OT... I Hate Bus Drivers

[The Bear Jew]

OK... So I wanna tell this story about taking the train. I guess it's really about taking the bus, or rather NOT taking the bus. After my wife and I moved into our new home, it was too difficult for my wife to take a bus or train to her various jobs -- it was just really impractical. So we decided she would use the car a couple of days every week, and I would take the train on those days, since it drops me off about two blocks from my office. I wasn't nuts about it at first, but I'm OK with it now. The train is kinda stupid sometimes. For instance, there's a train station about 2 blocks from my house. It's the correct line to take me to work. But does the right train stop there in the morning? NO. It stops at the next stop, which is a 20 minute walk from my house. Yes, I'm a lazy bastard, so the old lady drives me to the train station on the days I take the train. That's not so bad, but on the way home, the train doesn't stop at my station, either. It stops at the one AFTER mine, so I have to make a 40-minute walk the other way when I come home. On the positive side, there is a bus that will take me from that station to the end of my block... And this is where my story actually begins. One day (in the summer), on my way home, I got off the train at the station (a big hub station where trains, buses and the subway converge) and walked up the block to get on my bus. As I approached the bus, it pulled away from the curb. Since it was kinda stuck behind another bus, I walked up to the door and calmly knocked, thinking the driver would just let me in so I could ride home.... <> "Hey, can I get on (waving my bus fare)?" Blank look from the driver. He's a big fat guy wearing mirrored sunglasses. Shakes his head from side to side to indicate a negative response. <> "Hey! HEY! Can I get on?" More head shaking. I'm getting annoyed. It's pretty obvious he won't be letting me on the bus. The bus passengers are staring now... <> "HEY! C'MON! Lemme in there!" People at the station are now paying attention. Even more head-shaking from fat mirror glasses boy. At this point, I'm pissed. Its not like this guy COULDN'T let me on the, bus; it's been standing still for about a full minute. He had the time to let me in, but he just didn't want to do it. I was SO pissed. "YOU FUCKIN DICK! FUCK YOU!" <> Actually, it was just one kick, but guess what? I shattered the door glass. Oops. One good kick in the right place, and that fuckin thing was just DONE... shattered. I was a little scared. "EXPLAIN THAT TO YOUR BOSS, YOU FUCKIN FAT ASSHOLE!" And I walked away... fast. Good thing no cops saw me do that, huh? I'd probably still be in jail. That was about 3 months ago. I haven't taken the bus since. I walk home from the train now, because I'm pretty sure the same guy still drives the bus at that time every day, and I'm positive he'll remember me... after all, how many black-clad, dreadlocked, goateed men get on his bus at 5:30? Probably just one.... me, and I destroyed the door of his bus. So now I walk. It's probably better for me anyway. And cheaper. The bus costs $2.00 for a short ride. So fuck him and SEPTA. Yes, I know I'm an asshole.

[Mats Olsson.]

Can't you take the bicycle to the "40 minute" train station in the morning, and back home after work? Biking beats walking, more fun (if it feels safe), faster. /Mats

[AlanThomas]

I'll be damned if that doesn't sound [i]exactly[/i] like something I'd do... ;)

[The Bear Jew]

Wish I could ride my bike to the station... Unfortunately, the train doesn't drop me at the same station in the evening as the one where I get on in the morning. It skips that station in the afternoon for some reason. Gotta love SEPTA (South Eastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority). Fuckers.

[Gabriel E.]

Excellent! Shattering the door is well worth the cost of never being able to take the bus again. Here in N.O., transit drivers are the worst example of a labor union gone awry (and I'm pro union). Some examples: -Once a bus I was on pulled over. The driver got out and went into a fried chicken place. Came out 10 minutes later (note that the bus was already running behind schedule before he pulled over) with a box o' chicken and proceeded to eat it while driving the bus. -There are quite a few bus drivers here that will not pull over at stops. The drivers just stop in the middle of the street and block traffic while riders have to walk out into the street to get on. -One driver who's bus I took everyday usually had another driver with him who would had just gotten off his shift and was riding home. He and the driver would gab the whole way to the guy's stop. Then he would pull over and gab some more, oblivious to the rest of the paying riders who were on their way to work/home, etc. on a bus that was already running late. -Once a streetcar driver didn't stop after I pulled the bell because he was so engrossed in conversation. When I loudly complained that he had passed my stop he told me it was my fault for not ringing the bell!!! The head of the Regional Transit Authority and his aides all just hot fired yesterday. Makes me happy.

[Roto]

You guys must have the same stupid rule we have here, that bus drivers aren't supposed to let anyone on or aff any place other than the desgnated stops. They have supervisors driving all over the place around here and some drivers are afraid of getting caught, soe drivers just won't break a rule, and some are just jerks. I was waiting to go home one day and my bus was behind two articulated busses and a pickup truck. So he was about a half a block behind the stop. He let one person on who just happened to be standing down there, and by the time I got down there he closed the doors and pulled around the pickup truck, past the bus stop and stopped at the red light. He was actually closer to the bus stop now than when he was letting that one guy on, but he wouldn't let me on! I didn't kick the door, but I did flip him off. Fortunately it wasn't my usual bus.

[Sylver]

[quote]Originally posted by CMDN: [b]Wish I could ride my bike to the station... Unfortunately, the train doesn't drop me at the same station in the evening as the one where I get on in the morning. It skips that station in the afternoon for some reason. Gotta love SEPTA (South Eastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority). Fuckers.[/b][/quote]Hey, I used to work for Septa! Fuckers.

[Wewus432]

Whoa Eric, you're a bad ass mofo. I'd like to make a TV series about you, starring you, called [b]Urban Rebel[/b] . Each week you could humiliate a different city worker. You know who I hate? Meter Readers!!!! Here's the scene: Urban Rebel(that's you) is lying on the couch taking a nap. You're awakened by the dog barking. Suddenly you run outside and pistol whip the meter reader, drag him out to his truck and throw him over the hood. "And don't come back" Well that's a short scene but there would be a considerable buildup to that moment exploring the character of Urban Rebel. It's the role you were made for.

[Sylver]

[quote]Originally posted by PinheadWewus: [b]Whoa Eric, you're a bad ass mofo. I'd like to make a TV series about you, starring you, called [b]Urban Rebel[/b] . Each week you could humiliate a different city worker. You know who I hate? Meter Readers!!!! Here's the scene: Urban Rebel(that's you) is lying on the couch taking a nap. You're awakened by the dog barking. Suddenly you run outside and pistol whip the meter reader, drag him out to his truck and throw him over the hood. "And don't come back" Well that's a short scene but there would be a considerable buildup to that moment exploring the character of Urban Rebel. It's the role you were made for.[/b][/quote]That sounded vaguely sarcastic.

[The Bear Jew]

[quote] Whoa Eric, you're a bad ass mofo. I'd like to make a TV series about you, starring you, called Urban Rebel . Each week you could humiliate a different city worker. You know who I hate? Meter Readers!!!! Here's the scene: Urban Rebel(that's you) is lying on the couch taking a nap. You're awakened by the dog barking. Suddenly you run outside and pistol whip the meter reader, drag him out to his truck and throw him over the hood. "And don't come back" Well that's a short scene but there would be a considerable buildup to that moment exploring the character of Urban Rebel. It's the role you were made for. [/quote]Wewus, my boy.... You should know better. Us Urban Rebels don't take naps, and we don't have dogs. We wear leather jackets, stay wired on coke and have skinny, black-haired art school chicks as pets. Get to work on that re-write, you needle-faced bumpkin. You know I love you.

[Tom Capasso]

I took the bus for a few years. For a while I was on a hugely busy route. Those drivers weren't friendly, but there were plenty of buses so it didn't matter much. Later I was on a much less populated line, and the drivers were cool... Erik, that's pretty harsh - the guy can probably get fired for opening the door. And man - save your emotion for the gigs !! (just some friendly advice..) Tom

[The Bear Jew]

Yeah, Tom, I kinda realized later that getting pissed and lashing out was the wrong thing to do, but, in my defense, I was tired, and the guy was clearly just being a dick for the sake of being a dick. He could have easliy opened the door for me.... I had been taking his bus for about 3 weeks in a row (so he definitely recognized me), and it's not like he couldn't see me coming. He deliberately pulled away from the stop as I walked towards it... and while it may be against policy for drivers to open their doors when they're not at an "official" stop, I can tell you that this guy did it all the time for cute girls, old ladies and his regulars. I was on my way top becoming a regular, dammit! I guess I ruined that for myself. I probably shouldn't have lost my temper. Honestly, I wasn't trying to destroy the bus door... I thought I was gonna kick the metal part of the door. Typical of my luck, I missed the sturdy metal part and shattered the glass. I was kind of shocked that I was able to do that so easily.

[Meriphew_dup1]

Here in Seattle we have those double length buses, and other than the ones in downtown Seattle, they are always 3/4 empty, yet government officials keep pushing for more buses/public transportation to "solve" our traffic problems. Give me wider roads please.

[Tom Capasso]

Thanks for taking my post so kindly. I lose my cool at times, but somehow I am more often the voice of reason. And my band refers to me as "reverend" (because of my marginally expressed Christianity). I was tempted to ask if your Mom ever taught you that two wrongs don't make a right, but then I'd have to put myself into "preach" mode (and end it with [/preach]. You are correct that if he usually breaks the rule (assuming there is one), then he could have shown some style and grace .. [quote]Originally posted by CMDN: [b]... and while it may be against policy for drivers to open their doors when they're not at an "official" stop, I can tell you that this guy did it all the time for cute girls, old ladies and his regulars....[/b][/quote]There's your whole problem right there. You need some makeup and "dread-control" so you look cute. Actually, I don't remember seeing your mug, so you might be cute already, but see if your wife can "cute" you up some more. Throw a white lab coat over the black stuff and give it another try... ;) Just hope the guy had to fill out a pack of forms for the broken window... Tom

[The Bear Jew]

Ah, Tom, how could I take your post any other way? I know you're a nice guy with good intentions, and I invited comments by posting about this incident in the first place. It's funny, as I was beginning to yell at the driver, a little part of my brain was saying, "What the fuck is wrong with you? Just fuckin chill out, for cryin out loud." I totally ignored that voice (obviously.) After I saw all that glass breaking, that voice said, "OH NICE ONE! Now you're probably going to get busted, putz. Why don't you get the fuck out of here?" I listened to that one. Believe it or not, this is definitely not normal behavior for me. I've been told many times that I look "scary" and "violent." Must be the long dreads, goatee, tattoos and black clothing. Plus, I'm kinda large. Based on my appearance, this is the kind of stuff people EXPECT from me, and I usually suprise them by being friendly, well-spoken and outgoing. I don't think I can be "cutened," but I DO have a white lab coat that I'm planning to splatter with fake blood and wear with a hockey mask for a Halloween show. Somehow I think that might send our fat, bus-driving friend the wrong message, though. Ah, well. Fuck SEPTA anyway. I'm starting to enjoy the walk.

[KenElevenShadows]

I have no good bus stories that I can think of, certainly not that good! Most of 'em that I've met are nice. The ones in other countries, especially Peru, have been so AMAZINGLY NICE. 'Course, it seems like everyone in Peru is amazingly nice... There was a guy in Hawaii that somehow went in to the airport through the wrong way (despite a couple of passengers yelling that it was the wrong way, since it was very well labeled and the roadway was turned in such a way that it was really difficult for anyone to get in because it was meant for traffic going the other way!), getting his bus stuck for ten minutes. We waited for a few minutes, and then decided to walk, heavy backpacks and all, the rest of the way. What a fool.

[Nawor]

Have you ever been a passenger aboard a bus in Rio De Janiero? :eek: The statue of Jesus overlooking the city is not really Jesus at all... it's a Rio bus passenger with his arms outstretched holding on for dear life! :eek: These drivers all think they're Ayrton Senna... and we know what happened to him! :eek: I saw three 'accidents' involving buses in Rio in two days. These I saw myself while travelling around the city. Driving over small cars and crushing the occupants seems to be a common occurence. :freak:

[henrysb3]

Like Roto, I think maybe the guy was observing a rule, but he could have handled it differently by at least trying to communicate why he held the door shut. One of my duties at work is installing phone lines. I had a job at a local Lowe's store to install a POTS (plain old telephone service) line for a computer terminal. I went to the service desk and asked for the MOD (which the nice lady explained meant manager on duty). She immediatly got on the radio intercom and talked to a distant male voice. He said he'd be right there. After over fifteen minutes of standing there in my too belt, this bloated red faced guy came up and asked me what I wanted. I recognized him as someone who had walked by several times while I killed time reading home improvement suggestions next to the service desk. I was humbled to realize his time was much more valuable than mine. In any case, he did know where the jack was supposed to go, and took me to the far end of the store. As I surveyed my task, I knew I would need ladders, drills and other stuff that would necessitate walking the length of the store and then quite a ways into the parking lot to lug this stuff back and forth. I asked a group of employees if there was a back door I could use for that purpose, and one of them said "Sure it's right behind you." He pulled out a key ring and turned off the alarm, saying he would wait for me. After I drove my truck to the back and unloaded, he re armed the door and I spent about an hour installing the line. When I was done and I found Mr. Important MOD to let him know, which is one of our rules. He came back to look at the installation and I asked him, since we were standing there ten feet from the door, if he could unlock it so I could load out my stuff to the truck that was another twenty feet away. He said "No." and I said "Well, they let me in this way." He said "If somebody did that, don't tell me who it was because I'll fire him on the spot - it's against company policy." Made me feel good. I could have cost someone their job for doing a common sense thing. I now had to drag my stuff the entire length of the store, I had to go more than that to get where my truck was, twice. I had just bought a $400 mower from that store, but have not been back since.

[The Bear Jew]

Yeah, Henry... That's what I'm talkin' about! Some folks with minimal authority just get on this ego trip -- they're the kings of their little domain, and while you're passing through, you have to bow to their commands. I'm sure there are good reasons for all of these types of regulations. It's probably potentially dangerous to pick up bus passengers when they're not at the "official" bus stop, just as I'm sure disarming the alarm and opening the back door of the Lowe's is some kind of security risk for theft or something. However, I also think (as you mentioned) common sense should prevail in these "special" types of situations. I mean, how hard is it to see that he could facilitate a 20-foot load out for you by "breaking the rules" vs. a 400-yard trek by following them to the letter? Same thing with the bus -- that guy had only just pulled away from the "official" stop. He was probably about 30 feet from the stop. He knew the schedule... I would have had to wait at least another half hour to catch the next bus. It's not like his bus was packed. He could have "bent" the rules and cut me a break, but he decided to pull a tin-pot dictator trip, and I lost my shit. I guess we caught each other on the wrong day for both of us. And I'm still walking.