''The Confused Driver''

[jesi2282]

I was once on the 33 Mag Mile Express route, I had got on at the Western Ave. Metra Station. Our driver was so confused cause he had never done the route. Once at Michigan Ave. He had missed the northbound turn, he then took a side street and got back on the normal route, Our bus was now empty, We were entering LSD, He had told me if I could help him out with the route, I then told were to get off and what streets to take etc..., We finally got back to Western Ave. He said if I could help him do one more run, Of course I said yes, I helped him out 3 times, He also let me change the sign from 33 to Chicago Garage,as a thank you, This is one of my many CTA adventures.

[Kevin]

I've had similar experiences myself where either a trainee or someone new to a route would miss or almost miss a turn. I remember ridding the 35th Street bus several years back and driver who was new to the route wasn't aware he was supposed to pull into the 35/Archer Orange Line station. He just continued down 35th Street. Oops.

[westing]

I remember the time I was on the 53A when a trainee driver almost missed the turn. The supervisor was talking to some passenger and not paying much attention. I could see the turn ahead and thought something was strange. The supervisor must have felt the same way because at the last second he yelled "turn here." We did make the turn, barley.

[geneking7320]

There seems to bit of "don't know the route-itis" going around. In the past few weeks I have ridden #3 King Dr buses which DID NOT turn east on 16th St northbound in the morning. I was on the local BTW.

I was on a #4 Cottage Grove bus the other day and the driver DID turn east at 16th and Michigan when she should not have.

I have seen the west bound 35th St bus turn east at 26th and King Dr instead of 29th St.

Lastly, I saw a 35th St bus headed for Mercy Hospital miss the turn onto northbound King Dr. I was walking east on 29th and suggested the driver head south on King Dr. to 30th and turn and come north there, which she did.

[deepkid]

I've been on several #2 Hyde Park Express buses where morning drivers were first confused about whether to continue on Wacker or proceed to Southwater going northhbound to Michigan Avenue from State Street. That happened a lot between arguing with veteran drivers who hesitate to stop at the Wacker and Michigan bus shelter despite it being clearly labelled. I guess making it to the turning lane is more important than letting off riders.

[ryanbytes]

This happened to me a couple times on Lincoln. The first time the guy wanted no help at all. When we got to the turn to get off Western and back onto Lincoln. He stopped at the light on the far right lane and when we got the green he cut everyone off with his goofy turn. There were a ton of pissed drivers and ticked passengers!

The next time this happened the driver was a very nice young woman. She had a cheat sheet but wasn't sure if she should make the turn onto Fullerton. She asked me for help and I did what I could until I had to get off at Bryn Mawr. She had most of the route down but any questions from passengers she redirected to me and anytime she wasn't sure if she was going the right way she glanced over her shoulder and I gave her a nod and she updated her cheat sheet.

I don't want to say it's fun but it kinda was! Maybe they should have volunteers to help with the new drivers. I'd do it.

[Buslover88]

I also remember Three Times:Two on Buses,and the other on Train:The Driver of the Bus (The Route was of course #76 Diversey) just kept going down Diversey insted of turning on Milwaukee. Opps. The other time,now it was a #77 Belmont,the Driver turned into the Terminal at Belmont/Kimball (Blue Line) and then,she Drove out of the terminal and went North on Kimball insted of turning back on Belmont,,and she went all the way to Montrose. REALLY BIG MISTAKE! And there is a Blue Train which was going northbound to O'Hare,he missed the Calforina Station. Opps.

[trainman8119]

I am not sure exactly what the CTA does when they turn their drivers out on their own, but I can say from my experience as a Pace driver that you are pretty much on your own. When you start out there, they tell you to go and ride buses and take your own notes. You are required to ride every route in the garage you are assigned and you better know it when you get out on your own. There were only a few line instructors, so you when you went out on your field training, you were limited to the routes the instructors picked. I would suspect that the CTA does pretty much the same thing, although I do know that they do give you a route sheet which you need to follow. With Pace, you basically made your own...they didn't have anything pre-printed. From a pride stand point, the last thing you wanted to do was show that you were lost...not to mention, in today's watch, snitch and tell society, you couldn't afford to make a mistake....literally...it could cost you a few days off...now workie, no payee !!!!!

[MetroShadow]

During my sophomore year of high school, I had plenty of lost drivers, especially when it came to the 136 LaSalle Express (before the realignment--3 years ago).

There were several drivers who completely missed going from the bus shelter at Marine/Bittersweet to the entrance ramp onto LSD, and I remember two isntances where the driver missed the turn from SB LSD to LaSalle Drive.

One missed the turn, only to be corrected by myself and a few others, only to make the turn at the light. Luckly this was done with a 4000 MAN. The other (which really hurt) was a 4400 that missed the turn at LaSalle, kept going on Inner LSD, and KEPT going still, until we had to make a turn *somewhere*...that happened to be a side street, all the way back to Clark, and then Clark NB to Goethe, and then Goethe to LaSalle...I had to get off of Goethe because he was going back to Eugenie, pick everyone up (at that point, they might've caught a 135 or 156), and continue. I had to get off, the others was just angry, and I was 20 minutes late to my first class (bah).