04-05-2017, 07:13 PM
yige_t, I can't really understand the comment that "Verbal assaults and spitting...should be treated as seriously as the more aggressive behaviours." Obviously those things are serious and should be treated seriously. But, no, "verbal assaults" aren't as serious as physical assaults. Both should be prosecuted, both should be mitigated, but they can't be treated the same.
Highly visible safety precautions like this obviously impact riders. It sends a clear message that the drivers at least consider the bus dangerous. It does impact communication, even if drivers and riders can still hear each other. Of course the safety (and, probably more relevantly in this case, the perception of safety) of the drivers is important. But the amount that any precaution adds to safety should be balanced against how it impacts service. If "safety" were the only criteria, with no regard to rider experience, the precautions we could take would be only limited by the imagination.
Highly visible safety precautions like this obviously impact riders. It sends a clear message that the drivers at least consider the bus dangerous. It does impact communication, even if drivers and riders can still hear each other. Of course the safety (and, probably more relevantly in this case, the perception of safety) of the drivers is important. But the amount that any precaution adds to safety should be balanced against how it impacts service. If "safety" were the only criteria, with no regard to rider experience, the precautions we could take would be only limited by the imagination.