Riding in to work with my daughter this week, thus missing morning bus tales. Not sure why the ride home fails to ignite my blogging flame. Perhaps because I don't ride at the same time every day, I don't get a sense of engagement that the morning rides produce. Regular ridership belongs to the morning. Although ... how can I say that? Just because I don't ride home at the same time two days in a row doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I think I'm my own contradiction!Anyway, yesterday afternoon I heard a brand new lady-voice announcement. We pulled up to the north Southern Ave stop and a couple of passengers left the bus. We continued to sit and I figured the driver needed to make up time. Suddenly, the lady-voice begins and says: "Attention, passengers, this bus is ahead of schedule. Please be patient while the bus waits to get back on schedule."
Amazing, eh? I wonder if some passenger complained about buses sitting, doing nothing. I thought everyone knew that a bus must speed up and slow down to do its best to arrive at certain locations at the times posted. Either that knowledge is not common, or some overzealous manager decided they have lady-voice software and need to use it more often. It certainly got my attention.
While waitng (patiently, I might add . . .), I looked out the window and stared at McDonald's. About twice a year I crave a Big Mac and I'm approaching my semi-annual need. The sign in the window said Big Macs were on sale, $1.59. Seemed like a deal and I wondered if the driver would continue to catch up time while I ran in for a burger. Probably not, but the next time the lady-voice asks for my patience and I'm facing a fast-food possiblity, I might just see what can be done.
3 comments:
Wonder if there's a recorded message the driver can play through a P.A. system to the effect "The bus is now back on schedule, will the passengers in MacDonalds kindly rejoin the bus" ?
Now THAT would be a far more worthwhile application of technology!
Outstanding idea! How about giving the fast-food passengers one of those vibrating, flashing beepers they give you in restaurants when there's a wait? Hand them out getting off the bus and the driver activates when the schedule is back to normal. The PA system is probably better PR for the bus - good public way to show how well they treat the passengers - time-out for food runs.
Central States Bus Sales, Inc., is a distributor for a number of commercial bus manufacturers including ElDorado National, Champion Bus, General Coach, Goshen Coach, Accubuilt mobility and shuttle vans, and Braun ADA vans; and we have been a distributor for Blue Bird school buses for over 30 years. We offer shuttle buses for sale, transit buses for sale, school buses for sale, and bus parts for sale, as well as bus repairs, service, technical support, and warranty. We have a bus for every need – church bus, activity bus, 15-passenger van replacement, child care bus, hotel shuttle bus, buses for rent, mini buses, and handicapped accessible ADA-equipped special needs buses featuring Braun and Ricon wheelchair lifts, VHS and digital passenger monitoring systems, and occupant restraint systems. Our buses are available with gasoline, diesel, and compressed natural gas engines to maximize fuel economy. We offer financing options for both contracted and district-owned school bus fleets, allowing you to Maximize State Reimbursement, Increase Fleet Management Flexibility, Reduce Initial Investment, and Operate Newer Vehicles. Financing options include Loan/Purchase, Municipal Lease, Operating Lease, Lease/Purchase, Trac Lease, and Lease/Buy-Back programs. We operate out of four full-service locations complete with in-stock parts warehouses serving five states in St. Louis, Missouri; Little Rock, Arkansas; Big Rock (Chicagoland), Illinois; and Lebanon (Nashville area), Tennessee. In-stock OEM and after-market bus parts orders are shipped the same day you place your order on-line at http://www.centralstatesbus.com/order_form.html or by calling us toll free at 1-800-825-8273 (MO), 1-800-376-1644 (IL), 1-877-272-8737 (AR), or 1-800-307-0322 (TN). To view our complete line of new bus and used bus products, bus parts and accessories, request a quote, check recalls and service bulletins, charter a bus, meet our sales and service staff, and much, much more, visit our website at http://www.centralstatesbus.com and send us some feedback. Your input and comments would be appreciated.
Post a Comment