File A Complaint
Thread started by
meandmybluebike at 04.30.07 - 3:55 pm
I've recently had incidents where bus drivers have tried to cut me off and run me off the road. Here is information on how and where to file a complaint.
You can email us the information or call (213) 922-6235. We will need to know the date/time of the incident, bus number/route, location of the bus, direction of travel, and any other information that you deem necessary.
Metro Customer Relations
customerrelations@metro.net
(213) 922-6235 (800) 464-2111
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Paging Mr. Soap Box LA . . . can you enlighten us about the little round of "fun & games with buses "that went down on the DARKCENm 100k ride?
mr rollers04.30.07 - 4:04 pm
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Yeah--Annie had a near death experience scouting for DarkCenM. That bus almost rolled her under.
It is unfortunate that some of the riders on the official DarkCenM were fucked with by a bus in Santa Monica. Soap Box handled that one by fixing his bike in the path of the dangerous bus driver and waiting there to file a complaint.
I really hate to have to fuck with bus drivers. They are public transportation, you know? Most of the drivers are more skilled than car traffic in the LA area, and they are usually really cool to bike riders. But, you get these type-A asshole busdrivers every so often. Sadly, we encountered two on both rides. Thanks Annie and SoapBoxLA for looking out for us!
tern04.30.07 - 6:42 pm
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'Twas P.C. who stopped the bus, I was merely back-up along with Eddie, Mook & Enci.
Approximately 12 cyclists were riding in the bike lane of Ocean Ave, spread out over 4-5 car lengths, when a bus came from behind and passed me, squeezing to the right as he came in.
The parking lane to our right was full.
The bus came in from the left and moved so far to the right that Mook had to brake to avoid getting pinched. He was left with less than handlebar width between the parked vehicles and the bus.
I rode down the left side of the bus and by the time I got to the front, P.C. was coming around from the right. We stopped the bus to explain the rules of the road to an angry bus driver with a huge attitide!
In the words of one of the cyclists, "My life flashed before my eyes, the bus came so close!"
The driver's supervisor was in the area. He arrived, we filed our complaint and then when we got home, we emailed the Metro.
Annie is correct. Send in the complaint. I'm a big fan of Mass Transit but we must make sure that the operators are driving safely and responsibly! Don't accept less! Speak up!
SoapBoxLA04.30.07 - 8:45 pm
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Yes, it was scary to see the cyclists being squeezed against a parked bus as the 720 bus pushed into them.
Sending in complaints is a good thing. All of it will go into their personnel file.
I also report the very courteous drivers to the metro because the good drivers might filter out the bad.
And please CC Lynne Goldsmith ( GoldsmithL@metro.net ) every letter you send in to customer relations. She works for the Metro at the Bikeways department.
illuminateLA04.30.07 - 9:01 pm
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"I also report the very courteous drivers to the metro because the good drivers might filter out the bad."
This is a very important point. Do we as cyclists on the street want to be seen only as a group of whiny punks? Throwing out the prrops where they are due to our good public servants is even more important than complaining about the poor ones. Reinforcing good behavoir will only encourage more of the same. Every time one of those drivers gets good feedback, rest assured that the few and far between times that happens their peers find out about it. Spread the love with just a snippet in an email and it'll all come back to everyone on two wheels.
Jeronimo05.1.07 - 1:57 pm
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Jeronimo wrote:
This is a very important point. Do we as cyclists on the street want to be seen only as a group of whiny punks?
Frankly, I don't give a flying fuck how I'm seen on the street, as long as I'm seen--and, having been seen, am not thereupon run down, squeezed out, or forced off the road. As important as your point may be, I think mine's just a tad bit more urgent. Hence the showdown with the aggro bus driver on the DARKCENm, who, having nearly killed us, then had the nerve to lay on his horn because we weren't getting out of his way fast enough.
If this attitude of mine causes the unknown third parties to whom you refer to see me as a whiny punk, a plaintive hooligan, a kvetching ne'er-do-well, or a plangent yobbo, I think I can live with that.
PC05.1.07 - 10:24 pm
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PC--You are a good man. Thanks for looking out for us.
By the way:
trickmilla
IlluminateLA
SoapboxLa
SC-Nomad
and MOOK
and maybe Stacy--
will be ironing out the last parts of the ride that need to be scouted for the big full moon in June. Come out and scout with us, man!
darkcenturyride@gmail.com
tern05.2.07 - 6:58 pm
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There's nothing like quoting and leaving out relevant context. The intent of my post was to remind those who only complain that it would be good for them to deliver accolades to public servants when they are due as well.
C'mon out behind The Curtain and ride with me sometime PC. You'll get to see just wimpy I am when someone comes close to killing me with their vehicle.
Jeronimo05.3.07 - 5:02 pm
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Wait. I'm behind a curtain?
PC05.3.07 - 5:22 pm
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I have established two rules for riding with the MTA buses:
(1) I let them pass me when they need to get to a stop, or when we're both stopped at a light.
(2) If the driver fucks with me, or tries to kill me, I will try and catch up to the bus and grab that ginormous rear vew mirror on the driver's side, and move it out of place. No one gets hurt, and the driver gets seriously annoyed - because he or she has to get out and readjust the mirror by hand.
I have not yet used rule (2) because I've found that by keeping an eye out for buses, and making way for them, makes the drivers mellow out. I am not saying that you should pul into the door zone, or cede roadway to automobiles - but letting the bus drivers scoot past me safely has worked out in my favor more times than I can count.
ubrayj0205.3.07 - 6:35 pm
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Oh fucking come on you guys.
We all want to report shitty bus drivers. We all love skilled, helpful bus drivers.
It's a bit hard to pin down who the good ones are, because when we encounter them, we don't really notice them.
But, maybe we could, I guess.
This is sure...we should do all we can to get the shitty drivers fired right away.
There. That should be enough for all of us to agree on.
tern05.3.07 - 11:38 pm
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Okay, ubrayj02 has a good point. He is pretty diplomatic.
tern05.3.07 - 11:45 pm
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I discovered that mirror trick myself trying to get on the orangeline with a bike one night. hahahah very satisfying.
Roadblock05.4.07 - 10:28 am
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The OCTA is learning about the mirror trick on a few routes in North OC the past couple of years. Even so, I've dropped an email to them about a good driver who was actually courteous in a situation that could have been very bad for either of us and other traffic. My whole point was to give the good props where it's due, as well as dropping a dime on or dealing with the bad in various manners. I only had one bad encounter with a motorist today, wich was a rare occasion.
Jeronimo05.4.07 - 8:44 pm
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