Riding (and driving) etiquette: texting
Usually, we’re focused on TriMet Riding Etiquette here on TriMetiquette… but with the recent trolley crash and the train crash last year both happening due to the operator text messaging, I think it’s important to focus on the issue of texting while operating.
Obviously, for us riders, texting while riding poses no problems. We can text away.
Texting if you’re operating a MAX train, street car, bus… this is a problem. And one that, if you see your driver or operating texting, you should call them out on that immediately.
So I urge us, as Portland public transportation riders, to be on the lookout and make our bus drivers and operators aware that we don’t stand for texting while on the job. If your bus driver wants to pull over, park it, and text - that’s fine. Perfect, in fact. I’m unsure if TriMet has a specific guideline or rule for employees to not text while on the job… but it’s really more of a “no duh!” kind of thing.
If you see the bus driver texting while driving, I really urge you to confront the individual about it at the next stop. Just a simple, “Hey, can you please not text while driving?” could go a long way. And who knows - it may prevent something bad from happening.
If you see a MAX operator texting, calling TriMet right away might be the best course of action. I’m not sure using the emergency radio button located in the trains to ask the operator to stop texting would be acceptable… but maybe it is.
If you’re the non-confrontational type, I would suggest getting the bus number from the front of the bus (or the MAX train color + time + stop) and calling TriMet and reporting that kind of activity. Get those details and send an email to customerservice@trimet.org or call (503)238-7433 (RIDE).
Let’s make sure one of these deadly accidents don’t happen in Portland. It starts with us being observant enough to nip any of these problems in the bud before an accident happens.
Edit: looks like Joseph Rose wrote up a piece about this same thing over at Oregon Live; it’s definitely worth a read: http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2009/05/txting_on_transit_some_trimet.html
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Comments
“I’m unsure if TriMet has a specific guideline or rule for employees to not text while on the job”
They do - operators can use their phones at the end of the line while on break, but not while operating a train/bus. In extreme emergency situations they can use phones (like a bomb found on the train, for example), but not in day-to-day operations.
PLEASE DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND ME WHEN I SAY THIS: I FULLY agree with all of you; NO ONE should be texting or using a cell phone while operating ANY vehicle (I SUPPORT THE BAN IN WASHINGTON), especially being responsible for many other people’s lives such as a public transit operator.
The part that sucks (and the part that I don’t want to be misunderstood on) is that there have been so many other things that have made the news headlines in recent months that, in reality, are involving so FEW people (that were ACTUALLY responsible) at TriMet; be it the WES mess or the red light thing or whatever the case may be, and now here’s one more thing that the public at large can have a chance to blow out of proportion about TriMet and their crazy, out of hand Bus & Max operators. It’s just not true. Let’s not put the cart before the horse here.
Christian (and this forum, thankfully) has done a good job in the past being aware that TriMet doesn’t consist of 1200 renegade operators screaming down the streets and rails doing whatever they please. But that is the image that gets projected everytime something like this hits the news. It may only be two or three of us that ran a light; but some in the media and and head hunters would have you believing it was every one of us, all the time.
Did you also notice that those of us that don’t do these things won’t condone it for those that do? It’s like the troublemakers who ride the system. 90% or better of our passengers don’t give anybody any grief, and are great passengers. You look forward to seeing them everyday. But it’s that 10% that you ALWAYS hear about. 5-10 people in 100 that make a bad name.
We have some rude drivers. We have some bad drivers. We have some drivers that started out nice and became rude after being hardened to the ways “out on the street”. Hopefully, we don’t have any unsafe drivers, but we are not immune from some of the same pitfalls other employers face. You just can’t weed all of them out, as much as you would like to.
Look, I am by no means asking you to let me get away with murder. If I’m doing something inappropriate, then I need to be called on it.
Just keep in mind, I already deal with the constant scrutiny of many of the folks around me watching my every move..in many folks eyes, I have already been found guilty..just because they are mad at TriMet or because they missed their bus or whatever, but likely because of something I had no control over.
I for one want to be safe in my job getting you to your destination…please don’t assume the misgivings of a few operators equal all of us.
Thank you.
PDXLRVOPERATOR
I love your bling!
Onto the issue at hand, if you’re responsible for the well-being of people’s lives, you shouldn’t be doing ANYTHING except for concentrating solely on that.