7 ms·

Thanks for letting me relive nightmare memories of Grand Ave in Chicago! I always wondered, why couldn't the bus drivers be in communication and have the front

Thanks for letting me relive nightmare memories of Grand Ave in Chicago! I always wondered, why couldn't the bus drivers be in communication and have the front bus just skip a couple of stops (where people are waiting) when they bunched, which was often even 3 buses!

dmoy 8y ago
If nobody signals to get off, buses sometimes will skip if they're bunched. I've seen it in at least three cities before. I have no idea if it's policy or if the drivers on those routes juts took matters into their own hands. I see bunched buses on the stop right outside my work basically every day. Sometimes four from one route and another three from another parallel route all within a ~5 minute span. Mercer in Seattle is... not great for traffic.
- xyzzyz 8y ago
  Mercer traffic is pretty good outside of the times of day when it’s closed and used for parking.
- unixhero 8y ago
  Not stopping when nobody signals is the point of the signal right:).
  - unixhero 8y ago
    edit: Well, I guess the bus could then ignore passengers on the tarmac wanting to get on. That's another thing.
  - dmoy 8y ago
    Right I mean not stopping when there's no signal and there are people at the stop waiting to get on.
ii0v0ii 8y ago
Buses have to let people off, as well as on, no?
- kazinator 8y ago
  Buses don't stop at unoccupied bus-stops, unless someone dings the bell. The faster bus skipping stops where people are waiting, so they can be picked up by the next bus does work; I've seen it in action.
  - cimmanom 8y ago
    Bunching happens most often with crowded buses and results in the front bus in a cluster becoming crowded. Crowded buses are most likely to have people getting off at every stop. The ones I take often have people ringing for every stop even when nearly empty.
    - kazinator 8y ago
      Depends where. Suppose it's the evening rush hour, and the bus route is along a business district, headed toward a train station. The bus is basically picking people up at multiple locations and then everyone gets off at the station.
  - massivecali 8y ago
    Which, as a patron who doesn't want to sit for an hour in the sun, is really not acceptable. The bus is not supposed to be in a race, they are supposed to make predictable stops along a predetermined route. Most bus stops I have used in the US dont have covered shelters or enough space for passengers to wait outside of the elements. Usually this means sitting under the overhang of a nearby business. If the bus doesn't want to stop for whatever reason and blows by, it sucks. Maybe a better future would be a public bus app or button at the stop that I can press to say I am waiting, but until that day, they should stop.
    - kazinator 8y ago

dmoy 8y ago

If nobody signals to get off, buses sometimes will skip if they're bunched. I've seen it in at least three cities before. I have no idea if it's policy or if the drivers on those routes juts took matters into their own hands. I see bunched buses on the stop right outside my work basically every day. Sometimes four from one route and another three from another parallel route all within a ~5 minute span. Mercer in Seattle is... not great for traffic.

xyzzyz 8y ago
Mercer traffic is pretty good outside of the times of day when it’s closed and used for parking.
unixhero 8y ago
Not stopping when nobody signals is the point of the signal right:).
- unixhero 8y ago
  edit: Well, I guess the bus could then ignore passengers on the tarmac wanting to get on. That's another thing.
- dmoy 8y ago
  Right I mean not stopping when there's no signal and there are people at the stop waiting to get on.

ii0v0ii 8y ago

Buses have to let people off, as well as on, no?

kazinator 8y ago
Buses don't stop at unoccupied bus-stops, unless someone dings the bell. The faster bus skipping stops where people are waiting, so they can be picked up by the next bus does work; I've seen it in action.
- cimmanom 8y ago
  Bunching happens most often with crowded buses and results in the front bus in a cluster becoming crowded. Crowded buses are most likely to have people getting off at every stop. The ones I take often have people ringing for every stop even when nearly empty.
  - kazinator 8y ago
    Depends where. Suppose it's the evening rush hour, and the bus route is along a business district, headed toward a train station. The bus is basically picking people up at multiple locations and then everyone gets off at the station.
- massivecali 8y ago
  Which, as a patron who doesn't want to sit for an hour in the sun, is really not acceptable. The bus is not supposed to be in a race, they are supposed to make predictable stops along a predetermined route. Most bus stops I have used in the US dont have covered shelters or enough space for passengers to wait outside of the elements. Usually this means sitting under the overhang of a nearby business. If the bus doesn't want to stop for whatever reason and blows by, it sucks. Maybe a better future would be a public bus app or button at the stop that I can press to say I am waiting, but until that day, they should stop.
  - kazinator 8y ago