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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Getting There: San Francisco bus driver promotes Zen philosophy in book

Driver Doug wants to help bus riders be the kind of riders a driver truly appreciates.

Douglas M. Griggs has been driving for San Francisco transit for 17 years.

Last year, he self-published a book on how he uses Zen philosophy to stay calm and keep his job: “Finding Zen in San Francisco Transit: A Bus Driver’s Perspective.”

Call it the Dao of Doug, which translates as the way of Doug.

“Most people are in disbelief that you could use Zen in driving a bus in San Francisco,” he said in a telephone interview last week. But patience and calm are virtues at the wheel of a coach or trolley.

Indeed, Driver Doug practices meditation and takes yoga, all of which help him chill out behind the wheel.

After 17 accidents in his first two years, Driver Doug needed help, and that’s when he turned to the Asian religion to avoid being fired from his $91,000-a-year job.

He started his project to help his co-workers and future drivers, and then realized the riding public could use a little help, too.

“This was a way for me to clear my head and be right with myself,” he said of the project. Besides, “somebody had to do it.”

“Have you ever heard of the bus driver’s perspective?”

In the chapter on “Have it Ready,” he writes that “one of the regularly occurring delays are those (caused) when boarding passengers cannot locate their pass or change.”

Drivers appreciate passengers who have their pass or fare in hand before they board so they can move quickly past the fare box to a seat. That allows the driver to stay on schedule.

Here’s how he describes the problem in his book: “Oh, the drama! Not having the fare counted, or not knowing the fare. Not having a (pass) card with money on it. … Dropping money or belongings on the floor, or down the steps, or out the door. Dropping tobacco leaves or clothing threads or hair in the coin drop.

He continues, “Placing folded bills in the coin drop. Having torn, folded or worn bills that are not accepted by the bill meter. Blocking the passengers behind them who are ready and have the fare counted and in hand when they board …”

When the bus is late, this may be why, Driver Doug explained.

The morning rush can be troublesome for commuters because they may encounter full buses or park-and-ride lots.

Driver Doug’s answer: Take an earlier bus. He suggested that employers stagger work start times.

Driver Doug said he spent $15,000 on publishing, publicity and a home office, but was able to use the expenses for a tax deduction.

To learn more or to order a copy, go to DaoOfDoug.com. Excerpts are posted on the website. He is working on a second book.

State a model for limiting copper in brake pads

Closer to home, the Washington state Department of Ecology said the state’s drive to reduce copper content in vehicle brake pads is now a model for the nation, and potentially internationally.

Lawmakers ordered reduced copper content in a 2010 law, which fully takes effect in 2025, at which time pads will be down to one-half of 1 percent copper.

The delay was used to give manufacturers time to reformulate the pads while retaining performance and safety.

Copper is toxic to fish, and salmon restoration has been a critical environmental issue throughout the region.

In a posting on its website, DOE said that representatives from vehicle industry groups, including brake manufacturers, had signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Environmental Council of the States at an international government and industry meeting in Washington, D.C., last week.

“Reducing copper levels won’t singlehandedly fix the challenges facing salmon in Puget Sound, but it will remove one of the barriers to their recovery,” said John Stark, director of the Washington Stormwater Center, in the Web report.

Workshops will discuss traffic calming projects

The Spokane public is invited to workshops this week to help neighborhoods take advantage of funding for traffic calming devices.

The two meetings will be Wednesday at the Northeast Community Center for City Council District 1 and on Thursday at Wilson Elementary School for District 2. Both meetings will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

The meeting for District 3 in northwest Spokane was held last week, according to a city news release.

Red-light photo enforcement fines are being used to fund projects such as traffic circles and extended curbs at intersections. So far, 57 projects have received funding.