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Morning Roundup: Change Edition
Members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 are encouraging their members who operate Metrobuses to do every single little thing by the book this week. The push comes in the wake of two recent incidents which saw bus drivers plow down pedestrians in the District. Unsuck DC Metro got the ball rolling on this story yesterday, and the Post's Lena Sun later followed up with a story of her own.
WMATA's bus drivers are rightly worried about being fired these days. With so many serious or fatal accidents piling up, the public outcry for higher personnel standards has forced Metro to put out regular press releases like this one, touting their continued safety training program. Three bus drivers have been fired in recent months: one for failing to follow standard procedures in the Sept. 3 accident which critically injured jogger Amanda Mahnke, another who was accused of kidnapping a passenger, and a third who was discovered to have a suspended license. Not to mention the new zero tolerance policy for cell phone use among on the job Metro operators, which some passengers have taken upon themselves to enforce.
But the flip side of this ATU move is that following every single standard operating procedure means Metrobus drivers are forced to slow down. Way down. They can't go one mph faster than the speed limit, than can't pass each other at bus stops, and they have to make sure all elderly or disabled passengers are seated before moving the bus. And given how much D.C. residents love to complain about poor service from Metro, this tactic on the part of bus drivers could quickly lead to petitions, letters to the editor, and, almost assuredly, a lively Friday Chat with General Manager John Catoe this week.
Regular bus riders will surely be annoyed when a trip that used to take eight minutes suddenly takes 18. But if making these changes is something more than a form of protest, if drivers really do become more careful which in turn leads to fewer fatal accidents, then shouldn't we be ready to accept them as permanent?
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Sorry, this is an overreaction that devalues public transportation as an option. Sounds like all the buses will now run as slow as the circulator.
K Street this AM was a Charlie Foxtrot. The D1 this morning refused to pass any of the myriad buses on K Street. This led to a line of buses in the right lane all waiting for the lead bus to let people off/on -- then the next bus would pull up to the stop etc.
I hope my car gets out of the shop soon.
Sounds like it's going to depend quite a bit on the route. On the 42/43s this morning, yes there were a few buses lined up at some of the stops as the drivers refused to pass each other. But the overall travel time -- including my usual wait for an uncrowded bus -- didn't seem that much longer, if at all. But that line isn't nearly as long as say the 50s or 30s.
If you want to make it 100% safe, just stop putting buses on the street all together.
Agreed. Also, make speeding a crime punishable by $1,000 for every 1 MPH over the limit. But then, nobody would speed and there goes your speeding ticket revenues. But this was never about revenues, was it?
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-MEN!
Slow my ass. a 16D driver came barreling into the Pentagon station like he was trying to hit a zombie. When I said, "hey, you came in a bit fast there" he responded with "You don't have to ride!" Granted, my comment wasn't the friendliest in the world, but he came close to hitting another bus on the platform for crap's sake.
Do Metrobus drivers get patches for douchitude?
That is funny. My big complaint with Circulator drivers is that they are too friendly. Just the other day, we are pulling away from a stop and a couple flag him down. He stops and waits as they run across the street. The woman says "Is this a local bus?" followed by "Where does it go?" (Union Station). "Oh, is that anywhere near the White House? (he gives directions). "Okay, how much is this bus?"
We missed, not one, but two light cycles.
Yes, I know that is a cranky comment, but I had to catch a train dammit!!!
I take offense at your comment!
"They can't go one mph faster than the speed limit..."
Tell that to the drivers of the D6 and D5 as they zoom down MacArthur in the morning.
Well the article did say
"...The campaign began Tuesday at two of nine bus garages and is expected to spread to all divisions this week. Metro has about 2,600 bus operators, 1,500 buses and 350 routes...."
So maybe you haven't gotten lucky yet.
The Post story said that drivers will activate the handicap lifts at every stop. Really? Is that really necessary? And how much time is that going to waste?
If that's indeed the case, I certainly haven't seen it happen on the D6 and 96 lines east of Union Station this week.
That seems outright ridiculous. I think they're supposed to 'kneel' the bus at each stop, so that's probably what they meant to say.
I live on a blind curve of a road in old greenbelt (MD) with a bus stop directly in front of my house. It's not uncommon for buses to come plowing around the road at 45,50+ in my 25 mph residential and kid and dog friendly neighborhood so any instance of slowing metro buses down is music to my ears.
A radar equiped speed display was recently placed next to the bus stop post so I'll likely spend a little time camped out next to it to see what I can see. I'm that (prematurely) old guy shaking his fist at speeding cars and buses while trying to cross the street with my dog.
God, you guys are lucky. I'd happily sacrifice a Rover or two a year to get my bus to go that fast.
i'm all for safety. lets wait and see how bad things really are before we pass judgment on this one.
the D3 and D8 buses seemed to be moving at their normal pace this morning on montello ave. and K street NE.
The S9 is was on, coming down 16th Street, was infact following all of these rules. The only problem is that the S9 is the express bus ... the driver would not pass the bus in front of him which was the local S1, turning the express into not much of an express at all ... making every stop on 16th street.
I had the same experience on an S9 last night. We just hung in the right lane with the rest of the S buses.
I'm a little confused, though...I knew that it was illegal to make a right turn around a bus that is at a stop at an intersection, but is it really illegal to pass any bus at a stop at any time? If that's the case, shouldn't metro buses have those little flip-out stop signs that school buses have?
Huh, hadn't thought of that. What's the purpose of an express bus if it can't pass other buses?
Then again, I think the guideline is just about passing buses at stops. Because at stops, there's a higher chance of people crossing the streets. But at the same time, it's much more difficult to pass at places other than stops.
This is an easy one. Put the stops in the middle of the block, away from crosswalks, thereby compelling riders to move away from the bus to legally cross the street. If they insist on crossing mid-block and get smacked by the (legally operated) express, fuck 'em--Darwin at work and no liability for WMATA.
I'll 2nd, 3rd and 4th that.
Actually, a stop that I often get off at is in the middle of the block. Doesn't stop people from crossing there.
Well, that's interesting.
I would have guessed that as bus drivers carrying around loads of people and driving the city streets, they would actually be doing everything by the book every day. Right?
What union puts out a memo saying "Do things by the book"? That's a bit of an indictment on them and their members.
exactly. sort of sad that they cannot be safe AND make their route times. there's a flaw here somewhere.
It really is just a douchey protest move. i.e., Oh, you say too many of us Metrobus drivers are being unsafe? You're going to keep firing us and allowing citizens to report our infractions?
Okay, we'll play it 100% safe, and bring this city to its knees. See how important "safety" is to everyone then. It's a warning-- get off our backs, or we'll stage a safety-in.
Excellent observation.
How about Metrobus drivers do every single little thing by the book all the f*cking time? Would that be so hard?
I think the point is that Metrobus drivers break little rules everyday that convenience customers. For instance; when is the last time you saw a bus driver not allow people to stand in-front of the Yellow Line?
They are not supposed to do that yet every time a bus gets packed because an earlier one didn't show; drivers typically let every customer on that wants to squeeze in. Thats a convenience to customers but its a practice that puts Metro in the bull’s-eye if there was an accident.
So I agree with the drivers. They should do everything by the book as not to give Metro a reason to fire them.
I favor speed and efficiency over safety anyday. Aside from a few high-profile fatalities, having a robust public transit system will actually reduce accidents and fatalities by luring people out of their cars and onto mass transit. The objective should be to get as many people as possible from point A to point B in as short a time as possible. If trumped-up safety fears slow the system down, it will simply reinforce the reputation buses have of being slow, inefficient transport only for the elderly and poor. Buses shoulds be fast, sleek, clean, and move at generally the same pace as other vehicular travel.
That's why the windows are so big...to humiliate the passengers.
Right on MrT. Transit service needs to seem fast and effective, and be in fact fast and effective, in order to get people out of cars. Truly reckless bus drivers do need to be let go, but the drivers that are a bit aggressive and gunning it through their routes are basically making the Metrobus system a decently effective way to get around.
I'll be sure to tell the families of bus accident victims that MrTinDC needed to be somewhere fast.
maybe it's just me, but i don't care how long the bus takes to get to work in the morning. i figure having the bus show up is a WIN and everything after that is also a win as long as no one gets hurt and I don't sit on something gross.
Aye. As a rider who takes the S9 from end to end, it's starting to look enticing (and time saving) to switch back to Metrorail.
Well this is going to be one big fustercluck! How long will it take to see the backlash from the uberimportantes behind the wheel of their 50K+ SUVs being held up by -law-abiding metrobuses, not to mention the cabbies who already detest metrobuses and the bicyclists who use the stopped buses as an obstacle course. Be careful what you wish for. At least that's what my retarded monkey told me.
I'll have you know, madam, that I said no such thing! You are taking my words comepletely out of context, you bloody, bawdy blackguard and villain! Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain! O, vengeance! Take heed, madame, else you'll make your quietus with a bare bodkin.
[puts on monocle, straps on jetpack, exits stage left shrieking]
He's mad that trusts in the tameness of a wolf, a horse's health, a boy's love, or a whore's oath.
Well, riddle me this, Batman: who would fardels bear to grunt and sweat under a weary life, but that the dread of something after death, the undiscover'd country from whose bourn no traveller returns, puzzles the will and makes us rather bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know not of?
That's right. Your mom.
Your mom is as big as a bus, buster!
I swear the H2 bus this morning was passed by an elderly nun on crutches. Seriously.
I was recently chewed out by bus driver for daring to use the CROSSWALK in front of where I live, forcing them to stop instead of continuing to barrel down the street.
So I think they could use a slow week.
Some people complain that now buses cant go even one mile over the limit. If the limit is too low (I dont think it is), then change it; otherwise they SHOULDNT go even one MPH over the limit.
Its not just the bus drivers who speed, run red lights, and roll through stop signs; the majority of car drivers do the same, with impunity. But they don't get "fired" and rarely get tickets; I often see police officers doing nothing as (car and bus) drivers zoom through pedestrian crossings without yielding (let alone stopping!), run lights, etc.
Seems like we make rules that we want everyone else to follow but that we dont really want to follow ourselves if they're inconvenient.
Bus drivers are put in an unfair position -- they are officially told to follow the rules while also encouraged to not follow them. Metro administration gets to tout their great safety procedures, and the drivers are supposed to take responsibility for problems. (I am NOT saying that this is the cause of the recent tragedies involving bus drivers hitting pedestrians, although a Metro 'culture' that suggests you dont really need to follow the rules certainly doesn't help).
I definitely support the "by the book" campaign. Wish car drivers would do the same (or police would impose it on them).
What about the flip side and the responsibility of riders to assist the transit system. While this isn't ideal, simple things like adopting a SmartTrip, moving to the back of the bus and leaving front seats available to handicapped or elderly riders will go along way towards improving bus service.
Of course, Metro has some policies it could change that would improve performance without jeopardizing safety. Allowing SmartTrip/pass-holders riders to board at the rear would speed up boarding and reduce crowding at the front. Alot of other transit systems do this and use inspectors to spot check for violators who do not tap their card on the way on. Also, with better coordination from management, bus bunching could be avoided by allowing some busses to leap frog ahead of full busses. This on-the-fly express service allows an empty bus to stop at a stop with alot of people, rather than driving behind a full bus then puling up to an empty stop.
"They can't go one mph faster than the speed limit, than can't pass each other at bus stops, and they have to make sure all elderly or disabled passengers are seated before moving the bus."
Am I the only one who loves this?
everyone should just ride a sweet fixie.
I am completely sympathetic to my hardworking Metrobus drivers. But c'mon. The incidents they're responding to are a)a driver ran a yellow light and hit someone in a crosswalk, b)a driver KIDNAPPED a passenger, and c)a driver was working with a suspended license.
NONE of those involved a driver using his/her good judgment to pass a slower/more full/non-express bus on a busy route. I get that they're trying to make a point, but a little credibility, please.
I didn’t notice anything unusual the last couple days on the 30’s or D2. Speed seemed to be pretty normal.
I think drivers are generally pretty good about waiting for elderly passengers to sit down before moving. I didn’t actually know this was a rule. I thought the drivers were just being courteous. I guess I’m naïve.
What's the rationale behind not passing each other at bus stops especially when the stops are served by multiple lines? That makes no sense whatsoever.
I am sure there was a reason for this rule when it was made but now it looks odd.
Probably because of the possibility of not seeing someone crossing in front of the stopped bus (like happened last week). The rule doesn’t say they can’t pass each other, just not at a stop. I realize that it might slow things down in practice, but in theory it doesn’t seem problematic to me.
If it were strictly enforced/adhered to, it would be a HUGE problem, especially for example at stops like 17th & I where several in-town and suburban routes all converge, and 14th/15th and I.
If a stop is at an interesection with the crosswalk directly in front (many aren't) I can see this practice coming into play, but if the crosswalk is behind the bus, or there is no crosswalk nearby, then it shouldn't be an issue...
I really feel for the bus drivers of this city. The only press they ever get is bad press when most of them are hardworking, friendly people just trying to make a living. We tend to gloss over the countless times they'll do little things like wait an extra 15 seconds if they see you running down the street to catch the bus. Talk to any bus driver (and I know it's not S.O.P. to talk to the passengers), and they'll echo that sentiment. So I can understand why Metro employees have become very defensive as of late.
One morning a few months back, I left my wallet on the bus. About mid-morning, I got a surprise call from the driver (while on his break) telling me he had it. I got my wallet back later that day with everything still in it and sent in a commendation that night praising the driver.
Another time, I was touched by how our bus driver literally got off the bus with a blind passenger and walked her to her next bus stop in Adams Morgan. People never hear about these encounters and I think that's why there has been a growing "Us vs. Them" mentality between Metro employees and passengers.
It would be nice if UnSuckDCMetro and DCist encouraged readers to send in some of these more positive experiences in some kind of weekly or monthly feature. It's important to bring attention to bad behavior to help stop it. But just as important is praising good behavior to help encourage it.
UnSuck does post positive experiences. Just haven't been many lately, I guess.
You're on to something, Sam. I still find it puzzling that after the fatal metrorail crash where the operator was not at fault - and it was determined that she was not using her cell phone - the public's reaction was to target metrobus drivers who may or may not have been using cell phones. Makes total sense to me.
But just as important is praising good behavior to help encourage it.
Problem is, you can't sell good news. When's the last time you read a piece in the Metro section about people not getting shot?
But just as important is praising good behavior to help encourage it.
Pretty much sound sexual relationship advice as well. Am I right guys??
Well, there's praising good behavior and there's punching your partner in the face while you're doing them and screaming, "Don't you f**king look at me!" It's all good.
You're absolutely right about this. But I guess as passengers who recognize this fact, we should at least TRY to bring attention to situations where we feel that Metro employees deserve praise. Additionally, I try not to let the negative publicity and articles I read skew my own opinion and experiences riding the Metro. But you're absolutely right.
+1 Sam. The vast majority of bus drivers in this city, at least that I've seen, are friendly and effective at their jobs. Too bad a few incidents from the reckless drivers have garnered all the attention.
Indeed, a majority of DC public school teachers just want to get their job done, but thanks to a handful of relics with seniority and sedimentary layers of bureaucratic fossils, they're prevented from doing so. And yet thanks to corrupt unions and nonexistent oversight, the idiots get all the attention to the detriment of their coworkers. Lesson learned? Fixing the system means more than just "teaching to the book" or strictly adhering to guidelines. The zero-tolerance attitude doesn't work in schools, neither does it in public transit.
agreed, sam, but you know that, unfortunately, good news isn't news, and it doesn't sell. that's why we keep hearing all the bad stuff...
ugh, the S9 catches up with the S2 and then follows it all the way up 16th. ain't no express in that. i hope this blows over soon or i'll have to start taking the crappier metro.
Eff this noise, I'm getting a Segway.
My commute on one of the 16th st S lines was lovely this morning. The bus I caught wasn't doing all it could to stay stuck on the ass of the other S bus in front of it, so it waited nicely for me and another passenger. I wanted to give that driver a cookie.
After reading everyone's comments about the S line I am glad that I was not taking my little one to school this morning. The guy driving the H4 this morning on the way to drop my older kid off at school was cool. He let us pack onto his already overcrowded bus. We were past the magic yellow line of safety. He also was polite as usual. Once we got past the bottleneck of CT Ave he floored it to make up for lost time. I have to agree that most Metro bus drivers are hard working people in a tough job. The majority do a good job. So many drivers take a lot of crap from riders who feel that the bus is their car service or something. I always try to say thank you and have a nice day/evening to the drivers and now my kids do this too.
how on earth do you do it? taking children to school on a bus, not in an SUV? you're absolutely crazy! [/sarcasm]