History
Next to being in decent shape, and being willing to crawl under the train to fix something, you also need mental strength to handle any situation from the most gruesome and tragic matter to the most bizarre and unexpected issue. Rebecca Sanchez tells us more on what a future applicant can expect.
If you want to work in transportation, as a conductor or train engineer, just be prepared, male or female, to work long hours. I get up at 3:30 in the morning, and I don't get home till 9 or 10 at night. I'm out of the house for over 17 hours. I sleep less than four hours in my own house. During my breaks, I try to sleep two hours just to balance it out (Metrolink provides conductors with hotel rooms for them to rest during their breaks). I’m off Saturdays and Sundays. Saturdays, I try to catch up on sleep. By Sunday, I’m all better, but then I have to start all over again [Laughter].
Be ready to work on holidays and weekends. You are on call 24 hours for six days a week, when you first start, and you have a two-hour call, which means they can call you at one in the morning and tell you to show up at 3 am to the crew base because you got to take a train out. You have to be ready for all that, and that's really one of the hardest parts of the job; it’s being away from your family, and having such a bad schedule, but it's the way it is in the railroad passenger service. Since you’re seniority based, it takes a while for you to get where you want to be. It’s not a job for people that are absent a lot.
You don't get to go to the school recital, or take your pet to the doctor, or you gotta do it on your one day off, or take a vacation day. Sometimes, you can’t go to dinner with friends because you have to get up so early. So, that’s a big thing to consider, too, before you apply. Some people come here, and they think that they don’t have to work on holidays, that they can just get their time in after like a year. They are demanding weekends off, and don't want to work on Christmas, and they complain that they are working too many hours. Put in your time, first! Then, things will get better.
Also, yesterday, I had a really bad headache. I felt sick, and wanted to throw up, but even sick, you gotta keep working because you can't just say, “I wanna go home” and leave your passengers. Once you start your day, you're not gonna stop unless you're really, REALLY sick, then they’ll send somebody. Other than that, we gotta self-help ourselves.
Yes, we are well paid, but it’s a lot of responsibility. There are a lot of situations that require quick thinking because you have to protect your passengers. So, you have to be good at what you do, and you can't show fear. You have to show people that you're in control of the situation, just like on airlines.
Finally, consider the fact that passengers can give you a hard time, when you check their tickets, or close the doors, and they're running late. You have to be patient. As I’ve worked here, I’ve gained more patience and become a lot nicer now than when I first started. When you start, you want everything to be by the book, and once you settle in and get to know your passengers, and what’s going on, it’s a little bit easier. You get a little bit softer, but not too soft where they’ll walk over you.
As Rebecca says, there are a lot of aspects to consider before going into a railroad career. But don’t let it discourage you! After talking to a lot of people working in the railroad industry, being a conductor or a train engineer is a rewarding experience for those who really want to do it, and can handle it. They love their job, love the people, love their coworkers, and a lot will agree that there is rarely a dull day as anything can happen, even “commuter bees!”
What one should know before applying for a job in the rail road industry.
With Rebecca Sanchez
22 - Ceres Magazine - Winter 2016