You know the person who used the equipment before you is a complete dolt when...

[Big Wallaby]

I got on a bus today, and the brakes were messed up to the point where every stop was an E-Stop. The brake pedal was more of a button than a lever. Within about half an inch of applying pressure to the pedal, I would I gave it half a run to decide if I could figure out the proper pressure to make it better. I decided it would be impossible.

The driver before me complained about a whole host of other problems, but never mentioned that the brakes were awful. By about halfway through my run, I was calling into base to let them know that on this bus I refused to have any standing passengers because the brakes were so bad. They came back asking if it was bad enough that I wanted it towed. Since I was a couple minutes away from the dropoff, I decided to get my guests where they needed to go, and then I would deal with the bus.

Here's my question: What kind of idiot was the driver who had that bus before me? Or how about the two drivers before him? Note, this is not asking if he is an idiot, but what kind of idiot he is.

[hobie16]

The brake pedal was more of a button than a lever. Within about half an inch of applying pressure to the pedal, I would I gave it half a run to decide if I could figure out the proper pressure to make it better. I decided it would be impossible.

What would cause that?

[Big Wallaby]

What would cause that?

Probably wear and tear on the pedal, kinda like when the brake pedal goes mushy on your car, where it is almost at the end of it's travel (toward where you push it when you use it). For instance, when the pedal is not pressed, it is about half an inch above where the accelerator is when to the floor. Is this making any sense to anyone but Cranbiz?

[mechurchlady]

I have had mushy brakes on pick ups and cars. You had the pedal to the metal but it was not the gas pedal. I hope you meant that you stepped on the brake and your foot kept going and going and going but you never seemed to make the brakes work.

I probably got this wrong.

Incompetent idiot and uncaring idiot would be two classificatons.

[Big Wallaby]

I have had mushy brakes on pick ups and cars. You had the pedal to the metal but it was not the gas pedal. I hope you meant that you stepped on the brake and your foot kept going and going and going but you never seemed to make the brakes work.

I probably got this wrong.

You got everything correct, except now you take that mushy area out of the brakes, so that instead of pushing through a lot of nothing, it's like the pedal just never came back up the last time or something, it stayed down so that you only start pushing the pedal where it is effective. And again, the pedal is so far depressed by the time your foot gets to it, that every time you push it, it's an E-Stop.

It's my hope that the guy I broke is just an idiot. I would hate to think that he realized the BRAKES had a problem, but chose to be negligent. I would always you rather be stupid than knowingly bad. That is why, for the most part, I can laugh at SG's places like here. If they knew they were doing something wrong and doing it because they knew it was stupid, it would be a whole different problem. People aren't inherently bad in my mind, just stupid at times. And I like thinking that way, despite so much evidence to the contrary so much of the time.

But for this driver to be negligent instead of stupid, that makes him criminal in my mind, especially if something had happened.

When I got my guests off my bus, I did everything to avoid traffic, just in case the brakes decided to take a break and not stop the bus when I gave them the signal. Yes, I even opted to go by the Disney Fertilizer Factory instead of coming back World Drive to get back to FIW. Pray you never have to experience that yourselves...although I understand one bus driver did take a group from Coronado to Magic Kingdom that way once. I don't know that he's still with the company. That would be about like taking a group on a bus to the Tunnel entrance.

On Google Earth, the fertilizer factory doesn't look like something that would smell the way it does when you are passing 300' away. But believe me, it is not pleasant.

I almost made a joke about it the other day: "Welcome to Disney World, a company that literally makes a profit on everything you do on property...yes, even when you flush. We thank you for your contributions." Gaw, I was tired that day.

[mechurchlady]

I been driving barefoot for about 32 years. I would have used my toes to pull up on the brake. It is too bad that once you were rid of passengers you didn't accidently lose the brakes and send it into a lake. Sorry boss but the brakes e-stopped and I went sliding out of control into a lake.

I wonder how many guests were wondering why you were jerking them around on the bus. Maybe he thought that with all the problems the bus was having that it might be our of commission and get a total check up.

[Cranbiz]

I would guess that he was a TOTAL IDIOT!

The thing that makes me cringe is the fact that at FIW an mechanic wantabe will get in, step on the brakes and say's, "It stops, the brakes are fine! Another driver who does not what he is talking about."

These are air brakes, they are most likely badly worn or completely out of adjustment. With that type of issue, the bus should have been redtagged. Because of the potential safety issue to both the driver and any motorist on the road, I would have opted for towing but it is a judgement call and I trust Wallaby's judgement. Yes, I know exactly why Wallaby was frustrated. Some of these drivers will not tell you that something is wrong because they don't know or are too scared to say anything for fear that they will be blamed for it. Therefor we all suffer.


Churchy, we don't want Wallaby in the lake. He is too good of a guy to test the swimming Marsupial theory.

[mechurchlady]

How to Get Rid of a Bad Bus, Car or Truck

1. Park the bus on a hill or incline.
2. Open the door.
3. Let vehicle roll down hill.
4. Jump.
5. Run after the vehicle and make it look like you jumped at the last minute.
6. If you are a mechanic then a little nudge might help like twiddling with the brake lines.

[Big Wallaby]

These are air brakes, they are most likely badly worn or completely out of adjustment. With that type of issue, the bus should have been redtagged. Because of the potential safety issue to both the driver and any motorist on the road, I would have opted for towing but it is a judgement call and I trust Wallaby's judgement.

Good moment to show what my thinking process was. I never mind answering for my actions when it comes to driving.

I was about half a mile from dropping the passengers off, and I made sure they knew to just hold on until we stopped. Once they were off the bus at Beach Club, I took Epcot Resorts Drive (Boulevard? Road?) and started slowing down for BVD at the Dolphin, so that by the time I got to BVD I was crawling. I took the bus to Western Way, because on Western you have about 100' or more on either side of the road in case something does go wrong. That, and it's such a lightly travelled road that I could take my time without pissing anyone off. That, and if I had to take it off the road and sink it in the dirt, I had ample space. I also tried to clear the brakes, by accelerating to about 45 (the speed limit), then braking to where I actually got a wheel to lock up a bit. Again, with no cars in view either way, and with great visibility in all directions, I knew I could safely drive that road.

Now, had I been anywhere else at Disney World, I would most certainly opted for the tow. Too much traffic everywhere else.

[mechurchlady]

I have limped home rather than getting something towed. My last accident left me with no headlights or turn signals and I had to drive 10 to 12 miles home. I coasted into Rosewood's Restaurant with an overheaded engine but got close enough as not to have to pay for all that mileage.

What makes us try to limp home with a vehicle that is unsafe. I am driving on bad tires and my alternator is a goner for the 3rd time this year. That car eats alternators fast.

Please no more heroic stunts like that. This board needs you to post. You are so funny and witty.