November 6, 2006
Your Commute: Look Out Below!
Hmmm... maybe there's something to Gavin Newsom's railings about his No On Double-Parking In Bus Lanes proposal -- a 24 Divisadero bus slid down Noe Street this morning when a double-parked garbage truck refused to move.
The bus driver, driving towards the Castro, was tooling up the steep Noe Street hill between 29th and Valley when the electric bus was blocked by the offending garbage truck. The truck driver refused to move, so the bus driver attemped to go around it. That took the bus off the wire, which made it lose power. The driver couldn't reconnect the wire, so she placed a block on the back wheel and put all her passengers on the next bus.
As she was waiting, the block slipped and the bus rolled backwards down the hill. It hit eight cars and a building (but with no injuries to people). Meanwhile, reps from the city attorney's office are racing over to the area to help out with the car claims processing.
Remember -- UCLA: uphill curb left always! And use your parking brake.
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The direction of wheel curbing while facing uphill depends on the relative size of the curb. In the case of a bus that is double parking on the right side of the road, you should most likely turn to the right.
from the NY State DMV site. http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/dmanual/chapter07-manual.htm#prk-hil
If there is a curb, turn your steering wheel all the way away from it if you're facing uphill, or all the way toward it if you're facing downhill. If your vehicle starts to roll, the wheels should stop the vehicle at the curb and prevent it from rolling downhill. This method works best where the curb is relatively high. If there is no curb or a very low one, whether you are facing uphill or down, turn your wheels all the way toward the nearest side of the road. If your vehicle does start to roll, it will probably roll away from the street and traffic.
Ditto what smushmouth said.
I use "Up Up and Away" (like Superman) and then "Down Down and In" being the oppostie of that to remember which way the wheels should be facing when there's a hill and a significant curb.
It's not for all situations but it has more applications than the UCLA mnemonic device which doesn't apply with left side/one way street parking.
Has anyone researched the number of muni related operator error stats.
What type of motorcoach safety does an operator receive?
And guess who has to Pay for this one in claim settlements. City dwellers and other budgeted cuts.
If it had happen in the poorer neighborhoods would the city attorney's office been as quick to write up claim forms?
In personnel matters, they don't give out individual names or comment, but you should be able to ask about aggregate statistics. Under the sunshine act you should have a legal right to see them, if they exist (and I hope they would be tracking that)