Rory O’Neill to the Rescue
Getting stuck on a dark, stalled Muni train is every rider’s worst nightmare. But what’s it like being one of the mechanics with the daunting task of getting that train and its frustrated riders moving again?
Rory O’Neill understands both sides of that coin. He spent many years working as a mechanic on the mobile response unit and the emergency response unit for Muni’s light rail fleet—and he’s also an every-day Muni rider.
Now the supervisor of the Maintenance Training Department, Rory joined us at Muni Diaries Live and gave us a glimpse into the oft-overlooked world of Muni’s vehicle mechanics and maintenance workers. Rory reminds us just how many people get us where we need to go every day, whether we see them or not. “In the end, that’s what we do, right? We move people.”
Listen to Rory’s story here:
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Photo by Emily Huston
As an Operator… many times Mr. O’Neill came down the tube flashlight in hand to rescue the train that had brokedown. He never did not know just what to do… A great professional man and a man of honor as well… Thanks Mr. O’Neill