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10News Investigates Bad Bus Drivers
POSTED: 2:31 pm PDT May 22,
2007
UPDATED: 1:02 pm PDT May 23,
2007
SAN DIEGO -- Every day, 150,000 passengers board buses in San Diego.With nearly 54 million people on the go, it is a trying experience for some.One bus rider told 10News, “If you’re not actually standing up, looking up, they will drive right by you.”
Another rider said, “If I get on the bus now, they always miss my stop.”“Some of the drivers are rude,” said one passenger.How many complaints were there? 10News investigators filed a Freedom of Information Act request to the Metropolitan Transit Development Board.10News asked for the bus drivers with the most complaints. The 25 worst drivers racked up a total of 682 complaints in three years, some with 40 or 50 complaints each.Some of the complaints came from Marsha DeRuntz, who is blind. She said she has encountered drivers who are rude, insensitive and who even mess with her seeing-eye dog.DeRuntz also said some drivers refuse to identify bus stops.“When they don’t call any stops out, sometimes I am clueless to where I am,” said DeRuntz.Lee Davis also filed complaints, saying his driver was rude and even refused to let him on the bus because of shopping bags hanging from his wheelchair.“Everyone knows him to be just nasty, especially to disabled people. I think he just doesn’t like to hook us up,” said Davis.10News investigators decided to see for themselves by going undercover.With the help of Stu Segal Productions, 10News investigative reporter Marti Emerald is transformed into an anonymous bus passenger.In disguise, Emerald asks many questions to several bus drivers.“Is this the number seven?”“You stop at University?”“I can’t see very well. Is that a quarter?”Eleven different bus routes were taken by 10News, during the day and the evening.10News picked the routes with the highest number of complaints from riders.All of the drivers 10News came in contact with were fair and friendly.Emerald said, “Makes us wonder if their management had fired out a warning memo after we requested all of those complaints.”Paul Jablonski, CEO of the MTDB, admitted he has some problem drivers.“Some people cope better than others, and for those who don’t cope as well, that’s why we do a lot of training,” said Jablonski.Jablonski said he disciplines drivers, too.This year alone, Jablonski said, “Somewhere between 300 to 400 went on to the process that issued discipline to the employee.”According to 10News research, that is about one-third of the drivers in the fleetJablonski said, “There have been a number of people who lost employment in the last three years.”10News asked Jablonski if any of the drivers let go were from the 25 worst list, but he did not comment.“Most of the drivers are great. It just takes a handful to make them look bad,” said one bus rider.DeRuntz wants a friendly experience on the bus.“San Diego Transit needs to do something about this and soon,” said DeRuntz.
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