Last night, a 24 year old MBTA trolley operator rear-ended another trolley, apparently while texting his girlfriend. There were 49 injuries, including a broken wrist on the part of the operator.

This isn’t the first time there’s been a rear-ending on the Green Line. Last May the same thing happened, albeit without the texting part. The operator died in that crash.

Link, I believe, won’t have the rear-ending problem. If I’m not mistaken, our signaling system keeps the trains separated in blocks, and trains going through a red signal or going too fast will be automatically limited or stopped. Granted, it’s possible for an operator to enter an intersection in the Rainier Valley, and someday I hope we can grade separate that portion of Link, but Sound Transit seems to have taken every precaution to prevent problems like the Green Line has.

Feel free to consider this an open thread. Is there any other interesting transit news? H/T to Sam for this one.

27 Replies to “Texting While Operating: At Least Nobody Died”

  1. I’m sure the local transit union would fight against such thing, but why not have a camera inside the operator compartments of the Link trains? It would be a camera pointed at the operator, and visible to the supervisors in the control center. With the Link operators being visibly cut-off from the passenger compartment, the temptation to either text or talk on their cell will be too great to resist for some operators. Just an idea. Even the most habitual of texters of cell phone talkers wouldn’t dare do it in front of a supervisor. And let’s also remember that many, if not most Link operators are former Metro bus drivers. And at Metro, they learned that there were very little repercussions to getting caught talking on the cell phone. That’s why it’s common to see a driver doing it.

    Look at how many times people called into complain about Metro bus driver Sandie Olosky talking on her cell phone while driving the bus. Yet after each complaint, she still kept her job. Eventually she was involved in a fatal crash, and THEN lost her job.

    http://www.nwscape.com/md/s.htm (a list of complaints against her that someone posted online. It’s breathtakingly long).

  2. “Link, I believe, won’t have the rear-ending problem. If I’m not mistaken, our signaling system keeps the trains separated in blocks, and trains going through a red signal or going too fast will be automatically limited or stopped.”
    IMO always a dangerous assumption. No matter what “automatic” systems we put in place it comes down to the human controlling it. And we can never take the human out of the loop completely. In the end it comes town to operator training and accountability for the operators.

    1. No, it’s a pretty safe assumption with an automatic train stop system. Sure, there could be a freak accident, but you’re talking about something approximately as likely as an earthquake ripping open the ground in front of the train and it falling in.

      Automatic signaling systems been used for decades (maybe even a century) in systems all over the world. Places that have it really don’t have rear-ending or head-on accidents.

      The Green Line is from the 19th century. I don’t know how old their signaling system is, but they don’t have automatic stop, and that would have stopped both of their accidents.

      1. Just look at Skytrain. That is a fully automated system which uses moving signal blocks to maintain a safe operating distance. To my knowledge they have never had two trains hit each other.

  3. I can’t stand drivers who do this. It puts everybody at risk and will inevitably create a backlash with draconian “fixes” when somebody gets hurt. If you EVER see a driver talking or texting on their cell phone call customer service and complain. Be sure to get the coach and/or train number. Complaints go into that drivers file and enough of them will warrant followup.

    Despite this, I’m not a fan of the camera idea. Would YOU want a camera on you all day? Riding the bus is already one of the safest modes of transport available. (2005: 66 deaths on a bus vs over 39,000 in motor vehicles). The vast majority of the bus drivers out there have superior driving habits and safe records. Money spent on cameras could be better spent on other safety items. (More supervisors, more police to make all drivers/passengers safer, better signage at park & rides, better visibility at pedestrian crossings at transit centers, etc…)

    Look at where death & injury are actually occurring before you go spending millions of dollars on video surveillance equipment for all buses…

    1. I can’t say I’m a fan of the camera idea either. It’s just this assumption that the driver’s going to do something wrong, and we don’t need to go down that road.

      1. I’m not either a big fan of cameras looking at operators either, but … I think texting and cell phone talking will occur. I’m just trying to think of ways to greatly reduce it.

  5. First, let me point out I am a Link operator, and still employed by King County Metro, and can return to bus driving later if we request to do so after a commitment of time to Link.

    When it comes to cell phone use, our rule in the rulebook states clearly: “While operating any equipment, the use of, or appearance of use of any electronic devices, accessories and reading material is prohibited” So, if you see ANY operator using anything looking like a cell phone, call in and report him or her. In case of radio failure and we need to contact someone, cell phone usage may be done but never inside the operating cab. Rail officals do take this seriously and all of us at Link know this.

    There are segments that will shut down the train if we get too close to another train like between IDS and S. Walden St. (including the Beacon Hill Tunnel) and Boeing Access Road and Sea-Tac. However, what happened in Boston and last year in SF when a train rear ends another is possible here, too. If an operator misses a stop signal, or is distracted, someting like this could happen. Again, the rulebook says “Following Distance – In street running operations, only (1) train is allowed between any two signalized intersections, unless authorized by LCC.”

    When it comed to speed, our ADU (aspect display unit, aka speedometer) always shows a max speed we may travel if safe. If we go over that, a warning will sound and we have 2 seconds to reduce speed or the train will shut down to zero.

    Hope this helps!

    1. Doug, passengers often complained about Sandie Olosky talking on her cell phone while driving the bus. Nothing happened. Enforcement of rules at Metro is lax, and you know it. And if you, as a Link operator were talking or texting, no passenger would be able to see it. You have a pull-down shade to block people from seeing in to your compartment.

      1. Sam,
        I must say that operating one of our LRVs while talking on a cell phone is very hard to do. The operators left hand must be in on and holding the master controler (this controls the acceleration and braking) because releasing activates the deadman feature and will stop the train. The right hand is on a bar in front of the operator with a thumb activated bell. Both hands are used to run the train. Bluetooth could be used, but that would be visable in the cab. If you would see anyone on a cell phone it would be most likely at a station.

        Cell phone usage by bus drivers just like the driving public will happen even with the laws against using it while driving. There are just over 2800 bus drivers for Metro, and even I see it out there. I have no control over the other bus operators, or even management. When it comes to complants, if you receive 3 in the same catagory in a one year period, you should receive a PR in your file.

        I did know Sandy, but not well. Everyone who drives at Metro receives complaints, and that is past of the nature of the job we do. Some take advantage of the system, and some drivers just don’t care. I would say all of the operators and myself that come over from the bus side really want Link to work well. We had to go through an in house interview process, and a backgound check of both our work record and state driving records. 6 weeks of training followed, and anywhere between 3-6 months of operation before our first real passenger. We hold ourselves to a higher standard because of the visablity of the operation. Our management team includes KC Metro personal, but also has some of the best from other light rail operations from around the US. All I can say is that I will do my best to give the riders on my train the safest ride I can.

  7. Texting has GOT to be about the worst thing to do while operating any equipment. I’d be ok with a hands free earbug and cell phone, even though I know that I find that distracting just because I have a problem with any conversation while trying to drive…

    Ok folks, as ths is ‘open thread’ I need to go off topic and ask about something that I couldn’t figure out from searches on this blog, the streetcar site or the ORCA site.

    Will my ORCA card work on the South Lake Union Trolley? Thanks!

    1. I would like to see Seattle’s bus be free during non rush hour. It’s terribly underused in most areas off peak and if we are serious about reducing car traffic and pollution it’s a no brainer.

      Since most of my trips are under 5 miles and I already have a car it costs much more to bus. Since I’m cheap I would take the bus quite a bit if it were free.

      We spend 10 billion to widen 405 when that 10 billion is HUGE compared the the recovery rate on mass transit. If the bus were free we probably would not even need to spend so much on highway projects and things like the Alaska tunnel would not even be considered.

  9. I wonder if Metro’s facilities department took down the bus stop sign out in Baring. If its still there, it would be on the north side of the highway, in a pull-off for a residence/forest.

    It’s probably covered in moss by now, seeming as the 357/730 hasn’t operated in more than 10 years.

  10. This evening (20:08 ET) The New York Times reported that the Boston transit authority has prohibited drivers from carrying a mobile device on their person while on the job:

    “They’re not to have it on their person,” Daniel A. Grabauskas, the general manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, said of the devices. “They’re not to bring it in the cab of the train or on board the bus. They’re to leave it at home, leave it in their car, leave it in their locker or leave it with someone else”

    Mr. Grabauskas said that under the policy change, operators who were found with cellphones or other personal electronic devices while on duty would be dismissed immediately.

    The chief of the transit workers’ union, Stephan G. MacDougall, said he supported the move.

    “In our field of expertise, to deliver safe public transportation, it’s clear that embracing a policy that prohibits even possessing a phone while operating a vehicle is not just appropriate, it’s good public policy that’s in the best public interest,” said Mr. MacDougall, the president of the Boston Carmen’s Union Local 589.

    Let’s hope that our local transit agencies take the hint.

    Note to Doug @ Link: there are unquestionably some incredibly dedicated, safe drivers working for local transit agencies. Every regular rider probably has at least one story of how their driver narrowly avoided what would have been a horrific incident if the driver hadn’t been paying the strictest attention not only to his/her driving, but to every other vehicle in the area. There are also, unfortunately, a number of bad apples. I find it extremely stressful and disconcerting to have a driver jabbering away (and worse, arguing with the person on the other end), operating on autopilot, and not paying any attention at all to his/her driving, and I’d hope transit managers would also see it that way. But as far as I can tell (from personal experience), management and customer service personnel at the two agencies I’m most familiar with — Metro and Kitsap Transit — couldn’t care less. In my experience, a complaint — on the rare occasion one is taken seriously and acted upon — is only a temporary bandage. And if the driver and his/her buddies figure out who ratted them out, they retaliate. Rules and regulations are useless if everybody ignores them and violators aren’t disciplined. However, if management and drivers set high standards, and make “Safety First” an institutional priority, the agency culture itself will enforce/reinforce the rules.

      1. Note to Sam: Yes, thanks, I had looked at the website after seeing the link on your earlier comment. I was pretty disgusted by the time I finished reading the page (I had followed the story in the Seattle media), but as complaints are considered “personnel matters,” this information wouldn’t normally be available to the general public. And as Doug mentioned, complaints go with the job. (Remember — some riders just like to cause problems and provoke situations that “justify” filing complaints.) Managers need to be savvy enough to have a sense of which complaints are valid and which aren’t, and to realize when a pattern is developing. But the dozens of complaints against Olosky over a period of many years indicate that valid complaints are frequently neither investigated nor acted upon, unless Olosky was the exception.

        Note to Doug: Your point regarding emergencies and transit agency radio systems is well-made, as is VeloBusDriver’s regarding mindlessly reactive “solutions.” It’s also good to hear that drivers are using peer pressure, as that’s usually effective. And Mike Skehan also noted the serious problems with Metro’s radio system (although I keep hearing rumors about proposed upgrades). Metro isn’t the only transit agency dealing with unreliable radios, which is is why I always carry a mobile phone when using public transit. Still, I don’t see an awful lot of self-discipline or common sense being exercised when mobile devices are involved, although there are certainly creative ways to approach the problem if one has a death wish. I still feel though, that a total ban, drastic as it is, is ultimately going to be the only way to keep the problem under control. So perhaps the best solution is a sophisticated transit radio system that’s reliable, features built-in redundancies, and is free from any operational interference by local law enforcement. From taking to friends who are radio techs and/or hams, and reading the Kitsap Transit board minutes, I get the strong sense that radios are an annoying afterthought to transportation (and public safety) planners, who generally know nothing about the subject. Perhaps the unions could throw their weight around on this matter. Safety issues alone would seem to make a reliable radio system a top priority. If they wanted to, politicians could easily divert funds from nifty state-of-the-art radio-controlled bus stop signage systems to less sexy but far more important systems impacting the safety of drivers and passengers.

  11. To Mike F. You are right. Enough memos and warnings have been posted at the bus bases about not talking on the cell phone and driving. Texting is even worse. When we as union members see something another driver does that is unsafe, we do try to do it outside of managment and contact our union to have someone there talk to the offending driver. As union members, we do try to help our own. But yes if you see someone on the phone, call and complain!

    As for my opinion, Metro drivers should be allowed to carry cell phones, but have them turned off while operating. There are a few dead spots in our radio system that I would feel more comfortable being able to call if I cannot hear our control center. Also in this day and age, communication with family is still very important. But they should know, and may have to wait for me to get back to them later and let me do my job.

  12. I’m troubled with rules that “idiot-proof” the system. As a former commercial pilot, you routinely have to talk on the radio, navigate, and fly the plane.
    As a former Metro trolley driver (Retired), there have been many occasions when I used my cell phone to call the control center when our 19th century marconi radio system didn’t work to request 911 assistance or report a disabled bus.
    I appreciated having a phone to fill some of the boring times while on break, or take care of personal business. Pay phones are a thing of the past.
    The only way to idiot proof the system is to eliminate the idiots. Their not that hard to catch.

  13. This will NOT be the last instance of a tragedy caused by a worker who didn’t take his responsibilities seriously — and it will not be confined to public transit operators.

    I think it’s important to identify root causes here. Sorry to say, I am not the first to notice a new level of immaturity in today’s workers. Specifically, employers are reporting 1) a decreased sense of accountability along with 2) an increased sense of entitlement. Think about it for one minute, and you begin to see that’s a dangerous combination: It doesn’t even occur to people to put the needs of others before their own desires.

    I’d go further, but the following, written by a high school teacher, does a better job than I ever could:

    http://donaldgallinger.com/dons-blog/jack-from-missouri/12-my-self-of-steam.html

    Unfortunately, I think imprisonment is necessary here. It may be unfair to the young driver, who perhaps was never taught a sense of social responsibility by the adults in his life. But neither were thousands of young people who are just entering the workforce. The only way to prevent future loss of life and limb may be to “shock and awe” these new workers.

    Then, as a more permanent measure, we MUST start teaching kids better values.

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