Some DART drivers just don't seem to grasp the goal of their work. One of these is driving a route 19 bus in the evenings. My schedule has changed, and on Mondays and Wednesdays I'm now taking a later route 40 bus and thus arriving later at Rodney Square in the evenings. If the 40 is on time (not a given by any means!) I will be able to catch the route 19 bus which, according to the schedule, leaves Rodney square at 5:55 p.m.
Well, I have missed the 19 a couple times now, due to the chronic lateness of the 40. But last Monday we got in earlier and I was very happy to see the route 19 bus waiting up the block on King St. I boarded and got out my reading... I was rather early. I was surprised when the bus pulled out at 5:50! That's a full 5 minutes early! No wonder I'd been missing it when the 40 was late.
On Wednesday I again was able to board the 19 early, noted the same driver, who again pulled out early, at 5:52, three minutes early. Of course I checked my watch in both cases against my Blackberry, to be sure I was time-correct... and I was.
This tendency of some drivers to pull out early from Rodney Square, a few minutes before the scheduled departure time, is very unprofessional. In this case it's particularly obnoxious because the 5:55 route 19 is the last run of the day for this bus. Riders who get to Rodney Square on time, but miss the bus because it has left early, may have real difficulty getting home, depending where they live.
I don't know why drivers do this... it's so improper and so easily documented. Maybe this guy wants to get off work a few minutes early by cutting corners. He is otherwise very mannerly in behavior, but clearly he doesn't give a rip about his passengers.
I think all drivers should be forced to try to get around for a month or so using only the buses. Then they might develop a feeling for how discouraging it is, after a long day of work, to miss your connection and have to wait another half hour or hour for a bus, just because a driver decided to pull out a few minutes ahead of schedule.
Well, I have missed the 19 a couple times now, due to the chronic lateness of the 40. But last Monday we got in earlier and I was very happy to see the route 19 bus waiting up the block on King St. I boarded and got out my reading... I was rather early. I was surprised when the bus pulled out at 5:50! That's a full 5 minutes early! No wonder I'd been missing it when the 40 was late.
On Wednesday I again was able to board the 19 early, noted the same driver, who again pulled out early, at 5:52, three minutes early. Of course I checked my watch in both cases against my Blackberry, to be sure I was time-correct... and I was.
This tendency of some drivers to pull out early from Rodney Square, a few minutes before the scheduled departure time, is very unprofessional. In this case it's particularly obnoxious because the 5:55 route 19 is the last run of the day for this bus. Riders who get to Rodney Square on time, but miss the bus because it has left early, may have real difficulty getting home, depending where they live.
I don't know why drivers do this... it's so improper and so easily documented. Maybe this guy wants to get off work a few minutes early by cutting corners. He is otherwise very mannerly in behavior, but clearly he doesn't give a rip about his passengers.
I think all drivers should be forced to try to get around for a month or so using only the buses. Then they might develop a feeling for how discouraging it is, after a long day of work, to miss your connection and have to wait another half hour or hour for a bus, just because a driver decided to pull out a few minutes ahead of schedule.
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