As a newly-reformed driving enthusiast, now that I ride the bus, I am stunned by the frequency with which people do astoundingly dumb things in front of busses: without exaggeration, 80% ++ of the bus rides I take from West Seattle to downtown Seattle there is at leas one idiot in a passenger vehicle who seems to think that the bus is either invisible or obliged by civic and physical laws to stop on a dime to accommodate their foolhardy u-turn, abrupt lane change, jaywalk, etc. etc. More often than not that short journey will involve multiple near-death experiences, in fact.

If not for the the mad driving skills of the Metro bus drivers (and what must be an incredible braking/mechanical system on their busses) here in Seattle I guarantee you that these traffic death numbers would be a little less cheery. My guess is that the same is true elsewhere.

Sadly, I have witnessed several heroic bus-driving maneuvers in which, immediately after preventing carnage on the West Seattle bridge, the poor driver immediately gets screamed at by the passengers who have been thrown around midst the live-saving move. Poor bus drivers can’t win for losing.

Thank you nimble bus drivers for thwarting the forces of Social Dawrinism!

Honesty: why are busses apparently invisible to so many of us?

Keep up the good work, Tony!