A Brief Bus Rant.

[GR_Urbanist]

Nothing annoys me more than being at a intersection, waiting to make a left hand turn, and having a huge ITP bus try to make a wide right turn from the intersecting street and get stuck because the line of cars that need to make a left turn cannot move in order to let the bus through. This happens almost every time I

[RustTown]

They have a few of those "caterpillar" buses here in Lansing, but I'm still having trouble picturing this problem you are talking about.

[GRCentro]

It happens all the time at Burton and Eastern too.

Here ya go, LMich:

[GR_Urbanist]

They have a few of those "caterpillar" buses here in Lansing, but I'm still having trouble picturing this problem you are talking about.

Hmmmmm. Lets see:

Lets say you are at an intersection waiting to make a left turn in the center turning lane. A bus, going through the cross street makes a right turn. The bus is so big that it need to make a wide turn. A turn so wide that needs to take up part of the left turn lane that you are in, in order to make it around the corner. Sometimes the person in the turn lane has to go in reverse in order to let the bus have enough room. Frequently there are 5 cars in the left turn lane so no one can move. The bus gets "stuck" mid-turn, and traffic is jammed.

[Veloise]

...

So the question is why on Earth doesn’t the ITP either start using smaller buses or use buses that have two pieces that are jointed at the middle (that’s the best way to describe it), so they can make sharper turns at corners? ...

They are called Flxible buses and that's the company that makes them.

Couple decades back they started getting them in the Detroit area. Big article in the Freep. The cartoonist Richard Guindon created a classic: one of his bag ladies standing on the corner talking to the bus.

"Play 'Lady of Spain'!"

[maybe ya had to be there]

[GRCentro]

They are called Flxible buses and that's the company that makes them.

For a moment there I thought I caught the grammer-queen herself. But alas, she's even right when she misspells!

[Sunlover38]

If you are first in line, never pull all the way up to the intersection if you are turning left . . . .for that exact reason . . .buses & semi-trucks have to turn wide . . .

[allbusiness]

If you are first in line, never pull all the way up to the intersection if you are turning left . . . .for that exact reason . . .buses & semi-trucks have to turn wide . . .

But, for heaven's sake, once the light changes and you're just waiting for oncoming traffic to clear before you make your left turn, get up there and commit yourself so that you're not the only one who can make it through the light. /rant!

[Veloise]

For a moment there I thought I caught the grammer-queen herself. But alas, she's even right when she misspells!

He who doubts ought to google it.

g-r-a-m-m-a-r

[just to retain my crown]

[GRCentro]

g-r-a-m-m-a-r

[just to retain my crown]

[allbusiness]

He who doubts ought to google it.

g-r-a-m-m-a-r

[just to retain my crown]

Google

[Veloise]

Google

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articulated_bus is quite an interesting article, with pics.

Because "to google" (sic) has entered the popular lexicon, the use of the capital letter for what was once a proprietary trademark is not critical.

(Esp on a freakin' msg board!!)

[GRDadof3]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articulated_bus is quite an interesting article, with pics.

Because "to google" (sic) has entered the popular lexicon, the use of the capital letter for what was once a proprietary trademark is not critical.

(Esp on a freakin' msg board!!)

She's right. To use google as a verb, and using a small-case "g", has become ingrained in our speech:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_(verb)

Unless you receive a Cease & Desist, I'd say it's OK and proper.

[RustTown]

Thank you, GRCentro, for the graphic. This doesn't seem to happen, ever, in my area as our streets are wide (too wide), and there are many large one-ways.

[Sunlover38]

But, for heaven's sake, once the light changes and you're just waiting for oncoming traffic to clear before you make your left turn, get up there and commit yourself so that you're not the only one who can make it through the light. /rant!

true, very true . . . .

[downtownGRguy]

If you are first in line, never pull all the way up to the intersection if you are turning left . . . .for that exact reason . . .buses & semi-trucks have to turn wide . . .

Right on sunlover. Those of us with a CDL and semi or bus driving experience know this. Interesting how it changes your perspective when you have to navigate one of these vehicles for a while.

Biographical note: I drove semi-truck during college working on a farm. Thankfully never had to in the downtown GR area.