[PRCo] Re: ANOTHER ACCIDENT

[Herb Brannon]

These days, Fred, our "new world order" transit managers see things differently. Now I am fortunate that driving a transit bus has been sort of second nature to me. I got "bit" by the transit bug back when I was only 12 years old and growing up in Akron, Ohio. My uncle drove an electric trolley bus for Akron Transportation Company. Several times a month, on a Saturday, he would pick me up on the East Market Street line and I would ride with him for a few hours. A very few times he actually let me take one of those fantastic electric vehicles around Ellet Loop or on the outer end of the Goodyear Heights line if no one was on the bus.
   
  I developed a sort of "second sense" when it came to transit operation. Even now I actually feel the distance between the open (right) side of the bus and parked autos, the curb, or a pole line, on the right side of my upper arm. This sounds strange, however it is very true. The closer the bus gets to whatever is on its right side the more sensation I get on my upper right arm. I never heard anyone else say this happens so I really don't know if it is something that everyone senses or just me. But this, coupled with just knowing fully how each model and make of vehicle responds has kept me accident free for nearly 30 years. My last chargeable accident was in August of 1979 on Baum Blvd in Pittsburgh. If you knew the whole story on that one, I (not anyone else) could have prevented it.
   
  But, the point I wanted to make is that today, at least at RTA, and probably all the rest of the authorites, about the only way you are not going to get charged is if you are either hit in the rear end or are standing perfectly still. Otherwise, today, the accident could have been prevented in the eyes of management. Don't even come near a pedestrian, even if they run out in front of the bus. You will be terminated immediately. I just last week saw an operator who I used to relieve on the 44 route several years ago. I asked him were he had been. He explained he had hit a pedestrian who ran in front of his bus from between parked vehicles at night. The ped was only injured but the operator was terminated. It took him nearly three years to get his job back. He did get back pay, but how much b.s. did he have to go through for nearly three years. It is a different ballgame today.
   
  Another one of my "True Tales" installments will deal with an occurance I had on the other end of Grant Street by the old police station.
Fred Schneider <fwschneider at comcast.net> wrote:
  Having accidents and having chargeable accidents are two different 
things. The man who turns left in front of you without looking when 
you are on private right-of-way and gets impaled by a Brilliner doing 
30 mph is not a chargeable accident.

I think John Swindler told me he had several in his first summer at 
CTA but none were chargeable, i.e. all were the fault of the other 
driver.

Now I remember riding with a motorman down Grant Street in Pittsburgh 
when someone turned left right in front of him and stopped, in an 
attempt to go into the Greyhound terminal. The motorman hit the 
brake pedal into emergency latch and pushed the door switch and was 
out the door before the car stopped. He opened the motorist's door 
and hauled the guy out of his car onto the street by the collar of 
his shirt, lifted up, and screamed at him. Had he demolished the 
automobile, it would not have been a chargeable offense. Had he 
killed the s.o.b. with his fist, he might have gotten time for it. 
I think he had the reverse bar in his hand at the time. What do 
you say, Herb.

On Mar 25, 2007, at 12:58 PM, Ken & Tracie wrote:

> ----- Original Message -----
>
> From: "Fred Schneider":
>
> "He did admit to more accidents than a few..."
>
> The private company which runs the local bus service for the RTC 
> usually
> fires a driver after ONE accident. Yet they complain they can't keep
> drivers. They also state they believe people use them as an entry 
> level
> company to gain experience to work elsewhere.
>
> I wonder how many excellent operators (who planned to stick around) 
> have
> been canned due to the inevitable unavoidable accident every 
> motorman, bus
> driver or gripman has experienced in any location on this planet?
>
> K.
>
>
>





Herb Brannon