Posts Tagged ‘bus driver’
Bus Driver using 2 phones – steering with his elbows
A bus driver in Rome who was caught using two cellphones and steering with his elbows while driving has been suspended, according to a local official.
Video of the driver talking on one phone and trying to configure his e-mail on another while taking passengers to Rome’s Ciampino Airport was posted online by the Italian newspaper La Repubblica on Wednesday.
Using even one cellphone while driving is against the law in Italy…
On Thursday, La Repubblica reported that a regional transport commissioner, Francesco Lollobrigida, said that the driver had been “suspended pending disciplinary proceedings.” Mr. Lollobrigida added that the action was “necessary to protect passengers and also the image of the many public transport workers who have impeccable behavior and who are the majority in this region…”
If the driver does lose his job, he might consider a move to Nevada in the near future. As my colleague John Markoff reported this week, Google, a pioneer of self-driving cars, “is quietly lobbying for legislation that would make Nevada the first state where they could be legally operated on public roads. And yes, the proposed legislation would include an exemption from the ban on distracted driving to allow occupants to send text messages while sitting behind the wheel.”
Har!
Toronto city bus driver recorded texting
The TTC bus driver was texting on a BlackBerry-like device while driving around 50 km/h when passenger Mike Schmitz took an iPhone photo of him.
The shot, taken on a 165 Weston Rd. North bus that was “full of people”, shows the driver focused on the device, and the orange needle of the bus speedometer pointing upwards…
The driver would alternate between holding the device with both hands and steering with his forearms, and driving with one hand while holding the device with the other and texting with his thumb, he said.
“This is incredibly serious,” said TTC spokesman Brad Ross, who got a glimpse of the photo on Thursday. “It would appear … that he’s doing at least 50 km/h while texting, and his eyes are not on the road.”
The TTC has “a clear policy” when it comes to prohibiting its drivers from using personal electronic devices — such as cellphones, BlackBerrys and iPhones — while on the job, Ross said. “This is a serious breach of public safety,” he said, adding that drivers are not allowed to talk on cellphones or text even while the vehicle is stopped…
As of Oct. 26, 2009, Ontario drivers have been banned from talking on cellphones, texting or using hand-held electronic devices of any kind while behind the wheel.
A bit more than an oops! No one needs to see bus drivers volunteering for a Darwin Award.
