A good Samaritan

Bermuda’s bus drivers often get a bum rap, accused of being surly, unhelpful and, occasionally, driving like maniacs.

So it’s nice to be able to report a driver who went beyond the call of duty to help someone. Kudos to W.W.Robinson, the driver of yesterday’s 5.35 bus 11 from Hamilton to St. George’s, who got out of his bus on North Shore road to help a blind man cross the road.

As some of the American tourists on the bus noted approvingly, “you wouldn’t get too many of them back home doing that”. It was nice to see some of our visitors getting a positive impression of Bermuda’s service, for a change.

Comments

[sandgrownan on 03.05.06 at 08:33]

Hats off to him.

[VB on 03.05.06 at 09:05]

Good for him. This sort of action does something to balance the antics some of the others.

While ridung forward escort for a large wide load being transported on Paynters Road at about 10:45 Monday morning we were met by a bus being single handed driven by a female. The speed was more suitable for low level flight & we were right on the set of corners between the Old Castle Harbour & Tuckers Town jct.

It does not take much to get a Bermuda drivers license, besides patience with the TCD. Car drivers ignorance to danger can almost be understood. Much more is expected from 'professional' drivers.

[sandgrownan on 03.05.06 at 09:17]

VB - good point - I think it's part of the PTB driving test to negotiate Bermuda's roads with one hand on the wheel and the other on the change/ticket thingy. Has anyone seen a bus driver drive with both hands on the wheel?

[silencedogood on 03.05.06 at 09:32]

That is good to hear. What would be even better is if the bus service took steps to reward him and others who went beyond the call of duty. It wouldn't necessarily have to be money either, perks like allowing him his pick of schedules could be just as effective as a paid day off.

If they institutionalized the rewards, and punishments, for performance this might not be such a random story. Cheers to W.W. Robinson.

[Triforce on 03.05.06 at 10:54]

I've seen the rare both-hands-on-wheel scenario, it's not yet an endangered species...

I think many of the bus drivers are professional and courteous, but when things go bad, yikes. I wonder sometimes if part of the training involves dealing with members of the public in a customer service capacity.

At the 20-20 Finals outsite the gate I saw this one bus driver show impatience with the driver of a car in front of her for not immediately taking off when the light went green, she veered to overtake it, nearly blindsiding a car in the lane to turn up the road leading to Cedarbridge et al. Still don't think she noticed it, she was too ticked off at the guy in front of her.

[Mandy on 03.05.06 at 12:07]

I love to hear about genuine Bermudian thoughfulness. And it's even better when it gets noticed by impressed visits. That sort of thing makes me very proud to be a Bermudian.

This started out as a very positive post. Why has it is been turned into a negative?

Celebrate the positive, please. It is so rarely done in Bermuda (by the community as a whole).

[Full Fullish on 03.05.06 at 12:48]

Mandy -
"This started out as a very positive post. Why has it is been turned into a negative? "

Yeah you noticed that too, eh? Come on guys, with so much to bitch about on this Island, we can still take time to appreciate the good things too.

[Point Finger on 03.05.06 at 12:55]

Sometimes small actions make huge impressions.

W.W. Robinson's actions will probably be the key reasons why those tourist on the bus would consider returning to Bermuda for their next vacation.

Thanks Mr Robinson, you have provided a valuable lesson we can all learn from.

[wyrdsister on 03.05.06 at 13:01]

If Bdians were as nice and polite and wonderful as they think they are, this would not need to be made a special note. Goes to show that we are just like everywhere else in the world, with just a FEW good people, just like the rest of the world. Time to stop thinking we are so special and better than people in other countries.

[SmokingGun on 03.05.06 at 13:32]

Ha, there I was, just about to lose all faith in finding any genuine kindness in my fellow Bermudians and along comes W. W. Robinson.

Still, I've got a bad feeling that there were probably a few Bermudians on the bus muttering to themselves why the dumb ass driver was wasting "their" precious time and going off to help some fool trying to cross the street..... jeesh I've become overly cynical.

[sandgrownan on 03.05.06 at 13:40]

Wyrdsister - amen.

[busguy on 03.05.06 at 19:30]

Hats off Wallace. He is also a driver trainer at P.T.B. At P.T. B. as in every other job where you are hired and then trained to drive by the legal standards of Bermuda the drivers are top shelf. It is after their 3 month probationary period that some of them become DRIVERS FROM HELL.The unfortunate thing is that when a supervisor takes a complaint report concerning anything from dangerous driving to kicking a bus load of school kids off the bus then the MIGHTY BREMUDA INDUSTRIAL UNION steps in and all is forgotten. I have worked there 21 years and beleive me the things I have seen heard and reported that get brushed aside are un beleivable. But getting back to the point of Wallace Robinson "WELL DONE MY CO-WORKER WELL DONE". And that is normal everyday routine for him. A TRUE BERMUDA AMBASSADOR.

[NiHao on 07.05.06 at 17:53]

Wow! I can tell you that NO Irish bus drivers would do that either. One actually refused to lower the wheel chair ramp last week. Sounds like the commute must be much nicer where you are!