You Know What Really Grinds My Gears? Now with 3x more gears...

[Lubicon]

Originally Posted by ResAlien

Paper receipts? Pay after you pump? Golly shucks George if we get a fishin hole and a soda shoppe we can be back in Mayberry in no time.

Many people need them for employer reimbursement or at tax time.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Geraldsh

Being Locke’s Dad would be an entertaining career in it’s self.

I knew Locke Sr. and he was a gentleman and a scholar! The apple doesn't fall far from the tree!

[Locke]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

I can’t be the only one who thinks that if Locke’s dad was one of the forklift operators in the first part then this is one of the greatest stories ever told.

Worse. He was a Bus Driver.

I dealt with the platform loaders...he had 55 Passengers day after day after day, have you seen the people who ride the Dirty Dawg? And after he got enough seniority his route was the 'Local North.'

Which is Calgary to Edmonton and every podunk stop in-between.

Oh, and I can tell you stories about him too.

My Dad once drove a Bus from Hobbema back to Calgary with a broken nose, broken jaw and glass in his face from being assaulted by a passenger with a Crown Royal bottle.

And thats just one of many. When he ran the Creston route? Or others, and then theres being on call for Overloads. I once remember that he said the best times were when he got to drive Truck. No cattle passengers.

But initially you had to have real seniority to get those trips and then they got their own Union so the Bus drivers weren't allowed to bid on those runs.

Oh that Hound...it was a ride alright.

[Ped]

I still remember taking the Greyhound from Kelowna to Toronto. Stopped at the bus station in Calgary, and the security guard wants to inspect bags before re-boarding. He takes my spray deodorant because it's dangerous (More dangerous for the other passengers that he took it), but didn't confiscate my butterfly knife.

[SutterBrother]

Originally Posted by Locke

And I have stories that I cant even post on a Public Forum. The A&W saga, the drug mule matter, the 9th avenue incident, dealing with the delivery guys, the Christmas depot debacle...my God the Christmas depot...trips to Vancouver and Toronto and Windsor...oh Lord...and so much more. That job was a trip.

You can't do that!

You whetted our appetites with the titles!

I mean honestly... who's gonna care at this point?

[Raekwon]

Originally Posted by DownInFlames

I miss when the gas jockey came out to wash your windows and check your oil. I'd tip him a shiny nickel.

If you miss this just head on down to Esso in Nanton. No pre pay either just a full serve. I hate it, I can pump my own gas.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by SutterBrother

You can't do that!

You whetted our appetites with the titles!

I mean honestly... who's gonna care at this point?

I have to dole them out slowly, to keep the audience interested!

Although I might still be in hot water with A&W. They did sue Greyhound twice because of me.

If you were taking the Local North in the mid 2000s and the A&W Bear loaded your bus...that was me.

Oh yeah. The Hound got sued for that one.

Oh! And the butt-wiggle is literally built into the suit.

[Puppet Guy]

We need to rent a small theatre or something for these stories. "An Evening With Locke"

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Puppet Guy

We need to rent a small theatre or something for these stories. "An Evening With Locke"

I was Escorted back to work by the Police on 3 separate occasions.

Each more hilarious than the last. One time I was driving a forklift packed to the brim with booze!

"License and Registration!"

- "Uh...fellas...my forklift license is in my locker which is a few KMs away and...I dont think you have to register forklifts?"

[Mightyfire89]

Originally Posted by Raekwon

If you miss this just head on down to Esso in Nanton. No pre pay either just a full serve. I hate it, I can pump my own gas.

There’s another Esso station less than a km further South that is self serve.

[Raekwon]

Originally Posted by Mightyfire89

There’s another Esso station less than a km further South that is self serve.

But do they sell fireworks? Seriously though its just habit and the bathroom before I ever go to Lethbridge for work, complaining is also something I do a lot.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by puffnstuff

That cant eat spicy food

Never gonna let that go huh.

You know what the old-timers did with guys like you at the Hound? They sent this kid to Banff.

In the Cargo Compartment.

It was the Western run and the first stop is Banff and the old-timers locked the new kid into the Cargo Compartment. So he's in there for a good couple of hours, but then he gets to Banff and has no wallet, no ID and no money and wearing Greyhound coveralls.

And the Bus is going West.

That kid was screwed.

Now...in that endeavour I'll claim ignorance because while I think its funny as all hell, I also acknowledge that that was really, really mean. I don't condone that and wouldn't take part.

But sending the new kid to Banff under a Bus? You gotta admit thats hilarious!

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Locke

I have to dole them out slowly, to keep the audience interested!

Although I might still be in hot water with A&W. They did sue Greyhound twice because of me.

If you were taking the Local North in the mid 2000s and the A&W Bear loaded your bus...that was me.

Oh yeah. The Hound got sued for that one.

Oh! And the butt-wiggle is literally built into the suit.

I'm sure you're past the statue of limitations.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Mightyfire89

There’s another Esso station less than a km further South that is self serve.

Why does a postage stamp town need two Essos?

[Mightyfire89]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

Why does a postage stamp town need two Essos?

That is a very good question that I have pondered myself.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

I'm sure you're past the statue of limitations.

A&W are probably still sore with me.

They have a certain number of Bear costumes (apparently they're expensive, who knew?) that they distribute over certain geographic zones.

Anyhow, one day they're opening up a brand new A&W in Vulcan attached to the Petro-Canada or some nonsense? My family camped at Little Bow a lot when I was younger and the owner of that place had my number, so he called me up and asked me if could put the Bear costume on the local south so I nabbed it and put it on the Southbound Bus.

It was supposed to go on my Bus. North. But I stuffed it on the local South instead because whats A&W gonna do about it?

I also told him that the bag was locked, but just with one of those cheapo luggage-locks, anyone can break those.

Aww...what a job.

[fotze2]

I knew a guy who worked at the Greyhound freight place up near the airport. He would just steal stuff that was getting shipped through. I got some sweet Volkl skis back in the day. I don;t know skiing from my taint but I seem to remember they were the best skis at the time. The flourescent yeller ones.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by fotze2

I knew a guy who worked at the Greyhound freight place up near the airport. He would just steal stuff that was getting shipped through. I got some sweet Volkl skis back in the day. I don;t know skiing from my taint but I seem to remember they were the best skis at the time. The flourescent yeller ones.

Oh the theft was insane. We had a shipment of Jeans and the guys turned one of the Pup Trailers into a makeshift changing room. It was nuts.

I personally never stole anything at any of my jobs ever. Its just not worth it and its just not my character.

But theft? At Greyhound? I dont think people properly understand the character of the people that Greyhound hired to take luggage off and on Buses. We weren't properly vetted or had Police Reports or anything.

One time my Boss literally hired a Vagrant who had just gotten off the Bus.

"I have no Job, no prospects, nowhere to go and no money."

- "Welp. You wanna just start hauling bags off the Bus for a few bucks?"

That was it. That was the interview process. And would that guy show up for his shift tomorrow? Who knows??

This was the insanity of it all. It was one part "strictly regulated Union rules" and the rest was just sheer Anarchy. Oil and Water. Complete madness.

You could essentially do whatever you wanted but because of the Union you couldn't even get in trouble much less fired.

I was brought back to work by the POLICE...3 times! Not the band. Greyhound was sued at least twice (that I know of). And Greyhound still begged me not to quit when I graduated from University.

You apply those rules to a 22-year-old Locke who doesn't GAF in conjunction with the most dysfunctional company I've ever seen and an Alberta economy that was booming so hard another job was just around the corner?

Yeah. How do you think thats going to go down?

[Titan2]

From the Dirty Dawg in the A&W bear costume to helicoptering around Ogden. The life and times of Locke. He was so eager not to become a lifer at Greyhound he actually became an accountant.

[flamesfever]

I think I have told this story before, so if you have heard it just ignore it.

Back in the mid 90s, when Greyhound tried to get into the airline business, I took a flight with them from Calgary to Hamilton return. On the way back, just as we took off, the pilot announced that, before going on to Calgary, they were flying to the Pierson Airport in Toronto to pick up about 20 people to take them to Winnipeg. I recall having a nice low fight over the city, just as the sun was going down, and picking up the Winnipeggers.

Then as we approached Winnipeg, we went down, down, down, and then up, up, up, and the pilot said the city was socked in and they were unable to land. By then I was a nervous wreck, and asked for a double rye and ginger.
The pilot then said they changed their plans, and were flying to Edmonton, and those travelling to Calgary were going to have to take the bus, as their next destination was Vancouver.

Then, a half an hour later, they announced that they had decided to go back to their original plan and land in Calgary, which happened. Lord knows what happened to the 20 people who were supposed to be dropped off in Winnipeg.

Needless to say, I avoided the Greyhound Airline thereafter, and I think they only survived as a company for about a year or two.