Who else enjoys being cut off by the SOMD commuter buses.

pbotz

Member
I commute daily to the upper Md area from SOMD area and have for many years. I cant help but notice now how many commuter buses there are now and how poorly and aggressively they drive. I have been cut off and pushed over into other lanes by them many times. When you call or email the companies to mention this it falls on def ears. This is not an isolated incident but more frequently normal driving style for these clowns. I understand they have schedules but we have the same,, get to work on time. I wont say every single commuter bus drives like this since i do feel there are some respectful drivers. However i would say most of them are just unsafe in how they operate the bus.

Every morning i wait like everyone else to make the right turn onto mattawomen beantown road off 235 going into dc. Its sometimes 30-40 cars back and the buses find it necessary to plow up to the front in the regular lane and dive in at the last minute into the turn lane instead of waiting in line like most everyone else. Yes cars do this ship too, but damn a huge bus. This I have seen countless times also so again, not an isolated incident. These companies are contracted thru the state and you would think they would want to operate there buses in a safe manor.
 

NextJen

Raisin cane
I don't see Keller buses as much anymore. I affectionately call them 'Killer' buses.

I see what you are talking about most every day at the intersection of Suitland Parkway and Pennsylvania Ave. Those commuter buses will run up the left lane on the Parkway until they get right up to the end, where a majority of the right hand lane folks are trying to get into the right turn lane, and the bus will cut off people in the right lane to get from the left lane over into the right turn lane. Maddening. They don't even attempt to merge into the right hand lane a little farther back, just wait until the last moment and cut on over. I've held my ground on a few occasions when they have cut over on me. Thankfully I have not been hit.
 

Chris0nllyn

Well-Known Member
Given the way other people drive, these buses need to drive like that or they'd never reahc their destination.
 

vince77

Active Member
Given the way other people drive, these buses need to drive like that or they'd never reahc their destination.

when I rode the bus, it was the best part of the trip. The best was the merge to get on the 11th Street bridge in the afternoon.. They'd create a 4th lane which merged into one, just barrel ahead.
 

vraiblonde

Board Mommy
PREMO Member
Patron
Given the way other people drive, these buses need to drive like that or they'd never reahc their destination.

This ^^^

I'm guessing the drivers are chosen for their "no fear" aggressive driving skills. If you want to see bus drivers with nerves of steel, take the shuttle from long-term parking to BWI airport. Those folks aren't playing.

But I do get that it's scary when you're where they want to be. I try to stay away from them.
 

Kyle

ULTRA-F###ING-MAGA!
PREMO Member
This ^^^

I'm guessing the drivers are chosen for their "no fear" aggressive driving skills. If you want to see bus drivers with nerves of steel, take the shuttle from long-term parking to BWI airport. Those folks aren't playing.

But I do get that it's scary when you're where they want to be. I try to stay away from them.

Back when Keller had the route, we had a driver that I'm sure took part in Death Race. :yay:

His driving took 20mins off the trip.
 

Grumpy

Well-Known Member
Back when Keller had the route, we had a driver that I'm sure took part in Death Race. :yay:

His driving took 20mins off the trip.

Had a driver like that over in Calvert years ago, most of the time he would beat the earlier bus to park-n-ride. Wife has a recent video of one of her drivers nodding off going down the road.
 

pbotz

Member
I see Keller buses and martz also. Martz seems to be the more common one now. Ive been badly cut off by the same bus over a 3 day window. I remembered the N# on the back of the bus from the 1st time and when it happened again said oh how ironic. I saw one dive and cut in front of someone sitting in the golden beach road turning light lane. The light was green and he figured he was gonna make it so he jumped in front of someone while they were moving towards the green turn light. The turn light went red without him making it thru so the bus swerved from the turn lane back into the 235 southbound traffic to pass thru the light and turn thru the parking lot ahead. Of course cars were coming up moving in the other lanes and not expecting a bus to dive out into moving traffic with feet to spare so a few cars had some serious brake reaction checks implemented to avoid rear ending the bus.
They used to have a- hows my driving sticker on the back of the bus and a number to call, but now there are not there. Id bet those guys had a lot of complaints called in on them so they had to remove those stickers.
 

steppinthrax

Active Member
I happen to ride one of those Keller (killer as you guys call them) buses on the regular basis. I can tell you that some of the drivers we know are the "slow one's" while some are fast. They are professional drivers and have been with the company for a long time. I think many like the idea that we get into Dunkirk within 45mins.... In addition you got cars who cut off the buses as well.
 
I commute daily to the upper Md area from SOMD area and have for many years. I cant help but notice now how many commuter buses there are now and how poorly and aggressively they drive.
If this is truly an issue, and it happens frequently, get yourself a dash cam. Record the offenses and forward it to one of those investigative TV shows. Don't channel 4 and 5 and 9 have something like that? Let them take it to the people.
 
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