Re: Driver Only

["Rod" <berlina@mt.bigpond.com>]

JM wrote in message <366b00b1.0@news.syd.att.net.au>...
>Subject to union membership approval, Freightcorp is about to start trails
>in the Hunter Valley
>region of Driver Only working. A question was asked of the Union officials
>that attend our
>meeting at Lithgow regarding how many depots Interstate were operating
>Driver Only and
>what the consensus of opinion was regarding safety and driver fatigue etc.
>They could not
>supply an answer, or they didn't wish to.
>I am keenly interested in any comments  from driver with experience at
>Driver Only operation.
>
>thanks
>
>
>John Mac
>
>Sorry to say John, been Driving DO in Victoria for a few years now, and
cant find many reasons to stop it. But I guess the days of mates on the
Engines are long gone here in Victoria.
The ARU actually lost there fight to retain guards, but destroyed the
AFULE's best means of training Enginemen. As seen elsewhere, the Guards
replaced the Firemen in the cab, and most were lazy sods who were as useless
as the proverbial tits on bulls!
So I guess I would rather be on my own, run the Stereo as loud as I want,
open the window, turn on the air, and generally feel like I am in charge
again!  I gave up smoking about 20 years ago, and how do you stop your mate
from breathing the filthy stuff all over you....well these last few years,
with Driver Only, I really have given up smoking...now I wonder if they will
consider Driver Only Pilots??? Still sorry to lose the fireman, though!
Biggest problem up here in the N-E is the boring, straight track, and rest
jobs in noisy motels, lack of sleep, and heavy eyelids. So far my body
reacts with alarm bells, each time that fatigue has almost won the
battle...but a few weeks ago I missed the Broken River at Wangaratta in Full
Flood! But that was a big lesson, and once learned should not be repeated.
Of course VC's are a good thing, I can press them with my eyes closed....:-}
Do you know these modern administration types dont give a shit. Who cares if
we have a Granville every ten years or so, the percentages are still
small...who cares.
                                                        Rod