This thread is over in IMHO:
What do you think? Driver tells some teenagers to stop kissing (evidently not a full-on makeout session, just smooching).
Are there activities that might seem innocuous that you’re allowed to tell passengers “Cut that out”?
In my town, municipal buses are not permitted to make a right on red. But the other day, I sat behind a bus while the driver sat at the light, thru 3 green lites, not moving. I pulled up to ask if she were broke down. No, she said, but when there were cars in the left turn lane of the street she wanted to make her right on, there was not room for her to make the right. It was rush hour and she was blocking traffic. What would you have done in that case? I have seen buses get the right wheels up on the sidewalk slightly to make a turn in the that situation.
What do agencies generally look for when hiring? Do they prefer candidates who already have a CDL or do they favor training people for a CDL? Other than a CDL, what qualifications do you need? I would assume that you probably need a high school diploma or equivalent. Does having a college degree give you an edge? Are there exams, like a Motorcoach Operator Aptitude Assessment Exam? Are they looking for people with certain personality types, etc. or will they pretty much take anyone who meets the minimal qualifications?
Is driving a bus a rational choice for career changers, or are people with extensive experience elsewhere likely to be turned away? E.g. can one “quit this stupid job and go drive a bus”, or is it more complex?
I have driven diesel electric buses. They are quieter than regular buses which means a lot when you have to hear a diesel engine roaring all damn day.
I don’t know the mileage of the buses, I should ask a mechanic here if I get a chance. I do know the fuel tanks have a capacity of 160 gallons of No.2 Diesel. We also have a series of trial buses running on biodiesel. The only real difference is what lane we park them in on the fuel island at the end of the day.
When I have a regular schedule, I do get regulars. It’s nice to have normal conversations with people. It sounds strange to say that but there are a lot of people that either just want to mind their own business or if they talk to me, its either Jesus stuff, you got a purdy mouf stuff, or arguing with their imaginary friend stuff. Building rapport with passengers is important to me because they will defend me when someone accused me of wrongdoing. They also help me deal with problem passengers by telling the annoying person to STFU before I even have to deal with it. When people are kind and courteous to me, I’m kind back and will make accommodations for them whenever possible.
I had an elderly passenger accidentally leave an entire bottle of hydrocodene(?) Which was surprising since stuff like that is like a huge bucket of chum for some drug addicted homeless passengers. I made sure they made arrangements to return the man’s medicine.
Any question you say?
A bus leaves San Francisco heading east driving 40mph, another bus leaves…OK, lame.
In London we’ve got double-decker red buses, which are iconic if nothing else. We’ve also got electronic display boards on many bus stops that tell you how far away the next bus is. Also, Oyster cards which are pre-paid cards meaning you don’t have to fiddle around with small change, and (I suppose) reduces the likelihood of the drivers being held up, as they aren’t carrying any cash (London buses don’t take cash at all now).
On the other hand we’ve got the articulated “bendy buses”, which on London’s narrow and busy roads, are frankly a bit rubbish.
So, what do you think are the best and worst bits of your system?
What improvements can you see coming in the future, and what would you change if you were in charge to benefit the drivers’ and/or passengers’ lot?
Do you get annoyed with passengers getting on and off every stop, having to stop and go every block (or whatever interval the stops are, if it’s fairly uniform; the buses in DC literally have a stop every block), or is that just part of the job?
Have you ever gotten lost? How do you memorize a route for the first time you drive it?
Do you ever sing the kids song “The Wheels on the Bus”?
What happens if you are determined to be “at fault” for an incident? Will one “at fault” incident generally destroy your career, or are there graduated penalties? E.g. one incident will get you a writeup, a second will get you a stern writeup, a lecture from the District Supervisor, and a Performance Improvement Plan, and a third will get you fired.
I bet in San Francisco it’s interesting driving up and down those steep hills.
You know when you’re standing/getting up/sitting down/etc and the bus driver brakes or accelerates tossing you around, you guys do that on purpose dont you?
What does it mean, “Exact change?” :dubious:
Depends on the agency. Mine only required a HS diploma, clean DMV record the previous 3 years, and customer service skills. Teaching somebody how to drove a bus is much easier than teaching someone not to flip out on passengers. Having prior experience is definitely a plus of course.
Having a degree does give an advantage in that it makes it easier to pursue management or union leadership positions.
I’ve gotten lost many times. When I miss a turn, depending on the area I will call a supervisor over the radio for directions or ask the passengers. Ironically, gritting lost helped me to familiarize myself with the area.
My way of memorizing routes is by using landmarks. Buses tend to stop at logical places- train depots, hospitals, schools, colleges, etc. This helps me as well.
When I was a kid I developed a weird fascination with our municipal bus system. This would have been the mid- to late-50s. We had a combination of diesel and trackless trolley buses, so the city was spider-webbed with overhead power lines. (These were done for, however, by the early 60s.) Being a bus driver when I grew up was my first career choice for at least a couple of my elementary school years.
I was so into them that I actually talked my mom into taking me down to the bus yard once. We just sort of strolled in and found an idle bus that apparently still had power. This seems incredible now (that we did it at all and that she indulged me to this degree), but I climbed in the seat and opened and closed the front and back doors, changed the manually scrolling route sign and rang the bell with the cords hanging down. I was in absolute heaven!
And I was so into it all that to this very day I can name every route and its associated number from 1 up to 25 (e.g., 1 ELM, 2 OAK, 3 LINCOLN etc.).
My questions will seem rather, um, pedestrian, but they’re based on that early fascination:
Is the system for opening and closing the doors still essentially the same (a lever to the driver’s left…one position each for front and back doors only, and a third position for opening both simultaneously? Or has this been turned into some sort of electronic push-button method?
I’m assuming all the route signs are now electronic as opposed to the old scroll. Do you program them yourself and sometimes have to change them on the fly? Or is this done in some other way?
Has the old method of dispensing change by way of the metal thingee with cylinders that you operated with your thumb long gone the way of the dinosaur? Did you ever encounter one of these in your work? Somehow my mom found me one and gave it to me for Christmas when I was about 6 or 7. Once again, I was in a blissful state.
Mom turned 85 earlier this month. She was, and is, a mighty good mom!
What are some infractions that have gotten your coworkers fired?
How often do drivers get fired?
Most common causes: Attendance, accidents, positive drug tests. People unable to show up to work on time is super common. Sometimes it’s sad situations like the driver screwing up his FMLA paperwork.
Accidents get people fired, but again you really gotta screw up bad. Generally three preventable incidents over a one year span is the threshold, but it also depends on the nature of the incident. Many drivers have popped a side mirror at one point in their career, its chronic problems or injuries to passengers that are serious. Transit agencies are self insured so if a bus driver blows through a red light, T bones a car and badly injures people, his employer is on the hook regarding liability lawsuits. Stuff that costs them a lot of money tend to be the more firable offenses.
Drivers get steadily fired through the year. Its not like tons of people get fired, but there is definitely a steady trickle out the door. Receiving a DUI in your own car also get you fired first and foremost because DMV suspends a class B license for a year on the first offense. You can’t legally drive the bus at that point and they’re not gonna let you stay on the payroll. In addition, they won’t hire anyone that got a DUI within the past ten years.
Here in Seattle, the METRO bus drivers pretty frequently blow through red lights (as they turn red, not completely ignoring the thing). The thing is, we now have red light cameras on a lot of intersections. So, they must be triggering the camera and a citation should automatically issue. I’m wondering, if they have red light cameras where you drive, do the authorities ticket bus drivers, and if so, are the drivers responsible?
To the OP, seeing that you’re in San Francisco, do you drive ordinary ICE powered buses, or the ones that take their power from overhead traction lines? BTW I’ve always thought those were perfect for cities like SF, besides many others.
The county would report it to the agency, which would discipline the driver. He’d also probably get a ticket, which have heftier fines if you’re a commercial driver.
I don’t have any questions, I just want to let all of you know how much I like you all.
That’s it.