Rebecca: I would make all of the railroads have the same rules; that way, everybody follows one game plan, everybody’s on the same page, and nothing is different. It would be a lot less headaches!
Ceres: What would you say to a woman who wants to be a conductor?
Rebecca: I would say, “Go for it!” I always encourage everybody to apply, saying you have a better chance because it's a male-dominated field. So, if you can do it, just do it! You probably can get hired a little bit quicker because you’re a
female. There is a lot of testing, and things that you need to do to get in, but it’s a good job. The benefits are good, the pension… I do like my job! You have some bad days, and on the railroad a bad day is really a bad day, but then you have your good days, too. You meet a ton of people—networking is a plus on the train.
Ceres: Any good stories?
Rebecca: I actually got stung ten times by bees on the train, just two weeks ago. We pulled up to the Burbank Airport. I guess the gardeners had knocked down a beehive, and those bees were AN-GRY. I opened the doors, as I didn't know what was going on, although some people were acting weird on the platform. All the bees came on the train. They got in my hair and started stinging my face and neck. My radio flew on the floor while I was trying to get them off. Everybody started screaming. It was just like a movie. Bees everywhere, people running around in their underwear. A woman took her skirt off. It was a crazy! I had to close the doors, but I couldn’t get to the doors because there were so many bees coming in. Finally, I did get to my radio and told the engineer that I had to close the doors, and I did.
I ripped a sign off the wall and started killing bees. Now people are crying. Everybody is swatting bees around. There was a man who was allergic; he took his shirt off, so I grabbed the first aid kit, and I put antibacterial all over his back. I don't know who he was. I took the lady’s skirt, shook the bees out, [laughter] and put it back on her. I had to take care of another lady who was hysterical. After I was done with everybody, in every car, then I took care of myself. I have another appointment with the doctor to make sure everything is fine. Fortunately, the emergency response was quick. Thank God, nobody was seriously hurt. The man who was allergic got a shot of epinephrine, right on the platform. I got many guys joking about “sting operations” [laughter] when I got back, and now, I’m known as the Queen Bee. The whole story is funny now, terrible, but funny, but it wasn’t that day.
Otherwise, you also have the people who are passed out, or throwing parties in here, or selling stuff, or naked people taking a bath in the bathroom. I could write a book, literally. And when you think you've seen the weirdest thing, something else always beats it. There's never a dull day; that's for sure! [Laughter]
Ceres: Anything else you want to add?
Rebecca: I'm grateful to all the other women who paved the way for us to be here. They had it a lot harder. We have it hard, but they had it way harder ten, fifteen years ago, because they really had to struggle to get into this boys’ world, and prove that we can do the job… I'm sure it was the same with police and firefighters.
Al Mohymont for Ceres Magazine
"I'm grateful to all the other women that paved the way for us to be here."
Cont. page 26
20 - Ceres Magazine - Winter 2016