I hate busses
 

They're about as fast as a bike but weight 100x more and they're out to KILL YOU!!

</rant> :notamused:

In WA I think they always have the right of way, so they're entitled to KILL US

I don't know....
Couple of weeks ago I reported a bus driver for dangerous and hostile driving, and it was taken very seriously.

Buses often occupy the same space as the bike lanes in my area. I too reported an unsafe bus driver that cut me off. The video was quite convincing, and that individual is no longer driving buses with that particular organization. On the other hand, I have had zero problems with any school bus driver after many thousands of encounters.

The human(s) operating the massive metal weapon(s) upon the roadways are more often than not the danger to road users.

I don't know. Here in Westchester I often share the road with buses and we get along fine. On one route I can ply leapfrog with a bus for over 10 minutes. The drivers know when to pass and do it wide, and they know when not to, such as when I'm too close to a stop and they won't make it around. They also don't pull out when I'm too close.

I return the favor by holding back a bit when I see they're ready to pull out from a stop. Riding with buses is like dancing. As long as you're used to each other nobody's toes get stepped on.

BTW- one nice thing about riding on NYC's oneways is I can keep left an not have to deal with buses at all. Now if they can pass a law making it illegal for cabs to pickup/dropoff on the left side....

i would absolutely hate to be a bus driver. all those decisions... do i give them room, do i not give them room, do i give them room, do i not give them room. all day long. day after day, after day, after day...

I've never had any real issues with city bus drivers in San Antonio. But a lot of the school bus drivers in the 2 small cities I commute through are complete jerks. I especially appreciate the ones that speed up to pass me so they can stop 10' in front of me with their lights flashing.

That's true for me too; never had issues with school busses. City busses though? arrgghhhh!!! :)

Btw just to describe what happened, I was basically passed very close and then "cornered"; then we took a turn and he almost clipped me. I went ahead and he passed me very, very close and cornered me again. This happened twice because of the leap frog effect.

Anyway, it's not the first time its happened either :) been hating busses since 1999. Feels good to rant :)

I hate all road users on 4 wheels! Though if I were a solipsist, I would be the only one on the road.

Kidding aside, there are good drivers and bad drivers. It's too easy to get a drivers license

No problems here. They've never squeezed me. I always pass them on the left. Even if it means waiting behind the bus for a few secs. When I'm passing the bus driver waits until I'm ahead before pulling out. Play leapfrog with them 2-3x per week.

The bus drivers in downtown Chicago are the opposite. They pull out regardless of whether bikes are in the lane next to them. a couple of days ago, there were 4 of us in the lane riding single file, and a bus pulls out into the middle of us. One rider was in front of it, two of us were able to stop, but one had to swerve into the next lane over (where there was moving traffic). Fortunately, the driver in the next lane was paying attention, and stopped to let the cyclist through.

Many bus drivers are careful, safe and courteous, but a minority of them are outright dangerous. Some of the closest brushes I've ever had with vehicles has been school buses that passed me with inches to spare. City bus drivers seem to be better, but not always. I got behind a real doozy this morning. First, he/she straddled two lanes for several blocks, preventing anyone from passing. It was very slow to start at all of the traffic signals, and then stopped in the middle of an intersection to make a right turn without signaling. A truck in the intersecting street apparently was blocking the lane, making it hard for the bus to turn, so thebus driver just stopped in the middle of the intersection until the truck finally backed up. The bus caused about 20 cars (and me) to miss the green light.

I'm the opposite. City buses are generally a non-issue. School buses are dangerous.

I've had my fair share of issues with bus drivers. They are the only ones who honk at me on a few routes. I've had a driver pull beside me when I was in rush hour city traffic in the left of the right lane and tell me to filter and spilt the lane and I was wrong in my riding position.

But most of the time they are fine.

Then there is this: http://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/...r-hit-car.html

Enough said.

i have been doing more dancing with school buses lately. I can not wait until school is out. LEss busses and less rushing half paying attention parents driving their kids to school.

Take it up with the buses management. Do you have a a local bike advocacy/ ped/ transportation group? Shoot some video and post. I'm sure other bikers must have the same issue.

Most of the bus drivers in my city seem to be pretty nice. Of course, they're human beings, but they don't do anything dangerous around me when I'm riding.

I like buses, and ride one regularly when I am bike commuting. Without the bus in the middle of my bike-bus-bike commute, my 32r/t bike commute would be about 90mi, and since I don't particularly feel like doing a 3hr ride on either end of work, the bus makes things a bit more reasonable...

I have to agree. I commute in the Bronx and Yonkers daily and the buses concern me the least. I have found that they give ample room and I have never been cut off by a driver. In turn I respect the driver, his passengers and the tons of metal that he is operating and never make any hasty moves by a bus. If one stops o let out passengers or take on some and there is traffic on the left I stop and wait patiently. I think that the drivers then understand that the road is shared by respectful cyclists and they do not view us as an annoyance or hazard. That being said I was in Midtown yesterday and a tour bus operator almost clipped me as I waited at a red light and he made the illegal turn on red. He stopped and apologized when I let fly but that wouldn't have helped if he had hit me... Livery cabs are also another story...

Many bus drivers are careful, safe and courteous, but a minority of them are outright dangerous. Some of the closest brushes I've ever had with vehicles has been school buses that passed me with inches to spare. City bus drivers seem to be better, but not always. I got behind a real doozy this morning. First, he/she straddled two lanes for several blocks, preventing anyone from passing. It was very slow to start at all of the traffic signals, and then stopped in the middle of an intersection to make a right turn without signaling. A truck in the intersecting street apparently was blocking the lane, making it hard for the bus to turn, so the bus driver just stopped in the middle of the intersection until the truck finally backed up. The bus caused about 20 cars (and me) to miss the green light.

almost exactly 4 years ago i was hit by a CTA bus that blew through a stop sign.

i was miraculously able to walk away from the collision.

my bike wasn't so lucky.

Working as an urban bus driver has got to be one worst jobs there is. Driving a huge vehicle on narrow, congested streets with no one giving you an inch. At least that's how it is around here. My sympathy goes out to them. However, I hate buses. Doesn't everyone?

No. I find that, as a class, bus drivers are among the most professional and courteous of all on the road. There is some natural conflict between bicyclists and buses because both share the right side of the road, but it's easily manageable.

BTW- it helps to plan and avoid surprises if you learn where the bus stops are along your regular bike routes. Also, one of the biggest hazards is cyclists filtering on the right when traffic slows. It's easy enough to avoid if you simply don't pass buses on the right.