TMAs.
Ever drive through downtown? Or the City of Chicago at all? Ever see TMAs?
What are they doing out there? Not to say that there aren't some out there doing a decent job (as decent a job as can be done without involved training, which is no fault of their own), but a whistle and a Light Saber do not a traffic aide make. We have heard through the grapevine that a TMA attempted to "curb" a dispatcher with the green light bar on his vehicle, and we have personally witnessed TMAs in the middle of major traffic jams standing idly by holding conversations with each other.
The city's infinite wisdom strikes again. Why just rely on and install/upgrade to new traffic signals when we can pay 300 people $15 an hour to direct traffic according to the traffic signals already in place? Wait, let's do both!
Does anyone know if TMAs have started writing "jaywalking tickets?" We doubt that most citizens would give them enough respect to stop and receive a summons from them. Citizens often don't give POLICE enough respect for that.
posted by CPDDispatch @ 4:12 PM
29 Comments:
Yes, I have often wondered about the value of these "hard workers" myself. Personally, I think the traffic lights do a better job, and you don't have to worry about them stopping to talk to each other!
In addition, they screw up CW1, why not give them CW7, no one uses it anyway. It would also let the units on CW1 be able to communicate properly. Love ya Karen and Paula
If they don't learn the basics of pulling traffic and cease the dangerous immediate halts on green lights, I'm gonna wrap the whistle around their necks. They serve no purpose and no, they are not needed to direct traffic and congest it at the same time when traffic is flowing just fine on it's own. Do any of them even get rain gear.
Hi I'm a TMA this is my little couse, this is my friend and that's my ex girl or guy and these are his kids can I have my check? I didn't get my ID yet, I need city ID, for wha?
Later they will sue the city as a class action and become future dispatchers or sworn. LOL
The TMA's have no business being on a police band what so ever. They do not properly use the air or anything. They suck. And they have no idea how to direct traffic.
the best is when they dial 911 and identify themselves as an "off duty traffic aide." as if they think it adds validity.
Just other day I was waiting at the light at Roosevelt and Michigan Ave. There were 3 TMA'S sitting off to the side near the sidewalk, drinking pop/water and talking it up.
But to tell you the truth, I'd rather see them NOT doing their job and sitting off to the side chatting away. At least then, traffic would flow smoothly without them screwing it up.
Another time I was going WB on Congress at State. The TMA was directing people to continue going WB while at the same time, directing people to make their left hand turns. I'm surprised there wasn't a bad accident or worse a pile up.
I have yet to see the purpose of TMA's. All they do is make traffic worse.
Let the lights do their thing and leave well enough alone.
BTW....nice blog.
The best is when a TMA comes over your zone while your dispatching, shouts out a f'd up call sign, after you clear your air to let the outside unit in with an emergency and find out it's a TMA.
They shout to you how they ax'd for the police 10 mins ago! for the truck stuck under the viaduct! Where are they?!? You then find out the location is 15 miles from your zone. Son of gun, it's like listening to the f'ing citz's screaming in your ear while calltaking. No radio etiquette at all.
The day a tma tries to curb me with green mars lites, is the day of the high speed chicago employee chase.
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
Give the TMA'S a break!! The Chicago police gave you all one :) :) :) That's one good way to get their feet into the city's door until they can move around once something better comes along. They do screw up traffic!! Especially the traffic going east & west on 95th street by Stony Island.
An off duty PO
You shout "foul" if you observe me driving fast to a call,
but raise the roof if I take more than ten seconds
to respond to your complaint.
You call it part of my job if someone strikes me,
but call it Police brutality if I strike back.
You wouldn't think of telling your dentist how to pull a tooth
or your doctor how to take out an appendix,
yet you are always willing to give me pointers on the law.
You talk to me in a manner that would get you
a bloody nose from anyone else, but
expect me to take it without batting an eye.
You yell something's got to be done to fight crime,
but you can't be bothered to get involved.
You have no use for me at all, but of course
it's OK if I change a flat for your wife,
deliver your child in the back of the Patrol car,
or perhaps save your son's life with mouth to mouth breathing,or work many hours overtime looking for your lost daughter.
So, Mr. Citizen, you can stand there on your soapbox and
rant and rave about the way I do my work,
calling me every name in the book, but never
stop to think that your property, family, or maybe even your life depends on me or one of my buddies.
Yes, Mr. Citizen, it's me... the cop!
The author of this article was Trooper Mitchell Brown of the Virginia State Police. He was killed in the line of duty in 2001 after writing the article. As a salute to
the millions of police officers who put their lives on
the line for us everyday, please pass this on.
An off duty PO
08/12/2006
The TMAs are unskilled scabs taking jobs away from cops. There is a certain one who when I see him while I am on-duty I will find out why he didn't care I was a off-duty cop trying to make a right turn. It will be entertaining to one and all.
It is agreed that the TMA's are absolutely unprofessional, sloppy, untrained, a waste of money, a severe danger, and have no interest at all in working.
The only reason they take the job is because it's part time, which gives them enough time off with enough money to pursue their substance addicted lives.
There are many, many TMA's who show up at work drunk, high, or in other terribly unacceptable condition.
Our wonder "city that works" has allowed TMA's to be hired who have serious felony conviction records which many of them brag about openly. The city does it because they need those bodies out there.
As far as the jaywalking comment goes...this is not L.A. We do not have any State law or city ordinance banning jaywalking.
Get them off the streets, off the air, and bring back the REAL traffic aides and Police.
I would have to agree with all the comments made. TMA's are a bunch of useless bodies that the city is foolishly spending money on. I remember when there were no TMA's. How beautiful it was. Even where there was construction, traffic flowed a lot better than it does now. Hey, administration........how about spending some of that money on buying the dispatchers and calltakers better equipment???
Many too lazy to go get their BS city ID, so how are they work-in and getting paid without it? No
employee ID and their going to get reamed. One of them just peeved me to the max and it was not their silly traffic play stop start game. I'm buckling down on them real time. Their going to get a bonus employee education, since some of their supervisors are neglecting their duties. I DID SAY SOME AND NOT ALL.
Without employee ID they can be anyone's friend covering these intersections and other locations on any given day or hour. Pants rolled up, chains hanging down, various colored blue shirts and white tee's just sit-ten on the corners giggling and chatting. Would any of you put it past some of these mopes to use buddies to cover for them? NO ID, WTF!
What a scam. State ID does not count a supervisor should be called. Figure for the most part their out there with little if any supervision directing citizens on what to do and many creating hazards. Prove to me with employee ID and your picture or you stand the risk of being challenged. Am I wrong saying were required to have ours? Theirs are to be avail. and displayed. Who is the oversite division for this nonsense.
Since they have come into the city their getting out of hand and taking advantage of freedoms in various city dept. area's. Areas which they don't belong in without a valid reason let alone valid employee ID. Puttin on the war paint old school as I type. We should know whose directing traffic and using city radios and so should the citizens.
just want to give some love to Karen and Paula on citywide 1....they do a great job.....
thanks for everything
the marine unit rules!!!!
They don't have their employee ID's? And have access to the zone. Who knows who they could be.
Definitely get any ID off of them and inform a supervisor, that's if you can find one.
WTF....
actually...they do learn the basics of directing traffic..from instructors at the police academy..soooooo what does that tell u?
They don't have their employee ID's? And have access to the zone. Who knows who they could be. 3:42am
Response:
You have an absolutely valid point.
However, there are thousands of people who have access to the zone and aren't city employees at all. This happens via Radio Shack, Bearcat Corp., AOR, and many others. Maybe it's time to get off the "air" and use other methods of communications.
0650
No the TMA's are not felons, or druggies, they had to pass a drug and criminal background check. Remember when they first hired a zillion of them, cut down to half when the drug test results came in. Secondly you cannot have access to our building as a felon,
remember the old radio tech kid? He's gone. TMAs still are allowed to hold thier "rollcall" and collect checks in our building.
0650
The definition of "pass" in this city depends on who you know, the need for manpower, what methods you use to CYA, and/or who you give "favors" to....politically even.
I guarantee either you are very sheltered, misinformed, or trust wayyyyyy too much in these checks and drug tests. That is if they are even being done.
Knowing the city, they are likely using some cheap outside agency to do the backgrounds / drug testing. Like some dispatchers and coppers, they give false results while affirming that the test / background was done when it actually wasn't.
We call them the "orange cone people." Because they're so useless.
Yesterday I bicycled 70 miles and on my way downtown, 31st/LaSalle, witnessed true orange coning at it's worst.
The intersection before this one, I couldn't even cross. They were too busy talking to each other, and it was a 4-way stop. So I had to hold my hand up,get off my bike, and walk across.
Due to the crappola directing of traffic, I almost saw a 6-car pileup at the 31/LaSalle intersection. I would have snapped a photo, but was in a hurry to get my Philly rolls at Osaka and relax.
The police should be doing this job. And yes, one time I was wearing a CPD Memorial shirt, and one gave me a dirty look. I'm not even a cop!!
btw: Great job, Dispatchers...
A fact their are quite a few at roll call, picking up checks and have no city ID in the bldg. at any given time. City ID is a requirement and not an option, so what gives?
I saw one of the corner traffic classes at the academy, it's a short course and just so everyone knows so was the course for police officers. Traffic is not all that difficult it can be dangerous and a good number of them are making it worse.
Here's the clue if you have blks. of TMA's at lights you work as a team and pull traffic. You only need to pull when there's a true back up and that's when you ignore the lights. It is an art form of it's own though. I swear for many of them it's a game to just stop cars in the middle of a green light what the h$ll for, power maybe? If traffic is moving and flowing on it's own leave it alone and get safely out of the way. The best is having their backs to a green and pulling cars from in front of them on the same green to make them turn into on coming traffic, this I see all the time. Citizens are always calling on them all over the city. One recently cursed out a citizen with his small children in the car. The TMA was wrong on the traffic direction and when he addressed her about her mouth she said again, I told you to fu&cking stop. Many are very rude and have a general bad attitude and a militant chip on their shoulder when addressed. Some are polite and other's are dense beyond awakening. Polities are out numbered.
BTW...this topic came to you courtesy of Dave M., and Stretch from what was Chicagolisteners.
This topic started over there, and Karen just made sure it came up here.
It IS a good call though!
Which Karen was this?
Which Karen was this?
Out of respect for privacy concerns, I will not give any further identifiers without permission.
We weren't looking for identifiers, we were just curious about which Karen ensured that we brought this topic up because we were unaware.
0904
Maybe you're right. I never thought about the private testing. When I was hired as a civie we had a female copper what you pee in the pot (pretty intimidating as a female). But I do know half the crew from the first big hire was canned. They are always checking the background in our building, you might not be caught now but within 2 yrs you will be out if you are hiding a felony. Homeland security you know, big bucks I'm sure for the guy who is doing the background checks.
correction
" watch you pee "
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