SUMMER SCHEDULE

The bidding is over. By seniority, all of the 57 drivers have picked their schedules, shifts, and days off for the summer months. At #47 in seniority, I had some choices, but all of the desirable schedules, mostly morning shifts, had been taken. I ended up with Wednesday and Thursday as days off, and all of my shifts start around noon. The routes are 3 days of the village (blue) route, and 2 days of the Hermits (red) route.

When the visitor count starts to really increase in a few weeks, the blue route can be a bit hectic, as it's the hub of the system, moving thousands of people every hour. Last year, when I started on Memorial Weekend, working the blue village route was especially challenging, at least until I learned a few tricks that made it easier to keep up with the departure times. The red route also moves a lot of people, but the schedule isn't quite as tight, and even with delays, it's not as difficult to keep up with the schedule.

So, my days off, routes, and times are pretty much set in stone for the summer, starting on May 26th. By the time September 7th, the end of the summer bid rolls around, I know I'll be ready to once again rejoin the "retired" ranks.