I’m at a total loss. I just spent 16 years in the Canadian Armed Forces, including three deployments where I handled high-pressure logistics, security, and complex personnel management. I moved to Victoria ready to work and applied to be a driver for BC Transit.
I was just rejected by the HR team because I apparently "lack relevant customer service experience."
Are you kidding me?
We have buses being cancelled every single day in Victoria because of an "operator shortage." People are being passed up at stops, students are late for class, and healthcare workers can’t get to the hospital on time. Yet, BC Transit is turning away veterans with a decade and a half of discipline and safety records because we haven't worked at a Starbucks?
I’ve de-escalated high-stakes situations in deployment zones, but I’m told I’m not qualified to handle a fare dispute or a crowded bus on Douglas Street.
If BC Transit is wondering why their "service delivery" is failing, maybe they should look at how they treat the people who are actually trained to show up and do the job.
Has anyone else dealt with this kind of gatekeeping from them? It’s a slap in the face to veterans and a total middle finger to the riders in this city who just want their bus to show up.