Bus driver snoozes on the job
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Marcel Lee Pereira
Tue, Jan 29, 2008
my paper
Bus driver snoozes on the job
For a careful driver like Madam Daphne Hoon, seeing an SBS bus driver seemingly asleep at the wheel at a red light junction was too much to take.The 33-year-old freelance nail artist took three pictures of the driver with her mobile phone.
Then she sent them to online news portal Stomp yesterday.
Her car was beside a SBS service 124 bus at 11.20am yesterday at the junction of Telok Blangah Crescent and Telok Blangah Way.
Madam Hoon, who had just dropped her two children off at school, told my paper: "I noticed the driver had his elbows on the steering wheel, so I took a closer look and saw that his eyes were closed."
The driver slept for about three minutes, Madam Hoon estimated.
He did not wake up until the light turned green and she had begun to drive off.
"He didn't even realise I had taken his picture," added Madam Hoon, who makes it a point to be alert while at the wheel.
When contacted, Tammy Tan, SBS Transit's director for corporate communications, said: "We are appalled to learn about this incident and are currently conducting a thorough investigation into the matter. We take a serious view of it."
Bus captains on average work nine hours a day, of which about 12 per cent is spent on breaks in between trips, said Ms Tan.
The story on Stomp drew mixed responses with several readers criticising the driver.
Others, however, said he could be facing some personal problems and should be given the benefit of the doubt.
But Madam Hoon added: "No matter what, you are on duty. You can take a break when you reach the terminal, but not on the journey. Being a careful driver is not enough, you have to be alert to watch out for other drivers. The passengers' lives are in his hands."
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.... by the way, when is this new format going to be up to scratch?
... it takes FOREVER just to post a reply or new topic!!!
... it's like one big step - backwards...
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Lol, last part anti-climax
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my goodness. is it safe to take a bus these days?
ZYX
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That's the importance of proposing 5 days week like SMRT Buses.SBST should do that
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Come on! Can't a poor chap that a 3 minute breather and eye rest? Its not as if he is driving, the bus is in a stationery red traffic light...
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Seriously
I experience drowsiness when I never sleep. I was trainspotting the Eastern and Oriental Express in November and I never slept since I woke up at around 12 pm the day before. I go out but when I reached Tanjung Pagar at around 8:30 I started feeling drowsy and slept on the bus from Kent Ridge to Buona Vista and then I looped back and slept again. Then 11:30 am, I spotted the train that I intended to spot and I went home only to find myself lost at Turf City.
I took the Clementi Shuttle there and went on the Toa Payoh one. I then took the MRT home and I slept there untill the train reached Admiralty. I took the bus home and first thing I did is to jump on my bed and sleep
Referring to this, I personally think that the driver must have watched EPL and never slept. Maybe he worked PM shift on Day A and worked the AM shift on the Day of the incident.
Let me warn you, especially for students: Get at least 4 - 5 hour sleep or you won't concentrate in School as your brain won't be 'fresh' and that's when you feel drowsy
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i think it's safe to take bus though.
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what? he's not going to blame the MIW for this?
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Originally posted by tintinspartan:
Referring to this, I personally think that the driver must have watched EPL and never slept. Maybe he worked PM shift on Day A and worked the AM shift on the Day of the incident.
Let me warn you, especially for students: Get at least 4 - 5 hour sleep or you won't concentrate in School as your brain won't be 'fresh' and that's when you feel drowsy
SBST would not allow the driver to work A/S shift the following day after P shift that night. Don't know what is labour law ah? Go to the Singapore Statutes and read.Why not you try after your post-secondary education about your 4-5 hour sleep per night? If your ______ never scold/reprimand/alert you, I would not down here to tell you to wake up your idea.
Related/relevant people should know what i say.
Even I myself having 6.5 hours of sleep not enough. Good thing I can sleep on the bus when i commute. -
wth. i also close my eyes and rest for a while at traffic junctions when driving! later i kena stomped by her!
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i dunno abt driving a bus or car but personally i slept for ard 4 to 5 hrs and i didn't fell aslp while operating forlift.
Its not easy as i have to drive in a narrow space and make a turn, avoid debris and stuff. My mind had to b v clear thou i was sleepy. Kinda hard to fell aslp i guess.
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Originally posted by FBI:
i dunno abt driving a bus or car but personally i slept for ard 4 to 5 hrs and i didn't fell aslp while operating forlift.
Its not easy as i have to drive in a narrow space and make a turn, avoid debris and stuff. My mind had to b v clear thou i was sleepy. Kinda hard to fell aslp i guess.
WAH. you drive forklift ah?? Good pay hor? -
Originally posted by Quinsy:
WAH. you drive forklift ah?? Good pay hor?
haha to b true, i'm a unlicensed driver. No choice cause warehouse lacks of ppl so have to drive myself at times.I did not get a forkilift driver's pay
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i dun think that the driver sleep for 3 mins. Maybe just for only 30 secs cos the traffic light wont turn red for 3 mins at that junction.
I think the vehicle behind will definitely horn if the bus never move for 3 mins at the junction. Likewise for those vehicles behind that lady driver.
Also, that lady is also committing an offence by using HP to take photo while driving. I hope TP will send her a summon for using HP while driving..
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Originally posted by service_238:
SBST would not allow the driver to work A/S shift the following day after P shift that night. Don't know what is labour law ah? Go to the Singapore Statutes and read.A few months ago, I was talking to a 179 BC. He was called back to work during his off day and drove P shift because of lack of BCs. The next day, he was supposed to drive A shift, but his boss said he could come 2 - 3hours late on that day, lol!
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it is a red light man. the bus is not even moving. just let that poor BC get some shuteye. their hours are rather long after all. even if he didnt see the light turning green, the honks from the impatient drivers behind his bus will anyway. sheesh.
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Another typical smart alex sniff up ass they dun belong.
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lol reminds me of my company transport driver. she can go from lane 1 of expressway to lane 4, like a snake making its way through the desert. she drivers with her eyes closed
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talking about overworking,
alot of people who are working in the construction industry; ranging from construction workers to supervisors, managers, quantity surveyors, co-ordinators often got to endure superlong typical work hours from 8am till very late at night or work through the night, from Mon to Sat and also often Sun/PH too...
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For bus drivers its the journey to and fro.Wasted several hours for waiting Transports!Anyway i've notice more motorists are damm busybody,they only want to know what bus drivers are doin rather than concentrate on their lousy driving skills,yes i've notice SG drivers have lousy & problematic driving attitude.All they care why is this bus taking some of my lanes when turning when they purposely cut into your lane if they see buses want to overtake them.We've lot to learn from countries like Thailand,Germany or even Malaysia
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he took an eyeshut durin red lite betta den he took it durin drivin rite.
lealli is typical charbor sibei gao zeh one.
bus so big beri safe one.
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What's her problem.
It could be a candid shot of him resting his eyes, and from the posts in STOMP, about 90% of them are exaggerated
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Later no BC wants to drive long trip like Service 51, 61, 143, ...
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the one who snap the photo of him, he may loose his job. happy? cny coming and family waiting for him to feed.
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Hmm but if very drowsy, sometimes even driving also will nod off one..
people will say this woman very kaypoh if no accident happen.
cos.. no accident happen yet ma. yet.
having said tt... SBS shd UNDERSTAND why he has this problem rather than just punish indiscriminately.
If he has been staying up all night watching soccer, then obviously shd punish lah. but
9 hours of driving with only 12% break time is damn little. Use increase in transport fares to ensure we have safer rides.. instead of fixing chao plasma tv everywhere.