Dexter Hall felt he had a fair shot when he saw the city was looking for streetcar operators.
Hall was a FedEx driver for three years when he applied for the position.
“I had the credentials, a good driving record and knew the streets,” he said. “This was something new and groundbreaking. The opportunity presented itself and I was fortunate enough to partake.”
Hall, a resident for two decades, is one of 18 people hired to operate the vehicles that make up Tucson’s newest mass transit system.
After months of test runs, he is ready to take on his first passengers this weekend.
Q: Did training for the streetcar take you back to taking driver’s ed in high school?
A: “In a way. With the streetcar, you are on a fixed rail. The driver’s ed comes into play because you always want to be alert of everything going on around you. You are making sure that pedestrians are safe, the vehicles are safe and that you are keeping safe distances.”
Q: How many times have you traveled from one end to the other at this point?
A: “Many times. We go back-and-forth eight times a day. It is a 30-minute ride from one end to the other, barring any type of obstacles in our way.”
Q: Have you run into a lot of obstacles on your daily test runs?
A: “It changes day-to-day. Today, at Congress and Sixth, a car was broken down, with fluids all over the road. We had to move the car out of the right of way, make sure the driver was safe. I also had a construction crew with equipment in the right of way and had to call that in. But incidents like that, you can count on one hand. Of course, you have small things like delivery trucks, people popping out of buildings. The public is going to do what they are going to do. You just have to be aware.”
Q: People post photos daily of the streetcar on Facebook. Is it fun being a local celebrity?
A: “I’ll admit that it is awesome. I am a father. I love it when kids see us go by. I’ll always wave. They enjoy it.”
Q: Where do you go for lunch when you are off your shift?
A: “I like Pancho Villa’s on Fourth and I’ve had different soups and salads from the (Food Conspiracy) Co-op. The Fourth Avenue Deli has a tasty Chicago dog. The owner is a good dude. I like the place because they have boxing photos on the walls. My dad was a boxer.”
Q: What is your favorite part about the job so far?
A: “The atmosphere. It is new. It is entertaining. Being a part of that new aspect of Tucson is awesome.”
