When Transit Information Center representative Carol Hansen applied to work for Metro Transit in 1976, she was asked two simple questions: Could she read a map, and did she know north, south, east and west?
Things have advanced quite a bit since then.
Hansen spoke recently with the Star Tribune about how her TIC job has changed as technology has evolved and Metro Transit’s service territory has expanded. Today, instead of paper maps and a Hudson Street guide, TIC representatives use computers to quickly help customers locate bus stops and plan their routes.
While the job is different than it used to be, Hansen said her motivation remains the same.
“I have always liked helping people,” she told the Star Tribune. “You can actually tell when you’ve actually helped them by the tone of their voice. One mom was packing up little kids, taking them to day care, going to work, then going to school. I ended up saving her two hours a day of travel time. When I got done, she was almost in tears.”
> Star Tribune: On the Job with Carol Hansen
> Transit help just a phone call away
> Longtime bus driver reflects on career
Photo by Tom Witta, used by permission of the Star Tribune.