iPod + Cell Phone + Bus Driver = Very Scary

[Damion Chaplin]

Just thought I'd take a quick moment to relate an experience I had last night. As usual, I hopped on a local bus that would take me from the train station home. It takes about 5 minutes (but it's a 20-minute walk). To my horror, the bus driver, who was probably new, not only had his white iPod earphones in, but he was texting on his cell phone too - all while driving the bus! Yes, he was driving a 3-ton bus with one hand while texting with the other. Needless to say, he wasn't paying very much attention to the road.

Please, please please people, don't wear your iPod while driving! Please don't text people on your cell phone while you're driving! And please, for the love of Bob, if you drive a public transit bus, don't do both at the same time!

Thanks for your attention. :)

[Jason Dunn]

That's really frightening. 8O I probably would have phoned the city to complain - it's one thing to do stupid things yourself, but when you endanger others around you, you need to be stopped. :evil:

[Damion Chaplin]

Just to let everyone know the outcome: Yesterday when I stepped off the bus I had just enough sense to glance over my shoulder and get the bus number. I called the customer service line for the transit authority, but they were closed for the day. Not knowing what else to do, I phoned the police and told them what happened. Unfortunately, by the time they caught up to him he was probably at his next destination and wasn't driving anymore. Today, I followed-up by calling the supervisor for the bus drivers and told her what happened. Turns out there's surveillance cameras in every bus. She was quite concerned and promised she would address the issue. She even asked if I had filed a police report. So I pretty much did what I could to get this guy off the road.

C'mon, folks. If I see you doing such a thing in the car in front of me, I'll take down your license plate and report you. If I see you do it while driving the bus I'm on, I'll do everything in my power to nail you and make sure you never drive for public transit again.

[Jason Dunn]

Cool. Good to see you followed up on this.

[Phronetix]

This is ridiculous. Good for you Damion! Now, here is a silly thought, perhaps the same technology that he was using could be used to incriminate him. Did anyone think to snap a few photos or take video using a phone/device of this guy? Would see, like a reasonable thing to do.

Regarding the headphones, I wonder when there will be serious dialogue about headphones worn by drivers. I have done it before, both with and without music on, and while I could hear the outside sounds well, I knew that if an officer saw me, I would likely get something, be it a ticket or a warning.

Is there any evidence that headphones are any worse than a very loud sound system? or even a medium loud one? or listening to an important game on the radio, or an intense newstalk program etc.? You can say all you want about banning headphones, but isn't the volume what matters. I think the fact that you cannot tell from a distance whether the phones are ear bud, or canalphones may muddy the waters on this issue, and no one outside the head of the listener really knows the volume, but what is fair legislation here?

Regarding the test messaging, this is a no brainer. The people on the bus should have revolted on this guy and shamed him, or teamed up to take the phone away.

Dennis

[Phoenix]

Good for you, Damion. I used PT for two and a half, three years and I know how bad bus drivers can be. Some of the worst, most jaded, disgruntled drivers on the road. Not all of them, of course, but a good amount of them.

But it doesn't seem to matter if you're on or off the bus. One day when I was driving, a bus driver tried to run me off the road, and I hadn't done anything wrong or done anything to provoke him. Some of these bus drivers are absolutely nuts.

I agree with Phronetix; it would be good for someone sitting near the driver to take a photo (no flash) or a quiet video of him, and then forward that onto his supervisor.

Having earbuds is irresponsible enough. But texting, too? I don't know how that spaz even got a driver's license.

They should talk to him and give him one chance to change and put him on at least six months daily-monitored probation. And if he does it again, then he should be fired. Or if they can't afford watching him that closely for that long, then maybe he should just be replaced.

That may sound harsh to some, but with something like this, an adult doesn't need any more than one chance to change the behavior, and what's more important is keeping all those people he's driving around, not to mention all the people he's sharing the road with, from getting hurt or killed before it's too late. A bus can do a LOT of damage.

[Jason Dunn]

Is there any evidence that headphones are any worse than a very loud sound system?

Perhaps not, but it's easier to turn down the volume on your stereo than to remove headphones - or put them back in. Pressing the mute button on my stereo is easier then finding the pause button on an MP3 player. Especially if you're using in-ear headphones, they close you off to the outside world because that's what they're designed to do.

Wearing headphones while driving is grossly irresponsible IMO - if you want to use headphones while going places, walk or take public transit, don't drive 2000 pounds of steel around at 80 KM/h.

[Chris Gohlke]

Driving while wearing headphones is illegal in Florida, yet I see people do it al the time.

[Damion Chaplin]

In California, it's illegal to drive with both earbuds in. Apparently, it's legal if you only have one hanging out your ear. As far as I know, there's never been any legislation regarding texting while driving. Next year, it will become illegal to use your cell phone at all while driving without a hands-free system.

You're right: I should have snapped a pic of him before getting off the bus, but frankly I didn't get steamed enough about it till I was already off the bus. It was late and the only other people on the bus were a young lady with her newborn and an older lady - neither of whom were in a position to take a picture with their cell phone. Thankfully, in this instance our paranoid, litigous society dictated that there be a camera pointed at the driver at all times, so he's a gonner. Who knows how many hours (or days) he had been driving around like that... 8O

[Doug Johnson]

Here in Utah there is a law that is about to pass that addresses distracted driving. It doesn't specifically ban cell phones or eating or any other specific distraction, but rather leaves it up to the discretion of the law enforcement officer as to whether a driver's activities interferes with operation of a vehicle, and can issue a citation as necessary. This makes a lot more sense to me than saying, ' no cell phone' or whatever, because I know that some people are capable of talking on a phone while driving and doing it responsibly, but there are a whole range of other people who can't. And it also covers people who pay more attention to eating a meal or putting on makeup instead of watching what they are doing. I believe that if any law is in place it needs to address the principle behind why these laws are enacted and not the specific activities that people do while behind the wheel.

Certainly in the case of the bus driver he was being grossly irresponsible.