Letter to BJCTA MAX (Dec 12, 2015)
I wrote the letter below as a compliant to MAX as a result of my frustration during my senior year at UAB. I was without a car until after I turned 22. (I’m 25). The letter below was written on a phone and $70 android notebook. I republish it here completely unedited (mistakes and all. I sent it to MAX, but never heard back. It’s pure comedy, but it makes some relevant points for today’s climate.
Enjoy.
To whom it concerns:
Good Afternoon,
I hope this note is viewed by all pertinent managers, supervisors, and auxiliary decision makers for the MAX.
I have many concerns about BJCTA MAX; however, I realize that the institution is in the midst of planning for better transit services, and a commitment to betterment makes shortfalls tolerable.
What is not tolerable, however, is negligence. Let me preface my comments by saying that I understand human error well, and I am not one to nitpick on honest mistakes.
My remarks are targeted for the Palisades route. Before I get into the crux of my complaint, I will state a few observations:
1. The 14 has the capacity to be egregiously late. I earnestly hope that steps are being taken to account for or better service the high volume.
2. It’s time for capital improvement; way too many buses stall. Just today, the driver remarked to passengers that the brakes were bad.
3. Some outbound buses do not come. Particularly the evening schedule for 5 Points South. (5:09 esp.)
4. Most drivers have been nothing but genial and helpful. I have misplaced my wallet on the bus and they have ensured the safety of my wallet and its contents while going out of their way sometimes to help. That I appreciate.
5. There needs to be a digital stop communication at each post so that riders can make informed decisions. Holiday or special routes/breakdown can also be communicated through this portal as well.
My complaint is this: On Saturdays, I have experienced on at least two occasions this year that the bus will not turn into the Palisades Shopping Center at the stop labeled “D” on the PDF schedule downloadable from the website. “D” is a turning point on the route and this is where, to my understanding, the route pivots to “inbound”.
Here are a list of my grievances:
1. Early March of this year, while waiting for the 7:10 AM bus, I witnessed the bus not make a right turn into the Palisades Shopping and bypass the stops in from of Virginia College Culinary and the adjacent to Walmart. I arrived the at the Virginia stop at 7:03 AM.
2. Tuesday, November 10, 8:14 AM. I was at the Virginia bus stop and I was about teen feet away from blue stop sign. The bus approached and I went toward the sign. I was about three feet away from the sign when the bus committed a rolling stop throughout the two Palisades stops seemingly for no reason. Even after me physically running and trying to wave it down, it continued its rolling stop throughout the Palisades Shopping Center
3. Today, I arrived at the Virginia stop at 12:20 PM. The bus did not turn in and passed through at 12:37 PM. After trying to scurry to the Chevron stop on Greensprings, I saw the the pass that stop at 12:43 PM. I should not be punished for going to the outlet friendly Virginia Collage stop rather than the Palisades Blvd road median stop (which is odd that a median is also a bus stop)
4. Today, 12/12/15, 2:25 PM (40 minutes late from the schedule; I suspect this driver must be new to this route)
A bus being 15 minutes late due to high volume during peak hours is expected and tolerable to some extent. I have learned to plan around this. I would like to reiterate that I understand that high volume causes many issues and that is not what I’m assaying to spotlight.
What is unacceptable is blatant malpractice. I do not count on these buses to be timely. I do expect every stop on the route to be visited. Highlighting four incidents seem petty, but they could be harbingers of a systemic problem or isolated problem of misbehavior. I simply hope to spur internal investigation.
Around 12:45 PM I called a CSR to confirm that on the Express and Saturday routes that the bus is supposed to turn in. She confirmed that fact. At approximately 2:50 PM, I asked the bus operator if that bus was supposed to turn in
I am a college student (who also resides in University Heights) who commutes to class and work (UAB) throughout the weekday, everyday. I am aware that all else equal, most buses operate within the orbit of their schedules. However, compounded with the other factors that regularly disrupt this mode of transit, these incidents have been the source of much consternation and subsequent perturbation.
I fail to understand the cause of such negligence such as the avoidance of a stop when not expressing back to central station.
Let me be clear, I do not fault the MAX for any personal lapses in timeliness on part. My personal rule is that if I’m not at the stop ten minutes before time, as admonished by MAX, then I have no basis to complain.
So to address the CSR who makes a valid point about my complaint being an outlier, I realize that three incidents are statistically insignificant. I know the four claims I listed seem contrived, but rest assured that these were real occurrences and they have stirred me to action. Fueling my ire is the fact that those incidents all occurred on critical days for me, and this entire email could be wrongfully perceived as a shift of blame. I dislike complaining, and may of my peers do it out of ungratefulness. But I’ve reached my threshold with these issues.
MAX is at no fault that I have a busy schedule of work, class, professional development, and student involvement. Again, I have learned to plan around the tardiness of the 14 during peak hours. What I am unwilling to accept is the fact that simple negligence can have devastating effects. I’m also aware that other UAB students ride the bus and have no complaint. I would argue that because I have a stacked schedule, I’m naturally more exposed to the schedule. My peers usually travel at a set time in the morning, and stay on campus until the last bus. I have done this but it is not always an option for me.
This is my primary mode of transportation, and though it could be reliable 80% of the time, if the 20% is caused by avoidable and conscious negligence, it is irredeemably irresponsible to the stakeholders. For instance, November 10 was an interview for me and a business appointment back-to-back. Gratefully, I was able to call some peers and they delivered me from an otherwise ruining quagmire. March, it was a mentee event. I was viewed as a no-show (though I called, people think I use the bus as an excuse). Today, I missed out on a critical business training. This problem has begun to affect my developing professional brand. Therefore, I have a personal, vested interest in addressing this issue because I have an internship in the Spring and I cannot afford to be stymied because of frivolous negligence. I will always own if I’m late to a stop (as there is not reason for me to be because I live in University Heights). I also recognize that there are many who travel to work on time and have been doing so for many years. One of my maintenance co-workers, a man two and a half time my age has done so for decades. So I look internally first.
Though relative to my peers I may not have all of the material resources they have (namely a car), I recognize my privilege as a Black college student. I recognize that my lack of personal transportation is a momentary tribulation. I will graduate, earn more, and purchase a vehicle. For my fellow passengers, many of them are not so privileged. I don’t want to insinuate that the average rider of the bus does not value time, but many riders are also marginalized groups in our society. They may not have had the means to file a complaint, and thus, you have received less complaints. And if they could would they? Society has pigeonholed them to be and feel powerless. To that point, how many patrons actually have cellphones that they are able to keep active? What of internet access to send this comment?
At this point, it seems that I’m overreacting: I am not. It is correct that the MAX is a transit service and not a socioeconomic thinktank. But surely it is aware of the link between reliable transportation and the cycle of poverty. I have have declined to pursue otherwise available jobs and internships because of the level of uncertainty that I have about the MAX. I worry that those who do not share my privilege, the under-served, will never be able to break the cycle of poverty. Lack of reliable transportation is not the only element of poverty, but it is one that, if fixed, can help to emancipate an economic underclass.
When I first journeyed to UAB as a freshman in the Fall of 2011 (I’m a senior), one of the first complaints I heard about the city was its transit system. Five years later, students, influenced by the sustainability enterprises taking this city by storm, contemplate utilizing public transit more. The first and most immediate retort is that it’s “shady” and “unreliable”. While I do not entertain the racial microaggressions and undertones of calling the bus shady, I can not refute the unreliable claim as vehemently as I would like.
Quality assurance is key to staying competitive. With possibilities such as UBER, the MAX could easily become supplanted and lose out on the opportunity of urban revitalization. Again, I’m aware that these issues probably have been brought up before and are being remedied. I hope that the TIGER grant is both a boon and an impetus for capital improvement.
In closing, I hope that from this letter MAX management has gained insight and can use this to increase customer satisfaction moving forward. I urge the management to not dismiss this comment and compartmentalize it as another “irate customer”. Please ask yourself why a senior with one semester left would pen a letter of 1500 words directly after finals.
I hope to receive some correspondence by Monday, December 14 by 5 PM. This will verify that my comments were registered and will affirm that my concerns are being taken seriously.
With enduring hope for a swift and positive change,
Elijah E. Davis
