The Next Stop: METRO's Podcast
Episode 49: The Important Job of a METRO Trainer



Tyrone Scott:  You’re going to have to have compassion. You’re going to have to courtesy. And a lot of it’s common sense.  

Doug Delony:  I’m Doug Delony. On this edition of the Next Stop:  Being a trainer can make for a fulfilling and rewarding career here at METRO! And it’s an important one, too! 

[Introduction music plays]

Doug Delony:  Today, on the Next Stop, we welcome METRO trainer Tyrone Scott. He is one of many talented trainers within the Authority. I spoke to him recently for a series of videos about the anniversary of the ADA, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and you can watch that on METRO’s YouTube channel. Welcome to the podcast, Tyrone.  

Tyrone Scott:  It’s a pleasure.  

Doug Delony:  So, you are an instructor or trainer for incoming bus operators. How long have you been at METRO?  

Tyrone Scott:  I’ve been with METRO over three years now.  

Doug Delony:  And you started as a bus operator. That’s a big move within just a few years.  

Tyrone Scott:  I love the fact of being an instructor and bringing and talking with new students and going out and teaching on the bus hands-on and in the classroom. If they took a few dollars from me, I’d continue to do it. I love what I do. I came in with intentions of moving up into the company, as when I got hired on, I didn’t look at it as just a job. I looked at this as a career.  

Doug Delony:  And certainly, bus operators are needed, so your job is very important. How would you describe what you do?  

Tyrone Scott:  As a trainer, you’re looking at new students coming in. And we have classroom expectations that we have to meet, and we take them out to drive as well and introduce them to the bus, and we’re gonna show them how to become a safe operator. We drive our vehicles, but we showed them how to become a safe defensive driver.  

Doug Delony:  And you were telling me before we started recording:  This is not just a job to you.  

Tyrone Scott:  Very secure. They’re constantly hiring, and it’s a job for some, but it’s a career for myself. Yes.  

Doug Delony:  What about someone who may be a little nervous about driving such a large vehicle like a METRO bus?  

Tyrone Scott:  I would say I would understand them being a little nervous because it’s not every day that someone drives a 40-foot bus. And I’d tell them that it’s a career. It’s not a job. And if you have other aspirations, once you start to drive, you staying safe obviously, there’s a vast variety of open opportunities with METRO, as you can see with myself starting out as an operator now in the ____ training department. These are things that, you know, there’s a co-worker of mine who was a bus operator who is now in the METRO Police Department, and someone that has moved on to control. So, I would tell them there’s so many different opportunities here, and you just come in and start out as an operator, and sky’s the limit. Any job that you want, you can go after here.  

Doug Delony:  And you get to help people in the community, which, of course, brings a sense of pride as well.  

Tyrone Scott:  Oh, it’s a beautiful thing to help the community. I love working with the public. 

Doug Delony:  Now, speaking of helping the public, let’s talk about the Americans with Disabilities Act, celebrating its 32nd anniversary this year, and before I go on, I must mention that METRO Board member, Mr. Lex Frieden, was, of course, instrumental in conceiving and drafting the ADA, which was then signed into law by the first President Bush back in 1990, and the ADA has so much to it, but in short, very much, this is an abbreviation:  It prohibits the discrimination against people who have disabilities. This includes transportation and employment opportunities. Tyrone, you were telling me the ADA is part of the training for METRO bus operators.  

Tyrone Scott:  From classes, we train. We have an ADA section that we go over, and we train to kneel your bus, lower the ramp, and if they’re in need of help to get on, we’re going to go out and assist them in their wheelchair, scooter, whatever means or special needs, and get them onto the bus safely. The bus is kneeled at every bus stop, but what you’re going to do is put the parking brake in neutral, and you’re going to let your ramp out. And that would be for someone who’s needing it. You don’t have to have a physical ailment for the ramp, but that’s what we use for the wheelchairs. There’s a system that’s part of a training once they want to get on. There’s the wheelchair area in the front. Put up the chair. If someone’s sitting there, you would ask them to move to another seat, and, you know, you would pull them in. There’s a four-point tiedown, two straps in the back and two in the front, and if the seatbelt is optional, you’ll ask them would they like the seatbelt and the shoulder strap as well. And make sure that everything is tight and secure and that they have their wheelchair locked. All of our buses are equipped, Park and Rides, all of our buses, METROLift, they’re all equipped to pick up passengers. They don’t all have the same equipment for ADA, but they all are accessible for the needs of the patrons if they’re getting picked up out on a route or if they’re being picked up from their homes.  

Doug Delony:  And we talked a lot about people who rely on the ramps and wheelchairs, but much of the ADA is for people who have other kinds of disabilities as well. Perhaps they have problems with their sight. Something called the ADA Callout is very important. What is that?  

Tyrone Scott:  Yes. It’s an extensive training. We also with the equipment and what we have called the ADA Callouts. When we’re all out, the bus will say we’re approaching Martin Luther King Boulevard and Bellfort, and as well, if that’s not enunciating, us as the operator, it’s mandatory that we call them out for someone that may be hearing impaired or someone that, you know, needs that help. So, we would say, “Martin Luther King and Bellfort.”  And they’d say, “Bellfort. That’s my stop.” So, that’s what we call the ADA call stops, as well as the ADA equipment that we have on the bus.  

Doug Delony:  Absolutely.  So, that’s an important audio cue for those who can’t see the signage. We have these vehicles and staff to help those with various disabilities as well, whether it’s local bus service or METRORapid, METRORail, or METROLift. But METRO is also making improvements to bus stops. We recently celebrated the completion of 2,500 universally accessible bus stops. This includes improvements to the ramps, sidewalks, shelters, and bus pads. What can you tell me about that from a trainer or operator’s perspective?  

Tyrone Scott:  Yes, exactly, where they’re making the bus stops more accessible to where they have the roll-offs on the side for wheelchairs and for walkers to come up and down. Yes, that is something that has been implanted. With the new bus stops, where they’re having the ramps on each side of the bus stop, and they have more pavement and sidewalks that’s accessible where it just used to be a curb, and it would be hard for people to access these bus stops. When you’re pulling up, you have more than one option. Where before they made it more accessible for wheelchairs, and for people walking up, you would have to get into a small dimensional area to let your ramp out. Where now, this sidewalk is so long to where you have more options to, you know, let down and let the passengers on and off the bus.  

Doug Delony:  And as part of this, would you say you have to have some patience, and you have to actually care?  

Tyrone Scott:  And I always use this model to think if it’s a family member. If that’s your mother, your father, your brother, your cousin. When you see family members, you just have a different feel about yourself and a smile, so that’s how I take the public and the customers when I stop my bus to pull up. I treat the public as my family, so I want to pull up, and if Aunt Margaret or Uncle John need kneeling the ramp to get let them on, if he needs help with that wheelchair, I’m going to get out of my seat and ask him, “Would you need some help, sir?” And I could help him on. Or that young man or older lady that has a few extra bags of groceries. I can get out and help them because it’s what’s called “integrity.” And when you’re out on a bus, you’re your own boss because you’re out there. And the seat is what I call “My place of business.” And you’re out there, and you’re conducting yourself in a positive manner and professional. And with that integrity, you’re just going to do what’s right. You’re going to have to have compassion. You’re going to have to courtesy. And a lot of it’s common sense.  

Doug Delony:  Is there a moment or a story you can think of during your time as an operator before you were a trainer that sticks out in your mind? 

Tyrone Scott:  Out as an operator, I had an older fellow. His vision was impaired. I was driving the 40 Telephone. He was at the bus stop, and he had a stick and the glasses on. And when I stopped, someone helped him to the bus, and when he got on, I said, “Sir, can I ask your destination?” And he said, “I’m trying to get to Verizon.” I said, “Okay. I know where that is.” So, I said, “Do you have a provider if you don’t mind me asking?” And I helped him to sit down. He said, “Yes, she’s at home. She wasn’t able to come out with me.” So, I said, “Okay. I’m going to make sure I get you where you need to go.” He said, “Okay.” I said, “Once we get to the stop, how do you plan—it’s on the left or the right side?” He said, “It’s on the left side, crossing traffic.” I said, “Okay. So, what are we going to do about that?” He started to laugh. He said, “You sounded as a nice young man. I’m sure you’ll figure that out.” [Laughs] So, once we get there, I park and brake in neutral, put my hazard lights on. I may have had two people on the bus. I said, “I’ll be right back, ladies and gentlemen.” By now, they could figure out what was going on, and I put him onto my arm. He asked for my right arm, and I looked at traffic, and I helped him across the street. And once we got to Verizon, he said, “Scottie, this’ll be good. I’ll get my way back from here.” And I was like, “Thank you.” He’s like, “God bless you.” He said, “You just don’t know how you helped me out.” And it almost brought tears to my eyes that, you know, that was something. We say, “Expect the unexpected,” but I was so thankful and happy that I could be in that position to help. And that’s something that sticks with me to this day.  

Doug Delony:  That’s wonderful. So, there’s that courtesy and common sense you were talking about. And real quick, as we wrap up, I want to go back to what it’s like to work at METRO. You said you had fellow operators who also went on to get promotions.  

Tyrone Scott:  There’s a vast variety of open opportunities with METRO, as you can see with myself, starting as an operator, now in the ____ training department. These are things that, you know, there is a co-worker of mine who was a bus operator who is now in the METRO Police Department and someone that has moved on to control. So, I would tell them there’s so many different opportunities here, and you just come in and start out as an operator, and sky’s the limit.  

Doug Delony:  That’s wonderful. And thank you so much for your time, Tyrone. And before we wrap up this edition of the Next Stop, let’s listen in to what the “Bus Lady,” as she’s called, Ms. Janis Scott, what she has to say about the ADA and using METRO and independence.   

Janis Scott:  The Americans with Disabilities Act opened up a whole world for many people. I’ve been riding transit all my life, and that’s why I’m called the “Bus Lady!” [laughs] I like to help other people riding that trip. Some people may have a hearing impairment. They can have other types of physical or mental challenges. All of that falls under the ADA. We’re here to help each other. There’s so many things I have done and more things I can do yet in life that I’m only 70 years old now, which means I can ride METRO buses and trains for free now too! And I tell other people about being over 70 and riding for free. Then you get your independence going, and you’re then, “Oh, look at me _____” “Mm-hmm, that’s right.” And I said, “And more people just stop and think about the benefits of using public transit, using METRO. And if you need to, when the time comes, don’t be ashamed of having to be on the METROLift bus, you know. No, be proud of riding of METRO. Ride METRO, ride METROLift, whatever it takes to get you where you’re trying to go, whatever you’re trying to accomplish.” And I’m so happy we have that ADA now.  

Doug Delony:  Again, these interviews were part of a series on the ADA that you can watch on METRO’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. That wraps it up for this edition. Thank you to you, the listener, and to all of our METRO riders out there. I’m Doug Delony. If you’d like to listen to more episodes and subscribe, you can find all the links you need on ridemetro.org. As always, drive less and do more with Houston METRO! 

[Music plays to end] 


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