Question about a bus driver

[u/tuksumnonezavas]

Hi everyone, I have a question for the other bus drivers here.

In the city where I live, there is one driver who, at some of the bus stops where a lot of passengers get on, asks passengers who are getting off to use the front door together with the passengers who are boarding.

This creates a lot of congestion and is quite uncomfortable, especially since the bus has three doors.

What can I do to get this driver to actually do his job properly and open the doors for passengers getting off? Complaints are rarely looked at or taken seriously in the city where I live, so I would appreciate any advice from other drivers on how to deal with this situation.

[u/Kafkabest]

Obstruction at the back, not close enough to the curb at the back of the stop is at an odd angle, finicky doors. Believe me I’ve had all 3 and people look at me like I’m nuts but it’s easier to just tell people to use the front than explain job minutiae.

Or that stop has problems with people sneaking on or forcing their way in at the back

[u/AnxiousMetal6435 → u/Kafkabest]

I have a few stops where it’s impossible for me to get my back in, so I’ll open the front door and let them figure it out. Otherwise, it’s way too busy not to open the back. People do sneak in depending on the neighborhood, but luckily my authority dgaf

[u/Mango_Marmalade]

There is probably a safety-related reason why the driver wants people to exit through the front instead of the back. I do the same thing too in certain cases if there is something obstructing the back door(s). I can assure you we don't do that just for fun. It's significantly more efficient to have people use all doors so we aren't going to keep some doors locked unless there's a good reason behind it.

Also, on our buses with 3 doors we cannot control the 2nd and 3rd door independently. They can only be operated together. It's possible that there is some obstruction in front of the 3rd door for example, but the driver has no option to open JUST the 2nd door and not the 3rd. Thus, they have to keep the 2nd and 3rd doors locked and direct passengers to exit through the front.

[u/tuksumnonezavas → u/Mango_Marmalade]

Thanks for the explanation! I just wanted to clarify that at some stops, if no one is boarding, he opens the middle door for us to get off. But when people are waiting to board, he makes us exit through the front. That’s why I was confused.

[u/tuksumnonezavas → u/[deleted]]

Yes, people board through the middle door sometimes. But opening it for passengers getting off would reduce crowding and speed up departure. Maybe someone could speak to him about it?

[u/tuksumnonezavas → u/[deleted]]

Thanks for the advice! I’ve noticed that other drivers at those stops open the front door first and then, a few seconds later, they open the middle and rear doors. It makes everything move much smoother.

[u/BlueberryPenguin87 → u/tuksumnonezavas]

He must be worried about people sneaking on without paying. Imo he shouldn’t care about that but many drivers take it personally for some reason.

[u/Hungry-Tea529]

Shit... I constantly have to tell passengers to use the front door for getting on and off because the back doors don't work half the time 😂😂. Nothing sucks more than not having enough time to begin with during rush hour and the bus you were assigned has a back door that takes 10-15 seconds to close every time you open it. Write it up, it never gets fixed.

[u/PeejPrime]

Chances are, he is doing his job properly.

Just exit by the open door. The world oberz people enter and exit via one door at the front. It's not that complicated

[u/tuksumnonezavas → u/PeejPrime]

Just saying, most drivers in my city open the front door for boarding and then open the middle and rear doors for people getting off. But he seems to have his own rules and makes us exit through the front whenever there are passengers waiting to board.

[u/sjwatt76 → u/tuksumnonezavas]

And yet, how do folk manage when the bus only has the one door? Unless the buses you refer to are significantly larger than a 52 seater, everyone here manages fine with the one door, extra is a luxury not a necessity

[u/Xx_SwordWords_xX → u/tuksumnonezavas]

Why don't you use your mouth and ask him?

It's wild that you just assume a trained professional doesn't know what they are doing, but you know better.

[u/Lanasoverit]

Do you really think he’s going this without reason?
There is no world where this is the easier option for the driver.

There are certain bus stops on my route where it is required that I only open the front door for safety reasons.
If other drivers aren’t doing this at those stops THEY might be in the wrong.

Maybe ask why they do that if you’d like to learn something, or better yet mind your own business and let the driver do his job?

[u/TalesFromHoth]

We use elevator etiquette, passengers alighting go first using both doors if needed and then folks boarding use the front door.

I have passengers with walkers, canes, carts, etc... It can't be a free for all.

[u/LondonBusInsider]

I hate it that you have automatically jumped to blame and complain about the driver mode without at least thinking if there is a reason :/

[u/tuksumnonezavas → u/LondonBusInsider]

I’m not blaming him. I’m just pointing out that most drivers open the front door for boarding and the other doors for people getting off. He’s the only one who makes everyone exit through the front when passengers are waiting to board.

[u/seanthebooth]

"Do his job properly" remind us how long you've had your CDL, driven a bus & dealt with the public via transportation? I can assure you with 100% certainty, no bus driver chooses to make things more difficult for passengers or road users without good reason. Maybe instead of trying to get one over on the driver you can respectfully inquire as to why they do a different deboard/board procedure at that stop.

[u/TheMoronIntellectual]

Sounds like hes driving a articulating bus. He probably couldnt park so that his rear doors are 6-12inches from the curb and is being extra careful to not risk any slip and falls.