Why bus drivers are not captains
Sep 23, 2010
Can bus drivers tackle crisis?
By Rachel Scully, Multimedia Journalist
[...] Closer to home, a girl was pinned under the front of a bus last Wednesday, and the bus driver did nothing but sit in his seat in a state of shock.
Bystanders in the vicinity rushed to help the 16-year-old who escaped with only minor injuries.
From bus captains who are ill-equipped to handle emergencies, to maids who bend the rules, to restaurant managers who kick their customers out over a 50 cents packet drink.
Where should the line be drawn-you decide.
'Captain' is not merely a term to be bandied around, it's a title and a rank, and all ranks must be earned, carrying with them a certain heavy set of responsibilities, expectations and obligations. Can you imagine what would happen if your aircraft had a complete electrical or hydraulic failure, and all your captain did was to freeze in his seat in a state of shock? No, when any emergency of any magnitude occurs, the captain still has the basic responsibility for the lives of every single one on board, to put the aircraft down in a calm, collected, and procedural manner regardless of what happens up there-that is why captains and first officers are trained to be able to handle whatever emergencies might occur. There is no such thing as simply pulling to the side or stopping wherever you are, switching on the hazard lights and waiting for help to arrive.
I am not looking down upon bus drivers and the bus driving profession, but this is why I will never call a bus driver "captain".
§ Tags:
flying;
news bites
§ Location:
Singapore
Can bus drivers tackle crisis?
By Rachel Scully, Multimedia Journalist
[...] Closer to home, a girl was pinned under the front of a bus last Wednesday, and the bus driver did nothing but sit in his seat in a state of shock.
Bystanders in the vicinity rushed to help the 16-year-old who escaped with only minor injuries.
From bus captains who are ill-equipped to handle emergencies, to maids who bend the rules, to restaurant managers who kick their customers out over a 50 cents packet drink.
Where should the line be drawn-you decide.
'Captain' is not merely a term to be bandied around, it's a title and a rank, and all ranks must be earned, carrying with them a certain heavy set of responsibilities, expectations and obligations. Can you imagine what would happen if your aircraft had a complete electrical or hydraulic failure, and all your captain did was to freeze in his seat in a state of shock? No, when any emergency of any magnitude occurs, the captain still has the basic responsibility for the lives of every single one on board, to put the aircraft down in a calm, collected, and procedural manner regardless of what happens up there-that is why captains and first officers are trained to be able to handle whatever emergencies might occur. There is no such thing as simply pulling to the side or stopping wherever you are, switching on the hazard lights and waiting for help to arrive.
I am not looking down upon bus drivers and the bus driving profession, but this is why I will never call a bus driver "captain".
§ Tags:
flying;
news bites
§ Location:
Singapore