Ride-On's Hostile Operator/s
May 23, 2006
To whom it may concern:
This is a formal letter of complaint against the operator of bus 5832 at 7:30 pm, on May 23, 2006. The bus operator was driving a northbound route 55 trip. When I exited the bus, I made a comment regarding his operation of the bus and the fact that he was running 4 min early and should wait to prevent any persons from missing his trip. At which point he responded that is was none of my business. I replied that it was my business as I was a frequent rider of Ride-On, and Metrobus. At this point the operator closed his front door on my arm. At this point, I could have been badly injured if I had not been strong enough to hold the door open. My mom, who had rode the bus with me during the northbound route 55 trip, exited from the rear door of the bus, ran to the front to see what was happening. The operator then reopened the front door. My arm was caught for about 10 seconds before the operator reopened the door. At this point, I asked for the operator’s name. He took off his seat belt and tried to kick me. I then asked for his name again. I saw his ID badge at his lower right side and tried to read his name. He then desperately tried to cover up and did cover up his ID badge. I think he even managed to take it off.
The attempted kick was a strong display of hostility on the part of the operator. The only reason the operator did not kick me was because I threatened to call the police if he kicks me. He made an attempt to kick me but missed. The fact that he also closed the door on my arm is a use of his door as a weapon. Luckily the door was rubberized to prevent injury. Had I not been strong enough to hold the door open, I would have sustained injuries, as could have my mom. Further the attempted kick is assault and so I have filed a police report against the operator seeking criminal and civil charges.
This operator has had a history of bad customer service when he passed me up at a clearly marked bus stop during the middle of the afternoon. He was also rude to me when I asked him about not stopping for me at Montgomery Village Avenue and Walker’s Choice Road. This recent event should make anyone convinced that he should not be driving a public transit bus. It needs to serve as an example that hostility and assault of passengers will not be tolerated by Ride-On or the police. I want access to and a copy of the video taken by cameras aboard the bus.
Sincerely,
P.S. My calls to Mr. Keith at 240-777-5935 have gone unanswered. I was given this phone number by Wendy Moody, Transit Communications Supervisor right after the assault.
Excuse me?? Why shouldn't it be my place to tell the bus driver he is running early. What diff does it make? What so special about Rideon Time. Let me tell you something. Rideon time is not official time--yo the time on yo watch, brother. So I am not a rideon employee? What the hell difference does that make? NONE!! You weren't there. So if you have nothing positive to add to this forum, just shut your damn mouth!!
I will have to agree with the replies to this message. Cue bus makes it an official by printing in their schedules that riders "should plan to be at (their) stop at least five minutes ahead of the scheduled arrival."
This actually happened on my bus this morning. A gentlemen chased down my bus and caught it as it left the stop two minutes early. He complained to the driver that he needs to wait for the schedule. The driver accepted what the schedule said, but also told the rider that the Cue system recommends you have at least five minutes lee-way early or late, due to many factors which can affect timing, such as traffic lights, and passengers boarding/leaving.
I am in no way justifying what the ride-on driver did, however, despite svilter's best intentions, it is not his/her job to protect people who are gambling by showing up at the bus stop when they think the bus is just about to arrive.
Just wanna say that I thought the following were excellent replies:
WMATAGMOAGH wrote on Thu, 01 June 2006 01:18
It was not your place to tell the bus driver up front that he should wait to fall back on schedule. Did you have official Ride-On time? Do you know that he was 4 minutes early and not 16 or 26 minutes late? Are you a Ride-On employee who is in a position to reprimand a bus driver for running early? What you should have done is simply alighted from the bus without making any comments and submitted a complaint by phone or e-mail to Ride-On directly. Your actions were out of line, regardless of what the operator did.
mtabusrunner wrote on Fri, 02 June 2006 18:47
If you had a problem with the Operator being 4 up (and that may well be YOUR time and not Ride-On's), you should have followed up through normal complaint channels, not confronting the Operator regarding it. Given the obvious bias and vitrol you posess in your posts, how you spoke to the Operator could potentially be seen as verbal assault, and if persistent, it would be obvious harassment.
Reading through many of the prior posts that I have read, it is obvious that there is some severe degree of "Misery loves Company" going on with this poster. Perhaps if the posts were balanced to the point where there was at least a decent amount of praise for the things that go right at Ride-On, people would be more attentive when the posts appear that show signs of trouble. Instead, the overwhelming bias is extremely negative, this for an operation that is typically well regarded, though not perfect (and what transit operation IS perfect).
If you have never spent time "in the seat" driving a bus, you could never appreciate the things that a Bus Operator must go through in doing their job. (I spent over 11 years driving big city transit.) As the front line, an Operator must endure a continuous stream of complaints:
* People who fuss about no AC as if it's the Operator's choice not to turn it on (but, of course, as I LOVVVE the feeling of sticking to my undergarments) - many of these same people will open the windows with the AC operating, thus overheating the whole system, greatly increasing the chance of a breakdown.
* People who fuss at YOU because your leader didn't show up (why, certainly, I AM the one who yanked his alternator belt off its driver, causing his bus to shut off, simply because I wanted to pick up all these extra people!)
* People who complain that they're going to miss their connection, when THEY time it too tight, or time it to be downright impossible.
* People who complain about the bus being late, never mind that THEY are the first one boarding in a crowd, and DON'T even have their fare at all READY - If you're not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.
* and of course, the always popular "YOU'RE going to MAKE ME late for work!" on a day when you're hitting every timepoint on scratch.
All this, while dealing with the challenges of operating in and out of traffic to make bus stops, as you try to accomodate people and keep your schedule for people who often treat you with little respect, act rowdy and malicious, and still expect the world for their dollar and change.
I managed to do well in 11 years in the seat, but I had many of my share of bad days, and any number of bad schedules, in which I had to "borrow three" from the origin just to have enough time to get into town just a few minutes late. It wasn't being done so much for my benefit, but rather the riders. It was either leave 3 minutes early, and get there just 3 minutes late, or it was leave on time, and get there more than 10 minutes late (creating far more missed connections), and thus killing the schedule for the return trip entirely. In essence, I saw it as the lesser of two evils.
Theoretically, one could fuss that this was the wrong choice, but given that the times were made by someone who never drove, and that getting them changed would not happen, I, as most drivers did, opted to make "an adjustment" that ultimately would keep the bus as close to time across its shift as possible. Very few people had a problem with this, as most experienced transit riders know to be at a stop 5 minutes before a bus is due to arrive.
If you had a problem with the Operator being 4 up (and that may well be YOUR time and not Ride-On's), you should have followed up through normal complaint channels, not confronting the Operator regarding it. Given the obvious bias and vitrol you posess in your posts, how you spoke to the Operator could potentially be seen as verbal assault, and if persistent, it would be obvious harassment.
Very few people like being told how they should do their job, especially by someone who has never actually done the same job they are doing.
If i was a manager i would IGNORE you too. You have a very biased opinion, you need to look at your self before you criticize others.
I'l tell you. Ride-On has a good network of routes and strong ridership due to a host of historical reasons. However, many drivers are lousy and should not be driving a bus. Many of the supervisors and managers are incompetent replying back with insufficient responses. Never have I experienced such incompetence in any other transit system.
It was not your place to tell the bus driver up front that he should wait to fall back on schedule. Did you have official Ride-On time? Do you know that he was 4 minutes early and not 16 or 26 minutes late? Are you a Ride-On employee who is in a position to reprimand a bus driver for running early? What you should have done is simply alighted from the bus without making any comments and submitted a complaint by phone or e-mail to Ride-On directly. Your actions were out of line, regardless of what the operator did.
I strongly suggest you spend some time in other locales where the public transit is significantly worse than Ride-On, which is actually a very well run and good system. Try dealing with a system where most routes run every one to three HOURS, don't run weekends, don't run after 7 PM, and where if you get a driver who is merely ambivelent to the passengers, it is a good day since most drivers are downright rude and hostile to the passengers. Then maybe you will appreciate the fact that Ride-On is actually a very good system that has some faults, but overall, is still a good system.
Again, today, Thursday, May 25, 2006
Operator of bus 5835 on a southbound 55 to Rockville. Bus that is scheduled to pass Lakeforest at 3:40 p.m. Cursed at me saying the F-word. How dare Ride-On operators be so rude? He passed my stop at 355/Professional Drive because he was already in the left lane ready to turn left, instead of being in the right lane. I point out his mistake and bam I get hit with a profanity. Further, I ask him to clarify what he said and again said F-you.
That's 2 Ride-On operators in a week and a non responding Ride-On supervisor. C'mon Mr. Keith.
MetroRiders.Org Newsletter
Poll Coming Soon
Watch this space for future Poll Questions.
Two years to come up with a response? Where you have to resort to profanity, even.
Sorry, I don't appreciate hostility and profanity. I will not resort to your level by telling you to "shut your damn mouth" but I will again refer you to read all policies regarding the bus, and that riders need to be prepared for it to be 5 minutes early. With that I will leave this discussion.