a hands-on job
A bus driver has his passengers’ lives in his hands. This one had 27 in his — plus a plate of hot pizza.
Bowling down Richmond Street in a London Transit No. 4 bus (Oxford East), he stopped to grab the take-out lunch, then pulled back into traffic and carried on, steering with one wrist while holding the paper plate with his right hand and feeding himself with his left.
No other vehicles are in the photo, but there were lots about; it was the middle of the afternoon rush — 5:26 p.m. to be precise. It would have been instructive to see our man’s reaction if a car ahead had done something unexpected. Or if a slice of hot pizza had slid into his lap.
London Transit has some fine drivers — capable, friendly, helpful, patient men and women ready to get out of their seats to show a young cyclist how to use the bus’s bicycle rack, willing to take an extra minute to make sure a newcomer knows where to transfer in order to reach his destination. They take their responsibilities seriously. We also have the other kind.
Both the LTC and the union say these guys get no lunch break. Both the LTC and the union should be ashamed. Endless studies have shown alertness declines after four or five hours without food. Drivers need to eat. But if they absolutely must do it on the job, they should eat something they can manage while leaving at least one hand for the wheel.
