On Sept. 17, the D Bus was pulled over on campus by University Police. While the situation was nothing more than a random check by the Department of Transportation (DOT), it still raises a valuable discussion point about the safety of these buses in regards to being overcrowded.
If you’re a person who likes to go out, you’ve probably seen the number of people on the bus at one time. Many are left standing, pressed up against the back of the bus. Hopefully these people are in a good enough state to stay balanced. For some, standing on a bus is already enough of a challenge.
This is typical for the start of the semester. With multiple houses having opens and a new batch of students eager to get out on the town, it’s expected that the buses will be packed.
But where’s the limit? When pushed into a corner by someone with a water bottle that’s filled with the furthest thing from water, can riding the bus really be considered safe?
The D Bus is not affiliated with the college. Therefore, it’s important to remember that the D Bus is a business, and it will do what’s best for the business. That means that it could potentially overpack the buses if it means more students are paying to ride.
According to Lee Walker, the owner of the D Bus, when the bus was pulled over students did have to get off and wait for a new bus. While this was part of the process of the check, as it allows the DOT to better inspect the bus, it still raises the concern of whether this could ever happen because of an overpacked bus. As it gets colder outside and people still choose to go out in summer-like clothing, this possibility becomes more and more problematic.
The bus is a great help to the campus and students, and can get students where they need to be. It’s contribution to Oswego’s night life can’t be denied. However, it’s important to keep in mind the points and questions raised here. Perhaps there should be a limit to the number of people riding the bus at a time, not only for possible safety reasons, but to make such an important aspect of the night life experience a more comfortable one for all.
