Driver Expresses Concern About Bus Driving ; City Link Explains Importance of Sharing the Road
By: Marlisa Goldsmith
Updated: June 18, 2012
You cannot miss them. They are just about everywhere you turn.
"They don't pay attention a lot, whenever they're driving, they don't watch to see if there are cars whenever they pull out on to a street," says Twhila Culver.
She is far from satisfied with the driving of Abilene's bus operators.
"Just been really scary because I had my kids with me the first time it happened we were on south first going down the street," Culver explains.
When she says a City Link bus failed to yield, resulting in a pretty close call.
"I mean, we had to switch lanes or else we would have got side swiped by him," says Culver.
When enough was enough,Culver says she voiced her concern to the general manager of City Link.
She says, "He told me he would basically address them and make them be more aware but, apparently, you can tell they're not."
When I spoke with the general manager, Ben Herr, he told me Abilene's City Link bus drivers are certified and even go through a defensive driving course before they hit the road.
Herr says, "It's a large vehicle with blind spots like you have on a large 18-wheeler deliver vehicle, so just always watch out for the bus, but the bus is always watching out for you."
So it is not always the drivers fault.
"When you're driving a bus, sometimes the other drivers will get impatient and want to maneuver around the bus when it's stopped at a bus stop, and that's one of the things the driver is trained to look for. To watch out for the car drivers, to make sure they don't make a turn in front of the bus," says Herr.
Culver knows the bus drivers aren't always, she's just asking that they pay a little more attention.
Culver says, "I just want them to drive more safer because their vehicles are obviously bigger than everybody elses that they're driving around and they could do a lot of damage to people."
"They don't pay attention a lot, whenever they're driving, they don't watch to see if there are cars whenever they pull out on to a street," says Twhila Culver.
She is far from satisfied with the driving of Abilene's bus operators.
"Just been really scary because I had my kids with me the first time it happened we were on south first going down the street," Culver explains.
When she says a City Link bus failed to yield, resulting in a pretty close call.
"I mean, we had to switch lanes or else we would have got side swiped by him," says Culver.
When enough was enough,Culver says she voiced her concern to the general manager of City Link.
She says, "He told me he would basically address them and make them be more aware but, apparently, you can tell they're not."
When I spoke with the general manager, Ben Herr, he told me Abilene's City Link bus drivers are certified and even go through a defensive driving course before they hit the road.
Herr says, "It's a large vehicle with blind spots like you have on a large 18-wheeler deliver vehicle, so just always watch out for the bus, but the bus is always watching out for you."
So it is not always the drivers fault.
"When you're driving a bus, sometimes the other drivers will get impatient and want to maneuver around the bus when it's stopped at a bus stop, and that's one of the things the driver is trained to look for. To watch out for the car drivers, to make sure they don't make a turn in front of the bus," says Herr.
Culver knows the bus drivers aren't always, she's just asking that they pay a little more attention.
Culver says, "I just want them to drive more safer because their vehicles are obviously bigger than everybody elses that they're driving around and they could do a lot of damage to people."
