Commuting - Buses

Last night on the ride home (didn't get wet :D ) I was nearly run over by a Marta bus (http://www.itsmarta.com/lo/index1.asp). This wasn't the first time this has happened. It seems that it always happens in the same general area of a particulat bus route -- within 3/4 mile from my house.
Last night I was only 4 blocks from home and this idiot bus driver did not want to share the road and would not change lanes or move over a few feet to give me some room.
I saw the bus in my mirror and thought (hoped) it would move over a little. I was in the right lane near the curb because I was about 1/2 block from the street I turn onto to enter my neighborhood and was preparing for this turn.
The next thing I knew the bus was beside me and some of the rivets or metal strips grazed the mirror on my handlebar. :eek: :irritated :mad:
Talk about scared!! I was scared sh*tless. I thought this was the end of the line for me.
Did I mention that the roads were wet because it had been raining just before I left work?


I got the bus number and am writing a letter to Marta because calling their customer service department does no good at all (I've done this before).

My question is, has anyone else has similar encounters with a bus?


How about you Pete? You ride in the downtown area. Do the bus drivers act this way?

For those in the Atlanta area: This was near the intersection of Lawrenceville Highway and N. Druid Hills Road in Decatur. It seems I always have problems with this bus on Lawrenceville Highway somewhere between the I-285 overpass and N. Druid Hills Road.

And for those who are asking, NO there isn't another way home that is any safer. :(

Please understand that at this point in my journey home I had ridden 14 miles without any problems and was only a few blocks from home.

SEPTA buses are a major hazard for cyclists in Philadelphia. There is fault on both sides: On one, generally, cyclists don't understand that buses approaching a bus stop have the right of way and other vehicles are required to yield to them, including bicycles. (Check your local ordnances.) On the other, bus drivers act as though these ordnances give them complete hegemony over the right side of the road, even over bike lanes, and tend to be extremenly rude and confrontational.

But no driver has the right to intentionally collide with another vehicle, and safe passing is always the responsibility of the passer.

You weren't actually hurt, and your bike wasn't actually damaged, so writing to the transit authority is probably the best tool you have. But you should know exactly what the traffic laws are in your city regarding buses and their right of way before you do.

Good that you weren't hurt.

RichC

Buses suck! :mad:

I have had similar problems with school buses! Amazing.
I am glad I will not have to deal with them for a few months!!!

A lot of bus drivers around here are very good with cyclists.
Maybe they know me, because I let them get into the traffic, but the drivers are very considerate.

Originally posted by Rich Clark
cyclists don't understand that buses approaching a bus stop have the right of way and other vehicles are required to yield to them, including bicycles.
I forgot to mention that the bus was not approaching a bus stop. The next stop is about 1-1/2 blocks past where we had our encounter.

I was almost "right-hooked" by a city bus in Hampton Virginia. I was able to get the bus number. I called the city authority and filed a complaint. I gave them the bus number and time of day the incident occurred. I don't know if anything came of the it, but what other recourse did I have?

Like you, this bus came darn close to my left side! I wanted to sprint after the idiot and knock his block off! But figured that was not a realistic option. :irritated

It seems every time Marta buses pass me they blow off that air brake right next to my ear.

I am so used t busses causing me problems that when a bus driver teated me well one day I rang the company to let them know.

The guy on the other end of the line seemed quite amazed that a cyclist would ring up praising one of their number. I don't think he knew quite how to handle it.

The driver was stopping regularly on a busy road to let people on and off so we were travelling together for a fair distance. He either waited for me to pass him or gave me heaps of room when he passed me every time. What a difference from the usual drivers.

I've tried calling MARTA on this issue several times. They talk a good game but it comes down to educating the bus drivers about cyclists. Maybe with the bike racks that they say will be on the busses soon we can let the bus drivers have a better understanding of our needs and rights as users of the road. If you use them, talk to the driver and maybe it will get better.

Wishful thinking...

You might be suprised at how effective an intelligently worded complaint can be. Lots of these drivers get away with stuff because they think no one will ever say anything.

That mentality will fold under the right kind of pressure. I had one driver who tried to explain himself to me after I complained about him. What a flimsey story he came up with! :roflmao:

At least I know they put the pressure on him. :D

DON'T EVER LET THEM GET AWAY WITH THAT CRAP!!

Your call may force that driver to account to a superior about his/her driving habits.

:thumbup:

Originally posted by MediaCreations
I am so used t busses causing me problems that when a bus driver teated me well one day I rang the company to let them know.
On the other hand, I must say most MARTA drivers have treated me very well. I hope we can get the others to live up to this standard.

:D

Buses round hereare a mixed bunch, most are okay but some don't give you enough room, and there's one route whereI take a steep downhill before a steep uphil and half the time a bus overtkes me downhill just to stop at the bottom of the dip, leaving me crawling up the otherside.

Richard

A bus did something very similar to me last year. He was going the speed limit and couldn't give me any room since he would have hit a car in the opposite direction. Instead of slowing down he maintained speed and honked the hell out of me. What was I to do? Jump off my bike or climb on top of the cars for him to pass? He scared the shXt out of me!!

Since the bus depot was only 5 blocks away I followed him and started raising hell!! I spoke with his co-workers and manager and requested to speak with him. I told him outright that he could have killed me. Yes that's correct, he could have killed me.

The bus driver told me he was sorry and no harm done. He even stated that at one time he was a bike messenger. It goes to show you how bus drivers or any driver forgets what it's like to be a bicycle rider.

Originally posted by LittleBigMan
You might be suprised at how effective an intelligently worded complaint can be. Lots of these drivers get away with stuff because they think no one will ever say anything.
Your call may force that driver to account to a superior about his/her driving habits.

:thumbup:

I'm with Pete on this one. I have been impressed at how effective writing a letter can be. In my own company, if a customer sends a complaint or compliment in writing, it is almost always seen by more than one person - and it usually goes up the chain and always gets results.

If someone takes the time to write/send a message, the recipients are almost always motivated to take action.

Give your name. Don't sign 'anonymous'.

My problem is not with buses in traffic. My problem is when the buses make a short stop in the residential areas. I go around the bus like traffic on the left lane. About the time I have the bus passed, they are finished with their stop and take off in the right lane. This leaves me racing with the bus, which I lose every time.

Then I am scambling to get out of the left lane and back to the right.

Usually, we repeat this scenerio a block later.

I hate buses, but the one that really gets me is the guy in the little USPS jeep. Those guys have no clue. I shredded a tyre coming down a hill with one of those numbers off to the side. He pulled out, I had no where to go. I grabbed the brake levers, skidding to a stop, shredding the tyre, and creating a flat. I don't think I stopped cussing that guy out for about four(4) hours(a walk home in cleats pushing your bike will help prolong any cussing you want to do).

We share cycle lanes with buses, and the Edinburgh Corporation ones are generally alright. However, Tour buses or the inter city ones are a nightmare. They pass very close.

Now, what about black cabs? They are really dangerous.