they get a bad rap, but being an operator in this crazy expensive city that's hard to drive a car in, much less a bus or streetcar amidst cars, pedestrians, in traffic, on a schedule...yeah, they should make New York or big money. as it is their salaries can't buy a house in the city and barely the rent on a 1 bedroom apartment. pay them well, it's a hard, hard, important job.

And you assume they all live in the city. Their annual base pay is already 10K more than I make and they were offered an 11%, while having to pay for some benefits (as I do as a lowly university staff). And I also live in true City with a wife and kid. Yet we were the ones made to suffer when they called in sick. My wife and kid wound up walking across town from school and I was forced to hire taxis as I was recovering from a case of near-pnuemonia. Yet the people who suffered most were the sick, kids, elderly and people who could not afford to be late for work. I have very little sympathy after what everyone just went through.

and you like most lowly staff are on your own.

Goodness, it's probably best that you took taxis when you were that sick rather than spreading the love on MUNI. If it was that nasty hacking crud that's been making the rounds I know it takes a couple of weeks to feel better.

not even with overtime.

of course, as a frequent pedestrian i think MUNI operators should be well paid and should be paid more than they are currently being paid, i want the best wages going to the hardest work in that industry and driving those buses and streetcars in San Francisco is hard.

but clearly you oppose a raise for them and are even willing to lie about how much they make to keep their wages down.

i sure as hell am not going to give you sympathy about yours.