While rat running continues to be a growing problem and e-tolls promise to compound the issue overnight, what has shocked me over the last couple of months is the number of buses that have joined the masses racing down small suburban side streets.
Just last week I found myself travelling behind a big orange Putco bus. Curious I tried to keep up with it. However, when my speedometer hit 80km I gave up and backed off. This was at 5.30pm slap bang in the middle of traffic. Ironically by the time I reached the next stop street I caught up with the driver as he was now waiting for a moment to push into the main stream of traffic.
A vagrant pulling his trolley of goods to be recycled was just walking round the corner minding his own business when, seeing a gap, the Putco monstrosity surged around the corner. Miscalculating completely the bus driver proceeded to drive his bus right over the vagrant’s trolley. Realising he’d hit something he stopped with the wheel of the bus directly on the middle of the trolley. He proceeded to open the door peer outside and decide all was well. Seconds later he sped off again. The poor vagrant was left to try and drag his now broken trolley down the street.
Now while some people find the vagrants and their trolleys an annoyance they are just trying to make a living. What if that had been a cyclist on his bicycle about to cross the road or a mother pushing her child in a pushchair. This incident happened after earlier in the day I’d seen a different Putco bus driver speeding down a main road while happily chatting away on his cellphone. It’s no wonder there keep being serious bus accidents. So next time you see a bus recklessly weaving through traffic spare a thought for the poor passengers who have no choice but to make use of this dangerous mode of public transport.
And perhaps say a quick prayer for the pedestrians that find themselves at the mercy of these irresponsible drivers on a daily basis.
