Massholes never back down - even if it backs up traffic around the block
By adamg - Thu, 09/24/2009 - 8:51am.
Location
Masshole faceoff
Harrison Ave. and W. Concord St.
BostonUnited States
42° 20' 11.22" N, 71° 4' 23.592" W
It's a faceoff! CT3 bus driver vs. SUV driver at W. Concord Street and Harrison Avenue in the South End.
Jason Laramie, who took the photo around 9:47 this morning, reports the two have been facing off like that for 10 minutes, blocking traffic (including him) all the way back to Mass. Ave.
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Breakdown, perhaps?
It looks to me like the bus has plenty of room to move to the right, so I suspect something else is going on here.
Probably not
That's a tight corner and the bus has to swing wide left to make the right onto Concord to go in a loop around the BUMC. The SUV is probably a jackass who turned off of Concord and isn't willing to give "because the damn bus should get outta my lane!" or something.
Also, I know the guy who took the pic and he's probably pretty clear on what's going on.
Wasn't a breakdown
Wasn't a breakdown. The black SUV was in front of me and he
tried to go through the yellow as the bus was starting his early turn (so that he could make it -- it's tight).
At first, I thought they hit each other. As I waited I could see
they were just staring each other down. The mercedes refused to back
up and let the bus by. After, 3 cycles of the light I went left down
two blocks and over to mass ave. Going back up mass ave the traffic
from the standoff was backing up into Mass Ave and I could see down
the street and the two were still staring at each other (10 min later!). I have no idea what the conclusion was...
Sounds like a breakdown to me
A mental one.
I guess that's better than bullets flying, but WTF. The bus driver should have called their dispatcher (by radio...they're still allowed to use their dispatch radio) and get either a transit cop or a boston cop out there.
-----------------------------------------
who and the what now?
Tons of cops around there
I'm surprised this went as long as it did given that there's almost ALWAYS a cop driving around that block going in and out of BUMC and such.
I really wish someone saw the conclusion of this stupidity. If it didn't involve all of the passengers on the CT3 dragging the owner of the Mercedes SUV out of his car and beating the crap out of him, my dreams will be crushed.
Why does this make me smile?
I just think this is the funniest thing. If the situation is truly as reported, how can you be that lame that you'd rather delay your commute by 10 minutes (especially when you were in such a hurry to begin with by going through a yellow light) just so you can win some turf battle with a bus. I mean, you really just have to laugh at this situation. Sounds like a dumb bus driver, too. If you have to make a wide turn like that, hold back from the stop line, wait till the damn light turns green and then swing out into the other lane.
Not to hijack the post topic or whatever, but these freaking bus drivers kill me. They're worse than Green Line operators. Someone has to teach them that there are gradations to the gas and break pedals. It's like they learned to drive on bumper cars, where you're either in "go" or "stop." It's OK to speed up or slow down gradually. I know you are trying to get everyone to their destination on time, but honestly, in the long run, you'll typically do just as fine without the herky-jerky driving. I constantly find myself sliding off my seat as the driver grinds to an abrupt halt.
Geez. Anyway, done ranting.
My sympathy is with the SUV
My sympathy is with the SUV driver.
Bus drivers do more damage to the flow of traffic in Boston than delivery trucks, or even bicyclists. I continually marvel at the lack of skill displayed by the average MBTA bus driver, including the one depicted in the photo. He's on the wrong side of the road. Spare me the wide-radius turn argument. They almost never have to swing out as far as they usually choose to do. And do I have to mention the attitude that comes with every MBTA uniform?
-carpundit
You're right
The bus drivers who have only been doing their routes 20 times a day for the past umpteen years surely don't know how wide they need to swing at every turn of their route in order to not crush whatever's parked on the sides of the road around them.
And if you think their uniform gives them a shitty attitude...what's your excuse?
A bus with 45 people taking
A bus with 45 people taking up the space of two cars does more damage to traffic than an SUV being used by a single person?
Really?
Have you ever driven a 40 foot bus? Do you know how much space you need to turn a 40 foot bus?
Have you ever driven a 40
Yes and yes. And I see bus drivers taking extra "to be safe" space all the time. Of course, car drivers do it as well, and they have far less excuse. No you do not need to steer your compact car to the left in order to make a right turn.
Oh spare the green argument.
Greener does not equal more justified to cause traffic. The number of people a vehicle carries doesn't make a difference to whether it causes traffic when it violates traffic laws. In a case where a trolley, bus or car block an intersection, all would be screwing up traffic - same problem, no matter how many people on board.
In this case, it seems like both drivers were in a rage and stupid, but I too am a bit more sympathetic to the car - the bus was blocking the entire lane. Perhaps the bus could have actually used the intersection to make the radius of the turn, instead of the other lane when a car was coming. If it were 2 cars, I would definitely be with the SUV. I see these maneuvers all the time where some turning car fights to make his turn and causes gridlock by leaving the oncoming traffic completely blocked.
Fuck him
Fine him $1,000 and suspend his license until he completes traffic school.
Seriously, if the bus is coming, BACK THE FUCK UP AND LET IT TURN.
No kidding
Which is easier to back up, bus or SUV? So, SUV, back the hell up. Yeesh.
The MBTA rules prohibit their bus drivers from backing up...
a bus unless they have an MBTA Inspector or a Police Officer behind them to direct them. I sure wouldn't want to have to try to maneuver one of them through congested city streets.
Sounds like you drive a
Sounds like you drive a mercedes that just happened to be blocking a certain intersection...
The bus carries how many people to and from work? And one lame ass mercedes suv guy blocks it? Sounds like a self-involved douche bag if you ask me.