Bus Driver Caught on Tape Reading Kindle While Driving

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

I don't see any "stop and go"......cars are definitely moving. The tape clearly states "In the middle of rush hour traffic".

Yep. And being hit by a 40 foot bus even if it's only going 10-20 mph can be devastating. Plus, there is the liability to consider. If he has to slam on his brakes he stands a good chance of having a dozen or so people trying to get money out of the transit agency for whiplash. They're doing the right thing by firing him.

[Fat Abe]

He would turn the other page. If he were reading a Kindle.

It's time to calm down the discussion, and not turn this into a call for crucifying an unfortunate soul. We all agree that the man did not do the intelligent thing. But firing an employee of 10 years, while other bus drivers go free is too extreme. It would amount to selective enforcement of work rules, and lead to a major lawsuit. The government of Portland should tread slowly. Issue the man a warning and dock his pay. If he ever does it again, fire him and any others who violate written policy. Heck, make each employee sign a statement that they acknowledge the work rules, and fully understand the consequences of not following such rules.

[rty]

"Endangering the lives of others": Guilty as charged!

[astra]

Originally Posted by Fat Abe

He would turn the other page. If he were reading a Kindle.

It's time to calm down the discussion, and not turn this into a call for crucifying an unfortunate soul. We all agree that the man did not do the intelligent thing. But firing an employee of 10 years, while other bus drivers go free is too extreme. It would amount to selective enforcement of work rules, and lead to a major lawsuit. The government of Portland should tread slowly. Issue the man a warning and dock his pay. If he ever does it again, fire him and any others who violate written policy. Heck, make each employee sign a statement that they acknowledge the work rules, and fully understand the consequences of not following such rules.

Do you realise the full extent of what you are suggesting?
If they only reprimand him and he keeps on doing it and kill people, then administration who didn't invoke the proper level of punishment are going to jail for negligence and incompetence (and rightly so)?

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by Fat Abe

He would turn the other page. If he were reading a Kindle.

It's time to calm down the discussion, and not turn this into a call for crucifying an unfortunate soul. We all agree that the man did not do the intelligent thing. But firing an employee of 10 years, while other bus drivers go free is too extreme. It would amount to selective enforcement of work rules, and lead to a major lawsuit. The government of Portland should tread slowly. Issue the man a warning and dock his pay. If he ever does it again, fire him and any others who violate written policy. Heck, make each employee sign a statement that they acknowledge the work rules, and fully understand the consequences of not following such rules.

Have you actually looked into the facts surrounding this story? I was unable to download the link given in the first post of this thread but I did find a news video that not only showed the moron apparently changing pages while the vehicle was moving but, at one point, was steering with his elbow. Then, when he discovered a passenger had caught him on camera, tried to lamely cover up the evidence by saying no photos are allowed to be taken while the vehicle was moving. Part of the newscast I saw included an interview with a spokesperson from the bus line who said that it was company policy that no electronic devices are to be used or even on the driver's person while driving. He was removed from his bus immediately after the bus line found out about it and placed under administrative leave pending investigation, then fired. The bus line reacted responsibly and appropriately.

What other bus drivers were you referring to that are going free? I could find nothing mentioned anywhere about them.

[rhmorrison]

Heck, make each employee sign a statement that they acknowledge the work rules, and fully understand the consequences of not following such rules.

He did that when he got his CDL!

[rty]

Originally Posted by Fat Abe

It's time to calm down the discussion, and not turn this into a call for crucifying an unfortunate soul.

Alright. He got caught and fired so you call him an "unfortunate soul". Suppose his recklessness led to a fatal accident, would you call his victims "unfortunate souls" as well?

Originally Posted by Fat Abe

We all agree that the man did not do the intelligent thing. But firing an employee of 10 years,

Don't you agree what he did endanger the lives of himself and others? Isn't endagering the lives of others constitute a criminal offence? Should anyone in the US be immune of the criminal law? If not, then what does 10 year of employment got anything to do with the crime?

Originally Posted by Fat Abe

... while other bus drivers go free is too extreme.

Wait wait wait... are you saying that you have knowledge or saw other bus drivers who read Kindle while driving and go free? Is this a common thing in the US? Care to enlighten me please?

Originally Posted by Fat Abe

It would amount to selective enforcement of work rules, and lead to a major lawsuit.

I was told that good deterence is necessary to maintain law and order. I think the driver was lucky that he is not put behind bars.

Originally Posted by Fat Abe

The government of Portland should tread slowly. Issue the man a warning and dock his pay. If he ever does it again, fire him and any others who violate written policy. Heck, make each employee sign a statement that they acknowledge the work rules, and fully understand the consequences of not following such rules.

And you think a warning and a docked pay are enough. Sigh...

[Barcey]

What Would Jesus Do?

I don't know. Hopefully he would listen to Carrie Underwood and "Take the Wheel". Of course it's probably a mute point because Arizona would have deported him for not producing ID.

[J. Strnad]

Firing is appropriate. He broke the rules quite knowingly and deliberately, endangering the lives and well-being of others, and does not deserve a job driving a forty-foot bus. It's not like they executed the guy; they just said, "This job is not for you."

That said, I read my Kobo while driving along Pacific Coast Highway once. Well, you could hardly call it "driving." There'd been an accident and traffic was at a complete standstill. First I ate my lunch, then I settled in for some light reading. Forty minutes later, traffic started to move again and I put my reader away.

[mrscoach]

yeah, I've been in traffic so bad that nothing moved, and everyone turned off their cars. THEN it would be ok to read while in the driver's seat. Or when in 'park' while on the road because of traffic. As long as the reader is put away before moving again.

[GeoffC]

I cannot understand how anyone can defend this driver,

unless this method of driving is the "norm" for the defenders' country.

[dsvick]

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

It's not a lack of common sense to not raise a pitchfork and cry out "string 'em up!" to a video of a semi-competent driver doing a mildly "distracting" activity under conditions which do not demand extreme vigilance. Perhaps he continued his reading into areas or driving conditions which do require a higher degree of active attention, but the video did not show that.

As I said, I wouldn't recommend such behavior, particularly as it was against company policy, but your demonizing is excessive and unnecessary.

Dude! He's driving a multi-ton bus...
On the highway...
in the rain...
with his elbow...
while reading a book.

'nuff said!

He doesn't have to doing 50 mile per hour in order to kill someone. If he rear ends someone, even doing as little as 10 miles an hour, he could kill them. What if there is a little kid in the car in front of him? A pregnant woman? What if one of the passengers on his bus is handicapped?

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by Barcey

...Of course it's probably a mute point because Arizona would have deported him for not producing ID...

I just love how people living nowhere close to AZ and have no clue what is going on here are so quick to condemn us. I know what you said was tongue in cheek but it's a sore point here.

[alecE]

Driving requires concentration. When you drive your car you have the responsibility not to endanger your passengers and other road users. If you drive a bus, you have the responsibility to not endanger your passengers and other road users. If you read whilst driving you lose concentration and endanger your passengers and other road users. And if you're caught you get fired, which is better than being killed in a road accident.

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by Fat Abe

But firing an employee of 10 years, while other bus drivers go free is too extreme. It would amount to selective enforcement of work rules, and lead to a major lawsuit.

That would only work if evidence that other drivers were violating the policy had been brought to the attention of the transit agency and the drivers had not been disciplined or fired. That's a bit of a reach.