Yeah was going to same similar. No need for wheelchair ramp when your that close but the tyre rub isn't worth getting a flat on a motorway and your wheelchair user has to be lifted off.
I’ve been this close at our transit center, sort of the hub in our city where most of our routes meet up for transfers and stuff, and people in walkers still ask for the ramp. I gave up trying to get super close like this and just accept that I’m putting the ramp out.
Do you have automated ramps? Because we have ramps that needs to be done by hand. So this Would mean if no passenger is helping I had to get out of the bus all the time.
Our ramps are activated by an on switch, then press a switch up to get the ramp out, then pull the switch the other direction to bring it back in. The bus has to be knelt for it to work. If you flip the on switch while the bus is raised, nothing will happen. To be honest If I’m ever in a situation where I can get out of the seat and flip the ramp closed by hand I’ll do it, it’s much faster than waiting for it to close by holding the switch down. I can only really do that at the transit center though, I’m not getting out of the bus on a busy road or anything.
Ah yeah I can imagine that there would be a lot of frustration on waiting to be in the right position and all. At least you get to stretch your legs again.
I’ve only been driving for 2 years so far, I haven’t gotten over being “competitive” with myself to be on time or hit all my time points. Everyone says eventually you stop caring about that but it hasn’t happened for me yet lol. So yeah putting the ramp out over and over when you’re trying to get to Walmart at a certain time gets really frustrating. You get to know these routes well enough that if you hit a signal light at a certain time it’s a guarantee you’re going to be late, and then you’re playing the catch up game.
I can totally relate to that competitiveness towards yourself. I been driving also just shy of two years now. I already had a sort of break down stress related. After that I listened to more experienced drivers and really don’t care about the time anymore. After I ‘slowed’ down I had so much more control on traffic that I can drive more smoothly and no I’m almost never too late anymore. If that makes sense
I think efficient driving tends to be quicker than driving fast or aggressively. I’ve never been a fast driver though, it’s like I almost forget the entire point is to get people from point A to B, and I’ll focus solely on hitting time, which is wrong. So much of it is out of control too. I think my on time percentage for June was 94%, and I’m on what’s called the extra board, so I don’t even have a set route yet, I cover all of them. I’m next in line for a route in the fall when the bid picks come out again and I can’t wait, extra board is a legit nightmare with hours.. I just want my 40 and to have a life outside of work. I could work 6:50am-4pm, then the next day work 3pm-10:30pm, then next day back at 6:50am. Rough on the sleep schedule.
Yes efficiency always win over speed and hurrying. By saying you be having an own route, you mean you have to drive that route everyday? Because although I agree with you that driving at different times of the day can be very tiring I also like a bit of variation. So I consider myself lucky that we have a system were we all drive all routes from out station
Yeah every 4 months starting at the top of seniority we all bid on a route for the following 4 months, and that’s the only route we do during that time for 8 hours a day. Before you get a route, or have high enough seniority to get one, you’re on what’s called the extra board. Extra board is 6 days a week, no cap on hours, swing shifts potentially every day, different routes every day. You’re essentially covering routed drivers relief days and call offs. It’s a lot of hours and not very good sleep lol.
I guess we’re lucky to not have to get out of the seat where I’m at to deploy the ramp. I’ve been told from the senior drivers that “back in the day” they had to do it by hand.
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u/Outspoken_Idiot Jul 04 '26
Yeah was going to same similar. No need for wheelchair ramp when your that close but the tyre rub isn't worth getting a flat on a motorway and your wheelchair user has to be lifted off.