Met with Irony in Downtown
I took the trolley for part of the journey to the Houston Public Library today, and the driver, an African-American male, probably in his early 40s, said I had to pay 50 cents. The trolley service was free just a month or two ago. I asked him about the change, and he said that the city actually shut down the downtown trolleys for a week or so, and then resurrected routes that were deemed cost-effective.
Later, I asked him if he was looking for a better, more stable job, and he replied (paraphrased): "Believe it or not, I was a computer programmer, for 20+ years, in the oil and gas industries. My job was sent overseas two years ago, and I've been a trolley driver for the past year. I stopped looking for programming jobs. Companies want to hire recent college grads because they'll accept smaller salaries."
Later, I asked him if he was looking for a better, more stable job, and he replied (paraphrased): "Believe it or not, I was a computer programmer, for 20+ years, in the oil and gas industries. My job was sent overseas two years ago, and I've been a trolley driver for the past year. I stopped looking for programming jobs. Companies want to hire recent college grads because they'll accept smaller salaries."