RANT: ------- Tour Buses!

[CaptCarrot]

A couple of local bus drivers.

http://www.kitv.com/video/27670634/detail.html
http://www.kitv.com/news/17754207/detail.html

All three of those would have resulted in instant dismissal with my company. We have a 0-tolerance policy on alcohol and are regularly brethalised by the company - and higher than 0 and questions are asked.

Yeah bus drivers are bad. Taxi drivers are bad. Bus drivers don't seem to be aware of their surroundings or in control of their vehicle, it may be because they are molly-coddled with bus lanes and don't need to think or deal with traffic. I am an emergency vehicle driver and commute to work. When i'm responding to an emergency i would rather have 3 big trucks in front of me than 1 bus, the truck drivers see you early, get out of the way safely and have the road clear by the time you get there. Bus drivers either don't see you in their mirror and pull out on you without warning or freeze like a rabbit in the headlights.

I don't disagree that some bus drivers are bad, and I would agree about taxi drivers. I think with bus drivers it comes down to the company and their training, and their overall attitude. My company seems to be pretty hot on upholding complaints from passengers, pedestrians and other motorists. The police down here share our canteen, we regularly hear comments along the lines of how they are amazed how we can get 40 foot of bus out the way when it the car drivers that block the road.

[DX-MAN]

SCHOOL bus drivers scare the socks off me most of the time; my kids are fortunate in that they have a good one, I know him and have watched him handle the bus. Others, though, that come through before he does are downright deadly! One turns on his brights EVERY MORNING so he can maintain his speed and still see the kids walking (no sidewalks). If he'd slow down some, I wouldn't be bothered, but there are too TOO many behind the wheel who see solid objects as auxiliary brakes.

In the OP's case, taking the lane would have resulted in furious horn-honking... which would be a good thing.

[Roughstuff]

Drafting is a plus, the diesel fumes and heat they generate are negatives. It's hot and muggy in Miami, FL for the most part and following a bus can be even more stifling.

When I was on one of my many Alpine tours, I was climbing a pass on a bitter cold day with the worst possible cycling weather: wind driven wet snow. A truck pulled up next to me and, downshifting to go more slowly and carefully as he passed me as well as to adjust to the steep grade, blew nice, warm, cushy, wonderful exhaust over me for about 40 seconds. It was the first and last time in a couple hours that I felt warm.