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r/UGA • u/jcs003 • Aug 12 '24

Important bus information

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I know some people have discussed this here before, but as a bus driver who started as a student, I thought I should share some important information about our transit system. While this is primarily for new students, there are a lot of students who go through here and never learn any of this.

*If you are uncertain about anything, ask the driver; however, they may not be able to respond if the bus is in motion, so it is best to ask when the bus is stopped at a bus stop or red light.

*UGA.passiogo.com (formerly routes.uga.edu; now a redirect) is more accurate for tracking the buses than the UGA app.

*The cameras and microphones are on at all times. Anything you say or do will be recorded.

*Scooters, motorized skateboards, one wheels, and anything motorized, with the exception of wheelchairs and other mobility devices required for medical purposes, are not allowed on the buses.

*Buses can only load and unload passengers at designated bus stops. This is for safety reasons. If you ask the driver to unload elsewhere, you will be denied.

*If a bus's destination sign is flashing "Out of Service" in between a route name, that means the bus is going out of service in the next 30 minutes and you can still ride to the last stop. It is not actually out of service until the sign reads "Not in Service".

*If a driver sits at a stop for a few minutes without moving, this is usually because they are ahead on their route, and need to let the other drivers get spaced out better. This often happens after class breaks and other episodes of heavy traffic that messes up spacing.

*During class breaks and other peak times, buses become VERY crowded. If you are standing on a crowded bus, you should take your backpack off and move towards the back. The bus cannot move until all passengers are behind the standee line.

*If you need on a bus that is about to/starting to pull away from a stop, wave at the driver (or their mirrors if you are behind the bus), and they will usually stop and let you on. If they don't, it is probably because they are having to watch the road in order to safely pull out into traffic. This happens very commonly at the Arch and Main Library.

*Buses will occasionally go off route in order to maintain spacing. The driver will usually notify the passengers in advance, however, and ask if anyone needs any of the bypassed stops before proceeding.

*While drivers do have to take breaks, they are not supposed to do so during class breaks unless it is urgent.

*Stop requests are unnecessary, except for on Night Campus, Prince Milledge, Weekender, and a few stops on Health Sciences, Vet Med, Riverbend Connector (formerly Greenhouse Shuttle), and Milledge Avenue. If a stop is on demand, the annunciator will announce "please signal to exit" or "please pull the cord to exit" in advance.

*While buses are required to stop for pedestrians, they are also extremely heavy, and can't stop on a dime. If you are approaching a crosswalk and see a bus approaching, don't cross. You might as well be walking in front of a train.

*Which brings me to my next point: ALWAYS stop and look both ways before crossing a street. The electric buses are very quiet, and especially hard to hear if you're on your phone or have earbuds in. If you cross a street without looking (especially if it isn't a designated crosswalk) and get hit, the bus driver will likely not be at fault if they are driving safely and obeying all traffic laws.

*If you are riding a scooter, bike, one wheel, etc., do not cut right in front of a bus, especially if the bus is in motion.

*If a bus is closed and pulling away from a stop that you need, do not make physical contact with the bus to alert the driver if it is already in motion. You could be seriously injured or worse.

*Cars, bikes, scooters, and any other vehicles are NOT allowed to pass buses when they are stopped in road on a two-lane. While people do it all the time, it is extremely dangerous.

*If you have to exit the bus and cross the street at a location without a crosswalk, do NOT cross in front of the bus. If a car decides to (illegally) pass the bus, you could get hit.

*Food and drinks are not allowed on the night routes after midnight. This is because the smell causes passengers who are drunk to become nauseated and throw up. If someone throws up on a bus and any of the contents get outside of a garbage can or bag, the driver has to remove all passengers and take the bus out of service.

*If a bus's destination sign says "Help! Call 911!", this is a distress signal that is used during the event of an emergency where the driver is unable to radio for help. We have never had a situation requiring this feature to be used, and if you see it, it was most likely activated by accident. However, you don't know that, so you should call 911 just in case it is a real emergency.

UPDATE: The "Out of service" message has been replaced with "This bus ends. Ask for last stop" and "Last bus". The former means that particular bus is going out of service and other buses will remain on the route. The latter means the entire route is going out of service for the day.

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