An MTA bus driver recently struck and killed a 22 year old FIT student from Westchester. Witnesses say that the young man was sprinting through an intersection and did not make it accross in time.
While this may be the complete story, we have to wonder if the driver was completely focused on the road. He has a history of distraction. He had been suspended a few weeks ago for texting, and updating his facebook page while driving. It is against the law for bus operators to use electronic devices and drive, so he was suspended and has been going to saftey classes. While his phone was checked at the scene and there was no recent usage of the phone, his workers papers were already in the process for him to be fired.
It is crazy to think that even an MTA bus driver, a professional driver, is abscent minded enough to be text messaging while driving a 40 foot long tank filled with innocent riders. I can think of plenty of times walking through the Bronx where I stepped off the curb with an MTA bus barreling down the bus lane. To think that maybe the driver is texting, and may potentialy mow me down is an awful thought. It'll make me think twice or maybe three times about whether or not the driver is even paying attention.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/11/09/2009-11-09_driver_flunked_text_had_just_returned_to_bus_job_when_vehicle_killed_student.html
I agree that the thought of bus drivers texting while driving is a scary thing. Bus drivers should are responsible for many people at a time and should recognize that responsibility and not text while driving. If they choose to ignore their responsibility, then they should be fired right away and not just suspended for a few weeks.
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