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News & ArtsThursday, February 25, 2010
City Thank a Bus Driver! Right Now!
Posted by Cienna Madrid on Thu, Feb 25, 2010 at 11:29 AM
Who knew we were celebrating Bus Driver Appreciation Week? And now the week's half over! From the Metropolitan King County Council:
Last year, Metro operators worked a total of over three million hours, logging about 43 million miles while providing about 112 million passenger trips and received over 2000 commendations from customers. After a passenger assault last month resulted in the hospitalization of a Metro driver, the Council wanted to recognize transit operators, thank them for their work, and encourage the public to acknowledge the drivers they see every day.
Any regular reader of Last Days has had a taste of the daily trials of metro drivers (and riders). There are 2,700 transit operators in King County. Can you imagine the scope of their collective memory of horrors?
Isn't it time you thanked a driver?
2
Where's the 100 day study result on efficiency of Metro?
"three million hours providing about 112 million passenger trips" means for each hour of bus service, we are providing about 37 trips. Many, many routes in Seattle and core areas have ridership that is 60, 70, 80 or more rides an hour. On these routes, people are left standing at the side of the road because the buses are full. Perhaps Metro should shift buses from the routes producing 0, 10 or 20 rides an hour to the ones where we would get 100 rides an hour and you know, like triple the bang for the buck on some of these hours.
I'm sure the drivers don't really enjoy the routes where they ahve excessive deadhead time or where they just sit doing nothing for 45 minutes out of every hour, too.
The Metro 2008 performance study has all the data. It clearly shows many of the buses are used to produce very few hours, while other routes with more riders are basically starved.
"three million hours providing about 112 million passenger trips" means for each hour of bus service, we are providing about 37 trips. Many, many routes in Seattle and core areas have ridership that is 60, 70, 80 or more rides an hour. On these routes, people are left standing at the side of the road because the buses are full. Perhaps Metro should shift buses from the routes producing 0, 10 or 20 rides an hour to the ones where we would get 100 rides an hour and you know, like triple the bang for the buck on some of these hours.
I'm sure the drivers don't really enjoy the routes where they ahve excessive deadhead time or where they just sit doing nothing for 45 minutes out of every hour, too.
The Metro 2008 performance study has all the data. It clearly shows many of the buses are used to produce very few hours, while other routes with more riders are basically starved.
3
@2 What is your point? Any large system struggles with utilizing its resources perfectly. Its an ideal goal that can't ever be reached. What are you trying to say?
5
I thank the driver every time I get off the bus. I grew up in Bellingham, where everyone does this. Unless the driver's a total douchebag, which never happens in Bellingham but does kind of often in Seattle.
7
Me too, I thank the driver when I get off the bus. I've never been in another city where people routinely do that -- is it common anywhere else, I wonder, or is it one of those 'Seattle nice' things? (or, since it's common in B'ham, is it a 'Washington nice' thing?)
9
In an unfortunate accident, a limo driver opened his door into the moving Metro bus that my father was driving and lost two fingers. He sued Metro and lost, so he sued my father and mother. Metro stepped in and settled to stop the lawsuit. So, even though I'm often unhappy with the routes that I ride (3 and 4), I'll always be grateful to Metro for ending what may have been a long and ugly legal battle.
10
That's funny. I flipped off a Metro driver on my bike commute into work this morning. Fucker was honking at me for being, you know, in the lane like I belonged there or something and preventing him from taking a right on red.
11
That's funny. I flipped off a Metro driver on my bike commute into work this morning. Fucker was honking at me for being, you know, in the lane like I belonged there or something and preventing him from taking a right on red.
12
Thank you for always showing up at my bus stop late or early (and leaving early). Thank you for never getting me anywhere on time. Thank you for maintaining the high levels of bum piss (and bums). Thank you for your generally bad attitude. Thank you for holding up traffic. Thank you for taking 3rd avenue away "temporarily" and them never giving it back.
13
@13, the drivers are responsible for none of those things (besides the understandably bad attitude).
14
I thank my driver if I exit the bus via the front door. I realized Canadians are polite to a fault when I saw them yelling "THANK YOU!!!!" from the rear door when I was in Vancouver once. Don't yell on the bus, even if you're yelling nice things.
16
I always thank the driver when I exit at the front, but I have an extra special place in my heart for the drivers who make clear announcements.
18
I always thank my driver when I exit from the front door, unless they were a jerk. Sometimes I'll wave or shout a thanks from the back door as I exit, but only if things are pretty loud already or the bus is empty.
19
In my experience, thanking the driver is the norm and the only people who don't are the kids and punks.
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