Bus Driver Caught on Tape Reading Kindle While Driving

[Fat Abe]

Originally Posted by Alisa

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.

This subject has already been discussed by a blogger/reporter named Joseph Rose:

http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting..._bus_fi_1.html

Last fall, I reported that TriMet fielded more than 530 complaints over two years about operators talking, texting and playing games on cell phones and other gadgets while driving. In that time, only two operators were disciplined with written warnings.

TriMet responded by announcing that operators caught using mobile electronic devices on the job would face “immediate termination.”

As the video from the e-reader express shows, there are still bus drivers who apparently consider taking a phone call or getting to the next chapter more important than safety.

This year, riders have filed at least 80 complaints about such behavior. The number of drivers fired so far: Zero.

You can see where this is going. Lahcen Qouchbane (the bus driver) will hire a lawyer with a JD from a correspondence school. My cousin Vinnie or Jackie Chiles will countersue for the defense. The lawyer will turn the trial into a 2-ring circus by citing the story of a woman with just a bra and no shirt. The story gets traced back to a Kindle ebook from Amazon. The driver got distracted. It's not his fault. Sue Amazon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z36iEZxxt40

[rty]

Originally Posted by Fat Abe

You can see where this is going. Lahcen Qouchbane (the bus driver) will hire a lawyer with a JD from a correspondence school. My cousin Vinnie or Jackie Chiles will countersue for the defense. The lawyer will turn the trial into a 2-ring circus by citing the story of a woman with just a bra and no shirt. The story gets traced back to a Kindle ebook from Amazon. The driver got distracted. It's not his fault. Sue Amazon.

Just because some criminals could get away with the law in the past doesn't mean we should continue to let all of them off the hook. If you still have some faith in your legal system, you shouldn't be too concerned about how the defence lawyer might be turning it into a 2-ring circus.

[astra]

Originally Posted by Fat Abe

Sue Amazon.

Would you, you personally, be prepared to look into eyes of parents whose children die or become disabled because this driver was not fired and kept on reading Kindle while driving and crush, and repeat this sentence:

Sue Amazon.

? Would you be able to live the rest of your life without a twinge of guilty conscience?

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by Fat Abe

TriMet responded by announcing that operators caught using mobile electronic devices on the job would face “immediate termination.”

and if that threat didn't stop them, then nothing would !

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by Fat Abe

This subject has already been discussed by a blogger/reporter named Joseph Rose:

http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting..._bus_fi_1.html

Last fall, I reported that TriMet fielded more than 530 complaints over two years about operators talking, texting and playing games on cell phones and other gadgets while driving. In that time, only two operators were disciplined with written warnings.

TriMet responded by announcing that operators caught using mobile electronic devices on the job would face “immediate termination.”

As the video from the e-reader express shows, there are still bus drivers who apparently consider taking a phone call or getting to the next chapter more important than safety.

This year, riders have filed at least 80 complaints about such behavior. The number of drivers fired so far: Zero.

You can see where this is going. Lahcen Qouchbane (the bus driver) will hire a lawyer with a JD from a correspondence school. My cousin Vinnie or Jackie Chiles will countersue for the defense. The lawyer will turn the trial into a 2-ring circus by citing the story of a woman with just a bra and no shirt. The story gets traced back to a Kindle ebook from Amazon. The driver got distracted. It's not his fault. Sue Amazon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z36iEZxxt40

The fact remains this driver was clearly in the wrong and was properly terminated. We do not know if the other alleged incidents were not acted upon due to negligence on the part of transit company or because of insuficient evidence.

[GeoffC]

terminated must mean something different across your way, than it does over mine !

[dsvick]

Originally Posted by Fat Abe

This subject has already been discussed by a blogger/reporter named Joseph Rose:
This year, riders have filed at least 80 complaints about such behavior. The number of drivers fired so far: Zero.

The problem here is that complaints do not equal evidence of the act. I'm sure most of them are true but you can't fire someone because someone else said they did something wrong.

Maybe we need camera's in the buses, that are watching the drivers as well as the passengers.... all the time.... watching... recording...

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by dsvick

The problem here is that complaints do not equal evidence of the act. I'm sure most of them are true but you can fire someone because someone else said they did something wrong.

Maybe we need camera's in the buses, that are watching the drivers as well as the passengers.... all the time.... watching... recording...

I'm assuming you mean you can't fire someone because someone else said they did something wrong. And this is true. Anyone can lie.

I'm surprised all busses do not have a camera trained on the driver. This would both protect the driver and the company; the driver from false accusations (such as from angered customers trying to "get even" with the driver following regulations that inconvenience them) and the company from potential lawsuits and expense due to improper actions by their drivers. When I worked in a convenience store, I was glad there was a camera trained on me most of the time. It protected me from false accusations of theft and/or malingering (the latter from being unable to complete my work because previous shifts didn't do theirs and I had to do it for them before I could do mine).

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

terminated must mean something different across your way, than it does over mine !

On our side of the pond, most, if not all, companies now will record and report all departures from a company as a termination, no matter if one quit, was laid off, or was fired for incompetence or wrong doing, to avoid potential lawsuits. The use of termination also sounds more official than fired, quit, etc. and companies have a penchant for sounding official (such as calling garbage collectors sanitation engineers).

[GeoffC]

termination ; I have always associated the word with 'killed/executed' ....

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

termination ; I have always associated the word with 'killed/executed' ....

From dictionary.com:

ter·mi·na·tion   /ˌtɜrməˈneɪʃən/ Show Spelled
[tur-muh-ney-shuhn] Show IPA

–noun
1. the act of terminating
2. the fact of being terminated.
3. the place or part where anything terminates; bound or limit.
4. an end or extremity; close or conclusion.
5. an issue or result.
6. Grammar . a suffix or ending.
7. an ending of employment with a specific employer.

[GeoffC]

I'm not, in anyway, disparaging the definition - only saying what I always think/thought the word means; and perhaps more in context of abortion. I am, obviously mistaken in the main definitions.

[dsvick]

Originally Posted by Lady Fitzgerald

I'm assuming you mean you can't fire someone because someone else said they did something wrong. And this is true. Anyone can lie.

Yes, I did thanks! Technically, I guess you can though

[suecsi]

I see bus drivers in London using their mobiles all the time. One driver pulled over to the side of the road (which in theory was the responsible thing to do) but then kept all the passengers waiting for 10 minutes while he had a loud argument with his significant other. This was in rush hour and everyone was on the way to work, so they were getting really annoyed.

Sometimes this need to be 'always available' is pushed too far.

I haven't seen too much reading by bus drivers whilst moving - it is usually only in crawling traffic - and it isn't an ebook reader - its The Sun newspaper ....

[GeoffC]

If it's the Sun newspaper I would hardly call it reading.