(Fatal Bus) Operator had financial, driver safety problems

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/rita/stories/092405dnmetbuscompany.226bafd2.html

A South Texas company that operated the chartered bus that exploded near Dallas on Friday has a history of financial troubles and driver safety issues, records show.

The owners of Global Limo Inc. were forced to file for bankruptcy protection in February to block a takeover of the business for nonpayment of debt. And for five days in early May, federal authorities revoked the company's operating license, for the second time since 1993.

<snip>

Even before Friday's crash, the agency had red-flagged Global for full inspections in the event a police officer stopped one of the buses.

Global has serious problems with its driver safety, according to federal regulators. The company's driver safety rating is 97, meaning it is worse than 97 percent of all companies.

In the past 2 ½ years, drivers for the company have been ordered to stop driving five times after traffic stops or other inspections discovered major violations.

[Erika]

1. and Texas gave them the contract?

You know, the positives of privitazation and all. Were they Bush/DeLay buds?

[whatever4]

5. Sounds more like "lowest bidder" mentality to me

Because bare-minimum services is what government does best, all the while making us feel lucky for it. We're seeing that lowered expectations in action right now, in every area of government.

"Privatization" hasn't been privatization anymore than family values have been family values to this admin, and all designed to screw over as many of us as possible, no matter what they call it.

Keep up with that "evil businesses" talk and the government will FIX that problem by TAKING all the businesses. Not buy them, not compensate anyone, any small modest business owners, no they'll take it all, along with their profits and their materials and don't you think for a SECOND they'll be handing any of it back to the little people. Hardly. THAT does not happen EVER. We just won't own a damned thing, and it will be BECAUSE of this "evil businesses" talk. Won't be any more evil businesses. Won't be any more businesses. Just evil government, with absolutely nothing to stand in their way, and a black market to serve our individual needs. How nice and safe.

Think this admin believes in concepts of personal wealthy and responsibility? Then why aren't they helping small and moderate sized businesses then? NO, they pander to large business partners. Surely the LARGE businesses need no help at all. Yet, this admin works exclusively with corrupt cronies. Free market practices? Not in the slightest. And they never were. These people do NOT believe in free market, or they would have supported it. They have not, they have thwarted every concept of "free market".

They will, however, swing willingly with taking over it all, I'd say, since many of them are busy owning/controlling monopolies at this point anyway. It's just a matter of time, and it will all start with the BEST of intentions. It always does.

Rantlike this evening. Please read the tone as worried and not angry, thanks :)

[high density]

9. yep, sounds like low bid

The college I went to chartered buses from this horrid company that put 20 year old buses on the route with drivers that had no clue how to drive them. A driver told me that one of the busses had 2 million miles on it, and that bus burned up my senior year. Thankfully nobody was hurt. After countless rides on it, I was happy to finally see that bus "retired," though. You could trace the route between the two campuses thanks to the various fluid that was leaking out of these old POS buses. Don't even get me started on the idiot drivers who could not operate a standard transmission to save their lives.

[Mairead]

10. More like "highest donator" mentality, imo (nt)

[JustSayNO 2 Sheeples]

7. I would tend to think

That this bus was a private hire by the nursing home. It was apparent in both Rita and Katrina that private ambulances/buses/helicopters were hired by the facility, not a government ordered/financed contract.

And my suspicion is that transportation was scarce and private facilities were hard pressed to find a bus. The bus is based in McAllen, a LONG way from Houston.

[Tace]

2. What Do You Call A Doctor Who Graduated 500th Out Of His Class Of 500?

Doctor.

Just a little attempted levity.

[Benhurst]

14. General, as in Surgeon General, if Bush ever gets around to appointing one.

:patriot:

[obxhead]

3. One more thing to prove DHS...

...has not done its job. This evacuation is just a rush job to TRY to show that we have a plan.

yet, its just another failure.

[BrightKnight]

4. fanning the flames out

I heard a second hand account of the incident. The driver apparently had the hood open and was trying to fan the fire out. He did not use a fire extinguisher. Few people stopped to render aid.

My source is good but I cannot confirm that this is true.

[the_spectator]

6. I heard on TV tonight that allegedly

the bus-driver only had a Mexican, not a U.S. driver's license!
NAFTA claims yet more victims?

[JustSayNO 2 Sheeples]

8. Don't think your source is very accurate

Seems improbable. I saw a photo taken by a passerby (who managed to take a picture and keep going) when the fire was in its early stages. It did not appear that the engine compartment was even involved in the original fire. The fire was in the right rear wheel well, alpping up the sides of the bus and mvoing toward the luggage compartments. There was no driver in the photo, anywhere.

What I do find disgusting is that probably 2000 people witnessed this and just kept going instead of trying to help people get out. It's what our world has come to.

[Gman]

11. Could also have been a case of any and every bus available

and this company jumped in.

I don't know.

[cwydro]

12. how awful

this all is...I didn't know about the people driving by and ignoring it...and damn, they probably were just crawling along anyway. How very sad. What has happened to this country?

[Eugene]

13. CNN reports that the bus had a lapsed registration

and was pressed into service due to the storm.
They also report that the fire probably started
in the brakes.