Bus driver [[who should have long been retired) falls asleep at the wheel.

[brizee]

Sit yo ass down, old man.

Really though, it sucks a man his age is probably about to lose his pension over this.

[ABetterDetroit]

These unfortunate people are living TGGs worst nightmare... Being hit by a bus with only ONE passenger on it.

[gazhekwe]

The man is only 65. Do you realize there are those in Congress who want to raise the official age for collecting Social Security and being on Medicare to 70? Do you realize most people who are working expect to work til at least 65? Do you know that many who have retired are actually forced to seek employment to supplement shrinking pensions and/or social security as costs of living rise?

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

Sit yo ass down, old man.

Really though, it sucks a man his age is probably about to lose his pension over this.

FYI, the full Social Security retirement age for someone who is currently 65 is.......66.

[brizee]

FYI, the full Social Security retirement age for someone who is currently 65 is.......66.

It was just a throwaway old joke.

My father is a retired city worker. Two heart attacks, a quadruple bypass, and lives around 6 Mile & Van Dyke.

I got nothing but love for seniors!

[DetroitPlanner]

FYI, the full Social Security retirement age for someone who is currently 65 is.......66.

I am in my late 40's and won't be able to get SSI until I am 67.

He may not have a pension. Not as many public employees get them as one thinks. In addition to having to have the luck to work for an agency that offers one, you also have to have put in considerable number of years to get one. It could be a job that this driver got later in life after spending years at another place.

[Wesley Mouch]

I am in my late 40's and won't be able to get SSI until I am 67.

He may not have a pension. Not as many public employees get them as one thinks. In addition to having to have the luck to work for an agency that offers one, you also have to have put in considerable number of years to get one. It could be a job that this driver got later in life after spending years at another place.

Would love to hear the stats. Having a family that lived on a COD pension for a good time, I understood this to be pretty much universal for city workers at one point. [[And of course we know it included health coverage too.)

We also know well that this is changing due to the corruption, waste, and inefficiencies of Detroit compounded by the disinvestment caused by corruption, waste, and inefficiencies, exposed by the financial crisis created by the big banks.

Can anyone share good stats on what Detroit had, and what Detroit now has? I've criticized generous pensions in the past, but think we should better understand the current situation. Are there entire agencies of the city that have never offered pensions? What's the typical employment period before substantial of full vesting? Is Detroit now all 401k for new hires?

[Wesley Mouch]

Sorry last post pulled so far off thread. Falling asleep at the wheel can be for all kinds of reasons. Possible gent's sick. Caution before we jump to criticize without information.

[iheartthed]

Are the suburbs really that boring?

I kid...

[FormerDetroiter]

A lot people his age are still working. Perhaps he should be doing something other than driving a bus.

[Wesley Mouch]

Are the suburbs really that boring?

Ha! and YES!

[Cliffy]

A lot people his age are still working. Perhaps he should be doing something other than driving a bus.

Well after this incident he probably will have no choice.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

The man is only 65. Do you realize there are those in Congress who want to raise the official age for collecting Social Security and being on Medicare to 70? Do you realize most people who are working expect to work til at least 65? Do you know that many who have retired are actually forced to seek employment to supplement shrinking pensions and/or social security as costs of living rise?

Agreed. Retirement as we once knew it, is a thing of the past for most.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

FYI, the full Social Security retirement age for someone who is currently 65 is.......66.

So he had 1 yr to go to get the full benefit?

[DetroitPlanner]

Would love to hear the stats. Having a family that lived on a COD pension for a good time, I understood this to be pretty much universal for city workers at one point. [[And of course we know it included health coverage too.)

We also know well that this is changing due to the corruption, waste, and inefficiencies of Detroit compounded by the disinvestment caused by corruption, waste, and inefficiencies, exposed by the financial crisis created by the big banks.

Can anyone share good stats on what Detroit had, and what Detroit now has? I've criticized generous pensions in the past, but think we should better understand the current situation. Are there entire agencies of the city that have never offered pensions? What's the typical employment period before substantial of full vesting? Is Detroit now all 401k for new hires?

Not really germane to the SMART guy, but my parents have COD pensions. They have been hit pretty hard with medical, but they still have medicare. They now have what they consider sky high deductibles, but from my perspective they do not seem too bad. I guess if you get used to a Cadillac and you are suddenly given a Carolla you complain.

Typical public workers no longer have pensions. This is especially true among new hires. They have 457 or 403b's which equate to 401k's. Those with pensions typically need to have 10 years in to be vested [[as opposed to those with the deferred/defined plans that get vested much earlier).

The biggest pension system in the State for municipal employees is known as MERS. It was once much larger but was broken into three separate organizations: municipals, schools, and State Employees. http://www.mersofmich.com/