Saturday, July 21, 2007

The 5:21 Bus Driver has Road Rage

I usually take the 5:46 bus home from work. Both Wednesday and Friday I took the 5:21 bus. Wednesday a little after 5:00 it got really dark and thunder rolled in. My boss said I should take off and try to beat the rain. (It backfired and I got drenched waiting at the bus stop). Friday I was meeting my mother-in-law for dinner and snuck out early. Both times the same guy was driving the 5:21 bus and both days he displayed behavior I had never seen in a bus driver.

Wednesday we got stuck in really bad traffic. We were waiting behind a car at a light which was green but the car was stopped so that he wouldn't block the intersection. When there was space for him to move up, rather than driving forward he waved through the guy from oncoming traffic who was trying to turn left. Anticipating that the guy in front of us would move the instant he could, the bus driver slammed on the gas and then slammed on brakes just as fast to avoid rear ending the guy. He then laid on the horn and flipped the guy the double bird. I felt more like I was in New York than Minneapolis. He drove alternately at breakneck speed and then stopped fast enough to make us all grip our seats and exchange glances. He apparently was so frustrated with my choice of bus stops that after closing the door (nearly clipping my behind) he squealed off and ran the red light through the intersection.

So you can understand my dismay when I saw this guy screech to a halt to pick me up on Friday. Near the same intersection where the previous altercation occurred, a driver who was following us pulled over to the next lane and then back ahead of us. He wasn't a jerk, he just didn't want to be stuck behind a bus. Who does? Well, that ticked our driver off so he then passed the guy, cut him off and then hit the brakes. Not only could the passengers not believe it, but the driver of the car must have in shocked. Could you imagine a bus road raging on you?

I think I'll stick to the good old 5:46.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Holy crap, that sounds like the public transportation in the DC Metro area where I live! I definitely wouldn't want to be driving in my little car next to that bus driver!

Christopher said...

Considering what Metro Transit drivers put up with (outside and inside the bus), I’m surprised they don’t murder people on the street with some regularity. Their display of aggression is usually limited to pulling back into traffic after leaving a curb stop. I guess some of their frustration has to leak out sometime.

fermicat said...

I hope I don't try to cross the street in front of this guy while I am here in Minneapolis this week.

Also, I just have to wonder why the hell a bus driver would be in a hurry. Don't they just drive in circles all day? It's not like they are saving themselves anything. Weird.

Natalie said...

katie~
Welcome! Back home I drive a Honda del Sol. I'd be terrified. A bus could roll right over it!

dad~
I looove when they pull right into traffic. The drivers always get this little smirk on their face like their sticking to car people. Subtle but brilliant.

fermi~
My thoughts exactly. It's like some Greco-Roman hell where they spend all their time hurrying just to wind up back where they started. That may be enough to drive a person mad.

Kelly said...

Wow! Sounds like some trips I have had. Nothing worse than a psycho bus driver.

Anonymous said...

This sounds like a good movie plot. How about Jack Nicholson as the bus driver?

Hot4Teacha said...

OOOOH! I agree w/ Dean's mom, Jack would be perfect! You know, the whole "Heeeeeeeeeere's Johnny!" Jack, not the cute "As Good as it Gets" Jack.

I want to witness scary 5:21 guy. We need to make this happen!

Scott said...

You should report that guy. He has no business being a bus driver. He's going to kill another driver, and probably a few of his own passengers if he is left to continue. That's totally ridiculous.