannot use the cal-cium you have eaten for bone repairand renewal.

5. Exercise for the enjoyment of afulfilled life and to stimulate bonerenewal.

Set aside November 21 for participa-tion in the National Great AmericanSmokeout. This is your day to survivewithout a cigarette, to prove to your-self YOU CAN! The great AmericanSmokeout is now in its ninth year asan annual, nationwide celebration.On this day, smokers give up ciga-rettes for 24 hours beginning mid-night Thursday A.M. to midnightThursday P.M.

This mass movement by smok-ers to give up cigarettes was begun byLynn R. Smith, editor of the Monti-cello, Minnesota Times in 1974 in hisown home. Smith's idea, "D-Day"quickly spread throughout Minne-sota. In 1976 it spread to Californiawhere it became known as the GreatAmerican Smokeout.

In 1977, the Smokeout wasobserved for the first time nationwideand it is now sponsored by the Ameri-can Cancer Society.

The RTD will join this celebra-tion with posters, survival kits, andadoption papers so non-smokers canadopt and assist a smoker to survivethe Great American Smokeout instyle. Kits and adoption papers will beavailable at divisions and in theAdministration Building. Anyonewanting or needing additional sup-plies of either can call 6450 or 6674.

RTD Buildings Are 'Structurally Sound' Says SafetyAn interview with Joseph G. Reyes,director of the Safety Department atthe RTD, regarding earthquakes andother District emergencies is a reas-suring experience. Reyes takes painsto be thorough and complete in hisexplanations and answers.

Reyes explained that the Districtmust be ready to deal with two majortypes of emergencies. One type isexternal and relates to the communityas a whole, the other type is an inter-nal emergency affecting only the Dis-trict. When considering internalemergencies the District must be con-cerned with preserving its resources,consisting of fixed facilities, rollingstock, and one of primary concern,human resources. Measures andplans to preserve resources must alsobe cost effective.

To preserve its human resources,the District has taken several steps.One of them is the development anddistribution of a booklet entitled Emer-gency Procedures in the Work Place.Already in process is a follow-upbooklet entitled Emergency Proceduresin the Home.

In the Administration Building,each floor contains a team of emer-gency monitors to provide assistancein the event of an emergency. Eachfloor is liberally supplied with flash-lights in case windowless floors areplunged into darkness by an electricalbreakdown. Potable water is availablein the many water coolers locatedaround the building. In addition, thebuilding has an emergency telephonesystem independent of a commercialtelephone company so that all depart-ments can be in contact. With this

internal communication setup, evacu-ations, and other measures necessary,can be carried out in an orderly man-ner. There are plans to expand this tel-ephone system and to incorporateradio communication as a back-up. Agrant has allowed this work to com-mence. Each telephone has beengiven a sticker with the emergencynumber 6371 which taps into thepolice dispatcher for emergency pro-cedure knowledge.

The Administration Buildingwas originally selected because it is astructurally sound building. It is "acitadel of reinforced steel and concretewith a minimal number of windows."The prior building on Broadway wasnot reinforced and had various otherdeficiencies. It was decided to move tothe Main St. address to upgrade thelevel of corporate safety after a studyof the security of District facilities inthe seventies. "The bottom line is thatthis building is in pretty good shape asfar as facilities go," said Reyes.

Regarding the structure andsafety of all RTD facilities, Reyesassures employees that the majority ofour facilities are structurally soundand reinforced to meet current earth-quake regulations. Reconstruction,renovation, and modernization effortshave brought District facilities such asDivisions 2, 3, 5, 12, and 14 up to cur-rent codes. Plans are made for Divi-sion 1 to upgrade the physical plant tomeet code requirements. New facili-ties which include Divisions 7, 8, 15,and 18 were designed to meet applica-ble codes and to exceed some require-ments. The District's low profile, one-and two-story buildings for divisionfacilities make it much easier to

address the problems of designs foremergency preparedness, fire sup-pression, and evacuations.

Such buildings would sustain aminimal amount of damage especiallyas compared to taller buildings. TheDistrict continues to upgrade orreconstruct to meet the most stringentrequirements.

Procedures to address and han-dle emergency events will be madeavailable to all managers and employ-ees. Representatives from mainte-nance are involved in going overpreliminary plans for incorporationinto emergency plan procedures.

Few people realize the RTD isinvolved in some form of emergencyprocedure on an almost daily basis.The RTD is part of a network whichcoordinates plans to deal with thatother major area of concern, externalemergencies in the community atlarge. These emergencies may includecommunity fires, chemical spills, civildisorders, flooded areas or areasneeding immediate evacuation. Inaddition to coordinating plans withexternal agencies to provide supportwhen needed, the District is also partof a mutual aid network with otherpublic agencies which provides for anexchange of available resources tocombat the effects of emergencies.The District also maintains direct lineswith the Emergency PreparednessCommission of the city and county ofLos Angeles and with the State of Cal-ifornia Office of Emergency Serviceswhich facilitates the handling of wide-spread emergencies. The District isalso tied into the Federal EmergencyAgency.

Reyes states that he and hisdepartment feel comfortable enoughwith building structures to concen-trate on employee education andtraining. Their goal is to have employ-ees well prepared in advance to knowwhat emergencies may take place,and to have a common sense feel forthe event and what to expect, what todo, and when and with whom to com-municate.

In January, the Safety Depart-ment will begin training sessions forall RTD facilities on a scheduled basisteaching techniques for evacuation,fire suppression, and emergencycommunications. The key to all train-ing is the philosophy of self-preservation or the protection of theDistrict's most important resource,the employees. The process will neverbe completed. Safety will continue toup-grade and fine-tune techniquesapplicable to all disasters and emer-gencies: techniques for crowd control,evacuation, flooding, gas leaks, highwinds, etc. Plans established to han-dle earthquakes and fires are usefulfor other emergencies as well.

Director Day meets with bus rider Kay Wilkerson at the September 28 fare hearing.

RTD Ski ClubTaking ApplicationsThe RTD Ski Club is off and running for the '85-'86 ski season, and we'd likeyou to join us. The club, now in its second season, invites all interested RTDemployees to share in the excitement of downhill skiing. Some of our activitiesthis season (about November 25 to April 20) will be 2 trips to Mammoth,December 6, 7, 8 and March 14, 15, 16. Plus a first for our club: a 3 day trip toUtah during the first week in February. Also in the works is a spring ski trip toTahoe.

We welcome all employees to join the club, regardless of your skiing abil-ity. From non-skiers to experts, you can enjoy this popular sport and meet a lotof interesting people at the same time. If you would like to join the Ski Club,please fill out the form below and return it through the company mail to: RTDSki Club, Dept. 8100.

For further information, give us a call: Sun Son — X3266, Paulette Cun-ningham — X3422 or Kristin Duncan — X3624.

Come share the joy of skiing with us!

PHONE

PHONE (

SEND THIS APPLICATION, WITH CHECK OR MONEY ORDER FOR$15 MADE OUT TU "RTD SKI CLUB" THRU THE COMPANY MAIL

TO: RTD SKI CLUB, DEPT. 8100

Would you like to serve on the Volunteer Committee! Yes ❑ No ❑L

RTD SKI CLUB APPLICATION

Please Print

NAME

WORK STATION

HOME ADDRESS

CITY ZIP

Page 5Headway

Day Makes Transportation AccessibleRTD Board Director John F. Day, orrather Jack Day he will tell you as hisface brightens with an endearing che-rubic smile, has a manner of plainspeaking about politics and hisinvolvement that reminds one ofJimmy Stewart's character in themovie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

He describes himself as just an"ordinary individual." Bui for just anordinary guy, he's managed to accom-plish a bit closely approaching theextraordinary.

Day began his life in public serv-ice 8 years ago when he was firstelected to the Glendale City Council.He became interested in the publicoffice because he felt there werethings that needed doing in the City ofGlendale. "I knew it would be easierto do them from the inside rather thanfrom the outside," he said.

Since then, Day has served aterm as Mayor of Glendale. In April ofthis year, he began his third four-yearterm as a councilman for the City ofGlendale.

On the RTD Board of Directors,Day represents RTD's northern serv-ice area including the cities of Glen-dale, Burbank, San Fernando,Hidden Hills, La Canada-Flintridge,Agoura, and Westlake Village.

He will tell you he wasn't alwaysinterested in transit. In fact, it wasn'tuntil he was elected to the RTD Boardin 1982 that he realized "the profoundeffect that transit has on Los Angeles."

Once a working member of theBoard, Day adopted the philosophythat you can't know all about every-thing. It was then that he decided tospecialize in the area he felt was mostneglected by the District — accessibletransportation. "The disabled peopleweren't being served. Lifts weren'tworking, buses weren't beingassigned that were accessible, and wehad a citizen's advisory committeethat was functioning but not verywell. They weren't getting anywherewith the District!'

At his urging, an Ad Hoc Com-mittee on Transportation composed offour other board members wasformed in 1983. By the end of thatyear, the District was operating acces-sible buses on 147 routes. Since then,accessible transportation has becomea priority item among the District'sgoals and objectives. Today, the Dis-trict has well over 1,500 accessiblebuses. Out of 245 total lines, 180 aredesignated accessible routes. "Thisgroup focuses on the problems and

solutions having to do with this issue.We have been, I think, very successfulin this effort. This may be the crown-ing achievement of my life, at least upto this point. We saw the need, weresponded to it, and were able to effectsome changes for the better," said Day.

Day has visited the headquartersof the American Disabled for Accessi-ble Public Transportation (ADAPT) inDenver, Colorado on several occa-sions to confer with its organizers. "Iwanted to let them know that some-one at this District cared about theirproblems and needs and was doingsomething about it." Day said he firstbecame concerned about the groupwhen he attended the American Pub-lic Transportation Association AnnualMeeting in Washington last year. "Isaw demonstrators in wheelchairsbeing arrested for engaging in civildisobedience. I thought that if therewas some way I could prevent that, Iwould try."

ADAPT members were protest-ing the actions, or, "inactions,"according to Day, which were beingtaken by APTA. "I believe they have alegitimate gripe against APTA," hesaid. Further, Day offered the ADAPTorganizers his support and promisedto use whatever influence he couldwithin APTA to help.

Day strongly believes that thereneeds to be changes made in the atti-tude of APTA in their approach to thedisabled. "Their approach, at themoment, is one of benign neglect. Itstarts at the top as far as the bureauc-racy is concerned and filters downonto their board of directors andmembers. As far as I'm concerned,I'm not going to let them neglect itanymore!"

Following on that note, Day'sintensity dissolves and his face lightsup with the sheer delight of satisfac-tion. He chuckles, and says, "I lovebeing on the Board of Directors. Thisis probably the most fascinating jobI've ever had. There are so many facetsto it — the short, medium, and long-term implications to what we aredoing and how we are doing it .. .There's no end of excitement."

Day's excitement is furtherheightened by what he perceives to bethe profound impact of transit on

Halley's CometNo SpectacleThe most famous of all comets —Comet Halley — will make itsnext visit to the inner part of the SolarSystem in 1985 and 1986. The cometcan sometimes be very spectacular toearthbound viewers, as it was the lasttime it came around in late 1909 andmuch of 1910.

This time, however, conditionswill not be so favorable. Indeed, at thetime when the comet is closest to thesun (February 9, 1986), it will be on theopposite side of the sun from theearth, making it impossible for us tosee it. The comet should be visible butinconspicuous in the western skyafter sunset in December, 1985, andJanuary, 1986. After passing behindthe sun in February, 1986, it will be inthe morning sky in March and April ofthat year.

every citizen's life. "People in this cityare transit dependent. Those whodrive their cars don't believe it, butthey are. Transit affects their liveseither for the better or for the worse.This will become increasingly clearerto everyone in time. The freeways theywill attempt to get on by the year 2000will not move or will move at a veryslow pace. Caltrans estimates that thefreeway system in the downtown areawill have an average speed of 15 milesper hour. It's absurd."

"There's no way we could putadditional buses on the streets, even ifwe could afford to, because the streetswon't hold them. Yet, we'll have tofind some way to move all these peo-ple or this city will strangle."

The Director makes it a matter ofrecord that he takes the bus whereverand whenever he can. "I use it

because I believe in it. I can sit and domy work on the bus and get down-town as quickly on the bus as I can inmy car. I'm absolutely convinced thatit's the thing to do and I wish everyoneelse did."

In addition to his involvement incivic affairs, Day is an active memberof the Holy Family Catholic Churchand the Sierra Club.

In recognition for his services tothe church, he was awarded the papaldecoration of Knight of the EquestrianOrder of the Holy Sepulchre, anancient order of knighthood datingback to the year 1000. "I'm not surewhy I was awarded this. Obviously,somebody thought I deserved somerecognition. I can't see it because I'mjust an ordinary individual, butmaybe they give those to ordinaryindividuals."

Page 6 Headway

COMMENDATIONS

Retiree Recognition Ceremony at the September 12 Board Meeting. Those retirees hon-ored included (front row from left to right): Division 9 Operator James E Costello, Divi-sion 9 Operator Gene P. Childers, Division 7 Operator Samuel E. Bass, Division 9Operator Max W. Andrew, and Assistant General Manager for Planning and Communi-cations Jack Stubbs. Back row from left to right: Assistant General Manager for Opera-tions Robert Korach, Director Nate Holden, and General Manager John A. Dyer.

Retiree Recognition Ceremony at the September 12 Board Meeting. Those retirees hon-ored included (front row from left to right): Director Nate Holden, Division 14Mechanic A Ted K. John, Division 9 Operator Johnnie J. Reubin, and Division 3 UtilityA Herschel D. King. Back row from left to right: General Manager John A. Dyer andAssistant General Manager for Operations Robert Korach.

August Employees of the Month were presented with certificates of merit by RTDBoard Director Jan Hall at the September 26 Board Meeting. Front row from left to right:Director Jan Hall, Division 15 Operator Dainton L. Urso, Division 15 Mechanic AArthur L. Lewis, and Division 15 Maintenance Manager Richard Morgan. Back rowfrom left to right: General Manager John A. Dyer and Division 15 Transportation Man-ager Marcus Johnson.

Retiree Recognition Ceremony at the September 12 Board Meeting. Those retirees hon-ored included (front row from left to right): Schedule Checker Bennie M. Harvey, Jr.,Cabinet Maker Roberto A. Gutierrez, Mechanic A Jose A. Guerrero, Division 9 Opera-tor David L. Cruz, Sr., and Division 4 Mechanic A Laurence F. Costantine. Back rowfrom left to right: General Manager John A. Dyer, Director Nate Holden, and AssistantGeneral Manager for Operations Robert Korach.

Three employees were presented with awards at the September 12 Board Meeting forsuggestions they submitted to the Employee Suggestion Program. The recipients of theawards included (front row, from left to right): Division 4 Quality Assurance MechanicA Steve Mullaly who received $1,000 for his idea to install an easy-open access panelinto the existing dome-light panel on RTS-II buses. His modification saves the District$61,748 a year by reducing the time spent on removing and replacing the existing domelight panel. South Park's Mechanic A/Welder Salvador Saggere (center) received $1,000for his design of a tool used in the repair of damaged RTS buses. The use of this toolsaves the District $52,400 by minimizing labor time required for repair and also enablesmechanics to salvage parts. Division 9 Mechanic A David Santillanez (right) received$750 for a tool designed to be used in the installation of gas springs on the rear enginecompartment door of RTS, RTS-H, and Neoplan buses. The use of this tool will savethe District $7,530 a year in the reduction of time and labor costs needed to remove andreplace gas springs. (Far right) Director of Personnel Gayel A. Pitchford. Back row, leftto right: Board President Nick Patsaouras, General Manager John A. Dyer, Mainte-nance Superintendent Tony Chavira, Supervising Equipment Specialist Michael Bot-tone, South Park Equipment Maintenance Supervisor I John McBryan.

Certificates were presented to the graduates of the Transit Operations ManagementCertificate Program, a two-year training program at UCLA Extension for RTD employ-ees from the Transportation and Equipment Maintenance Departments, at the Septem-ber 26 Board Meeting. The graduates are from left to right, front row: Chuck Lerud,Phillip G. Smith, Don Little, Maurits Vandergeuten, and Elli Kyles, Jr. Back row fromleft to right: Dorrace Adams, Alvin Park, President Nick Patsaouras, Tom Jasmin,Director of Transportation Ed Nash, and Ira Trachter.

Certificates were presented to the graduates of the Transit Operations ManagementCertificate Program by Board President Nick Patsaouras at the September 26 BoardMeeting. The graduates are front row, from left to right: John McBryan, Cindy Munoz,and Sophie Bryant. Back row from left to right: Dan Dryden, Norma Velez, PresidentNick Patsaouras, Diana Frazier, and Director of Transportation Ed Nash.

The Pomona Valley Guide Dog Raisers show their pups after a successful training ses-sion on the RTD.

Page 7Headway

Pomona Tripper Gone to the DogsThe ride on Instructor Joseph Aikens'bus on September 21 could have beendescribed, literally, as a "dog-day.afternoon."

Pulling out of Division 16,Aikens carried very special passen-gers. Thirteen International GuidingEyes puppies-in-training along withtheir masters boarded the bus to begintheir training on public transporta-tion. Traveling around Pomona, thepuppies were exposed to differentareas (shopping malls, freeways, etc.)and starting, stopping, pulling up tocurbs, and the general noises andenvironment of an RTD bus.

The puppies were escorted onthe bus by the volunteer members ofthe Pomona Valley Guide Dog PuppyRaisers. Anne Marie Bolton, wife ofDivision 16 Mechanic Jim Bolton orga-nized the expedition. Bolton has apuppy-in-training named Poke thatshe has been raising since April."Puppy raisers are like foster parentsin a sense. We are supposed to social-ize the dogs. This means we take theminto stores, restaurants, take themwhere people congregate and gener-ally get them used to the sights andsounds of public places," she said.

Volunteer families train the pup-pies until they are 10 to 15 months old.Then the young dogs are taken to theInternational Guiding Eyes TrainingCenter in Sylmar for technical train-ing. International Guiding Eyes wasfounded by donations from the Inter-national Association of Machinists in1948. It is a non-profit organizationthat accepts applicants worldwide.

The blind person who applies tothe school is given a dog free ofcharge. Then, its new owner spendsfour weeks at the center learning towork with and care for their guidedog. Because the guide dog is anextension of the blind person's ownphysical and mental characteristics,care is taken to match dog and master.

At the training center, a profes-sional staff supervises the breeding ofLabrador Retrievers, Golden Retriev-ers, and German Shepherds. Whenthey are placed in foster homes, Inter-national Guiding Eyes provides for allthe veterinary care, obedience train-ing, leash, collar, and ID tags. Volun-teers provide the food and love.

District travelers who are scouting outtheir upcoming holiday locales, plan-ning itineraries, and pinpointing des-tinations will be happy to learn thatthe Employee Activities Departmenthas retained Travel Technician LindaPozzi who may be of assistance inobtaining flight information.

In this newly created position,Pozzi brings 7 years of travel agencyexperience and primarily focuses onbusiness travel arrangements for Dis-trict employees. Pozzi finds the posi-tion challenging and in many ways is atrail blazer as her role in District travelis continually developing.

Pozzi states that the District has adirect hook-up to American Airlinesreservation terminals which allowsaccess to other carriers and gives herthe ability to book passengers. While

Anne-Marie Bolton, organizer of the RTDpuppy-training session, and her hus-band, Division 16 Mechanic Jim Bolton,prepare their dog Poke for his first bustrip. Bolton, thinking ahead, broughtalong a mop.

"We try to be sure the youngdogs are prepared to mind their man-ners and behave before we exposethem to crowds and strange noises,"Bolton said. The success rate for thedogs is that only one in seven manageto pass through the rigorous training."The main reason for not passing as aGuiding Eye is lack of exposure," sheadded.

While in a foster family's care,the puppies are not to be taught typi-cal dog tricks such as shaking hands,rolling over, etc. Bolton commentedthat it was hard not to be tempted intoit. "You want to play with them. Whenthey are not on their harness, they'rejust regular dogs who want to playcatch."

Bolton concedes that there iseven a more difficult aspect to the rais-ing of the guide dogs. "The worst partis having to give them up." Bolton andher husband are busy raising Poke, aLabrador Retriever. "They mayreplace Poke with another dog. But,already we've become very attached tohim." Poke is now seven months oldand weighs 65 pounds.

Poke himself is a pup from see-ing eye dogs and several of his sib-lings, from the same litter (namely,Andy, Hershey, and Bootsie), madethe RTD expedition with him.

After mastering entering and

the District does not generate theactual tickets, it does have a travelagency under contract which providesthem.

For employees who are inter-ested in Thanksgiving or Christmastravel, Pozzi suggests that they actquickly in obtaining reservations asmany of the airlines are alreadybooked.

When asked of the advantages ofDistrict assistance as opposed to mak-ing one's own arrangements, Pozzisaid that, "It avoids multiple calls tothe numerous airlines when checkingavailability or seeking the lowest faresavailable, and it is convenient to pickup your ticket in advance."

An overriding advantage thatneed not be overlooked is the fact thatPozzi knows the market and what's

exiting the bus, the young dogs weremade to crouch under the seats tokeep the aisles clear. "It's amazinghow the large dogs can curl up to stayas unobtrusive as possible," said Bol-ton.

Among the foster families onboard was a blind woman, MargaretGross, who is in the process of train-ing her own guide dog.

These International Guiding Eyedogs are easily recognized by thebeige vests they wear that identifythem.

Community Relations Repre-sentative Carole Taylor accompaniedboth the human and canine passen-gers on the trip, explaining the Dis-trict's policy regarding guide dogs.

While traversing Pomona, mostof the young dogs found comfortable

spots to nestle in under their masters'feet. The smooth ride of the Flxibleand its gentle vibrations seemed torock most of them to sleep.

On the return to Division 16,though, the young dogs sprang totheir feet, anxiously awaiting thechance to try exiting the bus again.

Bolton praised the RTD for itscooperation in loaning the bus and itsdriver. "The RTD was very generous

out there. The following are recom-mended:

1) Establish firm itineraries,changing your mind later could meanpenalties on fares for changes or can-cellation after purchase.

2) Consider the no frills airlinessuch as People's Express and WorldAirways as the fares are usually lower.

3) Be flexible when planningflight times or arrival sites as connect-ing flights or flying into another air-port within a 30-mile radius maymean better prices (i.e., into Newark,New Jersey as opposed to JFK Air-port).

While you will need to see yourown travel consultant for booking thatluxurious cruise to the south ofFrance, fare and reservation informa-tion is available. Bon voyage...

Some of the puppies got very excited dur-ing the exit-enter exercise and requiredseveral turns before they got it right.

in helping us acclimate our puppies topublic transportation. Their coopera-tion helps ensure that soon anotherblind person will have a highlytrained dog to guide them."

South ParkEmployee of the Month

South Park's September Employee of theMonth was Mechanic A MasamitsuTakata from the Running Repair Shop.Takata has been at South Park since April21, 1980. He is described as a terrific lead-man in the piston section.

Travel Aid Available at RTD

Officers James Willis (driving) and Leo Metoyer patrolling downtown in Adam 422.

HeadwayPage 8

Transit Cops -A Breed Apart ThatWhat do you think of when you see acop? A hero? The new centurion? Agunslinger? A person? Most of usthink we know what being a cop is allabout. We watch TV, we see Hill StreetBlues, Cagney & Lacey, T.J. Hooker, TheRookies, ad infinitum. But, honestly,when we see them on patrol do wereally see them? Unless we're gettinga citation, few of us ever talk to them,even to say hello, much less to compli-ment them on, let's say, tracking theNight Stalker. In truth, we know verylittle about what exactly policework is,even less about their day-to-day rou-tines, and the least about the men andwomen who are police officers.

How it begins for the typicalyoung cop is that he or she must makeit through the battery of psychologicalquestionnaires, polygraph tests, andmedical examinations. Once theapplicant completes that ritual, he orshe spends approximately six monthsin the police academy. Graduationday comes, the new rookies are sentout on the streets, and then life reallybegins. Here are some of their stories.

I began to prepare for the physical trainingat the academy nine months before Istarted. Even with this preparation, thephysical tasks were the hardest part of theinitial training. I also needed to decidewhether or not I could take anotherhuman's life if I had to and whether I waswilling to give mine if necessary. Being apolice officer is nothing like it's made out tobe on TV and movies. The action involvedin the average 60 minutes would probablyoccur over several years of the average offi-cer's life. — Officer Susan Bailey

I wanted an exciting job and I also wantedto help people who were in need. I wantedto do something for my community. Mymost frightening experience was a face-to-face confrontation with an armed suspectwho, fortunately, was a bad shot. Iwounded him. If you really want to knowwhat policework is like read Joseph Wam-baugh's books. Joe tells it like it is. How-ever, most police administrators will notadmit it. His best books are his non-fictionworks — The Onion Field and Linesand Shadows — Lt. Ernest Munoz

I wanted a job that offered diversity ratherthan the usual mundane lifestyle. Thehardest times I've had in my career werewhen I was shot at and I saw my partnerkilled. — Lt. David DeLuca

People have the right to feel safe in theirhome, car, or simply walking down thestreet. Sometimes other people try toinvade that right and take away that free-dom. As a police officer, it is my job to see toit that innocent people are safe and freefrom harm. — Officer Leo Metoyer

Recently, the Headway spent a fewhours with the RTD Transit Police totry to answer some of the questionsposed in this feature's introduction.However, several hours out of the livesof the Transit Police do not give the fullstory and it would be a disservice tothem to pretend otherwise. So, let uscall it a glimpse into the world of theTransit Police who protect District lifeand property.

A Day with the Transit Police2:00 p.m. Briefing Room — TransitPolice Headquarters, September 11,1985.Before going out on patrol, an officer's

shift begins with a briefing session.This session is attended by the watchcommander (the officer who stays atheadquarters to monitor all reportsfrom patrolling officers and makes thefinal decision regarding action takenin the field). This particular briefing isled by Sgt. Raymond Thomas. Sgt.Thomas stands at the podium andbegins the session by saying, "Gettingdown to the Khyber Rifles, let us pro-ceed." From that point Sgt. Thomastalks about Section 4.30 which con-tains the new drug policy. "An officerwill respond if a supervisor requiresassistance to keep the peace," he says.There is a banter between the officersand Sgt. Thomas to define terms. Theexchange is crisp and direct. Contami-nated as this writer is by too much TVand movies, it is reminiscent of thebriefings in Hill Street Blues with Sgt.Thomas briefing and fielding ques-tions as eloquently as the briefing ser-geant on the TV show.Next comes the issue of citing peopledriving in the contra-flow lane in thedowntown area. One officer asks howto approach the vehicle. Watch Com-mander Ernest Munoz says, "Youtreat every car you come up to as if itwere stolen — use caution!"There is a report on a team operating ashill game out in the valley. The play-ers have been apprehended.Then officers are reminded that long-sleeve shirts are required next Tues-day for uniform inspection.The session concludes with the "line-up;" at this point each officer is givenhis/her assignment for the day. Sgt.Thomas wraps it up with, "Let's goget 'em — but, be careful!"3:00 p.m.The Headway is assigned to unit Adam422 manned by Officers James T. Willisand Leo Metoyer. Metoyer has been apoliceman for five years. He and Wil-lis have been partners for two-and-a-half years. Metoyer refers to Willis as"Bubba" which would be fine if Willisdidn't also refer to Metoyer as"Bubba." Once the car is rolling andthe cockpit chatter starts, it can be a bitconfusing.

Metoyer has been an officer with theSanta Monica Police Department andthe Los Angeles Housing AuthorityPolice. Prior to becoming an officer,Willis drove a bus for 18 years. "We areknown as Bubba and Bubba on theforce," says Metoyer. "We've beentogether so long, I know what he'sthinking. I know what he'll do beforehe does it." Metoyer says he and Willistake the partner concept at its truemeaning. "They say when you'vebeen with one partner long enoughit's like being married — it's true."3:35 p.m.Officers Metoyer and Willis stop thepatrol car at the corner at 61st Streetand Figueroa for a routine voit. A voitis a boarding of a District bus at one ofits scheduled stops. It is seen as adeterrent to crime and a strategy thatis reassuring to both the operator andpassengers."Every officer voits a bus differently,"says Metoyer. "The aisle is called 'no-man's land! On a crowded bus there isno way you can see down it. If I get anuneasy feeling, I'll stop. I become likea pointer. Bubba will get off the busand go to the back door. I'll tell theoperator to hit the by-pass switch to

the rear door. Bubba then movesthrough it to cover me. So, then thesuspect has to confront two cops. I fig-ure if we can take the thought of com-mitting a crime out of his mind, we'vedone our jobs."

Officer Willis voits a downtown bus,while his partner Officer Metoyer backshim up. Bus voits are seen as a deterrent tocrime and reassure passengers and opera-

tors alike.

Back in the car, a call from the policeradio dispatcher means new territoryto cover. Metoyer and Willis are topatrol the downtown area. On thedrive into downtown, both Willis andMetoyer scan opposite sides ofFigueroa. It's subtle and practiced atthe same time. They make it look easyas they carry on casual conversation.Metoyer says to Willis, "I sure couldgo for a Mrs. Fields' coconut maca-damia nut cookie right now;' as hewatches his side of the street.Willis says to this reporter, "Before Ibecame a cop I didn't see things the

A quick snack stop taken while patrollingthe downtown beat.

way I do now. I mean, after you gothrough all that physical and mentaltraining, something changes. I look atpeople differently. You see whether ornot the pieces fit . . . It's an officer'shabit. Off work, the ladies I go outwith have told me to stop being a cop.It's just something that doesn't stopwhen I leave work."Metoyer agrees with Willis' percep-tions. "Just passing by I'll noticethings that aren't normal. We aren'tparanoid but we are trained to spotpotential trouble before it becomestrouble. We don't see everybody asdirty out here. But, it can affect yourprivate life because you don't want toassociate with people who are inter-ested in breaking the law. It's a factthat once you pin this badge on, somefriends turn against you."3:50 p.m. 7th Street and Grand Ave-nueIn deference to their Headway passen-ger, Metoyer and Willis stop by Mrs.Field's Cookies store for a quick snack.This reporter was grateful for theirgood taste in treats and for not beingtaken to the LAPD hangout — Win-chell's Donuts.While on 7th Street, Metoyer and Wil-lis are flagged down by two womenacross the street in front of Robinson'sDepartment Store. Willis says, "Thisis known as a citizen's alert." Thewomen found a gold necklace lyingon the sidewalk and want to turn it in.Metoyer and Willis take their namesand ask them exactly where theyfound it. The officers will turn in thelost article and the women are happyto be relieved of the responsibility.

Officers Willis (center) and Metoyer (tarright) respond to a citizen's alert regard-ing a lost article of jewelry.

Maintenance Supervisors Chuck King (left) and Willie Mack (right) practice a one-on-one OJT technique offered at the Employee Education, Training and Development'sOn-the-Job Training (OJT) Techniques Workshop.

Headway Page 9

Protects RTD Life and PropertyCruising down toward 6th and Broad-way Street, Metoyer says, "This is ahot spot for pickpockets. You shouldsee it around Christmas time. All thepickpockets are out trying to getChristmas money without workingfor it. You may not know it, butthey've got pickpocket trainingschools in Turkey and South America.The trainers set up dummies withstrings of bells all over it. If the train-ees can pick the dummy's pocketwithout ringing the bells, they figurehe's ready for the streets:'

4:10 p.m. Location Check/Division 1,15th and San Pedro Sts.While on patrol, Transit Police Offi-cers visit different District propertiesin their assignment area. "We get outof our vehicles, walk around the prop-erty, say hello to the employees. We letthem know we are around. This helpsto deter crime," says Willis. The offi-cers finish the location check bypatrolling the employee parking area.

4:25 p.m. 9th and Main Sts.The next location check is the RTDTicket Office in the Cal Mart on 9thStreet. "Did you hear about the LAcop that got shot Friday night?"Metoyer asks Willis on our return tothe car. "They dumped one round inhis chest." Willis shakes his head.Willis points to a car in the left laneand says, "See that car with the for-sale sign. Those guys in there are nar-cotics agents." We cruise north onSpring St. to check the contra-flowlane. The officers pull over a driverwho chose the wrong time to use thebus lane. Willis asks to see the driver'slicense. After a few moments Willisand Metoyer return to the car. Metoyerasks Willis why he didn't cite thedriver. Willis tells him the man wasfrom Oxnard and was obviously lost.Metoyer laughs at Willis and says,"Bubba, you're getting soft in yourold age!"We turn down Temple Street ontoBroadway. Crowds are growing at thebus stops.

Officers Willis and Metoyer complete alocation check at the Cal Mart RTD TicketOffice.

4:40 p.m. 5th and Broadway Sts.Metoyer and Willis voit the bus head-ing south on Broadway. They exit andwalk around the corner to check thewestbound stop on 5th Street. Theirpresence alone breaks up crowds ofadolescent boys loitering in front ofstores. The boys slink away in that sul-len way peculiar to adolescents.

5:00 p.m. Broadway StreetMetoyer watches the crowd of passen-gers board a southbound bus. Amongthe crowd he sees a young manapproaching various passengersattempting to board the bus. Hemotions to the man to step up on thesidewalk. Having been spotted byMetoyer, the young man looksstricken. Gingerly, he approachesMetoyer who asks him what he isdoing. The young man showsMetoyer a roll of RTD bus tickets hewas trying to sell to the riders at thestop. Asked if he has a license to selltickets, he says he has none. BothMetoyer and Willis question him, ask-ing him where he got the tickets. Theyoung man cannot recollect. The side-walk interrogation stretches into 15minutes. Eventually, the officers sendhim on his way with a firm warning.The young man beats a path awayfrom the officers.5:30 p.m. 6th and Broadway Sts.Willis and Metoyer stroll around the

How should supervisors and leadpeo-ple teach employees new procedures,point out errors, make suggestions,and demonstrate job tasks? Training,such an important aspect of the super-visor's and lead's job, requires thatthey have skills in knowing how,when, and exactly what to teachemployees as well as be able to deter-mine if their employees have indeedlearned how to do what they are sup-posed to do.

Instruction is offered to supervi-sors and leadpeople through a specialprogram presented by the EmployeeEducation, Training and Develop-ment Department.

The On-the-Job Training (OJT)Techniques Workshop was developedspecifically for RTD's supervisors andleadpeople to strengthen their skills inhelping employees get the job done."When supervisors are effective inshowing their employees how to dotheir jobs, productivity is bound to beaffected," said Director of EmployeeDevelopment Byron Lewis.

Through simulations and classexercises in the one-day workshop,participants experience training fromboth sides of the fence — as employeeslearning a task or procedure and asthe supervisors or leadpeople respon-sible for training employees. This pro-gram helps participants discover theirown strengths and weaknesses astrainers and enables them to recog-nize the many different ways in whichemployees learn. For this reason,supervisors and leads practice a vari-ety of training techniques and meth-ods in the workshop.

In particular, one techniqueexplored indepth is the 50-50 Method,which is a two-way, step-by-stepinstruction process in which employ-ees respond to questions and givefeedback on what they're learning.Different approaches are also dis-cussed regarding the detection of

Officer Metoyer keeps a sharp eye out forpossible pickpockets at the bus stop.

employee errors and employee moti-vation.

Many on-the-job training situa-tions are examined in the workshopsessions that apply to particularemployee classifications. "For exam-ple," explains Training CoordinatorEllen Nagler, "OJT for clerical employ-ees is handled differently than OJT fortechnical employees. In fact, becausesupervisors and leadpeople are them-selves involved in different aspects ofOJT, the On-the-Job Training TechniquesWorkshop materials are designed tomeet their District needs in two sepa-rate workshops." The workshop par-ticipants take with them a handbookof helpful reference information aswell as practical OJT aids such aschecklists for orienting new employ-ees.

Ninety percent of the 100 super-visors and leadpeople who have par-ticipated in the District's On-the-JobTraining Techniques Workshop rated theprogram materials as most useful.

Joann Bowman, who supervises

corner eyeing the group of peoplewaiting for the bus. They are search-ing the crowd for pickpockets.Metoyer says, "Sgt. Thomas and Offi-cer Alfredo Magallon hand-trained uson pickpockets. Officer Magallon is anexpert on pickpockets like Bubba and Iare on trouble!'

6:00 p.m. RTD Administration Build-ing GarageThis reporter's ride-along with theTransit Police Officers came to its con-clusion. The officers informed me thatbecause I was entrusted to their careby Chief James Burgess, they wouldsee me safely to my car. I have to con-fess to feeling a bit foolish and over-protected at first with these two policeescorts. Besides, maybe passersbywould think I was under arrest. Howembarrassing! More than that I wastouched by their concern and care.But, let's face it, dusk was approach-ing and we were on Main Street. Inever felt safer in my life.

the District's training program,explains that, "Four of the workshopsheld last year were to 'test' the materi-als of On-the-Job Training TechniquesWorkshop. The comments of the parti-cipants of these pilot programs on theeffectiveness of the workshop materi-als were carefully noted. Using thisfeedback, we made necessary revi-sions in the training materials. Weare pleased to be able to provide thistraining workshop which closelyaddresses the important need of theDistrict's supervisors and leadpeo-ple."

The On-the-Job Training Tech-niques Workshop will be offered severaltimes this coming year. Separate ses-sions will be scheduled for leadpeopleand supervisors of clerical and techni-cal employees. Watch for upcomingannouncements in Employee Educa-tion, Training and Development bul-letins and training brochures for thescheduled dates. Interested man-agers, supervisors, and leadpeoplemay also contact Training CoordinatorEllen Nagler at extension 3416 formore information.

OJT Class Offered toDistrict Supervisors and Leadpeople

1985 Roadeo Champ Roger Desgroseilliers hefts his trophy for all his well-wishers tosee at the 1985 Roadeo Awards Banquet held September 21 at the Hyatt Wilshire Hotel.Desgroseilliers is flanked on the left by General Manager John A. Dyer and on the rightby Assistant General Manager for Operations Robert Korach and Roadeo CoordinatorVicki Varga.

Division 1 BBQ-goers. From left to right: Operator Louis Martinez, Manager LarryJohnson, Operator Vivian Harris, Assistant Manager Chris Coleman, and Transporta-tion Superintendent Art Leahy.

Headway Page 10

Operators Honored at Roadeo BanquetThe finalists and runners-up of the1985 RTD Roadeo along with mem-bers of the RTD staff met at the HyattWilshire Hotel on September 21 tohold this year's Awards Banquet.Coincidentally enough, the membersof this elite fleet found themselves inthe same hotel with members ofanother team as "committed to excel-lence" — the Los Angeles Raiders foot-ball team.

Bus Roadeo Coordinator VickiVarga concluded her splendid stint bycorralling all the transfer-punchers,their wives, and RTD staff into thebanquet hall for the ceremonies.

Director of TransportationEdward J. Nash emceed the cere-mony, heaping praises on the opera-tors at every turn. "These are the mostsuperb group of drivers;' punctuatedmost of Nash's retrospective commen-tary on the course"of the Roadeo.

General Manager John A. Dyergave the main address during the ban-quet. He congratulated the operatorson their excellent performancerecords both on and off the course. "Itis the operators who sit in this roomtonight that enable us to meet thechallenge that public transportationfaces with confidence in the nearfuture;' he said. Dyer elaborated onthe general transit picture in whichthe RTD will be involved, includingMetro Rail and light rail projects. Dyerconcluded by saying he felt assuredthat the operators would stand theRTD in good stead as goodwill ambas-

sadors of the road to all the AmericanPublic Transportation Associationmembers attending the Annual Meet-ing in October and that he had everyconfidence in the skill of RoadeoChamp Roger Desgroseilliers whocompeted in the APTA InternationalFinal on October 8.

Desgroseilliers has been withthe District since 1974 and is currentlyworking at Division 15. He maintainsan excellent sick and missout recordand has never had an avoidable acci-dent.

A special presentation for safetycompetition was made to Division 9Operator Robert Jackson by Directorof Safety Joseph G. Reyes. Jackson,who has worked for the District 11years, was recognized for his overallsafety performance at the 1985Roadeo competition.

The awards dinner concludedwith the presentation of trophies tothe runners-up and finalists by Gen-eral Manager Dyer and Assistant Gen-eral Manager for Operations RobertKorach.

The order of presentations was as fol-lows below:

RUNNERS UP (By Division)Marcos Gutierrez Division 1Eric Congiardo Division 2Michael Moore Division 2Alberto Rivadeneyra Division 2Luduvico Castro Division 3Ray Hart Division 3Richard Jackson Division 5Hector Gutierrez Division 6Francisco Escobedo Division 7Antonios Guskos Division 8Oscar Londono Division 8Gilbert Moncivais Division 8Ruben Carbajal Division 9Robert Holland Division 9Robert Jackson Division 9Raphael Rojas Division 9Ladell Welch Division 9Edward King Division 10Felipe Munoz Division 10Robert Pitts Division 10Cresencio Rodriguez Division 10Joe Swift Division 10Robbie Bland Division 12Rogelio Chacon Division 12Thomas Weihert Division 12John Kemp Division 16Charles Wilkerson Division 16Reese Withers Division 16John Peterson Division 18

FINALISTSFirst Place

Roger Desgroseilliers Division 15Second Place

Fausto Gonzales Division 9Third Place

Jose Arizmendi Division 9

Divisions Barbecue Roundup NewsDivision 5As the whistle blew at 4:00 p.m.,Thursday, August 15, most of theMaintenance employees at Division 5cleaned themselves up and wenthome. For Steve Hearn Jr., SteveHearn III, Pat Anderson, Carl Smith,Eddie Fentroy, and Thomas Lucas,this was not the case. After workingeight long hours, maintaining Divi-sion 5's fleet of buses, these guyscleaned and seasoned the meat, wenthome and slept for a few hours, andreturned at 5:30 am. the next morningto put the first piece of meat on thegrill.

By 11:30 a.m., the committeewas serving barbecued hot links,chicken, beef short ribs, pork ribs,baked beans, potato salad, cole slaw,bread, and punch to everyone who

purchased a $3.00 ticket.Committee members Carl

Smith, Steve Hearn Jr., Louvenia Wil-liams, Steve Hearn III, Pat Anderson,Thomas Lucas, Geraldine Hender-son, Eddie Fentroy, Juanita Hicks, andFaye Tinson worked extra hard tomake Division 5's Third Annual Bar-becue the best ever. "This barbecuemeans a lot to all of us because wedidn't get to have one last year," saidcommittee member Carl Smith.

Maintenance Manager LuchusSmith, pleased with the final product,expressed his thanks to the barbecuecommittee. "Our committee membershave made our Third Annual Barbe-cue a tremendous success and we lookforward to an even better one nextyear."

Division 1At one point, the serving line of thosewaiting to eat at Division l's barbecuewas 30 to 35 people deep, with a 25-minute waiting period. One operatorremarked that it looked like the dailyline that forms at the mission on MainStreet. All were waiting to sample thelatest trend in RTD barbeque.

This new concept involves cater-ing all food: barbecue pork, beef,links, chicken, potato salad andbeans. No all night cooking and nohome-made specialties. AssistantManager Chris Coleman says that thebenefits of this concept are two-fold."There is a guarantee on the quality of

the outcome, as we have had priordealings with this company and it ismore economical in terms of the divi-sion's costs." Division l's Christmasparty was catered as well. Lending ahelping hand in getting the barbecueunderway were: John Adams, ChrisColeman, Christine Flores, VivianHarris, Larry Johnson, Paul Jones ofthe UTU, Frank Koenig, and GeneWilliams.

There's no denying the food wastasty and smacked of hearty flavor;the steady flow of people can attest tothat. Division 5 barbecue chefs Carl Smith (left) and Steve Hearn, Jr. (right).

Headway Page 11

Photo E:By the third day these trainees are ableto show their newly acquired skills insteering clear of the pylons.

Photo D:Instructor Ronald Whitney and FrankCecere exchange a few words at theLA riverbed.

A Day at the Riverbedby Matthew Matterer

Photo A:Instructor Joe Singleton asks first-daytrainees to estimate and write downthe distance to bring a 30-mph bus to afull stop. Later, each trainee will per-form the test and compare the esti-mate to the real distance required.

Photo B:First-day trainee Ray Martell maneu-vers the bus through the course asInstructor Joe Singleton looks on.

Photo C:This student pivots around the pylonsas he backs up.

Photo F:Instructor JohnHale providessome friendlyfeedback asthird-daytrainee CarlosOrtega takes thebus through thecourse.

The Mariachis de Mexicapal added just the right traditional touch to make it a truefiesta.

The dancers from the Folklorico Paloma Blanca darted out into the audience and choseseveral operators to join them in La Bamba .

Division 9 Barbecue

Division 9 BBQ Committee — Front, kneeling: Alma Walker. Front row from left toright: Johnny McKinney, Jacquelyn Bennett, Earl Rollins, Teresa Gonzales, LowryPickett, Yvette Blanche, Johnnie McKay, Jesus Molina, and Robert Camareno. Backrow left to right: Judge Adams, James Bennett, Duane Martin, Julio Garcia, and RobertBingham.

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Division 3 Celebrates the 16 de SeptiembreOn the morning of September 16th,the operators of Division 3 opened thetrain room to celebrate an event thatoccurred 175 years ago in the city ofDelores, Mexico.

It was in that city in 1810 thatinsurgents, oppressed by the colonial

.government of Spain, were led tothrow off the yoke of tyranny and pro-claim their liberty by a parish priest,Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. In the"Grito de Dolores" (Cry of Dolores)Hidalgo denounced the Spanish gov-ernment for its social injustices andappealed to the Virgin of Guadalupe(the patron saint of Mexico).

Today, Father Hidalgo is knownas the father of Mexican Indepen-dence and late in the evening on Sep-tember 15th, Mexico's president ringsa bell and repeats the "Grito deDolores." This begins the celebrationof September 16th as Mexican Inde-pendence Day.

Several dancers from the FolkloricoPaloma Blanca show their detailed cos-tuming before a performance.

The day began at Division 3 witha banquet of Mexican food. The tablesin the kitchen were laden with enchi-ladas, homemade tamales, four kindsof rice, beans, refried beans, peppers,salsas, and pan dulce.

Supervisor/disc jockey JesseCastorena got things moving in thetrain room, which had been dressedup with crepe paper and pihatas, byplaying the hottest hits on his dualturntables.

At noon, rock-n-roll rolled overto make room for the Mariachis deMexicapal who entertained the opera-tors and their families with rousingMexican ballads. Joining the Maria-chis were noted Mexican songstressesLinda Valentino and her daughterLupita. At only nine years of age,Lupita managed to move her audienceto admiration with her stunning ren-ditions of the traditional ballads.

The Ballet Folklorico PalomaBlanca from Luther Burbank JuniorHigh, directed by Maria Garcia, per-formed Mexican folk dances originat-ing from the northern region ofMexico, Oaxaca, Veracruz, andJalisco. The dance troupe, ages 8 to 22years, delighted the audience withtheir rhythmic steps and colorfuldress. When they performed LaBamba, they darted out into the audi-ence and collected several operators tojoin them in the dance. Their finaleincluded La Danza de los Machetes (aspirited folk number with the male

Fiesta means good food, fancy dress, andraffle tickets to Operator Nellie Maynes,Transit Operations Supervisor IgnacioGonzales, and Operator Nikki Lopez.

dancers parrying actual machetes)and El Jarabe Tapatio.

As the Ballet Folklorico faded offstage, Jesse Castorena made a rapidcut back to today's rock and rhythmand blues.

The organizers of the September16th Fiesta, Tony Sandoval and VictorLopez, hoped the celebration wouldbuild camaraderie among the opera-tors and further cement the good rela-tionships that have been made. "Wewant to show that we can worktogether in harmony no matter whowe are," said Sandoval. Lopez addedthat, "The fiesta is also a welcomingparty for those operators who havecome from Division 2 and other divi-sions:'

This couple from the Ballet FolkloricoPaloma Blanca perform a traditional folkdance of courtship for the Division 3Fiesta.

Sandoval and Lopez were aidedby a committee that included: MarioJaurequi, Lila Estrada, Nellie Bernal,Ignacio Gonzales, Lindley Ramirez,Margie Sifuentes, Raul Alvarez, Enri-que Velasco, Rick Ortega, and NellieMaynes.

The fiesta concluded with a raf-fle. The winners of the much-covetedprizes included: Earl Bonner, AM-FMdouble cassette recorder-player; AlTaylor, video cassette cabinet; C. Por-ter, portable cassette recorder; CliffDavis, AM-FM radio with head-phones; Miguel Terrazo, clock/radio-telephone; Rudy Sifuentes, cameracase; and Victor Lopez, a set of dom-inos. All the piñatas were also raffledoff to lucky ticket holders.

At the end of the day, people lin-gered and the dancers kept up thetempo until the last call - signs of agreat fiesta. It was a fiesta in which, tobe sure, even the original revolution-aries from Dolores would have rev-eled.

At Division 9's Fourth Annual Barbe-cue Transportation Manager JamesCenderelli and Maintenance ManagerKen Miller played host to some of ElMonte's highest ranking officials.Manager Cenderelli said, "Every yearwe invite District representatives, ourcommunity leaders, and even theMayor of Los Angeles." District PoliceChief James Burgess, kept companywith El Monte Police Chief WayneClayton, and even the Mayor of ElMonte was in attendance.

Working hard behind the scenesto pull together the day's festivities,the barbecue committee raffled off aVCR and prepared an array of food:

barbecue ribs, chicken, links, bakedbeans, salads, and several beautifulmarble sheet cakes. Barbecue Com-mittee members included: JudgeAdams, Jackie Bennett, RobertBingham, Yvette Blanche, A.J. Brown,Jimmie Campbell, Julio Garcia, TeresaGonzales, Duane Martin, JohnnieMcKay, Johnny McKinney, Larry Pick-ett, Earl Rollins, James Tucker andAlma Walker.

"The key to the barbecue was thehomemade sauce by James Tucker.We've worked together four years. Wetake pride in how we produce our bar-becue," said Chairman Johnny McK-inney.

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Headway Page 13

Division 3's MVP Sic Transit.. . by Alex Pages

Division 3 Operator Earl Cobbs was named Most Valuable Player by his DivisionChampionship team, Our Gang. Cobbs, center fielder for Our Gang, has played on theteam for 10 years. He says he loves the game and this love of his life has lasted for 34years. Cobbs spent two years playing in the minor leagues before serving in Vietnam.

Known as "Mr. Still Good" to his teammates, Cobbs racked up 7 RBIs in the last sea-son. Cobbs' dream is to own a major league team on which he can play, "I can see ithappening, but one more thing has to tick . . . a miracle from God." Division 5 BarbecueDivision 15 BarbecuePart-time Operator Maria Cuellar wasmore than excited about contributingto the success of Division 15's barbe-cue. Singlehandedly, she sold over600 raffle tickets for prizes whichincluded a VCR, $100 gift certificate tothe May Company, a pair of binocu-lars, and several VCR taped movies.

In the assembly line of edibleswere flavorful barbecued ribs,chicken, links, home cooked beans,and a variety of salads. Barbecue com-mittee members were: Jesse Alvarez,Allison Burton, Singh Butalia, Forest

Churchill, Albert Cleaves, MariaCuellar, Diana Cupp, Sylvia Echever-ria, Janet Green, John Jiminez, Hor-tencia Lopez, Herlinda Najarro,Sharon Niggl, Eduardo Peza, RonReedy, Jon Rossiter, James Steiner,James Svanda, and Milde Wiley.

The barbecue was a joint effortwhich ran quite smoothly. AssistantTransportation Manager Ron Reedyremarked, "This type of activitybuilds a rapport between employees,Maintenance and Transportation. Itwas really beautiful."

When asked about the barbecue in itsentirety, the operators of Division 5were most admiring of their ability toorganize and work together as a teamwith administrative backing. The sen-timents of the operators reflectedtogetherness in numbers and pride inknowing that this was their first bar-becue in which the operators couldparticipate free of charge.

The division's raffle at $2.00 perticket included a chance at a stereocassette recorder, color TV, and a bicy-cle. An estimated 650 guests and

employees were served an assortmentof barbecued meats, fresh salads,baked beans, and ice cream.

Working especially hard to makefor an enjoyable barbecue were com-mittee members: Janice Casy, Thoma-sine Corbin, Herbert Daniel, TerrellDavis, Esther Ford, Dwight Graham,Eddie Harris, Norma Hooker, JosephJoshua, Ora Joshua, Albert Judson,Jean Murphy, Gregory Oliver, ClydePerry, Felix Pierce, Beverly Rosser,Curtis Shelby, Beverly Stepney,Verena Stewart, Roger Thompson.

Division 15 BBQ Committee — First row, left to right: Operator Eduardo Peza, OperatorSylvia Echeverria, Operator Forest Churchill, Charlotte Burton, Operator HerlindaNajarro, Transit Operations Supervisor Janet Green, Operator Milde Wiley. Back row,left to right: Transportation Assistant Manager Ron Reedy, Operator Salvatore Russo,Operator Allison Burton, Operator Albert Cleaves, Operator Jon Rossiter, OperatorSharon Niggl, Operator Maria Cuellar, Operator Singh Butalia, Operator JesseAlvarez, Operator James Suanda, and Operator James Steiner.

Division 5 BBQ Committee — (front row, left to right:) H. Daniels, G. Oliver, C. Shelby,E Pierce, and J. Joshua. Second row, left to right: C. Murphy, A. Judson, N. Hooker, V.Stewart, E. Ford, B. Rossner, 0. Joshua, T. Davis, and B. Stepney. Third row, left toright: Manager Ralph Wilson, D. Graham, J. Casey, R. Thompson, C. Perry, T. Corbin,and E. Harris.

HeadwaPage 14

RTD Goes to the Movies

RATING SYSTEM

***** — A once in a lifetime movie*' — Terrific; must see' — Entertaining; worth the price

of admission** — Okay; only for bargain matinees

or discount tickets* — We warned youBOMB — Truly awful; either extreme-

ly painful or hystericallyfunny for all the wrong rea-sons

Maxie — ***Maxie starts off slow, but you'll findthat the story is worth staying with. Anice, clean-cut young couple movesinto an old Victorian townhouse inSan Francisco. Nick is an expert onrare books. Jan, a rather timid sort,works as secretary to the Bishop ofSan Francisco. While peeling the wall-paper in their living room, they comeacross an inscription that reads,"Maxie Malone lived here, March 30,1927 — Read it and Weep." It turns outMaxie scrawled that during her goingaway party before she headed down toL.A. for her big screen test with D.W.Griffith. She was poured in her car,took off, and promptly wrapped her-self around a tree. Since then, herspirit has wandered restlessly,because she never knew whether ornot she had it in her to really make it.Nick, however, accidentally allows herto come back onto this plane, and takeover the body of his wife. It is at thispoint that the movie comes to life. Janis plain, conservative. Maxie is, to putit mildly, trashy. Jan would neverdream of upsetting anyone or stand-ing up for herself. Maxie not onlystands up, she does the walking over.Maxie wants a screen test and Nick,Nick wants his wife back, Jan thinksshe's going crazy, and the Bishop hascalled for the exorcist.

It's cute and funny, with an excel-

"Eve in Hawaii" was the theme ofDivision 18's barbecue that was heldon September 20. Over the past tenyears the division has taken pride inselecting themes that spark memora-ble and festive times. An estimated350 people enjoyed beef brisket, ribs,chicken, corn-on-the-cob and home-made vegetables by Annie Lewis andErnestine Dillard.

lent performance by Glenn Close asJan/Maxie, and fine support fromMandy Patinkin as Nick, BarnardHughes as the Bishop, and Ruth Gor-don, in her last role, as Maxie's oldpartner and Nick and Jan's landlady.There are a few problems with plotand pacing, but most of the film islighthearted enough to forgive andforget. So, go and enjoy, and leaveyour cares behind for awhile. The solepurpose of this movie seems to be toentertain, and isn't that what it's allabout?

Plenty — **1/2The half star you see above counts forperformances, because that is whathelps make this movie worth sittingthrough it all. The film opens in occu-pied France during WWII, and spansapproximately 20 years in the life ofSusan, played by Meryl Streep. Susanis a member of British Special Servicesdropped behind enemy lines to helpthe French Underground. She longsfor the war to be over, and confessesher fears to Lazar, another Britishagent who is passing through. Theyspend the night together, and then hemust move on, two ships who pass inthe night, two people who cling to oneanother for a moment of passion inthe horror that threatens to engulfEurope and the world. It is beautiful,romantic, and tragic.

I'm not exaggerating with theabove. At least, not much. This is howSusan views her time in the Resist-ance; exciting, tragic, passionate, andfleeting, a time when life is lived to thefullest because the next moment itmight be gone. This view serves toskew her perception of life after thewar, and hurts her relationships withothers, as she seems to be still waging

Blood DriveThe annual District bloodmobile drive willbe held Friday, December 6, 1985 , from10:15 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Administra-tion Building. All District employeesbetween the ages of 17 and 66 and who arein good health and weigh at least 110pounds are encouraged to donate. Lastyear the District supplied over 97 pints ofblood to the Red Cross. Let's set an all timerecord this year!

Clad in decorative and colorfulleis were the barbecue committee:Rebecca Allen, Jo Ann Bynum,Carnell Hampton, Jerrel Hunter,George Johnson, Ulysses Johnson,Eddie Lewis, Odessa Lewis, D.L.McLaughlin, Bernice Robinson, MariaRodriguez, Cassell Scott, CharlesStepps, Helen West, Ernestine Dil-lard, and Gwendolyn Harper.

that war inside herself. Unfortunately,we don't see how she is really dealingwith this; we only see how it affectsothers, and how it is slowly destroy-ing her life.

The film is episodic in nature,jumping from France to Brussels afterthe war, then to London, where Susanhas returned to work as what seems tobe a secretary in a shipping company.She complains to her friend and flat-mate Alice that she desperately feelsthe need to move on, she feels rest-less. This restlessness drives away hercurrent lover, Brock, then the actionjumps once more to 1952, and the cor-onation of Elizabeth II. Susan is nowon the committee that is responsiblefor the coronation banquet. No wordon how she got on the committee.Lapses such as these are where thefilm fails; major events occur withoutexplanation. The action is choppy,and seems to lose its way at times. Theadvertisements on TV portrayed thefilm in a light vein. It is not. There aresome funny moments, but the textureof the movie is dark and depressing.Streep is the star, with the castarranged to showcase her. There arethree other marvelous characterswhom I wanted to see more of,though. John Gielguld as Darwin, amember of the foreign office who isoh, so, very, very correct, servingQueen and Country to the best of hisability and honor; Mick, one ofSusan's lovers, played by Sting, whois turning into a fine actor with a goodscreen presence and delivery; andAlice, Susan's friend, who stands bySusan through thick and thin, andwhom the script unfortunately haswalk out of the scene at the crucialmoment, once again without explana-tion. If we'd seen more of Darwin, or

Prizes! Prizes! Prizes! At their annualbarbecue, Division 12 gave away thestore. Well, not exactly the store, butfree food to employees and familiesand prizes such as cameras, clocks,stereos, and a set of pearls were raf-fled off every 1/2 hour. Tickets for theraffle were 3 for $2.00.

The aroma of scrumptiouschicken, ribs, and links filled the airand kept many coming back for more.Flavorful home-made mustard andcollard greens were prepared by DeeGreen.

Dedicated Barbecue Committee

Mick, or the story had been that ofSusan and Alice, then this film wouldhave been a much better one.

Ordeal by Innocence — **Agatha Christie, the world's mostpopular mystery writer, has a qualitythat somehow seems to elude filmma-kers who wish to bring her books tolife on the silver screen. Only a veryfew movies have actually managed tocapture the essence that have madeDame Agatha's works pppulararound the globe. That doesn't meanthey stop trying, and Ordeal by Inno-cence is the latest effort.

The cast, headed by Donald Suth-erland and Christopher Plummer, istop-notch, and their performancesform a wonderful air of deception andsorrow, the cover-up of a horriblecrime. Faye Dunaway has a small partas the victim, and is shown only inflashbacks.

Now, if the movie stopped there,with just the acting, it would be anexcellent film. Unfortunately, thereare a few little problems with themusical soundtrack. How many timesdo you actually listen to a musicsoundtrack. With this movie, youhave no choice. The music, a wonder-ful collection of improvisational jazz,is intrusive and distracting. There'sjust been a murder. Our hero rushesto the scene of the crime. The music isupbeat. Not uptempo or urgent, butupbeat, a confection of strings and clar-inets, as if he were going for a stroll inthe park. Not exactly appropriate.

Ordeal by Innocence has all the mak-ings of a very fine film; however, itfalls just short of the mark. It's not foreveryone, but I recommend it for trueChristie fans. — Carolyn Kinkead

members: Bob Bushong, Lee Cormier,Marvin Crook, Bertha Dennis, JimEndicott, Delores Green, KatieMcCay, Janis Riley and Dave Willieworked particularly well together asevidenced by the warm and approv-ing smiles on the faces of the crowd.Assistant Transportation ManagerSue Harvey's enthusiasm for the day'sactivities could hardly be contained."My barbecue had to be good becauseI had a great committee; and whenyou have great people working foryou, it has to turn out good!"

Division 18 Barbecue

Division 12 Barbecue

Division 18 BBQ Committee — Front row, left to right: M. Rodriguez, G. Bynum. Sec-ond tier, left to right: B. Robinson, R. Allen, and D. McLaughlin. Third row, left toright: D. Hampton, H. West, 0. Lewis, C. Scott, and E. Lewis. Back row, from left toright: J. Bynum, C. Steppes, U. Johnson, J. Hunter, G. Johnson, and E. Dillard.

Division 12's BBQ Team — Front and center: Assistant Manager Susan Harvey. From farleft to right: Dale Dixon, Bob Bushong, Katie McCoy, Lionel Cormier, Janis Riley,David Wille, and Bertha Dennis. Back row from left to right: Gene Paternoster andDolores Green.

Headway Page 15

COMMENDATIONS &SHIFTING GEARS

COMMENDATIONSDivision 1Bernstein, Andrew 0.Spencer, LaverneDivision 2Cisneros, Armando L.Erving, Johnny R.Rivadeneyra, AlbertoWilliams, MelcDivision 3Jones, Bobby J.Menjivar, Oscar Z.Pickens, JamesDivision 5Alexander, TheodoreCarter, Jimmy P.Jennings, Antonia L.Townsend, Cynthia L.Division 6Hemsley, Roy A.Division 7Abner, Johnnie L.Anderson, GeorgeColeman, JuanitaEvans, AlbertHernandez, ErnestJohnson, KeithPoole, Bennie R.Ruttlen, James A.Division 8Andrews, RaymondBrollier, WilliamBuell, David A.Coleman, FrancesRogers, Ken J.Division 9Alcantar, Luis F.Cota, Joe J.Division 10Marsala, GeorgePatterson, R.C.Division 15Aleshire, Dale K.Culbert, EuniceJackson, John D.Division 16Galvez, David BRayford, JimmyYoung, FredDivision 18Cooper, Sonja L.Guzman, John H.Peace, Harold L.

IN MEMORIAM Sympathy is expressed to the families andfriends of employees or retirees who passedaway.Hunter, Louis, began with the DistrictSeptember 23, 1922, retired as anOperator, passed away August 31,1985.Jefferson, Sanford, began with theDistrict October 12, 1955, retired as anOperator, passed away August 10,1985.Lands, Lola, began with the DistrictAugust 21, 1975, as a Ticket Clerk,passed away September 19, 1985.Pool, John, began with the DistrictMarch 4, 1942, retired as an Operator,passed away September 4, 1985.Sage, George, began with the DistrictJune 30, 1982, retired as a ScheduleChecker, passed away August 16,1985.Sorenson, Sylvan, began with theDistrict October 9, 1944, retired as anOperator, passed away September 8,1985.Stohr, William, began with the Dis-trict January 5, 1970, retired as aMechanic A, passed away August 28,1985.

Alston, Kurt D., from Mechanic B toMechanic A.Arredondo, George Z., fromMechanic A to Mechanic A Leader.Bell, Jennette M., from Entry LevelProfessional Trainee to Acting Assist-ant EEO Representative.Berger, Suzanne B., from Entry LevelProfessional Trainee to Acting BuyerAssistant.Bishop, Deborah J., from Entry LevelProfessional Trainee to Acting Train-ing Coordinator.Bojorquez, Diane T., from TicketClerk to Ticket Office and ReportsClerk.Camp, William A., from ElectronicCommunications Technician to Sys-tems Electronic CommunicationsTechnician.Chavez, Manuel E, from Stock Clerkto Truck Driver Clerk.Cuong, Hua P., from Mechanic B toMechanic A.Diaz, Laura, from Operator to TransitOperations Supervisor/Instructor.Dobravolskis, Mickel, from Mechan-ic B to Mechanic A.Foster, Marla R., from InformationClerk to Stock Clerk.Fox, Karen E, from Middle ManagerTrainee to Acting Junior Systems Pro-grammer.Gaither, Vincent J., from Mechanic Bto Mechanic A.Green, James I., from Operator toTransit Operations Supervisor.Green, Keith E., from Operator toTransit Operations Supervisor/Instructor.Guzman, Edward R., from MechanicC to Mechanic B.Hairston, Simon, from Transit PoliceInvestigator to Transit Police Sergeant.Haney, Cecilia M., from Typist Clerkto General Clerk II.Heffler, William L., from ElectricalMaintenance Supervisor Ito ElectricalMaintenance Supervisor II.

This song expresses an everyday situation onRTD buses. I am almost sure that everyone whohas used or is using RTD buses should haveheard the driver yelling: "step back, move back,step to the rear and move to the back" most thetime when somebody wants to get on the bus.And "back door, back door, . . . open door"when somebody wants to get off the bus.

Not in Los Angeles only, but all over theworld, people like to stand in the front part ofthe bus by habit. This song plays around thispoint.

-Dr. Ahamad A. TowfikLos Angeles, July 1985

RTD Song

Please Step BackPlease Move BackI Don't Want To Hear A FussDon't Try With Me To DiscussWhat Is Better For UsLet Me Get Off This R.T. D. BusPlease Back Door, Open Door*** (This part will be repeated below) ***

You Have Seen My PassWhich Is Regular ClassWhat Is This Trouble Of Smelling GasLet Me Go ForI Don't Want You To BoreToday I My New Shirt WoreBut Now It Is Torn In This Bus Line No.

Four

Henderson, Darryl, from Stock Clerkto Truck Driver Clerk.Hinkle, Phillip J., from Transit PoliceOfficer (Trainee) to Transit Police Offi-cer.Johnson, Anthony P., from MechanicC to Mechanic B.Jones, Larry 0., from Mechanic B toMechanic A.

Karlson, Donald R., from DivisionTransportation Manager to ActingTransportation Superintendent.King, John, from Buyer to ActingAssistant Contracts Administrator.Kunishige, Calvin K., from MechanicC to Mechanic B.Little, Carlton E., from Transit PoliceOfficer to Transit Police Investigator.

Lopez, Jeanette, L., from Typist Clerkto Ticket Clerk.Maranan, Antonio D., from MopperWaxer to Cash Clerk.Maxwell, Rodger 0., from Applica-tions Control Technician to Program-mer.

McCoy, Katie D., from Typist Clerk toKardex Clerk.McCoy, Ronald D., from TransitOperator to Transit OperationsSupervisor/Instructor.

McElhattan, J.J., from Senior Pro-grammer Analyst to Systems ProjectLeader.

Merriweather, Welton, from Operatorto Transit Operations Supervisor.Mitchell, Alphonso, from ActingEntry Level Professional Trainee toActing Buyer Assistant.Padilla, Patricia K., from Manage-ment Intern to Acting Personnel Ana-lyst.Paull, Edward G., from SupervisingPersonnel Analyst to Pension andBenefits Manager.Perkins. Junius C., from Acting Mid-dle Manager Trainee to Acting Assist-ant Contracts Administrator.

I Don't Want To Be SorePlease Back Door, Open Door********** (Repeated Part) **********

Let Me Go OutDon't Be With Me And PoutThere Is No DoubtIt Is Like Having A DroughtAs You SeeThere Is No Seat On This Bus Or Place

FreeThis Is Not A Good Bus For TransportI'll Write To R.T.D. A ReportAnd I Should Get Your SupportI Want To Go To The ShoreI Cannot Wait Any MorePlease Back Door, Open Door********** (Repeated Part) **********

Facilities MaintenanceEmployeesCommendedEd Davis has been named the FacilitiesMaintenance Employee of the Month forSeptember. Davis is the air-conditioningtechnician leader at Vernon Yard. He hasbeen with the District since May 6, 1971,and his maintained an excellent workingrecord.The sweepstakes winner for Septemberwas Al Sayles, who works at the Division18 regional shop. Mr. Sayles received fourtickets to a UCLA football game.

Pierre, Edward J., from Acting Pro-grammer Assistant to Acting Applica-tions Control Technician.Portugal, Joe A., from Stock Clerk toTruck Driver Clerk.Powell, Charles E, from Operator/Extra Transit Operations Supervisorto Transit Operations Supervisor.Pruitt, John L., from Digital Techni-cian to Digital Systems Technician.Romero, Annette 0., from TypistClerk to General Clerk II.

Safaie-Fard, E., from Programmer toProgrammer Analyst.Skellos, Terry C., from ElectronicCommunications Technician to Sys-tems Electronic CommunicationsTechnician.Staten, Ray, from Utility A to PropertyMaintainer A.Thorne, Susan M., from PersonnelAnalyst to Senior Personnel Analyst.Vasquez, Horacio, from Mechanic Cto Mechanic B.Vega, Rita M., from Entry Level Pro-fessional Trainee to Acting AssistantAdministrative Analyst.Watson, William R., from ScheduleChecker Supervisor to ScheduleChecker Manager.Williams, Francis, from Operator toTransit Operations Supervisor/Instructor.Wong, Joe, from Programmer to Pro-grammer Analyst.

SHIFTING GEARS Bass, Samuel, an Operator since Sep-tember 5, 1960, retired September 6,1985.Biggs, Hugh, an Operator since June27, 1964, retired August 31, 1985.Boyd, Billy, an Operator since August15, 1960, retired September 13, 1985.Costello, James, an Operator sinceDecember 18, 1945, retired September3, 1985.Cruz, David, an Operator since Octo-ber 19, 1959, retired August 31, 1985.Foye, Ferdinand, an Operator sinceAugust 29, 1960, retired August 31,1985.Harvey, Bennie, began with the Dis-trict July 6, 1959, retired as a ScheduleChecker August 31, 1985.Johnson, John, began with the Dis-trict September 11, 1971, retired as aUtility A July 31, 1985.King, Irene, an Operator since June21, 1944, retired August 31, 1985.McChristian, Lonnie, an Operatorsince March 23, 1959, retired Septem-ber 3, 1985.Nava, Bernardo, began with the Dis-trict September 19, 1966, retired as aMechanic A September 21, 1985.Parker, Francis, began with the Dis-trict June 27, 1960, retired as a UtilityA Steamer September 21, 1985.Tagler Angelo, began with the DistrictApril 19, 1974, retired as a SheetmetalWorker Leader July 31, 1985.Tibbs, Willie, an Operator sinceMarch 5, 1959, retired August 31,1985.

SCHEDULE CHANGES

TRIPPERS

RECREATION NEWSKings Hockey — $50.00 senate seatsfor $25.00

Opponents:November 9 — Montreal CanadiansNovember 13 — Detroit Red WingsNovember 16 — Pittsburgh PenguinsNovember 19 — New Jersey DevilsNovember 27 — Hartford Whalers

Lakers Basketball —$40.00 senate seats for$25.00

Opponents:November 5 —Cleveland CavaliersNovember 8 —

Denver NuggetsNovember 12 —Utah JazzNovember 14 —Portland TrailblazersNovember 17 —

New Jersey NetsNovember 20 —LA ClippersNovember 24 —

San Antonio Spurs

Other Events

November 5 — Lakers vs Cleveland November 23 — USC vs UCLA$7.50 $20.00November 8 — Lakers vs Denver $7.50November 16 — UCLA vs Oregon$7.50

November 26 — Halloween HauntKnotts Berry Farm $11.75

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