MTA 'zero tolerance' cell phone crackdown

[mark1447]

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Talk about sending a message.

 

The MTA now plans to send a strong message to city bus drivers who text or talk on their cell phones, while driving.

 

Under the new "zero tolerance" policy any driver caught doing this just once could be fired.

 

Passengers Eyewitness news spoke to couldn't agree more with the policy.

 

"Yes, because they are in charge of all the people in the bus, so we cannot afford it," said one woman.

 

"If they have proof that they were doing it, yes, they shouldn't be doing it," said Sam Kirschner, a bus passenger.

 

But will the punishment always be fair?

 

Civil libertarians and the Transport Workers Union are concerned.

 

"Texting is serious and has to be dealt with harshly, but employees are entitled to fair process," said Donna Lieberman, of the New York Civil Liberties Union.

 

There's no doubt that texting behind the wheel is just plain dangerous, and statistics involving city bus drivers prove that the problem involves plenty of repeat offenders.

 

According to the MTA, their bus drivers have committed 650 cell phone violations over the last 2 years.

 

Nearly 90 of the drivers were caught twice.

 

25 of them were caught three times, and five drivers were caught four times.

 

So far, only 11 have been fired.

 

Driver Jeremy Philhower had been suspended for texting, but then returned to the job and on his first day back his bus struck and killed a 22-year-old student.

 

While texting wasn't the cause of the accident, Philhower had been accused in the past of using his phone to post negative comments about passengers while driving.

 

Meanwhile, on the M79 bus, some drivers had no problem with the new rule.

 

"I don't mind, I never do that, I turn off my cell phone anyway. Anybody who does it from my point is very stupid," said one bus driver.

 

The union is now challenging the plan, but it is set to go in effect on January 12th.

 

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/new_york&id=7861159

[LRG]

My B/O friend on the S93 Limited told me about the bulletin that was released. My guess is that a lot of beakies will be randomly boarding buses now and seeing if they're breaking the rules.

[mark1447]

Ill admit safety is important.. But people as always complaining for the littlest sh9t, instead of the more IMPORTANT things, such as a man pissing in the subway station, someone screaming or arguing in the train or bus.. Spitting, etc.. smh..

[LRG]

Um, a B/O texting while driving does classify as important...it's a distraction and you're putting passengers at risk by doing so.

 

Remember that T/O who was texting on the line? Now what happened if a passenger jumped in front of the train and he wasn't paying attention? not only would there be body parts on the ground, but that would have been his ass for not paying attention to the tracks.

[Locomotion69]

I read that with MBTA(Boston) doesn't even let the B/O's have a cell phone on the bus period. How they enforce that I don't know. I guess if you have a family emergency at home they have to go through the crew office first.

 

In an emergency they can use the PTT button to call console.

I guess it's not the B/O's job to call 911 if there is an emergency on the bus. But we all managed to get by without cellphones before they became common.

[mark1447]

Um, a B/O texting while driving does classify as important...it's a distraction and you're putting passengers at risk by doing so.

 

Remember that T/O who was texting on the line? Now what happened if a passenger jumped in front of the train and he wasn't paying attention? not only would there be body parts on the ground, but that would have been his ass for not paying attention to the tracks.

 

Yes i understand, but people complaint to much about what a worker does, but they don't complaint when some crazy guy is doing something in or out of the train or bus or something related to that.

 

Of course I wouldn't wanna be in a situation where the driver is text/talking, but other things happens out there which people keep quiet.

[Gorgor]

I like this policy.

[Locomotion69]

My B/O friend on the S93 Limited told me about the bulletin that was released. My guess is that a lot of beakies will be randomly boarding buses now and seeing if they're breaking the rules.

 

Don't most of the "beakies" go home at night though?

What about B/O's working the hawk runs overnight?

I think you will see passengers from inside and outside

the bus taking pics with their cell phones as "evidence"

and reporting the B/O.

 

People will go to great lengths to get somebody in trouble

especially with the fare increase coming up soon. Like a B/O once said on here, people watch everything that we do. No way to hide it....

[SoSpectacular]

Let the flood of cellphone pictures and video begin!

[mark1447]

Let the flood of cellphone pictures and video begin!

 

Heh let it happen, each time the fires a worker they lose one. Cant imagine every b/o in the sstem doing it and NONE gets fired Lol!

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I like this policy.

 

I mean it's a very simply policy. NO ONE should be texting while driving, period. :tup:

[checkmatechamp13]

I mean it's a very simply policy. NO ONE should be texting while driving, period. :tup:

 

Exactly. If you feel it is that urgent that you have to respond immediately, pull over, stop the vehicle, and text. You may be thrown off schedule, but it is better than risking an accident.

[St Louis Car 09]

Of course now us bus fans are going to get the bird flipped on us everytime we take pics of buses,because we would be looked at as the next person on the news to put a B/O on blast.B)

[Nova RTS 9147]

Ill admit safety is important.. But people as always complaining for the littlest sh9t, instead of the more IMPORTANT things, such as a man pissing in the subway station, someone screaming or arguing in the train or bus.. Spitting, etc.. smh..

 

I normally don't go to extremes, but there's something fundamental that needs to be said here. Regardless of what vehicle you drive (bike, foot, bus, car, train, plane, jet, rollerblades), texting/using your cell phone is a very dangerous habit. Not everyone possesses the innate ability to operate a vehicle and drive at the same time. The fact that the act of using ones cell phone requires a level of concentration that may distract from another activity maybe not a large amount, but enough to still be considered significant. This poses a danger to pedestrians, motorists and passengers alike.

 

Is this a drastic step? No. I understand the gotcha game this company plays (sleeping overnight token booth clerk at low passenger station, track workers sitting down, ect.), but they're a b/o's and t/o's. People's lives are in their hands. Would it be okay if a train operator was playing tetris on gameboy? How about a bus driver making out with someone while the bus is in motion?

 

If you can get on a bus and be comfortable with a bus driver or train operator texting while driving, then god bless you. But that's something I find grossly unacceptable.

 

And to go back to the gotcha game; there's a huge difference between entrapment and gross negligence/stupidity!

 

 

According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which investigated the cause of the collision, the Metrolink train ran through a red signal before entering a section of single track where the opposing freight train had been given the right of way by the train dispatcher. The NTSB faulted the Metrolink train's engineer for the collision, concluding that he was distracted by text messages he was sending while on duty. (Entire article)

[ItaketheB1]

Can they do something about the drivers who read their Kindle/newspapers in between red lights.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Can they do something about the drivers who read their Kindle/newspapers in between red lights.

 

I've saw the newspaper readers, which actually don't bother me, but I've never seen B/Os reading kindles in between red lights.

[KNIGHTRIDER3:16]

Let the flood of cellphone pictures and video begin!

 

It's funny cuz now the Public has something else to do so I hope to Moon these peeps then call Command on my Phone/Radio and tell them I'm being bothered .....I already see it coming those Radio phones are gonna get us in trouble as well .

 

So public just to get this out the way kiss my culo cuz you all bullish anyway about us ooooh ooooh that bus op had A phone in his hand ooooh I saw it but I can't prove it but I saw it so the Dumbass MTA will blv that moron and before you know it the next class of bus ops will be in place cuz we are all gonna get fired but by all means My BROTHERHOOD of Bus ops Don't let that phone show for ish ya heard keep on Vibrate .

So please Public if you see something ,Say the B.S. you know ain't true PEACE

[INDman]

I read that with MBTA(Boston) doesn't even let the B/O's have a cell phone on the bus period. How they enforce that I don't know. I guess if you have a family emergency at home they have to go through the crew office first.

 

In an emergency they can use the PTT button to call console.

I guess it's not the B/O's job to call 911 if there is an emergency on the bus. But we all managed to get by without cellphones before they became common.

 

It's not just their B/Os, but trolley and subway operators too. If you are seen with a phone while on duty, that's it your fired.

[Shortline Bus]

I guess that recent story on by New York 1 with that T/O on the Flushing Line being caught texting on duty probably was last straw by the and lead to this strict warning.

[IRT Bronx Express]

Whatever happened to the guy that reported the T/O for texting? He admitted the truth here and just left.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Whatever happened to the guy that reported the T/O for texting? He admitted the truth here and just left.

 

He was out and out busted with that cell phone video.

[Eric B]

It's not just their B/Os, but trolley and subway operators too. If you are seen with a phone while on duty, that's it your fired.

I heard they can't bring it to work at all.

This, of course, after two major accidents on the trolleys. One would happen, and they just kept doing it.

 

I hope we don't keep messing around with this stuff here, and then passes a rule like that. (With nowhere to put it, I wouldn't even be able to have it on the way to/from work).

[Gotham Bus Co]

The MTA now plans to send a strong message to city bus drivers who text or talk on their cell phones, while driving.

 

Under the new "zero tolerance" policy any driver caught doing this just once could be fired.

 

Passengers Eyewitness news spoke to couldn't agree more with the policy.

 

"Yes, because they are in charge of all the people in the bus, so we cannot afford it," said one woman.

 

"If they have proof that they were doing it, yes, they shouldn't be doing it," said Sam Kirschner, a bus passenger.

 

But will the punishment always be fair?

 

Civil libertarians and the Transport Workers Union are concerned.

 

"Texting is serious and has to be dealt with harshly, but employees are entitled to fair process," said Donna Lieberman, of the New York Civil Liberties Union.

 

 

Why is there any controversy at all over something that is already ILLEGAL??

[East New York]

Can they do something about the drivers who read their Kindle/newspapers in between red lights.

 

Whats wrong with that?

[Mark 1]

I don't see what the fuss is about. This is just another way for snitches to get a feather in their cap and this zero tolerance bullshit is a waste of time. On the flip side, B/O's [and T/O's and C/R's] shouldn't even be on their phone while performing their duties in the first place so if you violate the rule, out you go.

 

In other words, people need to get a life.