Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (March 7, 1990)
OPINION THE CLACKAMAS PRINT March 7,1990 Page 4 Is riding Tri-Met buses a rewarding experience? by Helenmarie Nelsen Staff Writer Would you enjoy riding the Tri-Met busses daily to and from classes in all types of weather? If this was your only form of trans portation, would its necessity in your life become a rewarding experience, or would you be frus trated at some of the inconven iences and dangers involved? I have been utilizing my two sturdy legs to bring me to the bus stops of the huge dty transporta tion vehicles that are sometimes too hot, cold, or stuffy. The repul sive odor of smoke from persons who must smoke during their rest time before taking off on their next scheduled run often greets the riders. Most of the buses have a sur prising accuracy in keeping their runs on a tight schedule, and the drivers always get a lot of criticism and rudeness from the riders if they are a couple of minutes late, or especially if they are a half minute early at a given stop on their route. By the end of the day, or their 6,8, or 10, and sometimes a 16hourshift, they are noticeably weary and cross, almost threaten ing the riders with a mean stare when they are barraged by per sons who keep up a constant chat ter as they ride in the handicapped seats up front by the driver. All this compassion on my part for the problems of the Tri- Met system helps me actually enjoy my conversations on the bus, making all the inconveniences a necessary evil to allow me to con tinue my education in understand ing the different classes of hu manities found on the buses. In the early mornings there are plenty of executives and well- dressed persons riding to down town Portland. One is riding also with the industrial workers, who board the buses at that time after working in the industrial plants, as evidenced by their smelly, greasy jeans and damp sneakers. I don’t find this disturbing anymore, as I like to speak with them all and find a unique story from each one if they care to speak to me. On the last buses out of an area, especially, the driver and rider can see a totally different kind of clientele. I must marvel at the gall of the two young men who boarded the33or 32 bus on a foggy evening with a dismounted racing bike and numerous heavy garbage bags, which I assumed contained plants as they could hardly drag them up the steps of the bus. They also had a couple of wilted hanging bas kets of fuschias with them, which I figured they were lugging home as an addition to their collection of articles to revive, sell, and help support them. What an innova tive way to start a business. Istarted to askthebus drivers if they had any funny or unusual stories of their experiences on the buses, and they had plenty to tell about Of course, I had indulged them with listening to my woeful tales of the time when my pass was flicked out of my hand as I was showing it to the driver. Although she spent a long time looking in all the crevices it might have flown to, we finally decided it must have been stolen by the two young men sitting in the front seats who promptly left the bus a couple of stops after I had requested that they help me look for it On Tri-Met, you find love, intrigue: The stories of trials, joys of real people. One driver, who has witnessed couples actually battering each other in the rear of the bus, has also been entertained (including a bus full of students) by a sales man showing his wares of bikinis, bras,and feather boas that hesells to the prostitutes downtown. A frequently told story is about the driver who spotted a couple making love in the back seat When he couldn’t find cause in his rules book to expel them, the couple opened a champagne bottle and started to pour it over each other. This gave him the legal reason to slam on the brakes and order them out Love, intrigue, theft, stories of the trials and joys of REAL people, all sorts of people, truly a cross-section of humanity in the Portland area: quite a rewarding experience, communicating with one’s fellow man. Nelson responds to article After reading your article in the February 28,1990 edition of THE PRINT, I had a few con cerns about the facts you ignored. Please note that these comments refer only to the Associated Student Government. First of all, there is a reason for this “red tape.” Like it or not, it is the only fair way to select qualified people to fill the posi tions. It is not reasonable to think that we could pick replace ments by their applications alone. The interview process allows us a chanceto talk to the applicants and get to know who they are. As far as giving the position to people who are already in the “family,” I would like to point out that there are two students- at-large on all selection commit tees. They are not part of A.S.G. If someone is selected from the “family” it is because the com mittee felt that person was the most qualified person for that position, not because they are a friend of a friend. Finally, there is a small matter of the constitution of the Associated Students of Clacka mas Community College (pages 51-56 of the student handbook.) You will find the guidelines for selecting Student Government OfficersZSenators on page 55, section 19. This was passed by the student body and we must follow it until it is changed. Iwould be more than happy to sit and talk to you about this matter. Sincerely, David Nelson A.S.G Administrative Assistant Campus Views Steve Rudometkin "1 will be hanging out, wash ingwindows from the high altitude of 10 stories up, hanging by a rope. I will also be starting up my own Roseann Wentworth Frank Schoenfeld Lance Hobson T will be going to Lake Shasta to live on a houseboat. I’ll also water ski, and jet ski for about a week and a half." ’Going to Yakima for a base ball tournament, That we will win!" "I’m going to Denver, Colo rado for some incredible spring dang during the week, and then my friend is getting married- that means bachelorette party!" band!" What will you be doing during spring break? ¿avid Bruneau ’Goto San Diego for a week to visit family. Then I’m goingto "TT to celebrate my bvthday." Tim Osburn Chris Lucas Bob Chenoweth *Tm going to Disneyland. I'm also goingto LA to scope out some hot babes? Tm going to Arizona, and r’m goingto San Diego and I’m going to get crazy." "TT inches 97.06 -0.40 1.13 D50 Illuminant, 2 degree observer Density 92.02 -0.60 0.23 87.34 -0.75 0.21 82.14 -1.06 0.43 72.06 -1.19 0.28 62.15 -1.07 0.19
