Stupid Guest Tricks

its just fustrating sometimes and i see all your points ... its just fustrating at times

Zazu wrote:I know. I'm sorry. I suppose that's why I don't work at MK any more -- too much sense.

All is forgiven this time. Just don't let it happen again. Otherwise, we'll have to transfer you to... well, I am not sure where we can transfer you. Bus Core Training, I guess. Most of the trainers there are pretty good. Of course, what they are teaching is common sense above all else (unless they teach you to check your mirrors the way the people who made up the Defensive Driving course want you to do it, where you almost don't actually look out anywhere you have to look through the windshield to see).

Actually, could you come work buses? Sense is a good thing in our department. Your first task is firing this one guy who really doesn't belong behind the wheel of a bus. For reference as to how bad he is, he thinks, one month out of the gate, that he's Disney's best driver. That, AFTER almost crashing one of the brand new buses (new meaning it still has the new bus smell and fewer miles than most people's cars on this forum) into the red poles at MK. He said that had his passengers not screamed, he would not have realized it until it was too late.

Big Wallaby wrote:Your first task is firing this one guy who really doesn't belong behind the wheel of a bus. For reference as to how bad he is, he thinks, one month out of the gate, that he's Disney's best driver. That, AFTER almost crashing one of the brand new buses (new meaning it still has the new bus smell and fewer miles than most people's cars on this forum) into the red poles at MK. He said that had his passengers not screamed, he would not have realized it until it was too late.

OK, You need to tell me who this was tonight (if you are working). I wonder if he was the one who also damaged 4962 by the rear doors. Imagine my surprise to find the log entry of "Old Damage" on a new Gillig.

Unfortunately, we are hiring drivers who might not be perfectly suited for this job. It's amazing what being shorthanded does to the hiring process.

Cranbiz wrote:Yup, Fried Gillig.......................... yum.

Please don't fry the Gilligs! As a wheelchair user I really prefer the Gillig to the Nova. Less likely to get stuck on the bus. ANd the lift buses, I can't count the times I have ended up stuck on one because the lift broke.

TalkingHands wrote:Please don't fry the Gilligs! As a wheelchair user I really prefer the Gillig to the Nova. Less likely to get stuck on the bus. ANd the lift buses, I can't count the times I have ended up stuck on one because the lift broke.

I understand completely! Not all Nova's have the extendo ramp, some have the Gillig style flip out ramp.

IMHO that gives both of us the best options. I get to drive a bus that I like driving and you will not get stuck on the bus (because of a faulty ramp) and you still have enough room to manouver into position.

We just got a bunch of new Gilligs. These will replace some of the old RTS's therefore eliminating some more "lift type buses"

I feel really bad for the bus drivers sometimes. Especially at the end of the day, when everyone is leaving at the same time.

joanna71985 wrote:I feel really bad for the bus drivers sometimes. Especially at the end of the day, when everyone is leaving at the same time.

It's much worse in Mexico, trust me on that. When I was there in January, my friend and I used public transportation a lot to get around. It is literally impossible to sit down on the buses and the subway system there. Heck, we were even body to body on the subway sometimes.

joanna71985 wrote:I feel really bad for the bus drivers sometimes. Especially at the end of the day, when everyone is leaving at the same time.

Actually, if you're a good, smooth driver in a good bus and keep it fun, informational, interactive and fun, it's possible to make it downright special for the guests. I've had quite a few get off at Pop Century, going there from MK, saying it was the best ride they'd ever had. Often, they had been standing.

It's actually my favorite time of the day, because people really get into the interaction. When everyone's sitting, they get into their own conversations, but when it's a bus at capacity, everyone has to be friendly for a little bit, and I completely play off that fact. You haven't lived until you've had 120 people in a 8.5' x 40' box boo you on command for a bad joke about the Magic Kingdom parking lot.

Then, you go back into the MK hub and sometimes get to be there when they call "All Clear" and you get to see the front of the Kingdom completely empty, and you know you had a part in that.

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I can't wait to see all the RTS's go, actually. I can give a ride that is so much more comfortable in the low floor buses; they look nicer; I can fit more people into them; they handle better over speed bumps; when they kneel it's a really easy step up into them; and it's nice to know that in a pinch, if the back door won't open and you have a guest in a wheel chair or ECV, all you really need is a good curb, some skill at placing your bus right where you need it, kneel or raise the door to the level of the curb and the guest has just a small gap to cross but you CAN get them off without the ramp if need be. I'm not saying it's my first choice, but in a pinch I would do it. What's really fun in the Novas is when you get someone in, then the back door won't open at the drop stop. Great joy!

The only thing I really dislike about the Gilligs is having the realization that you're not completely in control. With exception of steering, every move you make goes through a computer and it decides if it likes your input and does what it thinks you should be saying to do. I was testing out the stopping distance when empty, on an empty road, as I REALLY like to know their limits. I gave myself a quick stop to make before a line and at full brake pedal pressure, passed it by about five feet. The thing is, I could feel where the computer was deciding to stop adding pressure, not the scientific limits of the bus. Without the computer, I know I would have made that line.

Of course, I was giving myself a hypothetical situation into which I would not put myself with, oh, say, a car or wall. I just wanted to know to what extent I can trust the bus to do what I want. Now, I know. The Gilligs run on Vista .

Big Wallaby wrote: It's actually my favorite time of the day, because people really get into the interaction. When everyone's sitting, they get into their own conversations, but when it's a bus at capacity, everyone has to be friendly for a little bit, and I completely play off that fact. You haven't lived until you've had 120 people in a 8.5' x 40' box boo you on command for a bad joke about the Magic Kingdom parking lot.

Me too! I have soo much fun with the guests. I had the guests last week going to All Star Sports rolling on the floor and there was not any room to do so!

Big Wallaby wrote: Now, I know. The Gilligs run on Vista .

God, I hope not. If that's true, the doors won't open because it's not safe for you to do so and the bus will shut down without warning.

I saw the fried Nova the other day! I had to take a bus to VM South, and it was in a bay, well barbequed. 4829, if you're curious. It was charred inside from back to front, the whole way. I actually walked around it, somewhat amazed.

The only thing better was last night in the median on I-4, where an Isuzu Trooper was completely engulfed, the flames at least 20 feet high. It was an amazing sight. It was obvious he had been hit by another car (or hit it), and must have ruptured a line or something.

I love the drivers here.