Things That Every Campus Shuttle Driver Wants You to Know

1. There are no automatic stops. If you want to get off the bus, please let the driver know either by pulling the "next stop" cord or asking the driver.
-The only reasons a bus driver would stop the bus are: if there is someone at a stop that needs to get on, if someone indicates that they want to get off the bus, if the bus is early to a stop, or to follow traffic laws.

2. Sometimes the shuttles have to sit for a few minutes at a stop if they're running early. After all, it'd stink to show up at a stop on time and miss your bus because it was running early.

3. If a bus stop on campus doesn't have a white sign with a red U on it, it's not a campus shuttle stop. The only exception to this rule is in front of H.S.E.B. going East. There's no sign there because it got knocked down (I think) and wasn't ever fixed. If there's a UTA stop at which you'd like to stop, ringing the bell will take you to the next U shuttle stop so you'll have to ask the driver to stop at the UTA stop.

4. Buses are really heavy, inertia driven vehicles. It takes a long time to stop and considerably more planning than it takes a normal car. Drivers don't ever want to toss passengers around, but sometimes it's necessary to stop faster than normal because it seems like everyone wants to pull out in front of buses, no matter how tight the situation. (incredibly frustrating)

5. Some drivers are more considerate of their passengers than others. Sometimes drivers are late and trying to catch up... that way passengers aren't so grouchy. It's all customer service oriented.

6. If you MUST complain about the driving on the bus, keep in mind that the driver can likely hear you. Also, try not to be too judgmental. If bus drivers drove like they were driving normal cars, the passengers would have a horrible ride. Driving buses gets some getting used to.

7. The radio is ALWAYS louder for passengers than for the driver. The speakers are over the passenger seats. It's a horrible setup. If the driver turns music up to where he or she can hear it, inevitably the passengers would be blasted out of their seats.

8. Crossing in front of the bus is a horrible idea. People in normal cars will often violate traffic law and pass stopped buses while they let off passengers, and pedestrians are impossible to see to these people passing the bus on the outside. Try to be visible to traffic when you cross the street.

9. It's always a good idea to pull the cord if you want to get off the bus, even if there are people at a stop and you know that the bus is going to stop. The driver then knows that you want to get off and will make sure and wait until you're off and all the way through the doors before they close.

10. It's common that buses are late. If you're in a super hurry, it's usually faster to walk anyway and a passenger that complains for their entire ride (or even tries to make the driver go faster) is poor company. Also, it's generally not the driver's fault if they're late. It's not like we pull over and nap on the job.

11. When you're driving around buses, don't forget that they need the ENTIRE lane to work with. It's a big automobile. Please don't pass unless you have another lane in which to do it. Also, please stay in your own lane around corners.

12. It's really frustrating to bus drivers when they're trying to get into another lane and no one lets them in, but it's even more frustrating when the people who were behind the bus use the lane that the bus is trying to get into to pass the bus. Please try to be patient. If you wait 20 seconds to let the bus over, you'll have an open lane.