Driving with busses
An email from a city bus driver indicated that drivers do “stupid stuff” around busses. G.F. claimed he will compile some of those episodes and eventually forward them to me.
He hasn’t sent them yet, but in the meantime, I can speculate on a few. In the past, I’ve covered some of the dangerous antics that drivers exhibit in the vicinity of school busses and accompanying children. Most of those mistakes generally relate to ignoring deployed stop sign “paddles” and blinking warning lights.
Though city busses don’t have stop paddles, they likely encounter plenty of ill-advised driver behavior.
The only safety tips I can find at various metro bus Websites have to do with passenger, pedestrian and bicyclist safety. Those recommendations are all somewhat obvious, like not “hitching” a ride by grabbing a bus while riding a bicycle, looking both ways if walking out from the front of a bus, and not cursing, yelling or exhibiting abusive behavior as a passenger.
But as drivers, I suspect many of us have time issues around busses. We perceive them as “blockage” to our progress. As a result, I’m guessing that erratic maneuvers often ensue to avoid being held up.
Though they stop frequently, busses do not stop on a dime. In other words, your smaller vehicle will stop much more quickly than a bus. As a consequence, I’m sure it’s stressful for bus drivers when they are forced by autos to make rapid stops.
For example I’m sure that some drivers, expecting to be delayed by a bus, will race past the “obstacle,” only to turn on a cross street at the next block. If ample distance is not gained past the bus before the turn, it creates an unnecessary hazard for the bus. The same could be said for drivers passing busses just before approaching a stop light or sign.
Also, due to their length, busses make wide turns to achieve a proper approach angle to the desired street and avoid “jumping” the curb. Due to an irrational need to get quickly past a bus, I’m suspect some drivers have attempted to squeeze by on the right side of the bus, becoming violently squeezed as the bus completes its turn.
Abusing the opportunity to get past a bus during passenger unloading can create occasional mayhem too. Since city busses don’t fold out stop signs during such stops, drivers speed by and risk striking a pedestrian who may suddenly appear from the front of the bus, about to cross the street. That pass may be legal, but should be made with caution, not haste. Sure, it’s up to the pedestrian to look before crossing, but cars are so much bigger than people, it makes sense to use due care in the process.
Getting too near a bus, either behind or beside, is not a safe practice either. Again, positioning for a chance to pass a bus, one may inadvertently get too close to it to be seen by the bus driver. Finding a way into a bus driver’s “blind spot” may generate a bad result. Just as car and small truck drivers must take extra caution not to contact smaller things on the road such as people, bicycles and motorcycles, bus drivers would like to take care to avoid your car or truck. They must be able to see you to do that effectively!
Readers may contact Bill Love via email at precisiondriving@spokesman.com.
