Should the NABI Artic Have a Different Rear Door?

[geneking7320]

Hi All;

I am not fond of the slide/glide rear doors on NABI artics. They would be great if the driver could open them without the passenger having to push the bar. As a touch bar door I feel they are too heavy and awkward to use. How about two (2) push bar doors (four panels) as an alternative?

What are your opinions?

Gene King

[sw4400]

I've always used the front door when I exit the buses(many of you may say that you shouldn't do this, but too often I've seen drivers pass your stop because he/she doesn't notice you standing back there despite you pressing the "Request Off" button), but I've always thought that the NABI Articulateds have the push-doors in the rear.

[geneking7320]

You are right! NABI artics do have push doors in the rear. I think the single panel push door they have is too heavy and difficult to use. My preference would be a two panel door for each "doorway".

[westing]

If the rear doors worked right and didn't close on you and opened easier I would like them. Their size is nice in letting out many people.

Driver-opened rear doors are terrible. Just from riding Pace I seen how annoying they can be. Newer Pace buses contain them. Drivers forget to open them, they open and close slowly, and make operations slower. There is nothing more annoying than having a driver stop and forget to open the rear door. Anyways, it would be difficult to see someone in the rear of a Nabi artic, as sw4400 brought up.

Maybe if the doors are fixed they will be better (I hope). Double push bar doors would be interesting if possible. At least those doors have been proven to work well! ;)

[Busjack]

My preference would be a two panel door for each "doorway".

Back to the big green 5500s and 8000s!

[geneking7320]

Hi All;

To Busjack - great minds think alike!

To CTI Man I would bring up this point -

Whether the rear door is "opened", ie Pace Orion VII or "unlocked", as in the NABI Artic , the driver must operate the switch (other than the passenger pulling the emergency switch).If the driver forgets to press the button or move the handle to the correct position, rear exiting passengers will still have to speak up.

I think if driver opened rear doors were properly used more people exit at the rear and thus speed up trips.

IMHO.

[geneking7320]

In post #6 I may have the Orion model number wrong - I think it might be the Orion VI.

Gene

[trainman8119]

All the Orions had the option for the driver to take control and open the doors himself, or for the passenger to push out. There was a switch on the consoles of the original Orions that put the door in passenger or driver mode. It was an option the driver had. In either case, it was a slow process. The only real advantage the driver had in taking control of the back door, was to keep the kids from holding them open longer than they needed to be and delaying the bus. In my driving days, I tried to take control from time to time to speed things up, but it really didn't make much of a difference.

[geneking7320]

Hi All;

I am not fond of the slide/glide rear doors on NABI artics. They would be great if the driver could open them without the passenger having to push the bar. As a touch bar door I feel they are too heavy and awkward to use. How about two (2) push bar doors (four panels) as an alternative?

Gene King  

Earlier this week I rode a NABI artic northbound on #3 King Dr around 5:30am.

The driver opened and closed the rear doors it was great.

Gene King