STORIES OF A MASS TRANSIT BUS DRIVER
Before we begin, an introduction.
I was a mass transit bus operator (driver) from 2007 through 2014 for Utah Transit Authority. Covering the major metropolitan area of Salt Lake City and surrounding counties, it was a fairly large and varied service. Everything from canyon service to the local ski resorts in winter to small shuttles to the capital building from downtown.
I learned to operate no less than 11 different types of coaches (buses) during my time there.
I also gained a small novel's worth of stories.
Those are what I share with you now.
Episode 1 - Bus vs Pedestrian
Our vehicle for this story.
Conditions - 20:30 approx in Spring (Very Dark) - Suburban route with minimal street lighting.
I was traveling at the speed limit (30mph) carefully keeping an eye out as I was unable to use my high-beams during this stretch. (Far too many oncoming cars.)
In case you are wondering how visibility works for a bus driver, try driving with your car's interior lights on for any real distance. The glare on the windshield is impressive.
Wait... what is that? Are those the white bands of someone's Chuck Taylor's running across the street in front of my bus. Just the shoes? There must be a person attached.
Hard braking.
Yep! There is someone in front of me in the street
Start swerving to avoid the person running across the street
Phew... Wait, they are stopping. WAIT! They are moving back into my path!
Floor the brakes, dump every passenger on the floor, send the front passengers sliding up to the front.
Wow! Even at 5mph that guy went rolling down the road...
a couple seconds pass
Oh !@&#($%, I just hit a guy with my bus.
The training kicks in and I start looking at the situation. Start running the checklist.
- Secure the bus in place. Don't move it. They will want pictures.
- Check onboard passengers for injuries - Nothing major.
- Check pedestrian - He is back up and at my front door, trying to board the bus.
- Call Radio Control to report the incident and ruin the rest of my night.
Once I finished my call to Radio Control. (They commented on how calmly I stated I was involved in a bus vs pedestrian later.) I began to assess the situation in depth.
Checking with each passenger aboard to see how they were. Minor injury to one nice lady who slid to the front of the bus on her face. She had been seated too.
Then I go to check on my 'victim'. He is cheerfully attempting to board my bus, entirely drunk. Also cheerfully starting to bleed from a small cut over his left eye.
I move him to the curb outside as he exclaims to me, "Hey man, I think that bus just hit me." In my driver uniform, right in front of him, I respond the only way I know how.
"That bastard! You wait right here and I will have someone come check on you."
"Thanks man." he replies. He just thanked me for hitting him with the bus. That's new.
Back to the bus to check on the passengers again and start handing out incident cards to include with my report, I wait for the responders.
The rest of the story is fairly standard and boring. Paperwork. Drug/Alcohol test for me. Counselors called in to make sure I was 'alright'.
Several days paid administrative leave.
Link to local news on this crash.
And one hell of a story.
Check in for episode 2 when I explain the blood on my uniform that isn't mine.