DON'T BE A HOOD ORNAMENT !!!
I was driving the 17 route the other day. Just as I was about to turn from Hennepin onto 24th street, I looked left and saw a guy running for the bus. He ran right into the street and came within inches of getting smashed by a car. He stopped on a dime and he hopped back toward the curb. He looked happy to be alive, but scared he was going to miss the bus. I pulled over as I motioned for him to take his time, I'd wait.
A guy sitting in the peanut seat told me I was a nice driver. He said most drivers would have kept going. I confessed to him that it is all about the schedule and I happen to be running right on time so I could afford to wait. I told him if I was running late, I would have had to keep going. He still insisted I was a great driver and said he was going to call in and tell my job how wonderful I am. He repeated my driver number a few times as though he was trying to remember it. I thanked him in advance for calling. I told him that we do get called in and given a commendation (a note in our file, basically) when someone calls and says good things about us.
Finally, the could-have-been-killed-a-minute-ago guy crossed the street safely and got on the bus. He thanked me for waiting. I shook my finger at him and said "Don't be a hood ornament!" He laughed and said "Yeah, that was pretty stupid, huh?" I told him what the peanut seat guy and I had been discussing as we waited for him...How it would suck bad enough to be hit by a car, but with the wind chills around 20 below zero, it would REALLY suck for it to happen today.
Mr. almost-a-hood-ornament agreed and thanked me again. I just wanted him to think twice next time he ran for a bus.
Lesson for today....It's not worth death or severe injury...don't run into the street to catch a bus. There will be another bus. Better late and in one piece than forcing your loved ones to plan your funeral. DON'T BE A HOOD ORNAMENT !
A guy sitting in the peanut seat told me I was a nice driver. He said most drivers would have kept going. I confessed to him that it is all about the schedule and I happen to be running right on time so I could afford to wait. I told him if I was running late, I would have had to keep going. He still insisted I was a great driver and said he was going to call in and tell my job how wonderful I am. He repeated my driver number a few times as though he was trying to remember it. I thanked him in advance for calling. I told him that we do get called in and given a commendation (a note in our file, basically) when someone calls and says good things about us.
Finally, the could-have-been-killed-a-minute-ago guy crossed the street safely and got on the bus. He thanked me for waiting. I shook my finger at him and said "Don't be a hood ornament!" He laughed and said "Yeah, that was pretty stupid, huh?" I told him what the peanut seat guy and I had been discussing as we waited for him...How it would suck bad enough to be hit by a car, but with the wind chills around 20 below zero, it would REALLY suck for it to happen today.
Mr. almost-a-hood-ornament agreed and thanked me again. I just wanted him to think twice next time he ran for a bus.
Lesson for today....It's not worth death or severe injury...don't run into the street to catch a bus. There will be another bus. Better late and in one piece than forcing your loved ones to plan your funeral. DON'T BE A HOOD ORNAMENT !
posted by Jeanne Ree at 11:22 AM
5 Comments:
I wish you would post more frequently. I am addicted!! Great stories you tell.
Yeah, post more frequently! You're the BOMB
Well, THANKS you guys!!! What an ego booster that is! I'll see what I can do. Sometimes not too much happens. I could always tell stories other drivers have told me if I get low on activity.
Thanks again!
I saw a guy get hit by a van one day. He was trying to cross Franklin to catch the #2 heading east at Franklin and Bryant. He didn't even look! He just ran out into the street and BAM!! The van didn't even have a chance to hit the brakes. He was alive (barely??) when he was taken away by the ambulance. I'm not sure how he fared after that. . . my first aid/cpr traing was not put to use that day. I was a sobbing mess. The people in the van that hit him got out and comforted/spoke to him. I called 911.
Hope you pass that story along to other bus riders. There's always another bus. It's just not worth risking life and limb to run in front of cars to catch a bus...not to mention the huge blind spots bus drivers have. We may not see you as we start to drive away if you are at about the 10 o'clock position.
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