Some serious concerns about driver distracting behaviors on our work bus

Update, September 16, 2019:

This past May, beside submitting these unwelcome driver-distracting concerns, I submitted this (below) to the bus company and two social services agencies. Though I haven't noticed any results yet, it's possible that this is something that various managers handle discreetly. Every agency I submitted this to, at least replied to the message, acknowledging this is something that should be looked into, except for no reply forthcoming from the bus company. Skills Management claims that they can't really doing anything about events on the bus - it's "out of their jurisdiction."


Yet, when I witnessed an actual assault on the bus by one of the Skills workers upon another and tape-recorded this, they acted more concerned.  Skills management later told me that the bus management (instead of thanking me) is most concerned about me filming on their buses! 


It feels like someone is getting "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" confused with "If you see something, say something." What if someone assaulted a member of their family? Would they not hope for the best evidence? 


Delegating authority should not be equated with passing the buck and I keep feeling as if I'm getting lip-service over these various bus concerns, with limited actual change or improvements of the important issues.
 JB

Original post: May, 02, 2019:

Skills of Central Pennsylvania, Benner Pike, State College

Centre County Transportation, Milesburg, Pennsylvania

To whom it may concern,

I have pressing concerns about unwholesome habits being demonstrated by some Skills workers on our Centre County Transportation work commuter bus. These have become so out of hand that they frequently distract our dedicated bus drivers.

As a Skills Program worker over the past year, I’m grateful for the training I’m paid for, as well as the supplementary bus rides between my residence and work. This has made a big difference and improvement in my life.

And I like to think I can carry these precious skills onward and upward to other aspects of my life. I believe positive attitudes and outlooks can overlap, influence and rub off onto fellow colleagues; therefore it strikes me as disheartening when I experience negative ones as manifested in the following scenario which repeats itself so much that it’s become predictable:
 

First, the bus driver travels over a bump and somebody sitting in the back shouts over our whole group that he’s going to kill, strangle, beat, or otherwise disfigure the driver if they don’t slow down more. Then, others chime in angrily, saying it can’t be helped and that they will then kill or maim the complainer someway. Everything heats up more, as riders commence shooting personal insults to each other from several angles. Often this unhealthy banter gets recharged over the next bump and continues boisterously for the full bus ride or at least until involved passengers depart. Not only that, but there are other standard protocols of politeness that some Skills workers disregard daily, such as leaving the aisle seat open and properly securing their safety belts, even after the driver asks for this.

On the bright day I learned of my bus riding approval I received a memo which included the guideline: “Passengers must conduct themselves in an orderly and polite manner when riding in county vehicles.”  Presumably, the other riders and / or guardians received the same memo.

I feel that if I say nothing about this unacceptable societal failure, then it follows I’m giving my sanction that it’s okay. The last straw occurred recently at lunch one day when a Skills staff manager made a similar comment in jest about killing someone. This was in response to a minor question from a co-worker when Ms. ____ __ answered “I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill you!”  An old worn out joke for sure, but not one that everyone at Skills comprehends. Half-shocked to hear this myself, I sensed the surprise and confusion coming from the young woman who asked the question, and then soon left (to cry?) And certainly a grievous trigger point for others who have lost loved ones to violence. Indeed, our widespread TSA agents arrest and interrogate glib travelers for lesser offhand ‘jokes.’ about violent acts.

If integrating Skills workers into the community is still part of Skills mission, as I’m told it is, then I would like to point out another pertinent observation: In my vast experience of finding respectable employment over the past forty-five years the majority of the better jobs I’ve discovered came through personal contact or via word of mouth. Many workers I’ve met have experienced this same serendipity. Even now, it’s likely that someone on the bus or even the driver is or knows of homeowners or businesses looking for decent help with various chores, e.g.: gardening, grass cutting, dog-walking, gutter cleaning, cooking, leaf raking, trash- recycle sorting, garage sweeping, knitting, vacuuming, sewing, fruit-picking, stable cleaning, fetching tools, folding tarps, painting, snow-shoveling, furniture rearranging,  brush removal, etc. The odd job list is long...

But if potential employers sometimes we encounter on the buses experience a constant sea of Skills disharmony; seeing perpetually rude and disorderly behaviors, this impression immediately dissuades those prospective employers and that bad imprint gets shared with others.

I have faith in my work colleagues that several of them will see the light right away when this is explained by someone with the proper timing and authority. Other good news is that at least one bus driver has already vowed to keep the bus atmosphere ship-shape, and starting by requiring window seat placement for those first on, when additional riders are expected. 

Posting a sign on the bus could help remind riders that bus privileges come along with the responsibility of respecting other commuters. 

At Skills we have occasional days off when no work is scheduled, and here we help with volunteer projects instead. Why not consider a few hours of one of those days for training or a refresher course about courteousness, even if it’s just done in small groups? Tacking on a small challenge for Skills workers to use to their imaginations to say something complimentary about each other would be a nice start.

I’m impressed by the safety standards our Commonwealth of Pennsylvania uses in other important niches now, such as automatically cancelling registrations when drivers insurances lapse, and implementing brief back road closures for migrating turtle egg-layers. Bus services themselves may have already set aside funds for safety programs which dissuade driver distraction, and if so, may offer to go in half when approached with an idea for a brief annual refresher meeting or class to remind riders of their respectful responsibilities. Such a gesture could go a long way in helping mend these inappropriate and outlandish driver-distracting behavioral patterns.

Thank you,

JB 

c.c. Centre County Transportation

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, safety division.

Immediate benefits of bus riding

Immediate benefits of bus riding

(And some hidden costs of not)

draft 2 

Being new to Centre County I was surprised by the limited scope that bus services offer between Penns Valley and the bustling State College community. But after riding to work for a year aboard the efficient, but thinly spread transport system that Centre County offers Centre Hall, I gathered a few observations about why this might be.

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My fellow passengers pointed out that our county commissioners have long sought to expand Penns Valleys ride services. But our transport managers believe this won’t work when they’ve held discussions and conducted feasibility tests, because commuters quite enjoy the freedom of driving their own cars and have tight schedules to keep. Driving one’s own car may give a strong sense of independence, but I wonder how many of these commuters have conducted their own comparative studies?

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For instance, how much do you think you’ve invested in your own vehicles maintenance, bodywork and upkeep over these last decades? What about fuel costs and insurance?  Moving violations, parking tickets and meter fees? Car depreciation costs? And what about folks who gamble driving home after some drinks? And what then if they crash into somebody and hurt them? That shaky decision can prove to be more costly than the value of a new car.

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Besides these sometimes unconsidered price factors, people who choose mostly not to ride buses miss out on other enhancements: Riding the bus helps ease road rage. We create time to get to know each other better, and discuss community issues. We can take quick power naps. We listen to educational recordings and music playlists through earbuds. Without distraction, we conduct business and make personal phone calls. We experience freedoms of cloud watching and daydreaming. On the bus we make book annotations and concoct riddles with gag prizes. We playfully share go-to jokes, solve crosswords and contemplate mindbenders. 

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Other frequent treats we share in this merry commute include creative poetry sessions, seasonal songs in unison, catchy limericks rehearsed, and bus Haiku’s spoken. Spring brings colorful natural photo ops and wildlife watching. Just yesterday two smiling passengers shared interesting stories about their recent spring bear encounters. Overall, this multitude of options gives riders broad ways to smooth out and balance our characters. And we find this wholesome fun more apparent now, when we compare it to most of the times when we drove alone.  

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Many bus services provide convenient aps, which indicate if particular buses are running on schedule. Seniors, children and disabled folks frequently qualify for discounted or free rides. On rare occasions when a bus breaks down, fresh drivers soon appear with relief buses. If additional commuters decide they want to be part of the solution for traffic-jams and pollution bytaking the bus, the higher demand will open the possibility for expanded bus routes with frequenter stops.

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Provo, Utah’s Transit Authority encouraged more bus riders by making its service free for a while. This increased their ridership fivefold in the first month of their new rapid transit route between Provo and Orem. Most riders quickly become more comfortable with using buses after simply going through the ritual of trying them out for a few times.  We too, can make similar improvements here, around our cutting-edge college town, when more of us decide to become a viable part of the solution in this modern bus era.

https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2018/09/25/uta-finds-way-fill-buses/

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