MAD AS HELL

BACKGROUND:  in February last year there was a very bad bus crash behind our house.  The bus had lost control and crashed into a huge tree.

An elderly man was thrown through the windscreen and died at the scene.  I helped care for a little girl on the bus who had several broken bones and other lacerations to her face and mouth.

The bus driver was charged with dangerous driving causing death, and 3 counts of dangerous driving causing injury, and was sent to jail.

So, you would think that the bus driver now doing that route would be a bit more careful right?

I went out yesterday afternoon to get potatoes for dinner, and while I was waiting to drive onto Hill Road, I had a clear view of the 466 bus coming around the 'S' bend to my left, where that dreadful accident happened.
And my god!  He was going like a bat outta hell !!! ... very obviously going too fast.  

So I pulled in behind him, and, keeping my following distance the same, clocked him doing almost 70 kms an hour, in a 50 kms an hour area.  To say I was horrified is an understatement. 

So when he had to stop at the round-a-bout, I grabbed my phone and took a picture of his number plate, and took note of the time.

I was going to ring the transport company, but no, I'm going down to the cop shop and making a formal complaint.  At least it can't be swept under the rug if I do that.

Lacy and Keera are coming over today, and they would normally be ON THAT DAMN BUS!

So, I shall just pick them up from Manukau instead, no way are they going on that bus!

I have no idea if the police will do anything, but at least I will feel better for bringing their attention to a dangerous bus driver.  I cringe whenever I see a bus coming around that corner behind my house, it brings back some pretty awful memories.

So, as soon as the kids have left for school I am heading off to the police station.
Fingers crossed they look into it and make the buses safer to travel on.

ABOVE:  a picture of the 's' bend, the big arrow is a bus stop.  At the speed that bus was going, there was no way he could have stopped if someone was waiting to catch the bus!  The red X is where the bus crashed last year.

ONWARD...

Well... I went down to the Police Station and filled out a form which will be sent to the bus company.  The police cannot do ANYTHING because it is only MY WORD that the bus was doing 65-70 kms an hour!
So, I came home and rang the bus company and made a formal complaint there too.

I bet NOTHING changes.  The only way the buses can be slowed down is if they put speed restrictors on the engines.
Bet that will never happen.  It would cost too much.

And it's all about MONEY eh?  Not about SAFETY for the passengers.

I feel like I just wasted my time.  So cross right now.  

*** As Lacy said in her comment, that picture of the 's' bend is not quite 'true' ... the bend has a dip in the middle and is much 'tighter' than the picture depicts.  You would have to travel through it to understand how nasty it is.

So, I soon realised that I DID NEED to make a stitches 'book'.  Leafing through the pages of the book only showed me the stitch, not it's size in width/length.
Therefore, I've made a start on the book.

I'm off to pick up Miss Keera now, we have her for the next 3 days.

So the fun begins.  Keera and Dante get on famously, until they don't.  And as they are both toddlers, they sure in hell don't understand SHARING.
We have to keep a close eye on them so no injuries ensure from their interactions.
Dante is still going through the 'a bite will resolve the issue' stage.   I'll be happy when he outgrows that one.
Keera just grabs and runs.  That doesn't work anymore though, cos Dante can run too!  

So, while they are up at the same time, we have to keep our eyes peeled.  

I have been stewing all day about that bloody bus.  So, after the Police telling me they could do nothing, and talking to the bus company, I have no doubt it will get swept under the carpet.

So... I've just sent an email to Auckland City Council, requesting that they put speed humps on that stretch of road to stop the bloody buses from entering that 's' bend at excess speed.
I'm running out of options... except the newspapers... and TV.

I wonder how far I will have to go before something is done to stop the buses speeding?

I forgot to mention something I threatened to do when I was talking to the bus company lady.  I said if there was nothing anyone could do to slow that damn bus down, I would personally stand on the road in front of every bus coming into that bend and THAT would make the fuckers slow down!
The lady said "NO, Don't do that!".   But ya know what?   I will if I don't get some sort of positive result from either the bus company or the city council.

Cos I'm kinda pig headed, I am.

Best way to make sure your toddler sleeps all night?
Keep them up all day.  And that's what I did with Keera this afternoon.  NO NAP.
So, when I put her to bed at 7 pm, she was asleep even before I'd left the room!

Excellent.  For Brylee.  Cos Keera is in her room.  *insert evil little snigger*

End of Day: well apart from the frustration about the damn buses, all good.
I got a little sewing done too.
nite nite