Makes you want to puke.

Maybe he can give the streetcar pass to the homeless guy with a dog who's always on one.

Free lifetime streetcar pass? I think they should place a stipulation that he ride the failure known as the WES on a daily basis to bump daily commutes roughly 1%.

I have this vision of the Duke brothers $1 bet from Trading Places.

Some of the Trimet missteps were mandated to them from either local business interests or local politicos (like Vera), so you can't pin everything on Fred.

Just think how really fff'ed up Trimet would be if a crony of Fireman Randy was running it.

Sambo (play on Rambo now that Sambo is the commish of de popo) sure is generous and thoughtful.

Just think how really fff'ed up Trimet would be if a crony of Fireman Randy was running it.

On the other hand, though, Randy's water cops could double as transit police.

As brazen as Leonard is, it's as if he's been annointed to take over the 'family' when Goldschmidt steps aside.

While riding a bus home from work yesterday, I eavesdropped on a lengthy debate between two 20-somethings, one of whom was dead certain that the streetcar is free.

none, I think I have dropped eaves on that conversation at least a dozen times.

I bet there are thousands in this area that think Max is free, too.

Its kind of hard to pay for a streetcar ticket when the fare machine is often broken.

Its also kind of hard to pay for a streetcar ticket when you know you can out-walk it.

I guess one can't really complain about the extravagance of the gift.

Hardly anybody who rides the streetcar ever pays the fare? How does this work? Even if its free, I can almost walk to where I want to go faster than waiting around for the streetcar to show and go (plus I get some exercise walking instead, allowing me to enjoy eating more with less worry about weight gain). But if it's free, this makes it closer to a breakeven proposition for the rider but for our society as a whole this is something smacking of Greece like financial ineptness. "Portland on the Meditternean."

I agree with Allan.

I rode the bus for years and caught it at the Merlo station. There's a huge, fenced parking lot there for all of the TriMet bus drivers to park in as they fetch their bus for their shift/route. I never saw a TriMet bus driver arrive or leave for their shift/route by Max or by bus. I stopped riding the bus when I got sick of my pants smelling like someone else's urine.

I'm guessing ol' Freddo doesn't hop on a bus or MAX unless there's a photographer in tow.

If he did, he'd be a proponent of plastic seats.

The ceremony and the gift are all pointless fluff. I want the details on his exit package $$$

I never saw a TriMet bus driver arrive or leave for their shift/route by Max or by bus.

Although I have on occasion seen TriMet employees get on/off the MAX at Merlo/158th, it is a requirement that TriMet employees have their own transportation as they cannot rely on TriMet to be available at all duty times and or report locations.

I'm not making this stuff up. TriMet knows its own employees can't count on the very same system that they want everyone else to use. Well, except for Fearless Fred because he can show up when he wants, and then jet off in his carbon spewing Airbus A330 to Amsterdam, or a Boeing 777 to Australia, when all shit breaks loose here in Portland.

But if it's free, this makes it closer to a breakeven proposition for the rider but for our society as a whole this is something smacking of Greece like financial ineptness.
Oh right, there is something wrong with people actually wanting a little more out of life than working and dying? Like like legalized plunder? AKA: Goldman Sachs?
I never saw a TriMet bus driver arrive or leave for their shift/route by Max or by bus.
I've tried very hard over the last couple of years to be nothing but civil on blogs these days, but that is the stupidest comment I have heard in a long long time. FYI, I didn't drive to my job at Trimet for 7 years straight!

And as Erik points out, some drivers get off duty when Trimet is not running any longer. And plenty of drivers don't live on transit routes anyway.

Al M writes; "And as Erik points out, some drivers get off duty when Trimet is not running any longer. And plenty of drivers don't live on transit routes anyway."

Al if this city had a decent system it would run at odd hours and be more accessible to people. As it is, last time I looked, you guys who have all this experience driving are not allowed to own your own business doing just that if you were so inclined. And that is the problem.

Fred be sure and thank Sammy for the chintzy gift. Adams is so shifty and creepy, you better read the fine print on it before you try and use it.
Wouldn't Adams be better suited as that slippery guy at the car dealership who finalizes your paperwork and tries to slip in that extra service contract and pad the interest rate and plays a shell game with the rebate?

Bob Clark,

If only PDX were on the Med; at least our sinking town would have great views and tourists. Its more like the Med on the Willamette.

Travis