The bus driver who'd had enough

If it's the driver that looks like Jason Bay, I've seen his attitude before. He actually threatened a passenger on a bus I was on last summer to a fight because the guy asked for the AC to be turned on (in 90+ degree heat and a packed bus). This after he walked away from the bus at the station because people weren't packing in tight enough, in his opinion.

It was the most over-the-top and unwarranted behavior I had ever seen from a driver in my life. My complaint to MBTA was never acknowledged, but I haven't see him drive the 89 or 101 since then. Maybe he just got transferred?

I'm not sure if the train will be any better for you to be honest. Even today on the Red Line, the conductors were explicitly telling people on the platform at Central to allow the passengers inside to exit the cars or he was not going to move the train.

The trains, unlike the buses, will make no qualms about space. People getting on will make sure you squeeze in, whether you like it not. Oh the bus, you may get the illusion that you don't have to move, but on the train cars, no luck.

Also, good on the bus driver for doing that I'd say. I would be annoyed at first, but it is an issue when you have people who don't want to move out of courtesy towards your fellow passengers. Every one wants to get where they want to go, but one also need to accommodate to make room.

otherwise, I think that a big issue is being missed here.

Look, I rode that bus and lots of others for a long time, and I dealt with the Green line the rest of the time. I agree that people are asses and have this misguided notion that they are entitled to a 4-foot suburban comfort zone on the T. It must be very frustrating for the drivers. I get all of that.

HOWEVER, the tweeter did exactly the right thing by getting the hell off that bus. When a person has near total control over the safety of tens of people, many of whom will be standing at 30mph +, "acting out" in this manner indicates, unequivocally, that this person was not at that time fit for duty, and he should be removed therefrom immediately (not necessarily permanently, but certainly immediately).

Perhaps the driver had something happen this morning. Perhaps he has a child who is terminally sick. Perhaps this was the culmination of a bunch of bad things in the guy's life (in which case, I feel for him), but nevertheless, if the facts are as stated, T management must identify and remove this driver from duty immediately and keep him off until a determination is made by someone qualified to make it that there is not a larger underlying problem that is putting the public at increased risk.

I hope the T takes this seriously - more so than it does with maintenance issues. As I have said before, apparently people will have to die before they address some of maintenance issues (e.g., fires in tunnels from faulty electrical connections) - let's hope that it doesn't take this driver deciding that he is going to show his unruly passengers who's boss by driving off one of the bridges over the Charles. If you think about it, the thought process and action required to do that is not very far removed from punching the ceiling.

Critical thinking applied to a chronic problem. That's what we need more of in public sector employees. I love the brassier bus and train operators who are willing to use shame and derision rather than meekly asking passengers to behave like human beings.

People arent going to change. Theyre going to be selfish and not move back.

So instead of screwing us all over, CHANGE THE SYSTEM.

1)
By buses with 3 doors (or 4 for the articulated ones). The MBTA doesnt need to invent the concept, 3 door buses are found all over the world.

2)
Allow people to board (and pay) at any door.

IT'S SO SIMPLE.

Of course, the MBTA also insists that 3 doors are good enough for the green line. Idiots.

I've been on buses where the driver keeps yelling to move back, when there is literally no room to breathe without inhaling someone else's shirt. The number of times I've had to scream up front that there's nowhere to move...

I mean, I hate it when people don't move back, but I usually solve the problem by asking them to move politely, or if they won't, pushing past them. But few things grind my gears like bus and T drivers who don't take into account that just maaaaaybe the bus/car is already packed.

I looked at the time stamp on these tweets - it's "after rush hour", and yet the buses are packed. This is pretty standard these days - be it buses, orange line, or red line. These same transit options are not packed at 7am, when frequency is much higher.

When I've come in late due to a dentist appointment, etc., the buses and trains are always really really crowded. Ditto for getting around after 6:30. I know people who would be happy to take the T - except they work later hours due to west coast communications and they work longer than 8 hour days and the system just doesn't allow for this.

The T seems to think people work ONLY eight hours a day, boarding between 6 and 9 and returning home between 4 and 6. The reality is that many people don't work those hours - hence the crowding I've seen at 9:30 or 10:30 am and after 7pm when they really cut back on the number of buses and trains. Crowding makes for cranky drivers and late buses, too.

Rush Hour happens when people need to get to work or school and get home - not when the T thinks they should have to if they want enough space to breathe.

This whole thread makes me thankful for the couple of green line drivers who would actually not move the train until someone gave me a seat while I was on crutches last fall.