Got on the 52 in Bayers Lake last night. Sat down and zoned out. It took me about five minutes to realize the bus hadn’t moved. Then I noticed that the driver had left the bus. That seemed odd since the bus was already a few minutes late. Another five minutes passed. People on the bus are looking around going, WTF? Finally, five minutes after the bus should have arrived at Lacewood terminal, the bus driver comes hurrying back to the bus carrying a BAG OF FAST FOOD.
Seriously, bus driver? SERIOUSLY? I know you have to eat, but Whiskey Tango Foxtrot! A bus full of people missed their connections at a time of day when many routes only run once per hour, because you had to eat. I don’t even know how to process that. More than twelve hours later, I’m still stunned.
This article appears in Sep 23-29, 2010.
I once witnessed a busdriver do pretty much the same thing one day; he came to an abrupt halt between stops jumped out of the bus and ran across the street to a pizza joint. He came back with a slice the size of his head and coke. Which he ate while driving haha! I was actually kinda impressed.
File a complaint about him.
You should file a complaint with MT and the bus driver should invest in some granola bars.
While I’m all for drivers getting a break to have something to eat (I mean, most people would be outraged if their employer required them to work 8 hours straight with no break for food), I’m guessing this occurred at the Mumford terminal, right, OP? Well, there’s also a McDicks at Lacewood — wouldn’t it’ve made more sense for the driver to get to Lacewood so people could get their transfers (because transferring on a Sunday at Lacewood SUCKS balls because the schedules run together where you have all the busses coming in, and then nothing for a goddamned hour — thought it HAS gotten better since the 52’s been on half hour runs) and THEN run over to McDonalds?
Or, you know, maybe pack a sandwich.
Either or.
Also: many times I’ve been on the blasted 52 which was already late and the driver jumps out at Lacewood to have a smoke and a chat with other drivers, which is a huge mutha fucking piss off.
ever consider that it might have been a scheduled break, you wouldn’t want an inept driver putting your ass in danger would you. he might also been a diet controled diabetic, consider that.
In the morning on the 60 going to EP/Heritage Hills, the bus driver will frequently stop at the A&W for a coffee- I can’t remember if it’s the 812 or the 827 (and also to be fair I’ve cycled all summer and I’m not sure if he’s still doing it, or if it’s still the same driver). Thank god that the 60 *is* my connecting bus, I can only assume that he gets back on schedule before he turns around to do the run to the bridge?
Food is a better reason to leave the bus than a fake seal :)!
or packs of roaming zombies…screee
I have no idea why this would happen but it might have been a contractual issue. In other words, perhaps the collective agreement guarantees the driver a meal break after so many hours on the road, but because of some other issue (earlier equipment breakdown, replacement coverage for someone off sick, etc) the driver had no recourse but to grab a meal on the run.
Just putting it out there . . .
@Commandante Esposito I’m sure that’s usually the case, it’s too bad that there isn’t a solution that ensures that bus drivers get (well deserved) meal breaks and also ensures that transit users get where they need to be on time (to catch other buses, etc).
I would have gotten off and walked , it was really nice on Sunday. Most people these days are too damn lazy. Thats why we are just getting bigger and bigger. A good friend of mine is a bus driver and he tells me people get on his bus all the time and then get off again a few stops down the street, which is pathetic if you don’t want to wait for the bus for whatever reason ( traffic , smoke or lunch breaks ) then walk. Exercise wont kill you.
Did he share?
Where’s PDG?
I only worry when I see them disappear into a bar ‘going for a leak’.
LS: if he was a controlled diabetic he wouldn’t be eating mcdicks. And any diabetic with any sense or concern over their blood sugar control is either gonna carry something to eat based on their daily schedule considering their job requirements, or they’re going to carry some glucose tablets/candy in case of a sugar low.
Yeah, he probably had a scheduled break, but it’s not like he couldn’t’ve waited until he got to Lacewood to run over and grab some food there. And if things are THAT tight: bring a goddamned sandwich with you.
has it come to this. you are leaving your cave, where am i going, i will need to eat i should take some sustenance
The 52 sucks. Period. There are a shitload of people (like me) that work in the park and it rarely ever runs on time. This morning it left Mumford when it should be arriving at Lacewood too. Only no stop for food, he just sat there forever.
What about all of the people who were expecting the bus at a certain time between Mumford & Lacewood? They would have missed their bus to work because he was really early at Mumford but sat there so gd long, that he was late at Lacewood. I am at the bus stop about 10 mins earlier than it’s expected just in case he doesn’t care about the actual schedule.
The 52 seems to sit at lacewood FOREVER sometimes and then is late when it comes back around from teletech. It SUCKS.
Plus it’s one of the most ghetto-est busses out there, but I mean, it goes through north dartmouth, fairview, etc… so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that it’s usually 90% riff raff at any given time.
Unfortunately, I have to take the 4 and get to work almost 35 minutes early because I can’t count on the 52 at all. Ever. RIDICULOUS.
*Sees the PDG Bat signal* What’d I miss while I was getting hitched?
Yeahhhhhhh…this is not kosher for a driver to do. Pack lunches, snacks, whatever, save the rotten ronnies for layovers. If the driver was going in for a shit, I don’t think anyone’d complain (assuming they assumed, lol), but we don’t have a “get a meal” break allowance in our CA. Phone it in OP, this is valid.
52 hasn’t been overly reliable ever since the new buses started dominating the routes. Novabus did come tune the engines a bit and I hope it helps.
Getting hitched? Congrats PDG! That was definitely worth the lengthy absence. But miss? Not a hell of a lot.
Rants from kay and montrealman/annie, nonsensical posts by the suckster, Ivan has become king again, bus bitches, garbage bitches, relationship insanity, etc. Just a regular day in the bitchin’ neighbourhood.
The thing I notcie most about the 52 is that at any given time there’s one following right behind the other. I was waiting across from Swiss Chalet (on the way to Bayers) for the 16 and two 52s came up at the same time then not even 5 minutes later ANOTHER 52 came by… I understand that that bus runs the most frequently, but they are ALWAYS together!!
felicitations a notre conducteur d’autobus prefere…screee
I love the 52… so I suppose I’m one of the skeezy’s riding it from time to time.
It’s basically designed as a door to door service to some good friends of mine…
couldn’t have worked it better.
If there’s one lone person at the back, everyone half a bus distance away or greater, and he’s staring into an abyss with a cold, piercing stare…..
ya, that’s me.
I take the 52 twice a day 5 days a week to get to work at teletech. Every single day it is late. After a month of late busses I just started leaving for work a full hour and a half before my shift, instead of the hour. The bus is supposed to leave the bridge terminal at Five to the hour and 25 minutes after the hour. Sometimes the bus is so late it’s on time for the next run.
I wish there was an express 52 so those of who work in bayers lake can get to work and home quickly. I for one would love to not spend 2 hours of my day on the bus. Esp
“Plus it’s one of the most ghetto-est busses out there…”
You are so right! I have my ipod volume so loud that I am probably doing permanent damage to my ears, but I cannot listen to the ghetto conversations. It’s bad enough I have to look at their tramp stamps, ass cracks, fake nails, filthy and/or skanky clothes. Don’t even get me started on the footwear.