Subway driver: secrets of the profession

Residents of large cities regularly use the services of the subway and do not think about those who transport them underground for 6-8.5 hours a day. And this is done by the metro driver, who during his shift shifts several times along the same route. All this time, he can only talk to himself and have fun with songs and pictures visible from the workplace. Each driver is trusted in the lives of thousands of people, and he is responsible for them. It is very difficult to withstand such a serious load, and few people in this profession have been working in it for more than 10-15 years.

What does the metro driver suffer for? The salary (2013, Moscow) of such a specialist averages 50,000 rubles per month. Not so much money for the work done. Why do many want to get this profession?

The main reason is that the work on the subway seems to be something mysterious, romantic. After all, the metro is a strategic object, so there is very little information about it. And when people come to get a job, then, having learned about the schedule and working conditions, only half of the hundreds of applicants are left, the same number are eliminated, and only one person is sent for training.

Still, how to get a driver in the subway? Only a man who has served in the Armed Forces under the age of 35 years can work here. First of all, it is necessary to undergo a comprehensive examination with a specialist psychologist. And according to its results, the applicant is sent to the medical commission. Here they check vision, heart function, hearing, color blindness. Then the person undergoes fluorography, ECG, surgeon, therapist, otolaryngologist and donates blood. In the case when the medical commission gives a positive conclusion, the applicant receives a referral for a four-month training, during which he will be paid a scholarship.

After a successful examination session, it is not the metro driver who comes out, but his assistant. About a month later, they can send him to train under the guidance of an experienced specialist. And only after two or three months, he can be admitted to the exam for the right to manage the composition. And after two or three months - to the exam for the right to drive independently. It turns out that it takes about a year from the date of admission to study to self-management.

On this, all the difficulties did not end, we can say that they were only flowers. Each shift begins with a medical examination, and serious health monitoring is carried out daily. After all, the metro driver should work 6 hours a day, 36 - a week, but you have to work 8.5 hours per shift. And this is with constant noise, flashes of light and tension of attention. When there is a shortage of people, it happens 11-12 working days in a row without days off. The main thing that helps the driver to cope with all these and other difficulties is a sense of humor. Without it, it is impossible to work underground. Indeed, to everything else, the subway is a favorite place for suicides, which, according to instructions, should be removed from under the train by the driver.

What else is characterized by the profession "subway engineer"? There are the following ten points.

1. The driver is allowed to smoke in the cab.
2. After the night shift, workers spend the night in special apartments near the stations or in the lounges available at each depot.
3. A woman cannot count on such a position.
4. The retirement age of the driver is 55 years.
5. In open sections of lines, during snowfalls, they also have to stand in traffic jams.
6. They often dine in their booths, on the go.
7. After the words “Caution, the doors are closing”, the driver has the right to close the door, without waiting for the end of the boarding and landing of passengers.
8. Its work is regulated simultaneously by 55 instructions.
9. Light flashes when the train exits the tunnel to the station are very stressful for the driver.
10. At work, he must arrive prepared and well rested.

Each applicant for such a position should first think carefully about whether he will withstand all these hardships, so that then he does not feel sorry for the time lost.