I am vexed as yet another 83 bus driver just attempted to
drive towards me when I was already in the crosswalk. When I held up my hand,
pleading for this man to halt his giant machine from advancing towards my
mortal frame, he opened the bus doors to yell at me: “What’s your problem?”
My problem is that the MBTA is assigning such negligent
and aggressive operators to this particular route. This incident, perpetrated
by bus 0649 at 7:31 pm Dec 27, 2018, is just another example of a systemic
issue which endangers pedestrians in Cambridge and Somerville 365 days a year.
When I board the 83 myself, it is not uncommon to smell cannabis
even when there are no passengers on board. I guess this is more or less legal;
but it certainly isn’t professional. Other times the bizarre nature with which
83 drivers haphazardly proceed causes me to wonder if they may be operating
under the influence of alcohol.
Does anyone care about this? Since the 1990s, violent
crime in Cambridge has dropped precipitously; yet traffic safety remains an
urgent issue. Why is the public transit authority condoning this behavior? I
have a hypothesis that gross violations by drivers on other routes, which
should justly result in suspension or termination, rather lead to a transfer to
the #83.
Who will advocate for the most vulnerable?
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