Tuesday, September 22, 2015

                            NYC's MTA:  Professional?

I've read recently about incidents involving the city transit drivers in New York City in which pedestrians are being run over in the crosswalks (while crossing legally with the light) by MTA buses making right turns without slowing down.
And, also, about city council members and local lawmakers considering a bill that would exonerate city bus drivers from accountability for injuries and even death to pedestrians and bicyclists as a result of being struck by any MTA buses.

Years ago, in 1977, I befriended an A/CTransit driver (in Oakland/Berkeley) and managed to have a few interesting chats with her.  Among them she mentioned how, as part of the training process, potential drivers were also being trained in "defensive driving".  How they're taught to be alert and on-guard for "anything unexpected and unpredictable" the average motorists were apt to do on a regular basis:  sudden stops mid-intersection, backing up without warning, cutting in front, sudden U-turns without warning, and the like.

Contrast that with the type of erratic and sometimes "offensive driving" practices of the MTA in 2015---coupled with requests for exemption from what is actually a reasonable expectation of responsibility on the part of both the drivers and of MTA with respect to overall public safety.

There's no reason why a TRUE professional driver shouldn't already be of the mindset of "taking the whole environment around them into consideration" and conducting themselves accordingly in the most discreet manner.

When crossing the street, especially legally with the light, one shouldn't expect to have to worry about professional drivers the same way they do about the "average clod" in their personal vehicles.

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