Someone told me that a dark, dirty secret of the UTU is that the real reason they need a whole month off at will is to kick substance abuse habits.

Now, that may make a LOT of sense.

Now things may be coming a lot clearer!

It always baffled me when one driver was quoted as saying he/she needed a month off to kick a coffee habit. That sounded SO WEIRD - I could only laugh at that. Why would a driver say something so lame-sounding? But when I think about how heavy-duty treatments programs for the HARDER DRUGS take a month, but the drivers might not be able to come right out and say that, then the "coffee habit" statement starts to make sense.

Anyway, the strike is over.

I am not going to forget the drivers' rididulousness and self-centeredness though, ever. The drivers left 23,000 people on the curb with no warning, becuase $50k a year and rad benefits wasn't enough. The drivers are self-centered jerks, end of discussion.

No excuse for that, no matter what anyone says.

The only thing that would begin to suffice is a very sincere very public apology.