Letter: Riding the bus can be tough on elderly folks

Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2000 | 10 a.m.

Many years ago, Bob Newhart had a comedy routine of instructing bus drivers: "Start fast! Stop fast! You can ricochet the old folks all the way to the back of the bus."

Unfortunately for CAT passengers, too many drivers are of the Bob Newhart School of Bus Driving, and we old folks have the bruises and X-rays of feet and knees to prove it.

Because my car had a terminal breakdown, I have had to ride five to seven buses a day to get my errands done. I've kept a written memo of each ride, the number of the route, the bus and the race of the driver. What a revelation of how poor the CAT system is!

Many drivers are doing their job right and with a sense of humor, which eases some of the difficulties and problems. The good drivers should have an award attached to their name tags, which all drivers are supposed to wear but don't.

For the rude drivers, a sensitivity training course should be required.

The empty spaces where ads or public service notices could be placed are a missed opportunity. The RTC should print the policies in large print. Educational messages could be printed: Courtesy words ("please," "thank you," "excuse me," etc.) would remind folks that all the passengers deserve a break. Riding CAT is no break.

R. M. THORPE

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