REMEMBER THE CAMERAS!!!

Recently, I was driving the 18 route. I had just left the Bloomington Transit Center and was taking a right turn onto Lyndale. I heard someone yelling and looked to my left to see a woman standing in the middle of the street waving her arms. What an idiot! She had run half way across the street, causing oncoming traffic to slow so they didn't hit her. I instantly got angry. There have been 4 recent pedestrian/bus accidents. One was a fatality. People like this are part of the reason why. I didn't see her. I was in one of the newer buses that has two large blind spots to our left. When I did see her, she was between the two.

I spoke to the passengers on my bus, with whom I had already been chatting with. I told them that people like her were the reason people got hit by buses. I explained that all people see from the outside are our huge windows. They don't see the many large blind spots that can easily hide people from our view. I was upset. Someone like her could cost me my job...not to mention the fact of having to live with knowing you killed or hurt someone. The passengers seemed to agree and I continued to drive.

After my short layover, I was driving back again. As I drove through the transit center, guess who was there!! I opened the door for other passengers and she hurried over to yell at me and get my driver number so she could call and complain. I happily gave her my number. I told her that I wasn't able to stop in the middle of a turn. I couldn't stop once completing the turn as there was traffic coming that wouldn't expect me to stop there and might hit the back of my bus. She yelled that I wasn't turning, that I saw her and just left her (in the middle of the street?!)

Sure enough, I was called into my managers office. I had already told him the situation. Upon reading the actual complaint, I found out this liar claimed she was waving her arms (that part was true) and that it was unacceptable that I just left her STANDING IN THE BUS STOP! I told my boss that unless they moved the bus stop into the middle of four lanes of traffic, this lady was lying. I suggested he watch the video from the bus. I was sure the camera out the front window would show her in the middle of the street.

Needless to say, the complaint was tossed out. It amazes me how many people will call in and lie about a bus driver! If they do it too much, they become known as a chronic complainer. This isn't good if they should ever have an actual, honest and legitimate complaint. Just remember...there are multiple cameras on each bus. You can't lie and get away with it!

What's funny about this lady is, she already has that reputation. A guy that was on my bus when the incident happened asked me later if she called in. When I told her she did...and that she lied...he shook his head and said the lady had issues. Seems she was waiting near him one day for the bus and called to complain that the bus was three minutes late!! Gimme a break! Three minutes! It can take that long to load a wheelchair...and you still have to unload! Three minutes! That's a few red lights! It's a few people with questions. It's a few people without their fares ready. It's an elderly person that takes a little longer to get on and off! Get over it!

Anyway, remember the cameras!! : )