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Monday, February 25, 2008
News UPDATE: “Vicious Trimet Driver…”
Posted by on Mon, Feb 25 at 4:10 PM
Update, 4:05: Here’s Trimet spokeswoman Mary Fetsch:
We did receive the complaint from the rider and it’s under investigation. We are determining if there is video available… unlikely it will be released until the investigation is complete. Regarding our policy when a bus is running late and another bus is within sight: The lead bus can skip a stop as long as the second bus is heading to the same destination. The operator should pull over and let the rider know that the second bus will stop for them. The reason we do this is to avoid ‘leap frogging’ with buses passing each other in traffic.
Original post, 8:36: We received this email from a frustrated reader on Friday:
Vicious Trimet DriverMore after the jump. We’ll follow up with Trimet this morning…This happened to me today! It’s unbelievable, but true. I would have never thought this would happen to me. Around 3:15 to 3:20pm today I got off the Tri-Met bus number 72 Killingsworth/82nd Ave, totally shaken.
The bus driver of bus ID 2302 was running behind schedule. This was evident to me as soon as I saw two buses arriving instead of one at the bus stop on Powell and 82nd. “Aw the first bus is probably a little more crowded, but what the hey… I’ll just get on the front bus,” I thought to myself.
As I approached the door, the bus driver said something to me. I leaned in and could see that the bus was not too crowded. I stepped up to get on the bus then suddenly felt the doors slam hard on my body, painfully clamping me in place (I am a back surgery survivor). I was horrified, wondering for a split second if maybe the bus driver was going to drive off with me still trapped in the doors. What I’m sure was only a second seemed like an eternity.
As the doors opened and released me, the driver began yelling at me angrily, “I told you to get on the other bus!” He shouted.”Well isn’t it OK if I get on this bus?” I was confused as to why he had slammed the doors on my body like that. The bus was not very crowded and the driver stopped at every stop thereafter to pick up additional passengers with no problem.
After I was released by the doors, I stepped backward and was again outside the bus. I asked the driver if it was necessary to get on the rear bus, and asked if I could just get on this bus (My mobility is limited since my back surgery). “Well I can’t stop you from doing what you’re gonna do… FINE!” He shouted with absolutely no remorse.”Hey, you just slammed me in the doors.” I said to which he responded with a, “Whatever!” I thought it very cold-hearted to have done such a thing and not show any kind of remorse, “You should have apologized. That would have been the professional thing to do.” I advised in my motherly tone. All the other passengers were astonished at what the driver had just done as they stared at me with their eyes wide open and their mouths gaping.
I immediately called Tri-Met, reporting the incident. I didn't get an apology from the Representative on the phone either. I was very disappointed in humankind at this point. They took information such as the bus number, nearest cross-street, my name, and my phone number. I should have got witnesses names and phone numbers, but I was so shaken up that I didn't think to, even though I was trying really hard to think about all the right things to do in this situation. She did ask if I was injured, which was good. I told her I didn't know yet since it had just happened. She then told me that I will need to call back and ask to talk to the claims line if I discover later that I am injured.This experience was pure hell, and I think it raises a lot of questions about Tri-Met drivers, and how our safety is not only compromised by riders, but also by the drivers themselves. I ride every day, and have seen Many drivers who are maniacal and display "road rage" behavior. It's a common occurrance for myself or others to all but fly down the aisle when a Tri-Met driver comes to a very abrupt and hard stop, or "hot rods it off the starting line" so to speak. I think Tri-Met should also make it a little easier to report unsafe or aggressive bus drivers. I have seen elderly people clinging on for dear life during a rough ride. I feel so sorry for them.
I never thought I would see the day when I could say that I felt like I was attacked by a Tri-Met driver. I know there's a pretty hefty reward for anyone who reports information leading to the arrest and conviction of a person responsible for the assault of a Tri-Met driver. What's the reward for reporting a Tri-Met driver who assaults a passenger?
Mia Sansom, daily TriMet passenger
Comments
call the police bureau and report a possible assault.
that'll get their fricken attention.
i've been on buses before where i saw drivers so out of control with rage that i seriously at one point felt like a driver was going to assault a passenger. for being too loud.
i think a large part of tri-met drivers who show this type of attitude has to do with their strict rules about keeping on schedule. i'm sure the driver slamming the door on this woman's back was related to him wanting to get going and keep on time, and he felt like she was preventing him from doing that.
Brutal
A few years ago, not being too familiar with the bus system and stranded downtown late at night, I attempted to get on a bus with conflicting info on it (different numbers on the front and back). So I asked the driver which bus it was and instead of telling me he snaps "What the hell does it say?" he was so angressive I ended up waking the 2 miles home. It's sad because many of the drivers I've encountered are really nice, the bad ones ruin it for everybody, just like bad passengers.
Back surgery survivor? Oh fuck. I'm a tonsillectomy survivor and a back surgery survivor!
Sounds to me that the driver was shutting the doors after telling the lady to get on the other bus and she stepped in and got caught. I don't believe the driver waited for her to start getting in so he could get her with the doors.
He probably should have apologized to her, but maybe that would be admitting fault and set her up for a lawsuit.
I was caught in the doors once when I was getting off the bus, it hurt a bit, but mostly I was embarrassed.
This lady who is complaining sounds like a dolt who is a busy body. Turn up your damn hearing aid...the driver told you to get on the other bus. Cry me a river...Waaa...Waaaa...Waaaaaaaaaaa
Why is the Merc even spending any time on this...what a waste! I thought you were all busy trying to take down Sho for Mayor?
Well I'm a tonsillectomy survivor and a back surgery survivor of color.
oh come on!!!
regardless of if she's a busy body, doesn't follow directions, etc.. nobody deserves to have fucking doors slammed on them and not even given the common courtesy of an apology.
i bet the trimet email list is starting to brew on this one.
uh-oh...bet Tri-met exec's are $hitting
all over themselves on this one...I would
if I were them...with a town full of some
of the best lawyers in the world, this is
a lot like hitting the lottery for this
victim...mega-bucks to her is all I got to
say ((and Sister can you lend me buck?))
stop bitching you dumb ho. so something bad happened to you...get over it you fucking pussy, people aren't getting paid to drive those huge ass busses just for you. they are working for the public as a whole. get over your fucking self.
this town is fucked.
grow some balls.
"Back surgery survivor? Oh fuck."
I had the same thought. Sounds like a major pain in the ass. Get over yourself.
I'm a stubbed toe survivor, BTW. We're have our annual run next month to raise money. Ironic, I know.
Could you all please post in your motherly tone? It's so easy to be skeptical of this situation when it sounds like a lawyer spoon fed her the letter. There's always three sides to the story...
Most TriMet drivers are great; I have a lot of respect for the work they do, given the stress of the job and the relatively low pay.
There are, however, motherfuckers among them. I've had my own experiences being insulted and yelled at, and I've never had back surgery.
When a Tri-Met driver is in a hurry or behind schedule things can get vicious pretty fast. What do they do to them at Tri-Met to make them so hostile? Most of them are really nice, but catch one of those assholes in a hurry and your life could be fair game, all in the name of their schedule.
The only time I ever took public transport in this town, the driver was amazing. He was so kind. I thought he must have been an out of work actor getting the feel of it for a part. I mean, why the fuck else would he want to demean himself by doing such a shitty job. The money?!
Sorry. I forgot. This is Portland. No jobs!
I was bitten in the scrotum by a coyote once, then, whilst walking to the bus stop, the bus driver, a minute and a half early mind you, laughed as he drove by.
Be sure to link the updated info in a prominent place, but here it is:
http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/2008/02/vicious_trimet_driver_not_so_m.php
It is pretty clear that the complaint has no real merit.
I am glad that you didn't stick you neck out on this one and draw any early conclusions.
So am I, Tony. So am I.
As a former TM empoyee, people get caught in doors of buses and trains all the time.
The issue about the driver is many, you drive a 40ft bus in todays traffic and try to keep any kind of schedule. I bet you can't even come close. The drivers are under extreme pressure to maintain schedules, it they do not they get written up or even loose their jobs. The drivers have no backing from management starting from assistant station managers to the general manager. The union isn't all that great with support as well. Sure this lady claims to have been caught in the doors of a bus and that is to bad but as I read she should have waited for the other bus. If this bus has video it will show her getting caught but don't look for alot of money, it just doesn't happen. TriMet doesn't care about customers or employees. As long as they have a body to take a run out is all that matters and staying on time. I could go on and on I have worked in claims and no a little how the system works.
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trimet's reaction here sounds pretty similar to when i got yelled at and kicked off a trimet bus a couple years ago (for having a sticker on my bike).
any trimet-related person didn't give a shit about how i was treated.....UNTIL:
the story got in the papers... then they started backpedaling.
thats when THEY started calling ME to apologize and work on rectifying the situation.
the difference bad press can make is astounding.