MTA bus driver accused of distracted driving in Queens, doing paperwork with highlighter

[Q113 LTD]

RICHMOND HILL (WABC) -- An bus driver has been taken off the road for alleged distracted driving.

The passenger says she pulled out her camera after she was concerned he was getting distracted.

It all happened on a bus ride in Richmond Hill, Queens.

"I've seen more than that, some of them with the cell phones, gloves being put on," said Mike Castillo, a commuter.

A bus driver was driving a bus load of passengers while reading and highlighting paperwork. It was bad enough that one passenger pulled out their cell phone and started rolling.

"It's no good to be with the papers, he's got to pay attention while he's driving bus," said Kabir Ubbi, a commuter.

The person who shot the video doesn't want to be identified out of fear of retaliation.

But they told Eyewitness News that she started recording, because she thought if she said something to the driver, he would just do the same thing again the next day.

Eyewitness News showed the video to other bus commuters.

"I was sitting in the front of the bus on the bus I got off of just now and I was watching him and his eyes were on the road, but that's risky," said Patricia Shaw, a commuter.

The video was recorded on Saturday on an shuttle bus from the -train at 80th and Liberty to 111th street in Richmond Hills, Queens.

It was a 10 to 12-minute ride, and all the while other passengers got on and off the bus without saying a word.

"If the bus was full I couldn't say anything but, if I was sitting up close to him I would say something like, 'You know you aren't supposed to do that, you could get into an accident,' something like that," Castillo said.

"What would you have said to that bus driver?" Eyewitness News asked.

"I would say, 'Driver you aren't paying attention to the road, you can't be doing that,'" Shaw said.

 

Click the source for the video:

Source: http://7online.com/news/mta-bus-driver-accused-of-distracted-driving-in-queens-doing-paperwork-with-highlighter/672799/

[B35 via Church]

Personally, I would have gotten off the bus at whatever the next stop was if I truly felt I was in any danger..... I'm not in it to catch somebody on candid camera.....

[Quill Depot]

Should be fired... probably won't though cause of the Union

[QM1to6Ave]

From other places, it sounds like the B/O was reading his run sheet for directions. People who read GPS or mapquest directions while driving do the same thing all the time. This sounds like it is blown out of proportion.

[46Dover]

From other places, it sounds like the B/O was reading his run sheet for directions. People who read GPS or mapquest directions while driving do the same thing all the time. This sounds like it is blown out of proportion.

It's going to be that way just out of the sheer fact that it's a bus. And driving anything bigger than a car is going to garner some attention.

My question is, like NJT Buses, are buses equipped with cameras on the driver?

[QM1to6Ave]

It's going to be that way just out of the sheer fact that it's a bus. And driving anything bigger than a car is going to garner some attention.

My question is, like NJT Buses, are buses equipped with cameras on the driver?

I don't believe so. The ones I see are pointed at the road or passengers. But maybe there is a small, hidden driver cam I haven't seen.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Personally, I would have gotten off the bus at whatever the next stop was if I truly felt I was in any danger..... I'm not in it to catch somebody on candid camera.....

I've recorded drivers when necessary. I don't like doing it and I've only done it once, but if they are putting my life in danger and others, they should be pulled from service, retrained if necessary and/or fired.  I have a guy who I get regularly (though I try to avoid him) and he has this habit of stopping the express bus in the middle of the damn street when there is nothing blocking him from pulling into the bus stop.  You're not shielded from any oncoming traffic and I was almost run over by some jerk that came flying around the bus once when another driver did that.  I wrote in and he continued to do it, so that's when I took a video of it and filed another complaint.  He's become better now, but I suspect that something isn't right with the guy.

 

From other places, it sounds like the B/O was reading his run sheet for directions. People who read GPS or mapquest directions while driving do the same thing all the time. This sounds like it is blown out of proportion.

I'm sorry but that should be done BEFORE he goes into service. If a driver needs to review his/her run sheet, do it with the bus stopped at a bus stop.  Doing it while driving is big no no.  I had a guy doing that and I was pissed and wrote in. I got him at the first stop and he was on layover for a good 15 minutes before he picked me up, so why not review your run sheet then when you're on break?? Some of these guys just lack common sense.

[Cait Sith]

From other places, it sounds like the B/O was reading his run sheet for directions. People who read GPS or mapquest directions while driving do the same thing all the time. This sounds like it is blown out of proportion.

 

That's exactly what he was doing and it was blown out of proportion. It was on the shuttle here in my neck of the woods and it has a lot of tricky turns that could get him along with his passengers lost or off route and it can get pretty difficult to come back around the route.

 

If folks were so concerned, they would've said something instead of recording him like if that's going to fix anything because operators will still do it.

 

Along with that, during the portion of that day, there was a detour, so Shuttle Buses had to go off the route for a good distance.

[QM1to6Ave]

That's exactly what he was doing and it was blown out of proportion. It was on the shuttle here in my neck of the woods and it has a lot of tricky turns that could get him along with his passengers lost or off route and it can get pretty difficult to come back around the route.

 

If folks were so concerned, they would've said something instead of recording him like if that's going to fix anything because operators will still do it.

 

Along with that, during the portion of that day, there was a detour, so Shuttle Buses had to go off the route for a good distance.

 

I had a B/O on the Q46 a while back who had to deal with a relatively simple detour on Queens Blvd and Union Tpke and instead of calling into Command to get directions, he just started driving around. Long story short, we somehow end up at Main Street and Jewel Avenue and have to back up half a block. I'd much rather a B/O call command or check a route sheet (or even a map for God's sake!) than get lost needlessly. 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

That's exactly what he was doing and it was blown out of proportion. It was on the shuttle here in my neck of the woods and it has a lot of tricky turns that could get him along with his passengers lost or off route and it can get pretty difficult to come back around the route.

 

If folks were so concerned, they would've said something instead of recording him like if that's going to fix anything because operators will still do it.

 

Along with that, during the portion of that day, there was a detour, so Shuttle Buses had to go off the route for a good distance.

Or better yet, if he was so lost, ASK for help!  I've been on express buses that had lost drivers and they asked me for assistance and I stayed on for the entire trip and helped them.  What good is he doing trying to study the route while in service risking the lives of himself and his passengers?  Completely inexcusable.

[Cait Sith]

Or better yet, if he was so lost, ASK for help!  I've been on express buses that had lost drivers and they asked me for assistance and I stayed on for the entire trip and helped them.  What good is he doing trying to study the route while in service risking the lives of himself and his passengers?  Completely inexcusable.

 

Do you even know how long the length of the shuttle route is? And you do even know how the surrounding streets are? It was a short shuttle with complicating turns in both directions. Plus, passengers, especially those who take the shuttle hardly know how the shuttle route works, so what makes YOU think they'll know how to get around the route? Most passengers don't even pay attention to the road or the surroundings as it is, as most only care about getting to point A to point B. Most people aren't like you(or how you claim to be).

 

Also, operators do this a lot and not once have we heard of any accidents or incidents that involves looking at directions or whatever up until now and NOTHING HAPPENED! I've been on buses where rookies operate on my home line and read the directions while en route and nothing fatal has happened.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Do you even know how long the length of the shuttle route is? And you do even know how the surrounding streets are? Plus, passengers, especially those who take the shuttle hardly know how the shuttle route works, so what makes YOU think they'll know how to get around the route? Most passengers don't even pay attention to the road or the surroundings as it is, as most only care about getting to point A to point B. Most people aren't like you(or how you claim to be).

 

Also, operators do this a lot and not once have we heard of any accidents or incidents that involves looking at directions or whatever up until now and NOTHING HAPPENED!

What does that have to do with him putting passengers at risk?  Ok, so all passengers are stupid and he's better off driving and looking at the directions at the same time because we all know there have NEVER been any serious accidents with B/O's involved.  That's basically what you're saying, right?  If I'm wrong, please correct me.

[Cait Sith]

What does that have to do with him putting passengers at risk?  Ok, so all passengers are stupid and he's better off driving and looking at the directions at the same time because we all know there have NEVER been any serious accidents with B/O's involved.  That's basically what you're saying, right?  If I'm wrong, please correct me.

 

Well, have you heard of any incidents involving MTA B/Os and accidents because of situations like this?? And don't fabricate anything either.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Well, have you heard of any incidents involving MTA B/Os and accidents because of situations like this?? And don't fabricate anything either.

Last I checked B/Os are humans and make mistakes just the rest of us.  My uncle is a B/O for the .  He's been driving for over 25 years, and I'm sure he's made a mistake somewhere along the way, so I'd rather err on the side of caution, esp. these days.  The newer B/Os are nothing like the old-timers, which is why so many of them don't cut it and are fired.  These guys don't get that much training to begin with in terms of learning routes, so the onus is on them to learn them.  I told one guy to just learn the routes on his own time, which is exactly what he did.

[Cait Sith]

Last I checked B/Os are humans and make mistakes just the rest of us.  My uncle is a B/O for the .  He's been driving for over 25 years, and I'm sure he's made a mistake somewhere along the way, so I'd rather err on the side of caution, esp. these days.  The newer B/Os are nothing like the old-timers, which is why so many of them don't cut it and are fired.

I never said they don't make mistakes, nor did I say they were perfect.

 

Thanks for evading my point and question.

 

 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I never said they don't make mistakes, nor did I say they were perfect.

 

Thanks for evading my point and question.

 

 

The answer to your question should be obvious.  I've been in several accidents while on a bus (both local and express) and I've also been on buses where the B/O was lost and went off of the route, so I'm not quite sure what your point is? 

[Cait Sith]

My point is that operators, particularly those that operate on the shuttle routes looks at the directions en route especially if its those that are unfamiliar with the shuttle route or any route in general. Mistakes may have been made but not to the point where we've heard anything fatal happen along any route that involved looking at directions.

Directions is one thing since they are given to them for a reason, but if it's a whole stack of papers of paperwork or something like that, then that's a completely different story.

In some cases, when operators go off the route for a period of time, they get a violation for disrupting service and get told to read the directions given to them.

From a passenger standpoint or a management standpoint, it's a lose-lose situation for that operator.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

My point is that operators, particularly those that operate on the shuttle routes looks at the directions en route especially if its those that are unfamiliar with the shuttle route or any route in general. Mistakes may have been made but not to the point where we've heard anything fatal happen along any route that involved looking at directions.

 

Directions is one thing since they are given to them for a reason, but if it's a whole stack of papers of paperwork or something like that, then that's a completely different story.

 

In some cases, when operators go off the route for a period of time, they get a violation for disrupting service and get told to read the directions given to them.

Well we'll see how this plays out.  I side with the passengers.  They must've felt pretty unsafe if they pulled out a cell phone and started recording.  Directions or not, I think it's insane to be highlighting papers while you're driving.

[Cait Sith]

Well we'll see how this plays out.  I side with the passengers.  They must've felt pretty unsafe if they pulled out a cell phone and started recording.  Directions or not, I think it's insane to be highlighting papers while you're driving.

You mean passenger. Only one person reacted to it out of a full bus. No one said a word to the operator, or even the dispatcher or crews that are at both ends of the shuttle, so that says something.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

You mean passenger. Only one person reacted to it out of a full bus. No one said a word to the operator, or even the dispatcher or crews that are at both ends of the shuttle, so that says something.

Well how many people are actually paying attention these days anyway? Half of the time passengers are either yacking on their cell phones, sleeping, reading or preoccupied with some other event on their cell phone.

[46Dover]

You know, there was a time when one of our (ex) drivers got filmed and put on YouTube. And in going for the "kill", the guy positioned his camera phone from the guy driving/texting to the sign above the door saying "CELL PHONE USE IS PROHIBITED- Please use text messaging"

 

The problem with this, and I am surprised no one else caught hold to this was, yes, while he was texting, that sign is actually directed to the Passengers. So that was a kinda "smart but dumb" move on the YouTuber's part.

 

I will admit while doing a holiday trip for Greyhound, I had a "cheat sheet" on my way to Buffalo from NYC while I was on the Thruway (I-90 after Syracuse). I wanted to know exactly where I was going since I had never been to Buffalo before, let alone driving a bus up there. In the end, someone helped me out the final mile or so and I was able to get into the bus station.

 

Back to subject at hand, the driver will get with his union rep and he will defend him on the count of not being familiar with the area

 

Lol at the person filming wishing to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation. Reminds me of the line from "The Untouchables": You send one of ours to the hospital, we'll send one of yours to the morgue