Advocacy & Safety - city buses suck!

ohh i HATE THEM!!!
i was commuting to school, and a bus passed me on a 4 lane road soo close that one hand extention would have touched the side of the bus Also i felt the vortex produced by the bus, my bike almost swirved, but i took control.
I think i should complain to STO (our bus transit)!!!!!

ohh i HATE THEM!!!
i was commuting to school, and a bus passed me on a 4 lane road soo close that one hand extention would have touched the side of the bus Also i felt the vortex produced by the bus, my bike almost swirved, but i took control.
I think i should complain to STO (our bus transit)!!!!!

Yes you should and remember be polite and calm when you do they will listen better. And letters work better than phone calls, I usually do both.

this seems like a vast generalization. I have many city buses that are curteous.

The only real complaint is that sometimes the novice bus drivers don't seem to realise how long the vehicules are. I find sometimse they pass with ample room, start pulling back in, but by the time the back of the bus has reached me, I am nearly cut off. I'm sure its not intentional 99.9% of the time.

it was really only that day, i was "racing" the buses, just going fast. the buses and i were passing each other quite frequently.

I know this is a thread about city busses, but to me a bus is a bus. To paraphrase Bobby Bouchei's (the Waterboy) momma, "School Busses are the Devil!!!"

They changed the start time for a school on my commute and I have to deal with the nasty things every time I commute. They must have to take a special class to learn how to stand on the gas and shoot exhaust at cyclists.

So there.

Dave

ohh i HATE THEM!!!
i was commuting to school, and a bus passed me on a 4 lane road soo close that one hand extention would have touched the side of the bus Also i felt the vortex produced by the bus, my bike almost swirved, but i took control.
I think i should complain to STO (our bus transit)!!!!!

Turbonium,

My wife and I had the same experience with a city bus one evening while riding our tandem. He came close enough that I could have easily reached out and touched the side of the bus. It was a four lane street with a curb, and the other lane was open, so there was no reason for his actions except to show us who was boss.

Next morning, I trotted down to the bus barn and asked to speak to the head man. He came out, shook my hand, and asked what he could do for me. I said, "you can speak to the driver of bus #XX, and tell him that my wife and I are lucky to still be alive because of his disregard for our right to exist."

Turns out the head man was a bicyclist also and the driver had a few other complaints filed against him.

I was assured that the driver would be written up for the incident. Of course, being written up may have made the guy even more bitter toward cyclists. Who knows?

Michael

I was assured that the driver would be written up for the incident. Of course, being written up may have made the guy even more bitter toward cyclists. Who knows?

He can be as bitter as he likes. At the end of the day, his opinions count for very little. Fact is, when he gets written up, he's on notice - he's closer to being shown that little pink slip just in case he's thinking of trying his little stunt twice. Remember, bus driver's don't have to enjoy behaving themselves and acting responsibly, they only have to do it.

I had a similar experience once when riding home from work. Fortunately I got the bus number and called the customer service department and complained, politely, and also sent an email. Got a reply to the email and an apology.

Now that all Atlanta area buses have bike racks, it seems that most of the buses are a little more careful when passing a cyclist.

I know this is a thread about city busses, but to me a bus is a bus. To paraphrase Bobby Bouchei's (the Waterboy) momma, "School Busses are the Devil!!!"

They changed the start time for a school on my commute and I have to deal with the nasty things every time I commute. They must have to take a special class to learn how to stand on the gas and shoot exhaust at cyclists.

So there.

Dave

I always chuckle when i hear cyclists carp about busses, since busses are part of mass transit, and mass transit is one of those things that cycling organizations always get the vapors about.

To ME, a bus is a 'truck' that is required to stop at almost every block...and, I might add, not just stop, but cut all the way over the curb to pick up and discharge passengers. Here is a vehicle that is lucky, on the average, to be carrying 1/3 of its designed passenger capacity, burns diesel fuel, and isn't even equipped with a standard transmission to make sure it can accelerate from a standing stop efficiently.

Brushed back by cars, molested by trucks, abused by busses, attacked by dogs, harassed by cops...my goodness, I wonder how some cyclists manage to make it thru the day!

roughstuff

The only problem I have with busses is when they pass me, then I pass them, and then they pass me, and so on and so on... The exhaust is like sucking in sand. Yuck. I'll pull off and wait five minutes if I can't get way, way, beyond them....

>>>The only problem I have with busses is when they pass me, then I pass them, and then they pass me, and so on and so on... <<<<

I keep telling people on this forum, you can't play leap frog with a bus. If you can't keep up an average of 12 - 15 MPH, you got to let the bus get past you and wait a few minutes until he can get some distance.

The other day, I was passed real close by a New York City bus. Well. As soon as I reached him, I poped up on the sidewalk and boarded the bus. I told the guy what he did wrong by expecting me to maintain position while he was inches away from me. I told him he took too great a chance with my life.

I then walked off the bus and that was that.

I had a similar experience once when riding home from work. Fortunately I got the bus number and called the customer service department and complained, politely, and also sent an email. Got a reply to the email and an apology.

I did the same thing and also received an apology, both from the person the complaint was initially lodged with, then later the shift supervisor. I also noted in my letter that the vast majority of the TriMet drivers I have come across during my commutes have been very courteous and careful; they seem better than most drivers I see on the road.

Buses passing too closely is not a small matter. Cyclists have been killed going under buses. Report them and don't be shy about it.

this seems like a vast generalization. I have many city buses that are curteous.

The only real complaint is that sometimes the novice bus drivers don't seem to realise how long the vehicules are. I find sometimse they pass with ample room, start pulling back in, but by the time the back of the bus has reached me, I am nearly cut off. I'm sure its not intentional 99.9% of the time.

Yeah, in Montreal you are correct. However, in Indianapolis, where the only imaginable way to get around is by personal automobile, buses aren't quite as courteous. I'd give my left arm to move to Montreal!

Yeah, in Montreal you are correct. However, in Indianapolis, where the only imaginable way to get around is by personal automobile, buses aren't wuite as courteous. I'd give my left arm to move to Montreal!


You would love bicycling were I live small town
all paved hardly any cycle traffic at all..a lot
of times I got the whole town to myself,everything Is flat In saskatchewan all kinds of grid roads to ride on..Sask has more roads then manitoba Alberta & B.C. put together and a population of only a million?now how did our gov't ever manage that?
there Is also not much of a economy thou.Sask would be a good place to set up a major business to export

when i ride to school its often i actually get pushed off the road and into the gutter because of impatient buses. it really annoys me considering how many cyclists there r on the roads these days. one day someone is going to get hurt or killed round my area and im gonna no who to blame for it...gosh they could just say excuse me :D

Haylee.... why is it that alot of us have no trouble with buses? I personally ride alot in the city and out your way, riding alongside, behind (yes, drafting) and overtaking :D buses. Always leave some room between yourself and the gutter for emergency room if you do get forced over. But you need to realise that it may seem you are getting pushed off the road, but they are just passing close by. Have a straight line, and ride predictabily, and you shouldnt have too many problems. Come for a ride oneday in the city :D i'll show you what bad traffic is.

Not meaning to say you're a bad rider...just trying to help :D

Done much riding since nationals?

Brendon

yes..I have done heaps of riding...lol about maybe 2 or 3 decent rides along with the rest of the team. :D

oh..and my name is spelt hayleY...thanks

Today I rode on a New York City bus after not taking one in almost 2 years! I couldn't believe the horrible ride I was in. We stopped at every other block and were loaded all the way to the back with people! It was unbelievable. Cars and taxies were cutting off our bus and missing the vehicle by inches! To make matters worse, the driver kept repeating "Everyone Move to the Back, Plenty of Room In the Back"! I thought he was insane. Other passengers were yelling back at him that there was no more room, but he wouldn't listen and kept picking up more jamming us all like roaches.

A 4 mile ride took almost an hour and a half in New York City traffic and trust me, it felt like HOURS! Now I know why those bus drivers are so aggressive on the road. Heck. If I had that ****ty job, I'd be pissed all day too. It may be another 10 YEARS! before you see me back on another bus. I really don't know how people can ride the bus day after day. It's horrible.

It just goes to show you folks, if a tenth of these long suffering bus riders could be converted to cyclists, we would have thousands of new bike commuters on the road.

It still won't solve the bus driver aggression problem we face day to day but it all makes sence to me now.

Folks. Avoid confrontation with the bus at all costs.

A 4 mile ride took almost an hour and a half in New York City traffic and trust me, it felt like HOURS!

I think that most people could walk faster than that. They would still have time to grab a cup of coffee and do some window shopping.

yes..I have done heaps of riding...lol about maybe 2 or 3 decent rides along with the rest of the team. :D

You should be doing an 80km or so ride every weekend. Off season as you are now, you should be doing around 200km/week. Come racing season you should be up towards 300km/week. Just get some base mileage done over the xmas holidays.

Brendon

Folks. Avoid confrontation with the bus at all costs.

Believe me, in that sort of traffic, I would have no trouble avoiding confrontation with any bus driver.

Believe me, in that sort of traffic, I would have no trouble avoiding confrontation with any bus driver.

In a nearly as possible non-confrontational manner, I feel moved to defend both cyclists and bus drivers, since I fall into both of those categories. I happen to drive a bus in a fairly liberal midwest town, and about a third of us drivers are either bike commuters or cycling proponents (a third indifferent, and the last third being generally pro truck and gun and anti bike [unless your talking about a motorcycle]). Where I work, there is a notice requiring us to allow at least 3 or 4 feet when passing cyclists. Even if the demographics are not the same across the board, I am 100% sure that an overwhelming majority of bus drivers would not intentionally hit, or brush off a cyclist because in the professional driving world, that is considered A VERY BIG MISTAKE, RECKLESS, AND COULD VERY LIKELY COST YOU A JOB. Not to mention it would be a huge headache and delay, and downright stupid and dangerous.

Another thing that I am certain of is that any driver can have a bad day where it is difficult to stay on time, and where an inordinate amount of jerks decide to ride the bus and in some way harass the most conveniently available public servant. On these days any added delay, such as traffic law-ignorant-cyclists, can be very trying. Even then, most bus drivers aren't prone to escalating to road rage, otherwise they wouldn't have a job for very long.

Personally, I have never had any problems with bus drivers while riding. It is fairly easy to stay ahead of a bus that averages 12-15 mph while on route....slower if in a traffic jam. If I have to pass a bus, then I'd wait till it stops and pass it on the left, and be sure to not linger in any blind spots for long...just like driving a car. Trust me, we are used to being passed. If legal, you can ride on the sidewalk to get around, and then back on the road. I find it fairly easy to predict what a bus is going to do in traffic, since, unlike many motorists, bus drivers use their signals, and the size of the bus makes it highly visable and unable to dart around in traffic.

So to make everyone happy and safe, I try to a) follow traffic laws, b) ride predictably and defensively, c) make myself visable (pro team jerseys or neon garments are great for this purpose, as are lights).

Don't let the bastards grind you down (most are in smaller vehicles, to boot)

B

However, I have experienced a great deal of danger encountering logging trucks while on bike on HWY 61 in N. Minnesota and on roads in the panhandle of Idaho.

That is a different topic though.

As a cyclist I interact well with buses here in Atlanta, and since I live where five different bus routes converge, and work where dozens of routes converge, I'm in constant interaction with them. I've never had to use them for a complaint related to cycling, but I've gotten very good responses from MARTA's customer service department. Once I was taking photographs at a MARTA train station and was harrassed by the station manager. After phoning in the complaint I was called by the head of MARTA's police force and MARTA's lawyer who seemed to be in charge of station policy issues. Both of them told me that I was correct that there was no policy against photography within the stations (this was pre-9/11, and I'm not sure if the policy has changed since) and that the station manager would be notified of this.

In other cities the responsiveness may be different, but if one has the time and diplomatic skills a lot can be done over the phone to correct bad behavior and policies.

As a cyclist I interact well with buses here in Atlanta...

... I've gotten very good responses from MARTA's customer service department.
This has also been my experience with MARTA's customer service department. Overall, MARTA bus drivers who pass me riding my bike to work give me a very wide berth.

Perhaps these two things are related.

me doing any training right now...fat chance. im on holiday and im not going to stop completly but there r other ways of training than actually cycling around days on end like u advise me to do