Bus Safety (Inspired by the big bus controversy) =)

[MosMom]

I didn't want to post this under the original post because I was afraid it would get lost in the debate.


Last time we were in Disney, we got on a crowded bus. I was holding my daughter because she was too frightened to stand (she is a big chicken <IMG WIDTH="15" HEIGHT="15" SRC="/infopop/emoticons/icon_razz.gif" alt="razz">). I was BEYOND the red line that by law we should not be across. I asked the driver to get off since I was beyond the line & there was no room to move back & by this point the door was closed & he was starting to move. He snapped at me while saying that it was fine & we would be to the resort in a minute. I'm not a confrontational person so I just meekly agreed & we were off. He drove like a freaking maniac all the way back (or at least that is how it felt as I balanced myself with no place to hang on). IMHO, DisneyWorld should not allow children or babies to be held on the busses. Considering this is a family destination, you would think that they would either provide designated seats for children & family only or not allow children on if all seats are filled. That busride was scary & I could not properly hold on since I was trying to hold a 30lb. child. I wish someone would have offered me their seat as I juggled a child & stroller but I didn't expect anyone to. I should have spoken up & made the driver stop to let me off! Since then, we do not even get in line when the busses are being filled beyond capacity. We find a bench or throw out a blanket & relax until the line dies down to where we can easily board a near empty bus & find seats for all of us. I would recommend that to anyone & did on the Tips board. There is no rush to get back & we're on vacation. No need to endanger our lives just to get back a half hour sooner. It just shocks me that Disney is not strict on this subject considering the liability at hand. I was discussing this with a friend the other day & she was in a bus accident, a woman sitting in the first row of front facing seats was thrown from her seat & landed in the area between the side facing seats. The bus was only going around 5 miles an hour!! We all know where my daughter & myself would have gone in just a 30 mile an hour crash, out the big windows! When I think about it now, I just cringe and thank God it was my lucky day. I assume there is no law against children/infants being held on a bus? I'm starting to become redundant with my point but I think the underlying issue here isn't how late we keep our kids out on vacation or how rude someone is or isn't...it's how unsafe that situation is and how that situation is played out on a daily basis with thousands of people! The real message to parents should be: Don't get on a crowded bus if you child won't have a seat.

I think everyone forgets what the velocity in crash can do! It's pretty scary when you really stop to think about it. These boards reach a lot of people so if everyone who reads this stops boarding unsafe busses, then Figaro30 bringing up this issue was the best thing to happen in a long time.

"Yeah, they're going to Disney AGAIN...they go like every other day" -- My Teenage Brother

January 00' - Beach Club
September 00' - All Star Movies
March 01' - All Star Movies

MoseysMom

 

[disneydreamerinny]

Well said! (Clapping)

All Star Music 10/4/98
Next trip All Star Movies 05/3/02-05/12/02

 

[Morgana]

That was well spoken and I agree with you 100%. I think that everyone debating the issue on the other thread should take the time to fill out a complaint on there next trip. WDW has no problem with the issuance of rules for their attractions ie. Height requirements. This is after all for the safety of its guests. You would think that they would feel the same about the transportation that they provide to those same guests. No matter what a bus driver thinks it is not safe to ride standing up. And that doesn't change because you only have a short distance to go. After all most accidents happen within only a few miles from your own home or in this case resort. I worked way to hard to get my children into this world healthy and in one peice and under no circumstance would I ever want to risk that just to get back to my resort a few minutes earlier. I have been reading the other thread for days and everyone has a point to make, but putting aside the rudeness of the mother for getting verbal to strangers, and the passengers for pointedly talking about the sleepy child standing in the isle ( which probably just incited the mother bear instinct in the rude mother)not to excuse her behavior. I would have worried more for the childs safety than how cute it was that he was standing up and falling asleep. Placing blame on either party doesn't remedy the real problem which is bus safety. So take a stand on your next visit and refuse to stand in the isle and report the problem to a CM at Disney. Besides after all the money we all spend for these trips the least disney could do is provide us a safe way to be transported back to our resorts. Ok I'm done preaching now. Sorry this is just the oppinion of a Pediatric intensive care nurse that has seen what a traffic accident of any kind can do to a helpless child. It is not a pretty site trust me. So remember Safety First

 

[S6Ranch]

...you are so right! I just went in Feb. and there were times when I wondered if the drivers were breaking the law! I have 4 kids ages 10,7,4 and 9 months. I had a hard time hanging onto my baby sitting down! We did not get on a bus unless we could sit down and drivers seemed perturbed if our party of 7 didn't get on! My husband would tell them "We would like to get there in one piece!" I was just hit by a logging truck loaded down while turnung in my own driveway and it totaled my van. Wrecks can happen 10ft. from your destination. I think the first couple of times we were just in shock and then we got smart. Shelley

 

[Figaro30]

Two thumbs up for mosmom!! They need to change their transportation problems immediately!

'81 - Cont.
'88 - Disneyland
'89 - Maingate East
'91 - CBR
'94 - CBR
'95 - CBR
'98 - BC
'00 - WL
'01 - OKW

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I also was shocked during our first trip when I was expected to stand in the aisle holding my 9 month old baby. On the trip *to* Disney I refused to get into a cab because he didn't want to wait for me to install the car seat I'd brought along -- and Disney expected me to stand in an aisle holding the infant?!!!!!

My boys are older now - but I agree that those buses are an accident waiting to happen.

Poly Nov '94
Beach Club Oct '97
Yacht Club Nov '01

 

[ceopa]

I did respond to the controversial post. We had awful experiences on buses on our trip last year. I would strongly urge all those who have bad (or in this case - dangerous) experiences to voice their concerns to resort management as we did. This is the only way things will improve. We drive to WDW - so we have our vehicle - but I have read posts that others rent cars when staying on-site to avoid the buses. This is an additional cost to incur (unless, of course - you need the car for other reasons) when one of the biggest perks to staying on-site is Disney transportation. I think we all agree that staying at a WDW resort is great, but no doubt you pay a premium to be there. Safe and convenient transportation is not too much to expect...

 

[MosMom]

We are heading to Disney in a week & I do plan to say something this trip. Hopefully, more & more people will & Disney will make the appropriate changes for the safety of their guests. One can always hope right?



<img src="http://moseysmom.tripod.com/w.jpg" height="143" width="114"></p>

<font face="verdana, arial" size="1"><font color="#FF00FF"><strong>MoseysMom </strong></font></p>

<font face="verdana, arial" size="1">"They call it "PMS" because "Mad Cow Disease" was already taken" <IMG WIDTH="15" HEIGHT="15" SRC="/infopop/emoticons/icon_razz.gif" alt="razz"></font></p>

 

[Paula H]

I'm so glad that people are concerned about this. 3/31 we're taking DD on her first trip to Disney. This kid hasn't never been in any kind of vehicle when she's not in a car seat, and the thought of putting her on the buses has been making me nervous. She's 21 mos. old and when she decides she doesn't want to sit still, it's a struggle to hold on to her. I can't imagine having to stand up, hold on to her as well as to one of the bars so that I don't fall right over when those drivers take a turn too fast. We definitely won't be riding on any buses if we can't sit down with her! We're even considering avoiding alot of the evening shows just so that we don't have to deal with the really crowded buses. This issue is so important, and I'll be interested to hear how management responds.

MK 10+ as child
CB '91
DxL '93
DxL '94
CS '96
CB 5/01

 

[Maleficent2]

I totally agree.

Mal

<img height="200" SRC="http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/vltdisney/mal03.gif">

 

[kissafrog]

I agree, the buses aren't safe for children! We've deceided to drive to the parks, that way our son (2 1/2) is in his car seat where he belongs. I would rather have the inconvenience of driving than have to hold him on a crowded bus, and risk having him harmed.

 

[TinkTink]

It's not just at WDW! I'm totally AMAZED by parents who bring their little ones on the city bus, plop 'em in a seat and that's it. Any time I am forced to ride a bus with my DD (4 yo), I put one arm around her - against protest, mind you - just to keep her from sliding all over on the hard plastic seat. I hate to imagine how badly little kids would be thrown around in an accident.

I also noticed at WDW that the bus drivers are in quite a hurry to get to their destination. We've been driving on the WDW roads only to be blown past by the busses. The speed limit signs serve no purpose, they are ignored to an extent that is laughable!

DH and I spent our Honeymoon in WDW and took the bus to the parks on our first day. After Illuminations, we were jammed into a bus bursting past capacity - I almost think WDW could have someone pushing people in, like on the subway in Japan! All I can say is: there's no way I'd want to try and balance a kid on my hip with the way that bus swerved and swayed.

We'll always rent a car. We've taken the WDW bus once and that was enough!

Judie B

 

[B3LM]

MosMom, thank you so much for starting this thread! I agree with everyone whole-heartedly. I also think that Disney really needs to change their policy on bus transportation. I'd hate to see them wait until a real tragedy happens and then realize that they should have acted sooner! (Unfortunately, that is all too common.)

We have a relative who was killed in a car accident several yars ago when he was only 5YO. Partly due to that, my DH and I are VERY particular about having our children in proper car seats. There is no way that I would stand on a bus holding one of them, nor would I allow them to stand on the bus while it is moving. I'd prefer to wait for the next bus!

I hope that someone from WDW who monitors these boards will take the initiative to act on this.
I will be sure to fill out a complaint form the next time I visit WDW.

°o°°o°°o°°o°°o°
<span style='font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#666699'>’79 Poly, ’80 Cont, ’81 Disney Inn, ’82 Poly, ’83 Fairway Villas, ’84/’85 Off-site condo, ’87 Days Inn<o></o></span>
<span style='font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:#339966'>April ’91 Cont(Honeymoon), Oct ’95 ASM, Oct ’98 AS<o></o></span>
<span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:red'>Next trip: Nov ’01 Cont</p>