Perfect ChemistryRTD's In-House Oil Analysis Lab

Saves Engines and Millions of Dollars

Number 10 Volume 20 April, 1992

MOTHER'S DAY

rTIAB LE10FCONTENTS

A Message from Board President Holen 3Electric Trolley Bus Lines Selected 3Heart of Gold 4Operators to Test Foam Back Support 5Division 16 Takes the Prize 6New Clean-Air Diesel Buses Hit Street 7Alternative Fuels Program Saluted 7Caution! Men at Work! 8RTD Gears Up for Methanol Operations 9Public Commendations 10Training the Trainers 12Schedule Changes 13Shifting Gears 13In Memoriam 14Commendations 15Downtown Survey Elicits Huge Response 19In the Thick of lt 20Driver's Education 20Transit Police Crack Theft Ring 21College Bound 21Employees Score with Great Suggestions 21Open Letter to RTD Employees 22Short Fuse 23Good Sports 24Happy Birthday, Dan Ibarra! 25Births 25Congratulations to Division 8 Newlyweds! 25Letters to the Editor 26Recreation News 28

The Headway . . .is published by the Southern California Rapid Transit

District for the employees, retirees, and its friends every month.Headway is guided by a policy approved by the GeneralManager and published in the Human Resources Policy Manual.A copy is available on request.

Views and opinions containe,d herein do not necessarilyreflect official District policy.

The Headway welcomes contributions from RTD employ-e,es and retirees—letters to the editor, story ideas, opinions,employee and staff activities, and other submissions. Deadlineis the first day of the month for inclusion in the following month.Submissions should be typed double-space and signed by theauthor or on disk using the WordPerfect program. Opinionpieces and letters to the editor should not be more than 500 wordsand should be submittexl on disk whenever possible. The editorreserves the right to select, edit, and position all copy.

Stories may ‘be reprinted with acknowledgment of source.Editorial Office: Administration Building, 425 S. Main

St., Human Resources Department, Second Floor, (213) 972-7165.

Printing Services Section Staff: Photo Lithographic Opera-tors—Roh Hartert and Ferrol Yeakle; Pressmen II —Pat Bates,Eliud Castellanos, Oscar Arzadon, Roberto Arrivillaga; andBindery Operators Il—Manny Alvarez, Wall Billingsley, andLuis Melendez.

Editor: Andrea GreeneBusiness Manager: Stacy TranContributing Editors: Cheryl Brown and Luanna Urie.Design and Layout: Shawn D. Lowe-EwingMember: International Association of Business Communi-

cators and California Association of Public Information Offic-ers.

The Headway is printed on recycled paper.

Neither the Headway nor the RTD endorses the productsor verifies the accuracy of the claims made in the advertising,which has appeared, appears, and will appear on the pages ofthe Headway. The advertising is simply a revenue-generatingmeasure. Further, we reserve the right to reject any objection-able ad.

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 2

Electric Trolleybus Lines SelectedBased on input gathered at a

ries ofof RTD-sponsored community meet-ings (see March issue of Headway), theDistrict's board of directors has for-mally approved 12 RTD and municipalbus lines to be the first to receive electrictrolleybuses. Those RTD lines, whichwill be studied further, are:

• Line 16 (West Third Street)• Line 18 (West 6th Street- Whittier

Boulevard)• Lines 30/31 (West Pieo Blvd.-East

Ist Street)• Line 40 (South Bay Galleria-

Hawthorne-Inglewood-Union Sta-tion-L.A. County Jail)

• Line 45 (Broadway)• Lines 66/67 (West 8th Street-East

Olympic Blvd.)

• Line 70 (Garvey Avenue)• Lines 180/181 (Hollywood-Glen-

dale-Pasadena)• Line 204 (Vermont Avenue)• Line 560 (Van Nuys Boulevard)

Also, Montebello Bus Line 10 andLong Beach Transit Lines 40, 50, 60,and 90 have been selected.

RTD staff will hold public hearingsand additional discussions with commu-nity leaders and interested residents. ByAugust 1992, RTD hopes to identify thethre,e to four routes to receive the firstset of electric trolley buses. Servicecould begin on those lines as early as1995.

The District's trolleybus programis under the direction of Albert Perdon,director of transit systems development.

A Message from Board President Marvin Holen

The words "electric trolley bus"have been floating around the Districtand in the news lately. Not everyone inthe District has been as close to the topicas I have in the last few weeks, so Ithought 1 would take this opportunity asan occasional columnist for Headway toteil you a little more about the ETBprogram.

Part of the daily business of provid-ing public transportation to 1.3 millionriders every day is seeing to it that we doso with as little impact on the environ-ment as possible. In recent years, theSouth Coast Air Quality ManagementDistrict (AQMD) has successfullybacked legislation that requires vehicleoperators such as the RTD to workharder to clean our polluted air.

The AQMD's goal for the year2010 is to have public transportationfleets powered completely with alterna-tive fuels such as methanol, compressednatural gas -- and electricity. That'swhere electric trolley buses enter thepicture.

Let nie give you a little historyabout electric trolley buses. You may besurprised to learn, as 1 was, that the firstelectrically-powered trolley bus in theUnited States was put into service righthere in the Los Angeles area. The yearwas 1910, which was 28 years after thefirst vehicle of its kind was introducedin Berlin, Germany, in 1882.

The Los Angeles trolley bus lineserved Laurel Canyon Boulevard forfive years before being taken out ofservice. In 1947, two more ETB lineswere put into service in central and eastLos Angeles. They stayed around for 16years, but were scrubbed again in 1963

when the difficulties of providing powerto the buses were de,emed unworkable.

But technology has come a longway. Now, in the 1990s, the ETB onceagain presents itself as an option -- butwith a very desirable side effect thatdidn 't occur to anyone in the '40s or'50s.

The best part about electric trolleybuses is that they are emissions-free.Today's ETBs are sleek, much quieterthan a conventional bus, and use a verysmall amount of electricity to run them.

If you have ever seen them in citieslike San Francisco or Seattle, you knowhow they work. Twin power poles ontop of the bus gather electricity suppliedby a pair of power lines suspendedabove from poles. The same principle isused to power Blue Line trains, exceptthe buses will have considerably moremaneuverability on the street than atrain does.

The Transit Systems Developmentstaff, under the direction of Al Perdon,is responsible for studying the optionsfor bringing back ETBs to Los Angeles.Last September, the Los Angeles CountyTransportation Cornmission provided $8million for us to complete preliminary

engine,ering and vehicle specifications,and select routes for possible conver-sion to electric operation.

The TSD staff just completed aseries of public meetings to educatecitizens and get their input on the project.The public's opinion of this project isextremely important to us, and will helpus decide where the lines should go.

I, along with Mayor Tom Bradleyand the RTD and LACTC boards, sup-port the concept of (bis project. I am infavor of any program that would help usto improve our environment, and I thinkelectric trolley buses have that poten-tial. lt is true that we would erect powerlines along the street for any ETB lineswe settle on. To help offset the visualimpact of the wires, however, the plan isto plant 30,000 big, mature trees next tothe poles to help camouflage the wiresand beautify the streetscape.

I encourage you to learn more aboutthe electric trolley bus project. Teilothers about it, too, and find out whatthey think. Our final decision will reston how people feel about this latestclean-air effort.

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 3

Surrounded by 12 of his judo students, Division 3 Bus Operator Louis Trammelreceives the Heart of Los Angeles Award from City Councilmatz Mike Hernandez.Said Roy Starks, Division 3 manager and Trammel's boss, "I feel like he is anabsolute credit to the District and to the community. Hefeels proud to have been ableto make a difference."

Heart of GoldFor years, they had run with

gangs. Ditching school every day,Marcos Luna had roamed the streets insearch of trouble. In fact, lie told thiswriter in an interview two years ago, hewas trouble. Then one day, quite byaccident, he and his friend, DavidSanchez, ran into Bus Operator LouisTrammel at the Cypress Park Parks andRecreation Center. A master of jujitsu,the then 48-year-old Trammel capturedtheir attention, and that of other latch-key kids, with his class in weaponlessfighting.

He's made heroes out of 63 of them.In early April, the City of Los

Angeles made a hero out of him.In a ceremony at Los Angeles City

Hall, the veteran 19-year Operator waspresente£1 with the Heart of Los AngelesAward, for his service and dedication tothe youth in this City.

"I'm kind of honored, but really Inever thought about it," the humbledman said, as he was honored by CityCouncilman Mike Hernandez. "Theaward caught me off-guard -- I wasn'tlooking for it. That's not the biggestthing, the biggest thing is the upcomingOlympic games."

And some of his jujitsu students arerocketing to the top.

Seventeen-year-old David Sanchez,who used to mix with the bad kids on theblock, picked up a gold medal in worldcompetition in Canada last year. TheFranklin High School student has beeninvited to practice his ancient Japanesesport at the Olympic training center inColorado during late August. He'll bejoined by Christine Carerra, the daugh-ter of Division 16 Operator Rene Carerra.Christine has already won a place on theU.S. Women's Judo Team and is a shoo-in for the '96 Olympics, according toTrammel.

As for Trammel, he continues todrive the 200 line and, during his offhours, to search for corporate sponsorsso that his kids can compete in tourna-ments. He estimates he spends about$3,000 of his own money so that his

Los Angeles."I hated to lose that kid."

Editor's note: Marcos Luna, men-tioned at the top of this article, wasforced by an injury to drop out ofTrammel's dass. But Trammel the man,rather than Trammel the athlete, musthave inspired hitn. Luna graduatedfromhigh school and married. 1-Je has a littlegirl, and is now the assistant managerof a supermarket. He visits the recre-ation center often.

students may enter the various competi-tions. The weekend after he was salutedby the city council, he took 16 kids tothe Nevada State Championships -- halfof them returned with medals.

For three years, Trammel' s ganghas stuck with him -- and matured. Allexcept one. He went back to the streets,and broke Trammel's heart.

His older brother was in a gang. "Itried and tried," said the man who hasgiven so much of himself to the youth of

"The price of greatness is responsibility."—Winston Churchill

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 4

"We will evaluate the program on a scientific basis," says Rufus Francis, assistantsafety engineer, as he shows off his Accu-Back device. Francis, a five-year R7Dveteran, was instruinemal in developing the progratn. 1f you are a bus Operator atei ther Division 10 or 18 and are interested in being apart of the program , talk to yourmanager.

"We are ttying to create the best working etzvironment for our staff as we can," saysRobert Torres, R7D safety manager. "We believe that this portable back support willimprove sitting posture, absorb shock and reduce fatigue and back injuries."

711111nIMIr

Operators Get Chance to Test Foam Back SupportPilot Program Developed by Transportation and Risk ManagementDepartments is Designed to Make Driving More Comfortable for Operators

Armando Jimenez was drivinghis bus on the freeway several years agowhen a car suddenly hit a guard rau l andslammed head-on into his bus. Tryingto avoid injury to his passengers andfurther damage to his bus, he veeredright and hit a second guard rau.

"I felt like my whole bodywhiplashed," said the 17-year RTD vet-eran. "I couldn't drive for six months."

His physician diagnosed musculartissue damage and the Hacienda Heightsresident was assigned to the District'slight duty program (Special AssistantProgram). He found himself in theDistrict's Risk Management Departmentwhere Safety Manager Robert Torresand Assistant Safety Engineer RufusFrancis, in conjunction with the Trans-portation Department, had been busysearching for a way in which operatorscould feel more comfortable behind thewheel.

"Rufus asked me if 1 would like totry a large foam back support when I

low-cost portable foam back support --a soothing solution to the months he hadspent in excruciating pain.

Beginning July 1, in a six-monthpilot program conducted by both theRisk Management and TransportationDepartments, 800 operators at Divi-sions 10 and 18 will be evaluated to seeif this device is, indeed, successful inlessening Operator stress and fatigue andreducing the number and severity ofback injuries.

This is your chance to participate!Half of the operators who volunteer

for the program will be provided withthe fold-up type of cushions; the other400 Operators will serve as a comparisongroup.

Each group will be sent question-naires before and after the test. The RiskManagement Department will keep tabson both of the groups and the Transpor-tation Department will coordinate thedistribution and collection of the surveyand evaluation forms.

Torres says the back support de-vices to be tested by the operators are

continued otz page 6. . .

returned to driving last June," recallsJimenez. "lt helped a lot. lt preventedme from crouching and kept my backstraight."

What Jimenez brought aboard hisbus, courtesy of RTD's Francis, was a

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 5

ee,e4.-

Division 16 is the wintier of the first-ever Quality Service Trophy.

Division 16 Takes the Prize!Pomona Crew Places First in New Quality Service Program

Posting a 100 percent pull-outrate for the month ofJanuary, Division16 pulled in the first ever Quality Ser-vice Trophy for the month of January.

During a morning ceremony April1 at the Pomona division (which hasbecome, incidentally, a satellite divi-sion of El Monte's Division 9), bothTransportation and Equipment Mainte-nance were applauded for achieving1,590 consecutive pull-outs without onelate pull-out or cancellation. •

"That 's outstanding," said Assis-tant Director of Maintenance Ken Miller,who dreamed up the novel idea for thecompetition last November. Miller, an11-year RTD veteran, says the programsparks incentive among all District staff-ers who are dedicated to providing thebest service possible to the public.

"We've never before applied theemphasis over lates and cancellations aswe have over the last five or six months,"he says. The net result of the increasedfocus, according to Miller, is that, over-all, the District's pull-out performancestands at an admirable 99.12 percent.

Steve Conlee, senior equipmentmaintenance specialist in Pomona, saysthe small size of the division has a lot todo with its admirable performance. Thereare 23 mechanics, eight service atten-dants, five equipment records special-ists, and one typist-clerk. Four non-contract employees round out the main-tenance team.

"We're all there to do the samejob," says Evelyn Frizielle, who, asDivision 9 manager, oversees the Opera-tion of the Division 16 satellite.

Besides capturing the Quality Ser-vice Trophy, Division 16 also was laudedfor achieving 34 conse,cutive days with-out a passenger or traffic accident. "Quitean accomplishment," noted a beamingFrizielle. "Going that length of time andcarrying so many passengers for so manymiles without having an accident is ararity in public transportation."

Back Support. . . continued from page 5

manufactured by Accu-Back Inc. ofCarson. They feature a NASA space-age innovation called Memory Foam,which, by conforming to body contoursand holding that shape, distributes bodypressure e,venly over the entire area ofbody contact. When its not being used,the cushion resumes its original shape.The back support fits readily into anytype of chair or operator's seat. lt hastwo adjustable fire-retardant cushions,one for the lower back and the other forthe upper back. The user adjusts them tothe most comfortable position. The de-vices, incidentally, are presently usedfor spacecraft seat padding.

Each support costs $30. The totalcost for 450 of them is $13,500.

Bus operators at WMATA in Wash-ington D.C. and Orange County Transithave al ready given the product a thumbsup, according to Torres.

"If the test here shows that thedevice would benefit operators and hasno significant negative effects, we willconsider it for use on a wider basis.Whatever the results are, we can use the

statistics we've obtained from the op-erators to determine where we go fromhere."

Torres says Divisions 10 and 18were chosen as the test divisions be-cause of their high frequency of occupa-tional back injuries. He says that be-tween fiscal years '87 to '90, 738 backinjury claims were filed, costing theDistrict some eight million dollars.

Bus Operator Jimenez, meanwhile,is pleased the RTD continues to look forways to improve Operator comfort. Hesays that another colleague took onelook at his back support, and asked to tryit out. Laughingly, Jimenez says, "andI haven't seen it since. I had to getanother one."

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 6

New Clean-Air Diesel Buses Hit Street This MonthRTD, along with Mayor Tom Bradley, Unveils the First of 33 Particulate Trap Buses

A milestone in clean-emissionspublic transportation was,reached Tues-day, March 19 as RTD unveiled the first15 of 33 brand-new particulate trapbuses scheduled to go into revenue ser-vice in April.

Designated "Clean-Air Diesel," theFlxible buses will increase the RTD'slow-emissions fleet by 50 percent.Manufactured in Ohio, the buses cost$218,695 ,each, inclüding $21,200 forthe particulate trap system. The trap isused to filter carbon particles from en-gine exhaust.

"This is a great day for the RTD andfor public transit in Los AngelesCounty," said Marvin Holen, RTD boardof directors president. "lt means that weare further expanding our clean-air fleetin yet another new direction of technol-ogy diversificafion."

Since, May, 1989 with the entryinto passenger service of 30 methanol-powered buses, the RTD has operatedthe largest clean-emissions bus fleet inthe world.

Until today's announcement, theRTD had used particulate traps on 15converted diesel buses on an experimen-tal basis.

The RTD also operates 10 busesfueled by compressed natural gas and 12buses converted to methanol by use ofthe additive Avocet.

The particulate trap system, manu-factured in Minneapolis, contains 16"candles" inside a steel case. The"candles are wound with ceramic fiberwhich acts as a filtering medium forcarbon particles. When particulate build-up is at the maximum allowable level, aregeneration device burns off the col-lected matter to carbon dioxide andwater.

"The particulate trap/oxidizer usedby the RTD is 80 percent efficient atremoving carbon particulate from dieselexhaust," said Alan Pegg, general man-ager. "Extensive testing since 1986 in-dicates that the device will enable diese'en2ines to meet or exceed the 1991-

1994 Environmental Protetstandard," Pegg said.

Buses in the order forticulate-trap coaches are stithe assembly lines in thOhio plant of The Flxible

RTD's Alternate Futlong hailed as the premier alternativefuels public transportation project in thenation, has been named the 1992"Tranny" Transit Management Projectof the Year. Sponsored by the CaliforniaTransportation Foundation, the honorrecognizes individuals and agencies state-wide who have excelled in the publictransportation arena. The award, to beaccepted by Alan Pegg, general man-ager, and L. Rich Davis, director ofequipment maintenance, will be pre-sented May 14 during the 1992 Califor-nia Transportation and Public WorksConference, sponsored by the Univer-sity of California, Berkeley.

The California TransportationFoundation, in its fourth year, is a non-profit organization staffed by retiredCal Trans employees, according to itsexecutive director, Heinz Heckeroth.

Other people and projects honoredinclude Congressman Norman Minetafrom San Jose, the University of Cali-fornia, Santa Cruz for its travel demandmanagement program, and the City ofBakersfield for its Muni Airport Run-way project.

said. The new buses are equipped at thefactory with particulate trap exhaustaftertreatment systems manufactured byDonaldson Co., of Minneapolis.

The new buses will go into servicein different parts of Los Angeles, Peggsaid. The buses, with serial numbersrunning from 2900 to 2932, are pow-

ered by V-6 Detroit Diesel engines with92 cubic inches per cylinder. Each has43 passenger seats plus front-door wheel-chair lift.

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APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 7

Caution! Men At WorkDistrict 's Oil Analysis Lab — Unique Among Transit Properties — is Up and Running

"We're a specialized group of people ," says Bill Hernandez of the Oil Analysis Lab."We do something that 's totally different from what others do. We do a milliondifferent tests trying to troubleshoot what's wrong with an engine. " Pictured aboveare Hernandez' colleagues, Hector Rojas and Richard Damron.

"Reduced maintenance costs, increased equipment reliability, and extended fluidand filter life reliability are the major advantages of a modern fluids analysisprogram, like the one we have here," says Quality Assurance Manager Mike Stange,who was key to putting the lab on-line. The lab itself was the brainchild of L. RichDavis, director of equipment maintenance. Above is Chemist George Munden.

The men in white look impres-sive.

They are. For the last eight months,tucked away in the bowels of the CentralMaintenance Facility, the five working"scientists" have developed an in-housecomprehensive oilanalysis program thathas saved the District thousands of dol-lars in premature and catastrophic equip-ment failure.

"Gentlemen, it's going to work,"said Quality Assurance Manager MikeStange, who assumed leadership of theprogram last fall. Since that time, count-less samples of engine oil have beenchecked for signs of contamination, wearmetals, and additives.

Here's how it works: Every 6,000miles or every four to six weeks, asample of oil is drawn from a bus. Thedivision at which the bus is locatedsimply sends the sample to Stange andhis crew through the mail. Warra,ntyEquipment Specialist Bill Hernandezthen labels each sample and logs it intoa laboratory information computer sys-tem so that it can be properly tracked.

Once examined and its viscosity,acidity, and alkalinity measured, asample will be classified in one of threeways. lt can be normal, abnormal, orcritical. All critical and abnormal sampleresults are communicated immediately,by FAX and a follow-up phone call,tothe bus's home division.

About one percent of the sampleswind up on the critical list. Stange saysthat out of 1,545 recent samples, 15were found to contain contaminants."That means," says Stange, "that hadwe not tested the lubricant and thennotified the division, we could have lost15 different engines, and at $18,000 anengine, we're talking about a lot ofmoney."

Stange says his shop's target turn-around for sample testing is approxi-mately four days. That is considerablyfaster than sending the samples to anoutside analysis lab, which had been

APRIL 1 9 9 2 HEADWAY 8

done in the past. The RTD lab completestesting on 60 to 70 samples a day.

Some say that the District couldeventually seil their elaborate samplingservice.

Stange, too, is thinking of the fu-ture.

"I envision us sampling gear lubefor heavy raul cars, on the Red andGreen lines," he says. "I can see ustesting any and all of the electrictrollybuses. They don't have fuel, butthey do have gear boxes and transmis-sions. "

RTD Gears Up for Methanol Bus Operationsby Rick Jager,Sr. Press Relations Representative

The world's largest fleet of metha-nol-powered buses is scheduled to ar-rive this summer and already variousdepartments here at the District aremaking preparations to ensure thosebuses are put into Operation as soon aspossible.

"Our goal is to place these newclean burning, state-of-the-art coachesinto regular revenue service as soon asthey come in to complement our ex ist-ing fleet of 30 methanol buses that havebeen in service for the past two years,"said Dan Miller, RTD's operations staffsuperintendent.

The Operations staff, along withEquipment Maintenance, OperationsPlanning, Schedules Planning and Fa-cilities Maintenance and Engineering,has been working on the deploymentplan for this fleet of methanol-poweredbuses for the past six months.

With a successful two-year test of30 methanol-powered buses now com-plete, the RTD Board of Directors lastyear approved the purchase of 202 addi-tional clean-burning methanol buses toreplace older diesel-powered buses.

The $48.2 million contract wasawarded to Transportation Manufactur-ing Corporation (TMC) of Roswell,New Mexico, with each 40-foot bus

costing $217,400."The plan is to first replace existing

diesel buses with methanol coaches atDivision One, with the rest of the fleetto go to Division Two," said Miller.

The operations plan calls for thedeployment of between 160 and 165

Division 9 has a fuel tank replacement

program set to begin in September.

methanol buses from Division One. Di-vision Two, which is scheduled to be re-opened as a fully operational division byJune of this year, will house approxi-mately 70 methanol buses.

"By operating these coaches out ofthe District' s two downtown yards, theywill be assigned to heavily used, inner-city lines," said Miller.

Those Lines operating out of Divi-sion One include Lines 14, 16, 18, 30and 66. Lines to be operated out ofDivision Two include 26, 56, 65 and104.

"Division One, which houses theDistrict's current fleet of methanol-pow-ered buses, was a logical choice for thedeployment of addition methanol busessince that division already has fuelingtanks for methanol," said Miller.

"The final touches are being donenow to Division Two and, by summer,

that division also will be capable ofdeploying methanol buses," addedMiller.

Additionally, Division 9 in ElMonte has a fuel tank replacement pro-gram set to begin in September so thatmethanol-powered buses can be deployedfrom that location.

As the buses begin arriving, Equip-ment Engineering and Maintenance, un-der the watchful eye of GeorgeKarbowski, RTD's equipment mainte-nance supervisor and methanol busproject manager, will begin inspectingthe coaches for acceptance.

"Once accepted, then the `campaign'begins by our department in terms ofgetting the buses ready for revenue ser-vice," he said.

"Methanol decals will be applied,radios, fareboxes and the headsigns willbe installed and progranuned by Tele-communications, and final touches inpreparing the vehicles for Operation willbe done," he added.

"In operation and in maintenancethe only real difference in these busescompared to others is the type of fuel thecoach uses and the fact that these buseswill have glow plugs to assist in start-up," said Karbowski.

continued on page 23. . .

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 9

OMMENDATIONS

Dear RTD:My wife and I have been holiday-

ing in Los Angeles for the last week orSO.

We used your RTD transportationsystem quite extensively and on twooccasions were served by the same busdriver. During the first time, I foundhim to be the most courteous driver thatI had ever met and on the second occa-sion, this conduct was verified.

My wife and I live in Adelaide,Austral ia and have travelled extensivelyin America, Europe and the United King-dom.

Your driver, #16532 (JosephSahler), comes out well near the top.Please thank him.

Yours faithfully,W.B. Legg

•Dear RTD:I do not usually take the time to

write letters, but I felt compelled towrite this one. Recently, my car brokedown and I was forced to catch yourtransit on Western Ave. Being totallyunfamiliar with the RTD and frustrated,your driver, Mr. Horace Leftwich, onLine 207, badge #16968, totally easedmy frustration and made the day brighterwith cheerfulness and help in guidingme to work. I must say that I am mostgrateful to him, because he probablysaved my job also.

Thank you, Mr. Leftwich and RTD.Sincerely,Eddie J. CurtisLos Angeles

•Dear RTD:After many years of riding the bus,

I am writing to express my appreciationfor Mr. Richard Pedroza, driver #2383on the 446 line. Pedroza is an excep-

Thanks For a Job

Division 3201Peggy Brown

Division 3203Francis MauliolaAnna Tongrai

Division 3205Patricia HeedlyRaul Villegas

Division 3207Ronald DavenportCarol JacksonJoseph Sahler

Division 3208Joyce Antill

Division 3209Roberto RamirezEdward Senteno

Division 3210Jimmie BraggTamela Jacobs

Division 3212Maria GrandeRichard Pedroza

Division 3215Renee Williams

Division 3218Ernest BhagwaniHorace Leftwich

Telephone Information:Linda CarpenterGeorgina CervantesJuanita CookFernand° HernandezVictoria Lewis

tional inclividual and a credit to yourcompany. I have observed that he ispatient, courteous, helpful and outgo-ing with all of the riders. lt is easy to see

that he likes his job by his attitude.Richard's pleasant manner is infectiousand I think that we riders carry it overinto our stressed-out lives everyday.

I am sure that there are hundreds outthere that feel the same as I do aboutRichard Pedroza; they simply do nothave the time to write to express theirfeelings. In sum, Pedroza is a one-manpublic relations department. If therewere more drivers like him, I'm surethat more riders would be attracted toride the bus.

Sincerely,Robert PhillipsSan Pedro

•Dear RTD:lt is always a pleasant surprise to be

blessed with an encounter with a personwho knows what service means. I havebeen fortunate to be at the receiving endof one such encounter, which happily,has continued to this day.

I refer to Mr. Edward Dolphin,who drives the 207 line. I can' t help butbe cheered after a long day's work as Iwatch him put smiles on his passengers'faces. This he does by greeting themcheerfully, looking them straight in theeye while carrying on small talk withthem in English, Korean and Spanish.He never fails to elicit smiles fromthem; he makes them feel truly impor-tant.

He always announces the next stops(in three languages, at least) with awarning to "Watch your step," and saysa word or two to each disembarkingpassenger. The effect is clearly visibleon bus passengers' faces and in theirwalk as they hit the sidewalk. They doseem to be walking on air.

Mr. Dolphin is truly an asset toyour organization and as such is a walk-ing example of customer relations in thereal sense of the word. What would theworld be I ike if there were more EdwardDolphins!

Sincerely,Ernest BhagwaniLos Angeles

•Dear RTD:First of all, let me start off by

BLIC Well Done!

APRIL 1 992 HEADWAY 10

saying that one rainy day last week,when I got home, I couldn't figure outwhy my jacket and handbag were cov-ered with mud. Four days later o-n Feb.11, I got on my regular bus line 4 andsaw that I had my regular driver (CarolJaelkson). I sat down and noticed shewas writing something on a pie,ce ofpaper at a red light. She gave it to me andon it, had written, "Hi," and her nameand told me that I had a seizure onFriday, Feb. 7 at my bus stop. When shesaw me the next time, Feb. 10, she wasreal worried (she is always my driver).She was so compassionate and con-cerned and relieved when she picked meup on Tuesday, Feb. 11. She explainedthat she had noticed me fall on Friday asshe approached my stop. She got off thebus to sec if I was OK. I was verydisoriented and I wouldn' t get on herbus. When I did get home that evening,I couldn' t figure out why I was coveredwith mud. For four days I couldn'tfigure it out and then the bus driverexplained what had happened and en-lightened me.

I wish there were more people likeCarol, who are caring and considerateof people with handicaps. She is anexceptional person and a credit to theRTD.

Sincerely,Elise ShorrWest Hollywood

Dear RTD: •This statement is rendered with ex-

treme reverence and appreciation to theRTD bus service of Los Angeles and tothe outstanding courteous, respectful,helpful and, without a doubt, the mostnecessary customer service representa-tives.

To my dismay, I had several pro-spective employers reject me due to mylack of transportation. I even had otherscriticize the RTD system. However,because of my success with RTD servicereps, you are absolutely number one!

I now have been blessed with a j obmy first since entering your state 43

days ago. The reason why I received thejob is because RTD service reps madesure I arrived one half hour to one hour

ahead of the time I wished to arrive.Also, your drivers also responded withconsiderable patience.

This is the first time in my life thatI have ever used public transportation tothis ex tent. I thank God I am here on theWest Coast, in California.

Most respectfully submitted,Gary Stephens, Sr.

•Dear RTD:I am a commuter from San Bernar-

dino County and have been riding theRTD 497 Express Line for two years. Ihave always been very satisfied with theservices provided but I never expectedto receive the personal touch of serviceI received yesterday.

On January 6, as I was ready toalight at my stop, my office keys con-taining my car and home keys fell out ofmy coat pocket and I was not aware ofthe incident until I reached for themonce I had gotten inside my building.

I immediately called the L.A. RTDline and was given your number to call.Operator #42 answered and gave meinstructions and was very helpfulevery manner. He arranged to have mykeys delivered to my office within anhour. Supervisor Georgina Cervanteswas the person who delivered my keysand with a smile! She told me that shethought Operator #42 was Mr. FernandoHernandez.

I would not only like to extend mysincere thanks to you but also to let youknow that its people like Mr. Hernandezand Ms. Cervantes who make it a plea-sure to ride with RTD. My hat's off tothem for being an asset to their com-pany.

Sincerely,Lucia B. Luengo

•Dear RTD:I would like to commend one of

your employees, Ms. Juanita Cook, onher performance. lt is not too often inour fast-paced city, that we find onewho is not only courteous but friendly.

Ms. Cook has demonstrated profes-sional and accurate skills. We, on nu-merous occasions, must call your officefor information for a client. When mak-

ing a referral to a shelter or food bank,our clients are usually at 'their lowestpoint in life and it is important to us thatwe get them on the right bus to assuretheir safety. This is where Ms. Cook hasshown her excellent skills.

lt is not unusual for me, when I haveexperienced good service to request thesame person again. I'm very pleasedwith your service as well as with youremployee, Juanita Cook.

Sincerely,Armando OlivasSr. Community Services Represen-tative, United Way

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Condo for rent: Island of Kauai,Hawaii, Poipu Beach Resort. Beautifulone-bedroom, fully equipped condo.King-size bed, plus queen sleeper inliving room. All amenities includingpool, spa, and eight tennis courts ongrounds. Short walk to Poipu Beach.All this for only $630 per week. Formore information, call (818) 998-8002.

Golf Collector Society Memberbuys and trades old wood shaft clubs orgolf balls from the 50s and older. In anycondition! Top Prices Paid. Call Eddie(213) 222-3021.

For Sale: 1988 Chrysler Conquest.5-speed turbo. 62,000 miles. Black,mint condition. Complete power pack.Leather interior. Call 818-810-0842 af-ter 10 a.m. and ask for Bob.

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 11

Training the Trainers:Operators Aren 't the Only Ones Learning at Central Instruction

by Greg Da,Sr. Press Relations Representative

When we walk into classroomsfor the first time, we always hope in-structors will make the course interest-ing, stimulating and even entertaining.We certainly expect them to know theirsubjects and to be able to teach it effec-tively.

We often forget that teaching isitself a skill that must be taught. ActingSuperintendent of Instruction B.J. Har-ris must bear this in mind every day.

"The people who teach our opera-tors must also be trained to becometrainers, " Harris explains. "Making surewe have excellent-quality trainers is oneof the many significant roles here atCentral Instruction."

Two state laws passed in 1989 re-quire that all transit vehicle operatorshave a transit driver's certificate, andthat all instructors be certified on at leastthe state level.

Harris knew that getting his in-structors certified would be the least ofhis worries. "I believe RTD's training

program is superior in many ways to thestate and federal programs," he said."In fact, the federal Transportation SafetyInstitute uses some of our films andmaterials in its training program."

"Your training is never com-

plete," Harris said. "You're

always learning."

The only real task was choosingwhich of his TOS Instructors wouldattend the week-long federal certifica-tion training. The five who made it wereGeorge Dixon, Rudy Maul, ChuckMcMillan, Isaac Ornelas and Lee Quick.

"There are only 40 federally certi-fied transit instructors in the state ofCalifornia," Harris pointed out. "AndRTD now has five of them. I believe thisspeaks very well for the quality of ourprogram.

"These are the pe,ople who start sortof a chain reaction of learning," Harrisexplained. "They train our TOS instruc-tors, who in turn train our Line Instruc-

tors, who then work with our operatorswhen they're actually learning to drivea bus."

In July, 1991, before the currenthiring freeze occurred, the District picked13 of its most experienced operators andturned them into new TOS instructors.Rob Bauer, Jose Gonzales, LeonardHooper, Demetrius Jones, Dormin D.Jones, John Jung, Scott Lee, JosephMcKenna, Eddie Outlaw, Johnny Rios,Jose Serrano, Steven Strilecki and BillyWilkison all took a 13-week course inwhich they were being trained to betrainers.

Much of the 13 weeks is going overthe fundamentals of driving technique,safety issues and accident investigation.The rest of it is observing other instruc-tors to learn how to conduct trainingsessions, how to interact with träineesand how to properly complete classpaperwork.

At the end of the 13 weeks, the newTOS instructors are ready to conducttheir own training sessions. But Harris

continued on page 23. . .

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 12

CHEDUL.JIANGES

AlkachOuri, Hassan M.,from Electrician Helper toTraction Power Inspector.

Am brozich, Gary F., fromMechanic "B" to Me,chanic

Avila, Leonard J., fromTransit Police Officer (Trn)to Transit Police Officer.

Batres, John R., from Tran-sit Police Officer (Trn) toTransit Police Officer.

Brown, Wilson M., fromTransit Police lnvestigatorto Transit Police Sergeant.

Burke, David J., from Elec-trician to Traction Power In-specto r.

Demascio, Frank J., fromTrain Operator to TransitOperations Supervisor.

Dixon, Winston B., fromMaintenance Specialist toEngineering Associate.

Gallegos, Salvador, fromElectrician to Traction PowerInspector.

Gonzalez, Andres, from Me-chanic "B" to Mechanic "A".

Hill, Isaac U., from TransitPolice Officer (Trn) to Tran-sit Police Officer.

Humes, Delores J., fromMechanic "C" to Mechanic

Jauregui, Rosendo R., fromMechanic "A" to Mechanic"A" Leader.

Keliher, Joseph T., fromMechanic "B" to Mechanic

Lara, Antonio J., from Ser-vice Attendant to ServiceAttendant Leader.

Martinez, Cuauhtemoc,from Mechanic "B" to Me-chanic "A".

Nliddleton, Virginia M.,from Service Attendant toService Attendant Leader.

Milan, Rogelio P., fromMechanic "B" to Mechanic

Muro, Fermin R., from Me-chanic "C" to Mechanic "B".

Noriega, Angel M., fromStock Clerk to Storekeeper.

Rios, Jose Luis, from Trac-tion Power Inspector to Elec-trician.

Rogers, Jarn es P. , from Me-chanic "C" to Me.chanic "B".

Roque, Joseph R., fromTrain Operator to Transit Op-erations Supervisor.

Scott, Frank M., from Me-chanic "A" to Mechanic "A"Leader.

Thomson, William J., fromTransit Police Investigatorto Transit Police Sergeant.

Valverde, Jesus R., fromMechanic "B" to Mechanic

Varing, Harold 11, fromMechanic "C" to Mechanic

Willis, James T., from Tran-sit Police Investigator toTransit Police Sergeant.

Clark, Alan L. from SignalInspector to Rau Signal Su-pervi sor.

Davenport-Waldon,Beverle, from Data ProcessDocument Clerk to MISTechnical Librarian.

HIFTINGEARS

Davis, Kirk S. from TrainOperator to Transit Opera-tions Supervisor.

Delacerda, Joe L., fromMechanic "A" to Mechanic"A" Leader.

Delgado, Letticia, fromTransit Police Investigatorto Transit Police Sergeant.

Adams, Harold, began withthe District on October 13,1970 and retired as a Me-chanic "A" on January 31,1992.

Batiste, Myrtle L., beganwith the District on June 11,1979 and retired as a BusOperator Full Time on March11, 1991.

Blue, Theartis E., beganwith the District on Novem-ber 09, 1968 and retired as aBus Operator Full Time onJanuary 31, 1992.

Bolanos, Alvaro, began withthe District on July 29, 1967and retired as a Bus OperatorFull Time on January 31,1992.

Carbone, Richard L., be-gan with the District on Feb-ruary 15, 1969 and retired asa Bus Operator Full Time onFebruary 16, 1992.

Coleman, John H., beganwith the District on July 22,1961 and retired as a BusOperator Full Time on Janu-ary 06, 1992.

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 13

Collins, Louis F., beganwith the District on March31, 1976 and retired as aMechanic "A" on October01, 1991.

Cure, Eugene A., beganwith the District on Febru-

' ary 02, 1959 and retired as aTransit Operations Supv onFebruary 03, 1992.

Holliday, John L., beganwith the District on Septem-ber 11, 1971 and retired asa Bus Operator Full Time onNovember 07, 1991.

Jackson, Seabron, beganwith the District on Decem-ber 14, 1968 and retired asa Bus Operator Full Time onJanuary 31, 1992.

Lujan, Richard A., beganwith the District on July 01,1960 and retired as a Equip-ment Maint Supv on January31, 1992.

Markles, John F., beganwith the District on June 05,1971 and retired as a CabinetMaker on July 02, 1991.

Miller, Lee A., began withthe District on January 25,1969 and retired as a BusOperator Full Time on Janu-ary 31, 1992.

Mott, Adrian A., began withthe District on January 02,1975 and retired as a BusOperator Full Time on Janu-ary 20, 1992.

Parker, Napolian, beganwith the District on January04, 1969 and retired as a BusOperator Full Time on Janu-ary 31, 1992.

Rudolph, Jonas, began withthe District on January 11,1969 and retired as a BusOperator Full Time on Janu-ary 23, 1992.

Saa, Milton R., began withthe District on November 02,1968 and retired as a BusOperator Full Time on Janu-ary 31, 1992.

Saunders, Andrew W., be-gan with the District on Oc-tober 23, 1983 and retired asa Bus Operator Full Time onJanuary 23, 1992.

Small, Richard L., beganwith the District on Septem-ber 21, 1963 and retired as aSr. Transit Oprns Supv onFebruary 22, 1992.

Smith, Johnny, began withthe District on September 21,1968 and retired as a BusOperator Full Time on Janu-ary 31, 1992.

Stewart, Shirley J., beganwith the District on Novem-ber 15, 1968 and retired as aCustomer Info. Agent I onJanuary 28, 1992.

IN MEMORIAM

Bulger, John F., began withthe District on March 31,1949, retired as a AssistantSupt. Property Maintainersand passe,d away on January13, 1992.

Darlington, Frederick C.,began with the District onNovember 11, 1974, retiredas a Bus Operator Full Timeand passed away on January28, 1992.

Gudbranson, Gunvald E.,began with the District onSeptember 04, 1945, retiredas a Bus Operator and passedaway on November 15, 1991.

Kochanski, Vincent W., be-gan with the District on Janu-ary 28, 1953, retirecl as aBus Operator and passedaway on January 19, 1992.

Wells, Perle L., began withthe District on September 29,1942, retired as a Bus Op-erator and passed away onJanuary 08, 1992.

bell,REALTORS

BILL HICKSREALTOR4)

Marketing Specialist

Bus. (714) 637-7240Res. (714) 637-0123

FAX (714) 637-1912, Pager (714) 324-16336396 E. Santa Ana Canyon Rd., Anaheim Hills, CA 92807

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 14

MENDATIONS

One of the San Fernand° Valley's inost honored bus operators has been chosen by the District as Operator of the Month forJanualy. Forty-year-old Arthur Wake has spent much of his 18-year RTD career operating Valley bus routes and, over the years,has won 12 R7D Safety Awards, 14 Division Manager 's Letters of Commendation and three Outstanding Operator Awards. Inthe past 11 years, he has maintained 90 merits, which is the maximum number of annualmerits an Operator can accumulate. TheGranada Hills resident currently drives Line 168 along Lassen and Paxton streets from Chatsworth through Northridge to SanFernand°. Says bis boss Ron Reedy, "No matter what pressure he 's und er, he conducts himself in a veiy professional manner.He 's a real asset to the District."Wake is a "die-hard" Dodgers fan who also keeps track of the Raiders and Rains. He 's a dedicated bowler in the Valley NiseiLeague, where he maintains a 187 average. He also collects sports cards, mostly those featuring football players. "lt remindsme of my childhood," he says.Wake holds a bachelor's degree in human resources development from California State University, Northridge. He served withthe arinv in Korea as a militaty policeman from 1972 to 1974.

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 15

Congratulations to Eldon Takahara ofDivision 10, who was tappedMaintenance Employee ofthe Month forFebruary. With R7D since 1969, theUtility A Leader has consistently spottedtrends or peculiar problems with ourfleet, and has then taken the initiative tosolve the problems. He is an excellentmotivator who insists onprofessionalismand teaches others by setting an excellentexample.His expertise on the Job and positiveattitude towards the District has earnedhim the respect of his crew andsupervisory staff

Please applaud Christina (Tina) Wurm,a general clerk in the Document Controlsection of OCPM , as Procurement Clerkof the Quarter. Her boss, Paul Como,says Wurm is a hardworking,conscientious employee who alwayspro cesses documents flowing throughher section in an expeditious, efficient,and professional manner. Despite theextreme variations of work flow in thesection, she makes sure her work isprocessed and completed on schedule.Wurm deals well with the most difficultand demanding of the staff, and addsComo, consistently meets the tnanygoals of her section. 0 urcongratulations!

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 16

Division 18's Lisandro Martinez wasrecetztly honored by the Board ofDirectors for being named MaintenanceEmployee of the Month for Jan uary.Considered to be one of the best leadmenin the Equipment MaintenanceDepartment, Martinez can always becounted on to complete his assignmentin a professional manner. He shares histhoughts with fellow employees as wellas his knowledge about the job. To hiscredit , Martinez has never been late forwork in 18 years and has missed only 36hours of work due to illness. An 18-yearveteran of RTD, Martinez began hiscareer as a MechanicB. In 1986, he waspromoted to Mechanic A leader in theRunning Repairs Section , which is wherehe remains today.

Information Operator of the Monthhonors go to Natalie Ramirez, whocontinues to chalk up numerouscommetzdations and an itnpeccableattendance record. The two-year R7Demployee is the mother offive children,and in her spare time, dabbles in the artsand crafts. She says her specialty isarran ging silkflowersfor weddings andparties. Her outside interests don 't stopthere. She also spends considerable timeworking with disadvantaged youth at

theEastland Youth Center in Montebello.Truly a credit to her employer and to her

family!

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 17

Catching mistakes which have goneunnoticed by other staff members seemsto be one of General Clerk Mike Witt'sfortes, as he wo, was recently namedPro curement Section Clerk of theQuarter. A highly-productive employeewho churns out the work, he has made apositive contribution to the success ofOCPM. His boss , OCPMDirector PaulComo, says that he, too, is able to dealwith the most difficult and demanding ofstaff

Alert in recognizing potential problemsis what makes General Clerk AlejandraMunoz so valuable to OCPM boss PaulComo. Because she is so hardworkingand conscientious, Munoz, too, wasrecently tapped Clerk of the Quarter.Assigned to the Data Entty Section, sheis knowledgeable in all areas of theclerical section and, despite the heavyworkload in her own section, is alwaysready to assume duties to help in othersections. She is always available towork overtime if need be. Kudos to Ms.Munoz for all that she has contributed.

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 18

RTD Survey of Downtown Area Elicits HugeResponse

Study Will Allow District to Respond to Rapidly Changing Ridership Patternsand to Develop New Services

The Scheduling and OperationsPlanning Department, under the direc-tion of Steve Parry, is busy this monthtabulating and analyzing results from acomprehensive survey that will allow theDistrict to improve mobility and systemoperations in downtown Los Angeles.Thanks to the more than 1,100 RTD busoperators and operating personnel whoparticipated, the Los Angeles CentralBusiness District (LACBD) Sector Study,identifies key congestion points for busesin downtown Los Angeles.

"The operators took the time to thinkthe survey out, reflect on it, and formu-late good responses," said Robert Jack-son, senior statistical analyst who authoredand now must interpret the survey. "Akey point is that this survey indicates thatmost of the major factors influencing busdelays are largely outside of the control ofthe RTD."

The study, commissioned last yearby the RTD Board of Directors, focusedon the Central Business District, an areawhich is fast- changing as a result ofmushrooming development and the imple-mentation of new public transit, like theRed and Blue Lines, commuter rail, Pasa-dena light rail, and Harbor FreewayTransitway. The downtown area was laststudied as intensely back in 1976, accord-ing to Steve Parry, director of schedulingand operations.

But the boundaries of the businessarea have changed significantly since then,said Parry, with tremendous growth eastof the Los Angeles River and west of theHarbor Freeway. "There are all kinds ofnew highrises downtown," said Parry,but no new streets.

"The slowest operating speed in thesystem is downtown."

In order to identify the problemscausing the delays, operating personnel("Anybody who has something to do with

the buses operating downtown," saidParry) were given the surveys to fill out.

Of the 1138 surveys handed out, awhopping 80 percent were completed.("A very high response rate," said apleased Jackson, who holds a doctoratein social ecology from the University ofCalifornia, Irvine.)

As expected, RTD operating per-sonnel complained most about the Broad-way Corridor, as being affected by alltypes of probleins which result in busdelays.

* Eighty-six percent of the respon-dents cited major left turn problems atthe intersection of Grand Avenue andFirst Street.

* Eighty-three percent of the re-spondents cited major right turn prob-lems at Olive Street and First Street.

* Sixty-seven percent of the re-spondents cited major pedestrian re-lated problems at Main Street and Sev-enth Street.

* Eighty-four percent of the re-spondents cited major parked vehiclerelated problems at the intersection ofHill Street and Sixth Street.

* More than eighty percent of theparticipants reported traffic conges-tion as the reason for delays at thefollowing locations:

Main and Seventh StreetBroadway and Fifth StreetFlower and WilshireTerminal 28 Bus Layover Zone in

the vicinity of Hill and VeniceFigueroa and WilshireThen, in January, Jackson and com-

pany conducted the second phase of thestudy. Another survey, created by himand geared to the public, was publishedin the January 6 issue of the DowntownNews.

Seven hundred eleven citizens re-sponded; half of them indicated they

were transit users. Several days later,staff from Local Government and Com-munity Affairs conducted the same sur-vey at five downtown locations. Nearly600 responses were obtained over athree-day period. Then, according toScheduling's Callier Beard, who wasinstrumental in the sector study, staffconducted 779 surveys at bus stopsaround the downtown areas.

One member of the RTD team wasa Spanish speaker, noted Beard. In addi-tion, 75,000 take-one flyers were dis-tributed on all buses operating in theDowntown area to announced that staffwould be conducting surveys to identifyunmet transit needs. Altogether morethan 2,500 were completed and returnedthrough this Community Outreachphase.

According to Jackson, the prelimi-nary findings indicated that the meanage of the sample of downtown riderswas 36.7 years; over 43 percent of thesample were male; 43.8 percent wereHispanic, and just over 51 percent re-ported annual household incomes of lessthan $15,000.

Jackson and Party both say theywill have a preliminary report on theirfindings by June, and a final report byNovember.

Parry says the District is alreadyresponding to results of the survey,which shows that transit in the CBD isheavily utilized and subject to less thanoptimal operating conditions. The Dis-trict has formally requested to the Citythat a northbound contra-flow lane forbuses be established along Hill Street.Party says that because Broadway wasnot established as a one-way streetcoupled with Hill Street, there is adisproportionate number of buses trav-

continued on page 28...

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 19

5 when they saw a mob of known gangmembers running from a 105 line bus atVernon and San Pedro. The officersquickly located two robbery victims onthe bus and immediately detained onefemale juvenile suspect. Two other ju-veniles, both males, ran from officersand were captured as they attempted toevade the proverbial long arm of the lawby hiding in a junkyard several blocksaway. All were booked on robberycharges.

The Numbers . • •Transit Police made a total of 504

arrests during January 1992, including106 for felony crimes, 79 for illegalsales of transfers and 63 juvenile arrestsby GHOST officers for vandalism andrelated offenses. In addition, officershandled 2,209 radio calls, issued 443citations and completed 9,343 randombus boardings.

Investigator Jackie Goss and Offi-cer David Morgan arrested five more ofthe same gang members after the sus-pects committed an armed robberyaboard a bus at Vernon and Vermont onFebruary 13. During the robbery, onepassenger was slashed with a knife androbbed of his hat and jacket. Anotherpassenger was squirted in the face witha caustic liquid of unknown origin.Officers spotted the bus with the headsignemergency lights activated and stoppedthe bus. The victims positively identi-fied five of the 15 to 20 gang members.One adult and four juveniles werebookedfor robbery and felony assault.

Transit Police encourage the con-tinued assistance of all District employ-ees in providing information on crimesand suspicious activity. Your timelyobservations are invaluable in facilitat-ing effective law enforcement through-out the District.

INCOME TAX REFUNDSf an income tax refund isdue and the return was filed

by April 15, expect to receivea check by June I. If not, cal!the IRS's Tele-Tax number tofind out the status of therefund. In most areas thenumber to call is 800-829-4477. In areas not served by

this number, ask the telephone Opera-tor for the local IRS Tax AutomatedRefund number, or check the taxpackage that you received by mai!from IRS for the number.

When calling, have the tax returnhanc1y with Soda! Security number,filing status, and exact amount of theexpected refuncl.

In the Thick of ltby Sgt. Shari Barberic, Transit Police

Transit Police recently expandedits Community Relations Unit, which isstaffed by Investigators Leroy Crawfordand Pete Mooyman and Officer DavidGirardi. The goal is to develop a com-prehensive program focused on an en-hanced effort to identify and address theconcerns of our fellow employees. Weare looking forward to making this pro-gram an integral component of our"Dedication to Excellence."

Division 15 Operator Patrick Hartprovided information which led to thearrests of four juvenile graffiti artists onJanuary 28 and 29 on the 154 line atColdwater Canyon and Oxnard. GHOSTreceived a miscellaneous report fromHart requesting assistance with dailygraffiti activity at that location. At thesame time, an anonymous report wasreceived through the "WE TIP" pro-gram concerning the same problem.GHOST Officers Jerry Chaney, Rich-ard Mena, Albert Plazola, WilliamWells, Fred Noya and Ron Brown initi-ated a surveillance and apprehended fourjuveniles in three separate incidents overthe two-day period.

In response to reports from opera-tors and adjacent businesses, GHOSTmonitored the bus stops at King andVermont on February 13 and nabbedeight juveniles who had inflicted nearly$7,000 worth of damage to one RTDbus during their "spray-for-all." All ofthe suspects were booked on felonyvandalism charges.

On February 1, GHOST officerscaptured five juveniles among a largegroup vandalizing buses at Gage andAvalon. Four of the suspects werecharged with vandalism and a fifth wascharged with battery on a police officerafter the suspect struck an officer duringthe arrest. The suspects had appliedgraffiti to more than four buses duringtheir ill-fated crime spree.

Officers LaMark Williams, AnthonyHackett and William Wells were in theright place at the right time on February

Driver'sEducation

Always on the move, RTD recentlyparticipated in a Rideshare Fair atPacific Bell in San Pedro. Shown herelearning to drive an RTD bus is VeraWilde, the employee transportationcoordinator from Pac Bell. Division 12Operator O.J. Ghiara (kneeling)provided the instruction, as Pac Beil s'DonaDever looked on. R7D's EdLangerfrom the Corporate Transit Partnershipsnapped the photo.

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 20

Creative Employees Score withMore Great Suggestions

Fresh Ideas Pay Off For Another Three Employees

Hefty checks were presented re-cently to three District employees whoseunique ideas have allowed the Districtto save bundles of money . . and time.

Dennis Dickason, awarranty equip-ment mechanic, cashed in a $1000 checkfor his design of an engine shutdownswitch that cuts off the engine when oilpressure drops. His novel invention pre-vents catastrophic engine failures. Thecost of one engine is about $17,000. Thedevice he invented costs far fess; in fact,the District can retrofit the entire fleetwith Dickason's switch for fess than itwould cost to replace one engine.

Mechanics Salvador Perez and GalalAbdelwahb were awarded $691 for their

design of an RTS II rear door light panelthat allows the mechanic to make adjust-ments to the rear door without removingthe dome light panel. The new configu-ration saves time, and material. Theremodified panel has been tested andnow implemented at CMF. Their ideahas resulted in an annual cost savings tothe District of $6,912.

If you' ve got a grand idea that couldresult in the District saving hundreds ofdollars, please submit your idea to theEmployee Suggestion Committee. CallNina Capoccia at 7172 for more infor-mation. Unfortunately, because of thebudget crunch, monetary awards for theprogram are temporarily on hold.

Transit Police Crack Bus Transfer Theft RingKnocking out a major theft ring,

RTD Transit Police recently arrestedeight persons, including a part-time RTDbus operator, for possession of stolenbus transfers. The arrests culminated arecent investigation into the increaseduse of counterfeit or stolen fare mediathat is costing the District at least $2million a year. In the first two months ofthis year, Transit Police nabbed a totalof 134 persons for selling illegal faremedia, up from 46 arrests in December.

The arrest of the eight men occurredin the early morning hours at residencesin the 4100 block of S. San Pedro Place,the 400 block of N. Rampart Boulevardand the 1100 block of Chicago Street inthe Los Angeles area. All eight werebooked on charges of grand theft, em-bezzlement and conspiracy.

Police officers confiscated 42 booksof stolen RTD bus transfers that have avalue of up to $2,310. Also confiscatedwere six ticket punches, three counter-feit discount tickets, six forged monthlybus passes, an assortment of fake socialsecurity cards and $15,000 in cash.

"We consider this a significantbreakthrough in our investigation," saidSharon Papa, RTD Chief of TransitPolice. "All 2,100 of the transfers we

College BoundBus Operator James Belt, an 11-

year RTD veteran, is proud to report toHeadway that his son, 24-year-old Ado-nis, has been awarded a full footballscholarship to Livingston University inBirmingham, Alabama. He's currentlyin his second year at Citrus College inGlendora and is a noseguard on theschool' s team. Two years ago, his teamwon their conference title. Adonis is agraduate of Sierra Vista High School inBaldwin Hills, and ITT in West Covina.

Meantime, Belt' s other child, a 27-year old daughter is bound for the Uni-versity of California, Santa Cruz on anart scholarship. She spent her first twoyears of college at Mount San Antonio.

found were dated for use March 6 -- theonly day they could have been used.This gives us an idea of how muchrevenue we could have been losing eachday this ring was operating."

The Transit Police and RTD's Trans-portation Department have be,en work-ing together on a task force formed tobattle the counterfeiting and theft of faremedia, including monthly bus passes,transfers and discount tickets.

Last October, RTD switched from astandard monthly bus pass design to ahologram design, which is much moredifficult to duplicate accurately. Coun-

terfeiting of passes has consequentlybeen dramatically reduced.

Three-member teams began board-ing buses in October to check for coun-terfeit monthly passes. More than 100fakes were confiscated with the help ofwatchful operators. A total of 134 per-sons were arrested the first two monthsof this year, up from 46 arrests inDecember.

The District informed the public ofthe problems with brochures on busescautioning riders to purchase their passesonly at authorized RTD dealers. As aresult only 10 fake passes were found inJanuary.

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 21

Open Letter to RTD Employees, Spouses and Dependents InsuredUnder a Group Medical/Dental Plan

The Consolidated Omnibus Rec-onciliation Act of 1986 (COBRA) re-quires that whenever an individual 'smedical and/or dental insurance cover-age ends for any of the following rea-sons, he or she must be given the opportunity to purchase continued coverage.Cost of this continued coverage is 102percent of the District's premium rate.This letter is intended to inform you ofyour rights and obligations under theCOBRA provisions. Both you and yourinsured dependents should take the timeto read this notice carefully.

If you are the employee, you havethe right to choose this continuationcoverage for up to 18 months ifyou loseyour group health/dental coverage forany of the following reasons:

1. Your voluntary termination.2. Your involuntarytermination for

reasorts other than gross misconduct.)3. Your reduction of hours due to

layoff, strike, leave of absence, or lull-time to part-time.

If you are the spouse of an employeecovered by the District's group health/dental plan, you have the right to contin-ued coverage for yourself for up to 36months if you lose group health/dentalcoverage for any of the following rea-sons:

I. Death of your spouse.2. Termination of your spouse's

employment or reduction in your spouse'shours of employment.

3. Divorce or legal separationfromyour spouse.

4. Your spouse becomes entitled toMedicare unless the Medicare entitle-rnent is due to End Stage Renal Diseaseor your spouse is deemed a "disabledactive individual" under a large grouphealth plan.

If you are the dependent child of aDistrict employee insured under thegroup medical/dental insurance, youhave the right to continue insurance forup to 36 months if your coverage is lostfor any of the following reasons:

1. Death of a parent.

2. Terminations of your parent 'semployment or reduction in your parent 'shours of employment.

3. Parent 's divorce or legal Separa-tion.

4. A parent becomes entitled toMedicare unless the Medicare entitle-ment is due to End Stage Renal Diseaseor the parent is deemed a "disabledactive individual" under a large grouphealth plan.

5. The dependent ceases to be aneligible dependent either over age 19and not a full-tirne student or over theage of 23.

Under the COBRA law, the em-ployee or insured family member hasthe responsibility to inform the planadministrator of a divorce, legal separa-

tion, or a child losing eligible dependentstatus within 60 days of the date of theevent or the date on which coveragewould be lost because of the event.

When your plan administrator isnotified that one of these events hashappened, he or she will telt you thatyou have the right to choose COBRAcontinuation coverage. If you do notchoose to continue coverage, your grouphealth/dental insurance coverage willend.

Your continuation coverage is iden-tical to the coverage provided under theplan for active employees or eligiblefamily members. Coverage will ceasefor you and your dependents:

1. Eighteen months from the datean employee's coverage ended becauseof a termination or reduction of hours.

2. Twemy-nine months from thedate an employee's coverage ended be-cause of a termination or reduction ofhours where the COBRA coverage wasextended due to Social Security disabil-ity determination.

3. 7hirty-six monthsfrom the date adependent 's coverage ended because ofthe death of the employee, divorce, legalseparation, a dependent ceasing to be adependent, or the employee's Medicareentitletrient.

4. ne date the individual becotnesentitled to Medicare unless the Medi-care entitlement is due to End StageRenal Disease or the individual isdeerned a "disabled active individual."

5. The date the individual becomescovered under another group health planwhich does not wirmin any exclusion orlimitation with respect to any pre-exist-ing condition.

6. 77w date the employer ceases tomaintain any group health plan.

7. The date the individual falls tomake timely payment of premium.

If you have any questions about theCOBRA law and how it affects yourinsurance coverage, please contact yourplan administrator.

Here's What ltMeans . .

(Inder certain circumstances,you have the right to continue yourmedical insurance coverage even afteryou leave the District. You can con-tinue it if:

- You resign, retire or are dis-missed (forany reason other than grossmisconduct.)

— You change from full-time topart-time status.

- - Your spouse and dependentchildren also have the right to continueinsurance coverage

— You become legally separatedor divorced.

— You die.— Your dependent child reaches

the maximum age for coverage underthe District's health plans.

— A District retiree turns age 65and his/her dependents are not eligiblefor Medicare.

Keep in mind that continuation of

continued on page 27.

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 22

Short Fuse

lt takes a conventional "slow-fiW'compressed natural gas (CNG) fuelingfacility seven to eight hours rofihl thetanks of a bus-sized vehicle that runs onCNG. But R7D, with the assistance ofthe Southern California Gas Company,has once again moved ahead ofconvention by developing a 'fast-fill"CNG fueling facility capable of fillingan empty bus with 16,000 standard feetof compressed natural gas in 10 minutes.In top photo, R7D Warranty EquipmentTechnician Paul Rankin inspects one ofthe two CNG compressors at the SunValley facility before attaching one ofthe facility 's four CNG nozzles to thebus' gas valve for fueling. 771e facility,which was officially unveiled April 10,is a demonstration project designed toimprove the efficiency offuel distributionin large fleets of CNG-poweredcommercial vehicles. The project isfunded with Federal TransportationAdministration dollars plus acontributionfrom So Cal Gas Company.

Methanol• • . continued from page 9

Vince Pellegrin, senior engineer ofthe District's alternative fuels programnoted: "Methanol-powered buses arepart of a larger plan to experiment witha variety of alternative fuels."

The District is currently experi-menting with a methanol additive fordiesel buses, compressed natural gasand diesel coaches with particulate traps.

"These technologies are all promis-ing in terms of reducing bus einissions,however, some are more costly thanothers to operate and we are assessingthe overall reliability and durability ofeach technology," he said.

"I want to congratulate the manymen and women responsible for thedevelopment of this methanol bus op-erations plan," said RTD General Man-ager Alan F. Pegg.

"Through their efforts and hardwork, RTD is truly a leader in the fieldof alternative fuel research and develop-ment," said Pegg. "I have every confi-dence that the deployment of the world' slargest methanol fleet of 202 buses willbe a successful one."

Training• . . continued from page 12

stresses that no one who walks throughthe doors at Central Instruction shouldever consider their training finished.

"Your training is never complete,"Harris said. "You're always leaming.Brush-up sessions occur at least once ayear."

The hiring freeze has temporarilyhalted the number of Operator recruitsneeding classroom time, but trainersstill have plenty to do. TOS instructorscontinually work with the District's 500or so Line Instnictors, guiding them intheir efforts to train and re-train opera-tors in the art of driving a bus. Operatorsalso return periodically to Central In-struction for their bnish-ups, taught bythe TOS Instructors.

"Providing transit in the Los Ange-les area is becoming a more and morecompetitive business , " Harris said. "Wehave to show people that we want theirbusiness, and that we appreciate it whenthey give it to us.

"That's why our trainers will bestressing good customer relations at up-coming training sessions. We also willbe concentrating on the proper uses ofour dispatch radios. One thing we startedjust recently was taking our trainees ona tour of our dispatch center, so they cansee the job our dispatchers do first-hand."

Oh, Say, Can You "CC"???

Decisions! How do you decide who gets a copy of that important letter ormemo? Here are some suggestions for CC-ing right:

• CC everyone who is working directly on the project or apt to beaffected by it. CC everyone who is part of your inner circle. Avoid CC-ing people merely to impress; that just creates a burden of junk mail.

• CC the boss whenever a memo goes to anyone ranked above him orher in the company. Avoid the impression of going over the boss's head.

• List names by hierarchy or alphabetically.• Never send a blind copy to someone not indicated on the list. Blind

CCs can be dangerous. Discovered, they can ruin credibility.

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 23

"Welcome to Division 3's new recreation room," calls out Dan lbarra, director oftran.sportation, who makes the year-long project official with a snip of the redribbon. Division 3 manager Roy Starks, facing the camera, says he now uses theroom three times a week. "1 walk five miles at a time on the treadmill," he says

proudly. "And 1 use the rowing machine."

Good Sports"I' ve had operators teil me

they' ve quit smoking cigarettes becauseof our new weight room," says RoyStarks, Division 3 manager who creditsexuberant, exercise-conscious employ-ees for making it a done deal. On March13, with Director of Transportation DanIbarra making it official with the snip ofthe ribbon, Stark's crew rushed into thenew addition.

Starks says Operators LisaArredondo and Joanne Johnson were theproject's movers and shakers, stagingraffles, hot dog and pizza sales and "justabout anything else they could make abuck on." Several months ago, the two,hoping to raise still more funds for thebudding exercise facility, orchestrated a10-mile race. The Division sponsoredthem, and Arredondo alone pulled in awhopping $900.

Today, atreadmill, rowing machine,stationary bike, and free-standing weightmachines are housed in a nine by 12-footroom on the Transportation side. Saysone mechanic who uses his lunch towork out in the new room, "Now I feelso energized at the end of the day!"

Someone teil (pictured from left to right) Dan lbarra, director of transportation;Enrique Ortega, UTU Local 160 7 president and vice-chairman; Lisa Arredondo , busOperator and UTU Local 1607 secretary; and operator Steven Morales, that all thatnervous energy can now he worked off 10 yards away at Division 3 's new recreationroom!

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 24

Happy Birthday, Dan Ibarra!

Friday the 13th of March brought not bad luck, but a birthday bash and potluck forDan Ibarra, director of transportation. The Montebello resident celebratedhis 43rdbirthday in style, surrounded by balloons and his favorite colleagues from theTransportation Department. Shown here with the man of the hour are (from left toright) Rebecca Smith Lee, secretaryfrom Division 11; Josie Holquin, secretary in theTransportation Department; Jody Little Williams, secretary in the TransportationDepartment; Maria Reynolds, administrative analyst; Lynda Reed, sr. secretaty; PatMcCauley, labor analyst.

Born to Paul Como, director ofOCPM and Glenice Robinson-Como, ofthe Risk Management Department, ason, Paul, on June 12, 1991. Now ninemonths old, the little guy was born at4:25 a. m. at Huntington Memorial Hos-pital in Pasadena. At birth he weighed inat 6 lbs., 7 ounces and was 19 1/2 incheslong. His favorite treat, according to hisadoring mom, is his Dad's mixture ofpineapple sherbet and gingerale!

Born to Transit Police DetectiveMark Weissmann and his wife, Jean, ason, Aaron Joshua, on February 7, 1992.The little guy weighed in at 6 lbs., six

oz. and measured 19 inches in length.Aaron was delivered at Kaiser Hospitalin Fontana. His proud dad loves to showhim off to colleagues. The family makestheir home in San Bernardino.

Division 8 Operators Dennis RaeCorley and Laura Sherlean Allen weremarried on Saturday, February 8 in LasVegas at the Little Chapel of the Flow-ers. Peggy Claiborne, secretary in theDistrict's Press Relations Departmentwas on hand. The happy couple makestheir home in Lancaster. Dennis hasbeen employed with the District forthree years; Laura for four years.

Congratulations to Division 8Newlyweds!

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 25

Letters to the EditorDear Editor:I'm writing this letter without my

husband knowing about it. If he did youwould not be reading it!

My husband has worked for RTDfor over 21 years. He has not had achargeable accident in any of those 21years. I can 't remember the last time hehad a missout. (He has to drive in fromHesperia so he has driven many miles toEl Monte, Pomona, and now LongBeach.)

Twenty-one safe driving years!In all that time how many times has

he had an "atta boy good job" fromthe RTD? Not one.

More often than not, he received an(award) certificate with his pay check. . . Does someone have to die or retireto be appreciated?

If there is sarcasm in the tone of myletter, well, maybe it is because I readyour Headway and read all of the "attaboys" for everyone else.

Not only is my husband an honest,hard-working operator, he is the mostloving, dedicated husband and fatheranyone could ever ask for. Who is thiswonderful guy? He reads Headway, sohe'll know when he reads this, if you'llprint it.

So Atta Boy, Honey!Good Job. Well Done!

Name Withheld

Editor's Note: Please keep Head-way posted on the accomplishments ofyour family. If you as an employee havethoughts on your career or suggestionsas to how we can improve public trans-portation, we would like to hear fromyou. We can publish your comments , butonly if you let us know.

Dear Editor:The Academy Awards are over and

all of the stars and the limousines canrest until the next year. The 20-footOscar statue has been put away, theDorothy Chandler Pavilion is clean, andthe streets surrounding the famous Mu-

sic Center are back to normal.Just think, if you flew over down-

town L.A. in a helicopter the night ofthe Oscars, you saw only limousinesbumper to bumper awaiting their turn toenter the Music Center. You saw themedia standing around with its cameras,

movie fans yelling to their favorite ce-lebrities and the lights and glitter of itall. I probably wouldn't notice the RTDbus detouring here and there to accom-modate this once a year event. I reallyfeel sorry for the RTD bus, because it'sa major source of transportation through-out Los Angeles and we depend on itevery minute of the day. lt transportspeople - it is abused - people writegraffiti nonsense on it, and it gets norecognition.

Films, actors, actresses, musicians,directors, producers all receive awardsannually, but what about objects I ike theRTD bus? We hear about the Red Line,Blue Line and the new Metro Rail andeven the Eyewitness News Van. Great!

I love it, but what about the RTD bus?How many times have you sat in

your den and spotted the RTD bus in acommercial or movie? Think about it.You saw one in Kindergarten Cop withArnold Schwartzeneggar, the SheerHanes stocking commercial, the AT&Ttelephone commercial, Cagney andLacey and many more. I just saw theRTD bus in the background of the newmovie, White Men Can' t Jump.

Now, wouldn't that teil you that, atthe least, Hollywood would create aMotor Vehicles Awards Show? The RTDbus would look rather stunning in anover-sized tuxedo. I think the award isoverdue. The president of RTD and hisstaff could accept it on behalf of the bus.Don't laugh. I'mserious. Every form oftransportation, including ships, trains,cars and airplanes, has gained recogni-tion either in Hollywood or elsewhere.Viewers have watched the Titanic,Poseidon Adventure, The Car, Herbiethe Volkswagen, and a million Airplanemovies. Commercials advertise flyingairlines and riding the Amtrak train, andtaking a cruise. What about riding andrespecting the RTD bus? What abouthaving the operators waving on the busduring a commercial? Wake up, LosAngeles. Appreciate what you have.

The reason that I know a movie isshot in L. A. is because the RTD busalways flashes in front of the cameraswhen the actor is walking or running. Ithink it's funny when a movie opens,and the audience thinks the scene takesplace in Chicago and then, BAM!!!What flashes on camera? The RTD bus.

Maybe someone will read this ar-ticle and decide to write a screenplayabout the RTD bus. I hope that it's apositive one, because it is a great busagency, with well-mannered employ-ees. They deserve some media atten-tion.

Wouldn' t it be nice to see a row ofclean and waxed RTD buses line up toenter the Dorothy Chandler Pavilioninstead of limousines? Give it somethought. I have.

Sincerely,Jackie ArmstrongWife of Division 10 OperatorTommy Anderson

UpwardMobility

Dear Mr. Dan Ibarra:The success of Career Awareness

Week at Lillian Street School, March 2-6, happened as a result of the enthusias-tic guests who visited classrooms to talkto our students. We want to express oursincere thanks to you for sending Ms.Maria Avila, driver, to describe herresponsibilities to our students and mo-tivate them to get their eclucation.

We hope that she will be able toreturn during the week of April 6 to visitat least three other classrooms duringthe next Career Awareness Week event.

Again, thank you for supportingour efforts to provide a quality educa-tional program for our students.

Sincerely,Joyce CoxAssistant PrincipalLillian Street School

APRIL 1 99 2 HEADWAY 26

coverage is not automatic. You areresponsible for notifying the Health Ben-efits Office whenever an event occursthat could relate to COBRA coverage.

You, your spouse, and your depen-dent children have 60 days from the datecoverage would normally have ended todecide to continue in the Di strict' s healthplan.

Ex tended coverage is not free! Youwill pay 102 percent of the District'spremium rate for extended coverage.The premium is due to the District onthe first day of the month. If the pre-mium is not received, coverage is termi-nated and you can' t sign up again.

Call the Health Benefits Office at(213) 972-7186 if you have any ques-tions about your eligibility for cover-age.

Mark Thie and Lydia Torres from the Somebody from R7D had better teilMarketing Department greet show Marketing's Elizabeth McGowan thatattendees and distribute R7D literature. this classic is no longer in service.

When it Comes to Cleaning the Air, RTD isAll Over Town

RTD was a major sponsor of thesecond annual Eco Expo held recently atthe Los Angeles Convention Center.Eco Expo is the nation's largest show-case of environmental products and ser-vices. This year, the festivities featuredover 300 exhibits, including an "eco-logical wonderland" for children, semi-nars and workshops on the weekendevent. Staff from the Marketing Depart-ment occupied the RTD booth through-out the weekend.

What lt Means. . . continued from page 22

A vintage 1958 bus and a methanol bus take center stage at the Eco Expo. In frontof the buses stands George Karbowski , who is a tnember of the District 's AlternativeFuels Program. He shares the latest about our clean air program with visitors.

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 27

FITNESS

TIPSYOURHEART

THE RIGHT BEATExercise intensrty for aerobccondrtroning is measured byheart rate A good activity levetis 70% of your maximum heartrate, vvhich is determined bysubtracting your age from 220Thus, the recommendedexercise heart rate for a 40-year-old person is 126 (220minus 40 times 70%)

THE LOVVER THE BETTERPeople vvho are physically fitgenerally have lovver restingheart rates than those vvho arenot, which means that theirhearts dont have to work ashard to pump blood A reductionof 10 beats per mirrute in aperson's restmg heart rate cansave over 3 vveeks of work forthe heart over the course of ayear

VVARMING UP,COOLING DOWN

To avoid excess strain on theheart, and injury to yourmuscles, warm up for about 5minutes before working out, andcool down after exercises Neverabruptly stop exercising Thesudden stop in motron maycause lightheadedness or

muscle cramprng

FROM THE PRESIDENT'SCOUNCIL ON PHYSICALFITNESS AND SPORTS

Ouch!

tvi others knew lt all along: The averagemother who holds a job outside the home

works an 84-hour week to meet her responsibili-ties at work and at home, according to PRREPORTER.

Flattery Gets You Everywhere

vv ant to gain instant rapport, appear warmand caring, build self-esteem, or change

someone's behavior? Try flattery, advises Dr.Donald Moine, an organizational psychologistwith the Association for Human Achievement inPalos Verdes, California. Flattery that is skillfullydelivered works wonders with people who areseif-confident and care about their appearance. ltworks less effectively with those who have lowself-esteem and prefer to fade into the wood-work. To flauer properly, focus on something yougenuinely like about the other person and com-ment on lt in a warm tone of voice. Safest is aremark that's neutral, e.g., "What an interestinglapel pin." Watch the reaction. A smile is a goodsign. A frown or squint indicates a choice of thewrong kind of compliment, so back off. Flattersomeone for something you want them to do,and chances are they'll do it. A study ofemployees who were chronically late showedthat complimenting them whenever they arrivedon time influenced their behavior more stronglythan did castigating them when they were late."Compliments can become self-fulfilling pro..phesies," says Moine.

More Stroh l ToPOMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE

ore Americans are high school graduatesthan at any time in U.S. history, according

to the 1990 Census. Seventy-eight percent of allpeople in the country graduated from highschool. Twenty-three percent obtained degreesbeyond high school.

Education determines earning power.Monthly earnings without a high school diplomaaverage $452. With a high school diploma, earn-ings rise to $921; college degree, $1,829; doctor-ate, $3,637; and professional degree, $4,003.

Survey...continued from page 19

eling northbound on Broadway. Acontra-flow lane on Hill Street, whichtraverses the heart of the downtownbusiness core, would ease congestion.Other possible mitigation measures in-clude widening the Spring Street Contra-Flow to two lanes which would expeditebus movement, and expanding Termi-nal 31 (located near Union Station) toaccommodate additional buses. Staytuned.

APRIL 1 992 HEADWAY 28

1. Who is credited with developing the earlygame of baseball?

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2. The National League as we know it wasformed in 1876. When did the AmericanLeague organize?

*068011.10

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3. In early games, only two or three baseballswere used during an entire game, sinceushers were able to reward fans with gametickets for returning wayward balls hit into thebleachers. How many balls are used in anaverage big league game today?

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"OWUJOODe 01 036l UI paonponui seAA Heck „Jeami„ Vi09 10 os

4. Speaking of "The Sultan of Swat," in 1920, hisfirst year with the New York Yankees (after12eing traded by the Boston Red Sox, a mostfoolish move for the Sox), Ruth hit 54 homeruns with that "livelier" ball. How many runsdid the next runner up bit?

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5. What is the Triple Crown of baseball?801/M pauJea knoq

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-keq sun., ksow pue 'a6eJane 6unkeq 4sat45n; •surp °wog Isoin;

6. In 1991, 33-year-old Rickey Henderson of theOakland Athletics broke two records belong-ing to Hall of Famer Lou Brock. What werethey?

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7. What team was known over the years as theSomersets (for one-time owner Charles W.Somers), Puritans, Plymouth Rocks, andSpeed Boys?

-sapag ppom auk suimi EnosauunAk

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8. Here's an easy one—in addition to the recordfor most strikeouts in a career, what otherrecord does Texas Ranger Nolan RyanALONE hold in our national pastime?

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'9961. pue 39; uaamkaq sJaknq ou Jno; payond 5e400>4 ÄpuesJa6poa saienv so-k saweb JanN-ou uanas peond seu ak.;

9. The New York Yankees were originally calledthe Highlanders, but the name wouldn't fiteasily in newspaper headlines, so it waschanged to Yankees in 1913. Who was man-ager of this record-holding team from 1949 to1960, during which time the team won 10pennants, and 7 World Series titles, includinga record five in a row from 1949 to 1953?

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sn; UI SjUBID MJ0), MON 3111104 peAeid ()qm 1a6uekg Aaseo

10. The Washington Senators were officiallynicknamed the Nationals in 1905. Early sug-gestions for a more "winning" nickname dur-ing Theodore Roosevelt's presidency wereRough Riders, Teddyites(!), and Tail-Enders,to reflect their standing. The Senators namewas revived again in 1962. What unusualchange happened that year?

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puooas aqk ;z6k io pue 81444y 3•13 04U1 P8/10W U1894 MaliPUB SUMj 8141 aweoeq pue ekosauffl ok PeAOW U1eiN 94 J.

The Businessof Baseball

v:Ify9/‚

Did you realize that baseball is the only sport where the team with the ball is on the defense, not offense?That scoring is done by a player without the ball? That it is one of the few games with no fies to the c/ock?

The game is played until someone wins or until the game is called because of rain (and ultimately rescheduled!).Try your skill at these questions.

APRIL 1 99 2 HEADWAY 29

The Economy 1992Most economists expect 1992

will be a better year for the U.S.

economy than 1991. The question

is, how much better? Almost every-

one thinks the recession of 1990-91

will generally be a thing of the past.

although it will linger in a few indus-

tries and in the regions dependent

upon those industries.

Growth will not be anything like the go-go years of the 1980s. however.

Too many uncertainties still cloud the economic horizon. Internationally, the

restructuring of the Soviet Union and its former satellites has created chaos in

many world markets. In addition, the Middle East remains volatile, and the•hird World still faces enormous problems.

Here at home. the budget deficit continues to grow, and troubled banks

and S&Ls plague our financial system. Nevertheless, there are indications in

a number of sectors of the economy that modest but strong growth has returned.

Spending on consumer goods. housing, and business inventories reflects awide-spread confidence that the economy is back on track.

What does this mean for you, our members? Essentially that it's still impor-

tant to maintain a healthy cushion of savings, both to meet long-term goals

and to act as a safety net. But unlike last year, it's probably OK to buy that

new car or remodel the kitchen without worrying about how bad the reces-sion will be. Economic recovery seems to be a real ity.

We ve cut our loan rates!!

Your credit union has cut its rates on loans

Regular signature loan rate is now 15.50% A.P.R.Preferred signature loan rate is as low as 13.50% A.P.R.New auto loan is as low as 9.75% A.P.R.Used auto loan is as low as 11.50% A.P.R.

Call and stop in today at your credit union officeto fill—in an application.

Loan Department phone no. (213) 972-7969

CREDIT UNIONNEWS

Spring 1992

ProtectYourself FromSticker Shock

If you plan a visit to a new car show-

room this spring, brace yourself. New car

prices are higher, and in some cases, much

higher. Why? New safety features such as

aur bags and anti-lock brakes. Auto manu-

facturers are also providing their cars with

better audio equipment, better tires, and

exteriors and undercarriages that are more

corrosion resistant. None of this improve-

ment comes cheap.

So before you set out for the showroom.

a good idea to develop a strategy for

coping with the frightening numbers on the

window sticker.

Be Flexible and RealisticMaybe you've got your heart set on an

expensive sports coupe or luxury sedan

when a smaller, more affordable model

would meet your needs just as well. There

are many well-built cars, ranging from sub-

compact to full-size, which can save you

thousands of dollars. One of the best places

to find these best-buys is in the April "auto-

mobile issue" of Consumer Reports. This

issue contains vital information with which

to compare makes and models: performance,

reliability, and price.

Don't Forget tue Credit UnionOnce you've got the information you

need, get the financing. Our auto loans are

available with several payment options so

you can tailor your payment schedule to suit

your budget. And our competitive rates

almost always result in the lowest total cost

over the life of the loan. And of course, a

pre-approved loan from the Credit Union

puts you in an ideal position to negotiate a

super deal.

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 30

For First Trust Deed Mortgageloan or for mortgage refinan—cing, please call our mortgageloan division at:

Depositsto your

1991 IRAmust be

received byApril 15, 1992

LenHere are some of the ques-tions about credit tutions ourmembers ask most frequentlyand our ans-wers.

Questionsand

Ans wersQ: Are credit unions in thesame sort of financial troubleas banks and S&Ls?A: No. In general, credit unionsas a whole are in better shapethan other financial institu-tions. Our insurance funds aresound, and we are much lessburdened with bad loansbecause we don't engage inspeculative investments suchas real estate developments orloans to third world countries.(2: Can anyone join a creditunion?A: No. All credit unions sharea commonbond of vocation,association or community withtheir members. This common-ality of interest insures thatcredit unions are attaned tothe needs of their members.Q: What happens to themoney the Credit Unionmakes on loans to members?A: The interest income theCredit Union receives frommember loans is used to payour operating expenses. Anymoney left over after theseobligations have been met isreturned to members in theform of dividends. The CreditUnion is thus a non-profitenterprise.Q: Can my spouse join theCredit Union?A: Sure, and not just yourspouse, but all members ofyour inunediate family areeligible for individual CreditUnion membership. We espe-cially encourage the childrenof mernbers to join the CreditUnion because it helps themestablish good money man-

agement practices earlY in life.

(818) 445-0960 extension 231

and ask for Sydney Hardaway

or call (800) 562-4404

ATM Convenience:

fingertipsat yourCREDIT UNION.

ITIANKS VOWNTIERSI

Where would we be without your help?Unlike other financial institutions. yourCredit Union relies on the services of itsvolunteers. From helping to formulate pol-icy on the Board of Directors. to servingon the L,oan Committee, to planning eventslike the Annual Meeting, our volunteerssupport the Credit Union in numerous ways,all of them vital to our success.

They Help In Many WaysBesides the obvious benefits the Credit

Union derives from the efforts of our vol-unteers, there are more subtle ones. Forexample, our volunteers help us keep ouroperating costs down. This enables us toprovide our membership with financial ser-vices comparable to or even better thanthose available at larger institutions.

Beyond this, our volunteers are CreditUnion members themselves. They repre-sent the needs and concems of the mem-bership in general, and that's important.This is one important way the Credit Unionremains in buch with and responsive to theneeds of its members.

Our volunteers are the embodiment ofthe Credit Union's mission: service to ourmembers. Thanks volunteers!

at your wer:44,

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 31

LOOKING FOR CHILD CARE?The SCRTD Human Resources Depart-ment's Dependent Care Program hasa Childcare Referral Information Bank(CRIB) program designed to help youfind childcare that meets yourneedsl I

RTD's CRIB program can provideyou with information aboutlicensed childcare centers,family day care homes,infant care centers, and/orschool-age day corecenters, within specific zipcode areas.

For information about the CRIB program as well asother Dependent Care Services and Benefits

provided by RTD, can:Dependent Care Office at (213) 972-7155

PLEASE NOTE: The RTD does not endorse or make recommendations regarding thequality of any child care provider and/or program. Parents are responsible for

making all final selection decisions.

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 32

EAGLE MORTGAGE BANKERS420 W. BASELINE RD. GLENDORA, CA 91740

$1 7,500 IN 20 DAYS PURCHASE OR REFINANCE-100x TAX DEDUCTIBLE* 15 YEARNO APPRAISAL REOUIRED

NO PRE-PAYMENT PENELTY 5 1/4 % FIXEDFOR HOME INPROVEMNTS

GPMALSO FOR RENTAL UNITS

6 1 /2 %30 YEARCONVERTSLE

0 POINT LOANSNO LOAN FEESI

FIXE D RATEOWNER OCCUPIED

BE HOME-OWNERSWITH ONLY

5 %DOWN3% YOUR $ 29G GIFT $

a".11"3113"""..eQ1

AMEA 1176iiii011aieraan

FREE PRE—QUALIFING OVER THE PHONE

(818) 9142796 =* Rates subject to change without notice

REFINANCE — PURCHASE — FAST CASHTODAY WHILE RATES ARE STILL LOW..!!

tt2r BILLS P1LING UP/CONSOLIDATE BILLS(23> CASH OUT/HOME IMPROVEMENTS/REMODELING1? INCOME PROPERTY/INVESTMENTSgcir EDUCATION/MEDICAL EXPENSESrzr VACATION HOME/VACAT1ON CASHWAND MORE!

FREE INFORMATIONReal Estate Broker/Ca. Dept. of Real Estate and Licensed underDept. of Corporations.

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 33

BEB

ECREATIONNEWS

April

19 Dodgers vs Atlanta - Pin Day #5 5:05 P.M. $8.5072 Phantom of the Opera $60.5023 Phantom of the Opera $60.5027 Dodgers vs St. Louis - Sports Bag Night

Dodgers vs Phillies - Bat/Batting Garne Night30 -May 1 Leather goods - Hand bags and luggage

Sale Headquarters Cafeteria 9 A.M. - 2 P.M.

New RTD and Metro logo merchandise in stock. Tee shirts,sweats, caps, and toys. See items on the Mobile Unit or inEmployee Activities.

Save money at the movies. Discount tickets available for thefollowing movie theatre chains: Edwards $4.25; AVCOGeneral Cinema $4.50; AMC $4.50; Pacific Walk-In or DriveIn $4.50; United Artist $4.50 and Cineplex Odeon $4.75.

Summer is coming - family discount tickets are available forMagic Mountain, Sea World, Universal Studios Tour andWild Bill Western Extravaganza. Also available are discountcards for Knotts Berry Farm, Palm Springs Aerial Tram, Golfand Stuff, Queen Mary, Spruce Goose and the San Diego Zoo.

May

Mobile Unit Schedule

DISNEYLAND Special May 3, 10, 17, and 25 $18.501 Dodgers vs Montreal - Fireworks $8.503 Dodgers vs Montreal - Pin Day #2 1:05 P.M. $8.509 The Winans One Family World Tour - Universal

Amphitheatre. $24.50 for $20.009 Sesame Street Live - Anaheim 11:30 A.M. $9.0015 Stylistics, Dramatics & Chilites - Greek Theatre $25.5016 Jose Carreras - Greek $62.5016 Sesame Street Live - Long Beach $9.0017 Dodgers vs New York19 Dodgers vs Chicago - Ball Night72 Sesame Street Live - Sports Arena L.A. $9.0022 Reggie Sunsplash - Greek $25.0024 Dodgers vs Pittsburgh - Pin Day #3 1:05 P.M.

Look for these upcoming events

June - Playboy Jazz FestivalKnotts Berry Farm SpecialWWF WrestlingJames Brown, Smokey RobinsonArena Football returns to L.A.

The mobile center will operate Monday through Friday from9:30 A.M. until 2:00 P.M.

April Loc. May Loc.

20 11 1 721 1 4 522 10 5 623 3 6 1824 CMF 7 427 9 8 228 16 11 1229 8 12 1130 15 13 1

14 1015 3

The Employee Activities office is open from 10:00 A. M. until3:00 P.M. Monday through Friday. Second floor of theHeadquarters' building, telephone 972-4740.

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 34

MONTH OF MAY

SALEAT

BECNEL UNIFORMS

2 0 °/0 5 0 °/0 OFF ON FOLLOWING

• SHOES & BOOTS NUNN BUSH • FREEMAN • CLARK

PIERRE CARDIN • CLINIC • REEBOK • TEXAS AND OTHERS

• COOL CUSHIONS ORIGINAL KOOL KOOSHIONS

• DRIVING GLOVES FULL FINGERED • FINGERLESS

FREE RT'D CAP WITH $100.00 PURCHASE • ONE PER CUSTOMER

PAYROLL DEDUCTION BANK CARDS

FREE PARKING

758 5. SAN PEDRO STREET • LOS ANGELES, CA 90014

(213) 623-4522APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 35

RTD Division 3 Operator Louis Trammel gives his heart to theyouth of Los Angeles and, in return, is awarded the Heart of LosAngeles Medal by City Councilman Mike Hernandez.

Southern CaliforniaRapid Transit District425 So. Main St., 2nd FloorLos Angeles, CA 90013

Bulk RateU.S. Postage

PaidLos Angeles, Ca.Permit No. 32705

Operator Armando Jimenez givesa thumbs up to portable foamback supports that will be soon betested by many of his colleagues.

APRIL 1992 HEADWAY 36