MBTA needs more bus drivers
By adamg - 3/12/10 - 10:13 am
Nathan Spencer, a member of the MBTA Rider Oversight Committee, reports the T is now losing 10 to 20 drivers a month and can't replace them fast enough.
It's a hard job. Day in, day out you deal with people that hate you. Hours are tough. The money's not bad, but it's hard work.
Comments
Not bad?
The money, benefits, and retirement package is excellent as far as blue collar (and some white collar) work go!
It's a job, it isn't a picnic. One that you need very little qualifications for.
What I can't figure out
Why do train drivers get paid more than bus drivers, when bus drivers have a much more tricky job that requires a special license?
Don't blame the high turnover
Dealing with rude passengers must be tiresome, especially on the bad routes, but dealing with the cars is something else. I don't know how many times I see a car pull right in front of the bus. I don't know if drivers think that buses have magical brakes or something. It's a miracle more accidents don't happen. And don't get me started on the bicyclists.
"people that hate you"
After another long morning of being passed by at a mid-point on route 96 by buses that were obviously not full, I decided that taking the bus was a waste of my time and money. After being hit twice (while riding my bike in the bike lane, the buss passing me at speed and then turning sharply in to a bus stop) by buses on Route 66 and having the drivers totally ignore me, I decided that the only qualification you need to become a driver for the MBTA is a complete disregard for the well being of your fellow man. If we're "losing" drivers at a rate of 10-20 a month, hopefully it's because they have gone back to whatever level of Hell they spawned from.
maybe you should seriously
maybe you should seriously consider the fact that they need to stop a their bus stops and if you are cruising through one do one of two things.....use ur brakes! your bike, judging by the aristocratic tone you have is prolly one of those very light speed bikes either way its a lot lighter and can stop waaaaay quicker than a bus. if you hate them so much, ride defensively and stay out of the way! motorists are sick of you, me included cause ur all cocky and you think you own the road! me: 4000 pounds of auto. you:300 pounds of arrgance, stringy muscle and metal. in the old days if a bigger vehicle wanted ur lane, move out of it or they gonna scare you out or if theyre crazy enough crush you out! yes its unfair but thats life. im tired of you lousy liberals commiserating on what to do if someone stands up to you and whining. thats all you pretty much do. make things a little more efficient, better looking and whine.
Hard
I do think it's a hard job. Esp. for the bus drivers. No wonder they can't find new drivers.
I have a lot of respect for
I have a lot of respect for good T bus drivers. Some of them are very cheery and social. I can't blame them for what one might call "systemic faults" - poor bus scheduling, lack of infrastructure support, etc.
I really do think that if the GPS Next Bus Arriving thingy comes to fruition, a lot will be forgiven in the bus system.
Right
One of the biggest issues is a lack of information. If people could look at their cell phones and see bus locations in real time and possibly even "Fullness" much of the complaiints would be gone; as people could plan around it.
A watched pot never boils; just like the bus you're waiting and looking for never comes.
And don't gve me any crap about security. Terrorists are a patient bunch.
buses, drivers, etc
There are some really terrible routes and some not so bad ones. I commute daily by bus and ride it when I can get where I'm going because I have a monthly pass. On my daily bus, with regular drivers, there is good service, and they know their regular riders. It's quite pleasant.
On some of the "long-haul" routes--1, 66, 77, etc., the stress is enormous, I imagine, and they have to deal with some real pieces of work when it comes to passengers. I've seen some inexcusable behavior and near crime on the part of many passengers over the 25+ years I've been riding around Boston on buses. I have had some terrible drivers too, people who had no business behind the wheel, but most are entirely capable, and many go above & beyond.
The equipment is execrable. "New" buses lurch and brake badly. Old buses rattle and shake and bells don't work, etc. Temperature varies wildly, and leans to the side of discomfort almost always. There aren't enough buses in rotation on the long routes. The equipment is a disgrace to an allegedly first world country. I've ridden buses all over the world and all over the US and I've never seen worse buses ever, anywhere.
Well...
I watched Ralph Kramden. I laughed at Ralph Kramden.
And these bus drivers, sir, are no Ralph Cramden.
They are probably taking
They are probably taking their 23 and done pensions and going on to another job.
Driving a regular car in this city sucks
Everyone cuts everyone else off, everyone speeds and flies through yellow lights, change lanes with little or no warning, etc. Almost everyone's a self-important a-hole of one variety or another. Bicylists and pedestrians are also scofflaws and pains in the ass sometimes.
I wouldn't want to drive a bus (or any other oversized vehicle) here. It would probably be hellacious. But I encourage those who think it's easy to apply for the job- surely some of these commenters might be tempted by the "awesome benefits and pension"?