Craig Parsons, an associate professor of political science at the University of Oregon along with his two-year-old daughter Margaux and his five-year-old son Tor who loves trains and buses were getting ready to ride the EmX for the first time.
The family boarded the bus at 5 p.m. at the Hilliard stop and rode it to Eugene Station, then caught in eastbound bus to return home, and that's when things went horribly wrong.
At their final stop, he helped his children off through the back doors, and turned to retrieve a stroller. When he and another female passenger, also wrangling a stroller, attempted to get off, the driver closed the door and drove off, leaving Margaux and Tor alone near the busy avenue. ...
"It struck me as considerably less time than one usually has to get off the bus," Parsons said.
The driver was alerted to the fact that a two-year-old was left behind.
The driver kept repeating "I can't stop, I can't stop," Parsons said. He was not allowed to get off the bus until the next stop, Dad's Gates, slightly more than two blocks away.
LTD claims that this incident is under investigation and stated that EmX drivers have not been trained on what to do in situations like this.
"It's unacceptable, I think, for this to have occurred like that," LTD spokesman Andy Vobora said. "It's something we're going to learn from, and not make the same mistake in the future."
The EmX uses technology to give the bus a green light to speed the run between Eugene and Springfield stations, in order to catch the light drivers are trained not to halt for those who are late reaching the stop.
a failure in training or judgment? Or is there so much pressure to make the 16-minute deadline that they will do it at any cost?
who would be liable if something happened to the child?
Is this also a window into the future on this overpriced white elephant?
More tomorrow...
Hat tip to Bobkatt for the story
2 comments:
I was listening to all the ranting yesterday as I rode the bus home. This was not a matter of someone being late and missing the bus. The driver was rude, plain and simple. There was no excuse for leaving 2 small children stranded and alone. Training doensn't make someone more human. This person should not be working with the public. There were MANY witnesses and the riders who witnessed this were yelling at the driver as he pulled away. The driver's concern was the schedule, not the people. I'd bet LTD will get sued over this.
As with all things, there is always another side to the story. I was amazed when told about the video on the bus when this happened. The father of the children was sitting at the front of the bus with his children but when the bus stopped he escorted them to the rear of the bus before exiting and THEN re-entered the bus, walked all the way to the front to collect his things and did not say anthing until the bus was already driving away. The fault was not JUST the driver. Sadly, most of us only hear half the story.
Post a Comment