Be safe in transit
I realize Dan Mackie is attempting to be humorous, in his June 6 column discussing West Lebanon street traffic congestion, with the anecdote that “Unconfirmed reports are that Advance Transit buses were merely slowing down at bus stops, and plucky passengers were forced to run alongside and hop on as drivers yelled encouragement.”, as though trying to jump aboard a moving freight train.
Some other parts of his commentary are indeed factual (but I don’t think there is a “West Lebanon Visitors Bureau”, at least not by name), so I hope that readers, especially those who have never taken advantage of the local transit buses, are not misled into thinking that passenger safety is cavalierly treated. This would be a severe disservice to Advance Transit’s strict protocols and training of the drivers. In fact, under most conditions, passengers are required to be seated while the bus is in motion, and drivers will not depart a stop until everyone aboard is sitting down.
Exact rules may differ among the other transit agencies serving the Upper Valley, but safety, of passengers and surrounding traffic (of any mode) outside the bus is high priority with all of the