Many Boston Plow Drivers Have Poor Records -- "potentially dangerous"

[Hugin]

"20% Have Drunken Driving or Drug Violations"


BOSTON -- The City of Boston has allowed many of its snowplow drivers to operate equipment even though many have potentially dangerous driving records.

The Boston Globe reported Sunday that of the 178 Boston Public Works employees licensed to drive commercial vehicles in 2006, about one-fifth had drug or alcohol violations on their personal driving records. The Globe examined driving records at the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

Dennis Royer, Boston's head of transportation and public works, said, "There appears to be a systematic breakdown," in the screening of workers who drive heavy equipment. "We're going to change the way we're doing business," Royer said.

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/11287208/detail.html

Hmm... :eyes:

[Hugin]

1. And then there's this...

"found that many employees had their driver's license suspended more than once."

[Raven]

2. During the Blizzard of '78

I worked for the City of Newton. One of our drivers who was plowing a municipal parking lot picked up a car by mistake with his front end loader(it was snowed under) and when he realized what he had, he just spun around and put it down...we also had the things called "Bombadeers" that plowed sidewalks and they used to go through plate glass windows all the time. Certainly fatigue has something to do with it!

[Hugin]

3. That's a -big- front end loader...

Wow.

[Raven]

8. Maybe that's the wrong name for it, but

it was a big machine. Nothing else would work on that snowstorm!

[Hugin]

9. They used to have the "Bombadeers"(sp?) around here as well...

They worked pretty well at clearing the sidewalks.

[graywarrior]

12. I was working in Cambridge during that storm and a bus driver saved my life.

I barely made it to the last bus out of Boston in Haymarket. The bus driver drove down March Road to Lynn and instead of dropping me up the street from my house, took me home. I never knew how he made out, but the snow by that time was already more than 2 feet.

But seriously, what do they expect in Boston...I mean REALLY.

[Little Wing]

4. Not surprising. You give some drivers flashing lights and they think they own the town

Some of them are just damnright reckless.

[Hugin]

5. Next thing you know they'll be banning Plow Drivers from carry-on...

It's a crisis.

[Droopy]

6. That's amazing

I drive 18 wheelers for a living and I know that it is almost impossible to get a job driving a truck if you have any kind of drug conviction in your criminal history. ANY kind. It's also very hard to get a job if you have a DUI that is less than 5 years old. I don't know what the folks up there in Boston are thinking.

[Breeze54]

7. Did you see that interview of the woman in Cambridge

this morning? She woke up to find the back of her car lying on the street?
It had definate signs of being hit by a plow.
City officials told her not to worry. They're insured. :eyes:
She seemed astounded and baffled that the plow driver didn't leave a note.
I can't say that I blame her!

[Hugin]

10. A little accident... eh?

It would've been nice if they'd at least reported it and notified the owner...

[Breeze54]

11. I wish I could find

a pic of the car. Unbelievable!
It wasn't crumbled, it had straight lines, as if it was cut with snippers!
As if someone had straight cut the trunk right off the car!! Yikes!