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Another stupid bus winds up on a river road, but fortunately with better results this time
By adamg on Wed, 07/17/2013 - 8:44pm
Ken Bauer reported from his car, stuck on Storrow Drive around 8 p.m., that some fool coach-bus driver managed to get his behemoth onto Soldiers Field Road/Storrow Drive eastbound just past the Doubletree, but that he also managed to avoid lopping the top of the bus off until state troopers arrived to block traffic so that he could back the bus back the fool way he came.
Back in February:
Things didn't work out so well that other time.
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What the city/state/dcr need
What the city/state/dcr need to understand is that this isnt just the case of a stupid driver.
Its a design failure.
Are the drivers stupid? Most likely. But there are stupid drivers everywhere.
When you have a system where every other week someone causes massive damage to a vehicle, structural damage to a bridge, potential deaths, and endless traffic (economic loss) the system is broken.
Put. Up. Better. Signs.
These aren't good enough??
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3605/3660552845_7d3...
Every entry has someting similar I can't see how anyone misses these..
No, obviously theyre not good
No, obviously theyre not good enough IF IT HAPPENS EVERY OTHER WEEK.
What's wrong here
1- The "Low Clearance" signs don't tell the actual clearance. Given that there are lots of overpasses labeled "Low Clearance" that trucks and intercity buses can easily fit under, it's no wonder some drivers try to chance it.
2 - The "Cars Only" signs look like someting that a fourth grader came up with. And the color scheme bears no relationship to normal signs that tell drivers "Hey, you shouldn't being do this!" It's kind of like those spray painted signs you used to see in construction work zones, the "non-standard" appearance doesn't command respect.
3- In nearly all cases, the "bad things are going to happen if you continue" warnings are only visible after the driver has committed to taking the entrance ramp. The warnings about clearance and no trucks should be given on the side streets BEFORE the driver gets to the entrance ramp.
Well said. I'd also add that
Well said. I'd also add that there are plenty of roads in Boston, most maintained by the MDC (or whatever they call themselves now), which are marked "Cars Only" but which non-"pleasure vehicles" drive with impunity. So simply putting a "Cars Only" sign up doesn't actually give any useful information.
Too Much Credit.
I think you underestimate just how stupid most humans are.
Yeah
Loia McMaster Bujold: "The urge to stupidity in the human species is overwhelming."
Yep.-
I'm Special
It's the "But I'm an exception to the rule" attitude. I think the out-of-town drivers see the sign but ignore it thinking the worst that would happen is that they'd get a ticket and that rarely happens with busses/trucks anyway.
They used to have those
They used to have those chains. I can't recall the reason they removed them.
They weren't working...
... and there's no nationwide regulation of charter bus carriers. If there were, they'd be required to have commercial GPS units, instead of a used Garmin they got off of EBay.
"no nationwide regulation of
"no nationwide regulation of charter bus carriers" ??
How about the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)? Here's the applicable set of regulations: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/adminis...
And if you couldn't find anything for using a "no trucks" road, 392.2 - Violation of Local Laws always suffices.
I only see one failure
It lies in the DNA of certain individuals.
I'm a bit with Blackkat on this one.
Really, how the hell does one miss those massive signs?
It won't work
There is a tressle in NC with plenty of signs and flashing lights.
One hit a month.
Then there are the harbor tunnels in Sydney - signs, flashing lights, warning sirens ... all ignored.
The drivers and carriers need to be held responsible for costs.
Oh, yeah, that trestle
I used to live there (Durham, NC).
The entrance to the Durham Freeway is on one side.
The Duke University dorms are on the other.
Like Storrow Drive in August, but worse.
with video goodness
http://11foot8.com/
As far as Storrow and Memorial Drives, I wonder if the following would help:
* Signs with standardized wording ("No Trucks or Buses" rather than "Cars Only")
* Signs with the actual clearance noted on them, so people don't end up trying to get an 11 foot truck under a 10 foot bridge.
The signage that's posted is nonstandard. While you might think only a fool would miss or misinterpret what's there, wordage on signs is standardized for a reason.
These also aren't stupid
These also aren't stupid college kids driving a strange vehicle once a year in a town they don't know. These are professional drivers with special licenses who should be on the lookout for these signs because IT'S THEIR JOB. I have less sympathy for the delivery guys, bus drivers, and semi tractor trailer drivers (and I have very little if any for the U-Haul people) - I'm not from around here is not a good excuse when it's your job to drive tall vehicles around the country (that you know can't be classified as car). Having been late for a meeting because one of these idiots had to back their semi up the wrong way to the doubletree, closing both lanes inbound but at least not stopping before hitting the bridge, I think they should be fined, their company fined, and whatever the equivalent is for points on a professional license. And a commemorative map of Boston with the pike highlighted.
Make lower buses. No need
Make lower buses. No need for buses to be so tall or high. The aisle that goes down the center of the bus can be much lower, almost axle height which would allow a roof height of 10 feet or so.
Where would you put the luggage?
The space beneath the bus floor is where the luggage bins are. If you have 50 people on a two-week trip, where would you accommodate all their belongings?
The bus at the bridge
Talk about a close call.
Do we know if there were passengers?
Looks like they might have died if there were and he hit the overpass.
Penalties
What happens to commercially-licensed drivers who do this, with or without striking an overpass? Do they get charged with anything? Points on their license, "re-education", like that?
In the case of getting stuck
on Storrow or Memorial Drives (even if they don't strike an overpass), the driver gets a heavy fine, points are added to his/her CDL. The incident also goes into their driving record, which - unlike your RMV records, is readily available to bus and trucking companies without the need to file a FOIA request and without redaction of most personal information. As such, this obviously affects the driver's chances for possible employment with other firms should they be fired as a result.
In most cases, the company is also billed for the cost of the response and cleanup as well
source: A good friend of mine who has worked for MDC/DCR Central Services Division (the folks who actually respond to overheight vehicle incidents on the river roads) for the past 28+ years.