Across the organization, Metro Transit employees’ work has been changed by the COVID-19 pandemic. These "In These Together" Q&As illustrate how employees are adapting both on and off the clock. Read more interviews here.
Amy Ferman, Transit Supervisor
How has the pandemic affected your day-to-day work?
Without the pandemic, I would be thinking about special events, like Minneapolis Open Streets events and the Celebrate Northeast Parade. Since all events are on hold or canceled, my work is somewhat different. I now focus on being available to operators so they know they aren’t alone. I check our facilities, keep up-to-date on the latest developments and standard operating procedures and respond to emergency situations. Recently, I was involved in the mutual aid request to move at-risk individuals from Dorothy Day to a hotel in downtown St. Paul.
What’s it like working through a pandemic?
It has been an odd, surreal experience so far. While I’ve been aware that something like this could happen, it doesn’t prepare you for the reality of the situation. A pandemic is a slow-moving disaster -- maybe too slow for our modern short attention spans. From reports of the emergence of a novel virus on the other side of the world to a pandemic, only a few short months have passed. Now, even the simple task of refueling my car has become complicated. Uncertainty and frequent changes have become the new normal.
I love my job and being on the front lines with the operators doing all I can do to support them. Focusing on safety, staying vigilant, being prepared and embracing uncertainty, for me, will be the way to get through this.
How has your life changed outside of work?
I used to visit my mom and stepdad once a week. I would play music with my stepdad, mostly jazz standards. I play guitar and he plays accordion and upright bass. Afterward, my mom and I would go out for dinner at Manning’s in southeast Minneapolis. She is 81 and I don’t dare to visit them now. My sister, who is a nurse in the emergency room of a large hospital in Virginia, had the virus. She told me it’s no joke. I will take her advice and take all precautions.
I keep trips to the store at a bare minimum. I have a lot of projects at home to keep me busy. It’s spring and time to get the gardens ready. But I’m missing our old world -- live music, going out to eat, retirement parties, randomly running into people you know. Like most of us, my hair is getting longer. Not sure what to do about that. I’m looking forward to getting back to normal.
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