Originally Posted by
randya
(their performance is usually based on their ability to keep on schedule), but I'm also actually surprised the cops give any tickets to bus drivers in the first place.
I seriously doubt their performance is based on schedule. Any emphasis on schedule would mean making drivers rush. When driving a large vehicle around a crowded city, rushing is a very bad thing to do. Training for Metro drivers in Seattle goes out of their way to emphasize "Safety, Service, Schedule." They repeatedly tell drivers to not worry about the schedule - focus on Safety above all else. It may not always seem that way but that's Metro's policy and they are serious about it. (If I see one more "Outhouse Safety Journal" talking about "Safety, Service, Schedule" I'm going to pull my hair out. Oh wait, I'm already bald)
RE: Cop giving the ticket - I'm surprised about that one too. I spoke with one cop who was checking vehicle speeds at UW Bothell. She told me that they typically won't pull bus drivers over. Instead, they just call in the bus number and time to Metro. The driver gets a black mark on their record but no ticket. This is done to prevent inconveniencing the passengers (good logic I suppose).