Safety stops still allowed at Trimet?

Q: Does Trimet still do courtesy stops in the winter? Because I had a bus driver just get mad at me for asking when he was running late and I need to transfer to another bus line. He told me, "This is a bus, not a cab."


A: Looks like someone didn’t get his happy nap before climbing behind the wheel of a 16-ton people mover. The operative word there is “people.” Unfortunately, there are still grumpy TriMet drivers who don’t realize part of their job is to respectfully interact with the public. This guy’s sour snap hurts the superstar bus drivers who do everything they can, through gridlock and nasty weather, to make sure you come back for another ride.

TriMet does indeed allow courtesy drop-offs at non-posted stops, but they’re up to the discretion of the bus driver.

“An operator must quickly evaluate if the courtesy stop is safe to serve, both for the disembarking customer and for the upcoming bus movements,” said TriMet spokeswoman Angela Murphy.
Be mindful that there are times when operators just aren’t allowed to make a courtesy stop. For example, if the stop is prior to a left-hand turn and there isn’t enough clearance to safely move into position for the turn. (Two pedestrians died after similar courtesy stop in 2010).

Courtesy stops are also banned in most of downtown Portland and in the Lloyd District due to safety concerns, Murphy said.

My advice: Ask the driver a block or two ahead of where you want to get off. It gives him time to determine if there’s a safe spot to pull over. Oh, and say “thank you” as you disembark.
JOE ROSE HERE!