An analogy...

[denny]

Bit of a tangential thought process that just occurred after posting this comment, might appeal to the bikers and cyclists amongst us...

Buses and Bullies

Buses are the exact road-going equivalent of the cliche school bully. They're big, heavy, and a bit, well, slow. They use their greater size to physically intimidate those around them who aren't so slow, occasionally causing quite serious injury in the process. Physical retaliation is usually pointless, although occasionally a well-aimed blow can have some effect. More useful is to report them to the authorities, which although it feels rather less satisfactory than just striking back, can potentially cause much more serious and long-lasting problems for them...

Erm, that was it, I think. And I haven't even been smoking.

Comments

[zotz]

They are not even the vague equivalent.

Buses are useful. The fact that they are big enough to hold lots of people means that they are necessarily clumsy. If, taking this into account, you feel that they aren't careful enough, then feel free to make your point.

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

I don't think they're just clumsy, or careless - I think they're deliberately aggressive (or rather, obviously, that the drivers drive them in a such a manner), using their greater size to enable behaviour on the road that is neither legal nor safe, because 'might is right'.

However, the post was meant to be mostly humourous, and as we're both apparently in a shitty mood just now, perhaps it's not the best time for a debate.

[zotz]

Indeed I wasn't in a very humorous mood, and I could have put it less bluntly. Sorry.

It probably looks like a reasonable way to drive if you're in the bus. The best cure might be to make them cycle to work.

[dennyd.livejournal.com]

I think everyone should have to do at least a few days training in each major mode of transport on the road before they're allowed a licence for any of them. I know a guy who has coach, car and bike licences, and he's a very good driver - also another one who has lorry, car and bike. Most people have cycled on the road as children, but I think there's still room for an enforced refresher course to remind them just how vulnerable that method of getting around leaves you feeling too.

Most particularly, in the case we're talking about, I think getting Cambridge bus drivers to cycle to and from work each day would be a brilliant idea  :)

[meirion.livejournal.com]

they are deliberately aggressive ... and, worse, they're actually trained to be that way. i was on a bus a couple of weeks back that was being driven by a trainee driver, and there was an instructor on the bus berating her for being too considerate of other road users.

-m-