Passengers mutiny as Greyhound driver dozes between Phoenix, Dallas
Mar 27, 2018, 10:57 AM
PHOENIX — Passengers reportedly took matters into their own hands last week when the driver of a Greyhound bus going to Dallas from Phoenix appeared to be dozing off at the wheel.
Video captured on board the bus showed angered passengers yelling and clapping loudly at the driver to pull over. A woman, likely the driver, told one passenger to, “Get off the bus.”
Several passengers told CBS11 in Dallas that the driver, whose name was not released, was poking herself with tweezers to stay awake and that the bus was swerving.
“The bus was leaning a little and that’s when people started to really worry,” passenger Philip Hurd told the outlet. “She was using techniques to try and stay awake and I think that was the initial concern … We would go over the white line and everybody would be like, ‘Wake up’ and she had tweezers she was poking herself with tweezers to keep herself awake.
“It was awful.”
Passengers said they were able to get a Border Patrol escort to a safe location, where the driver was replaced.
About 60 people were on the bus. It arrived in Texas seven hours late.
In a statement, Greyhound spokeswoman Lanesha Gipson said drivers can request time to rest.
“Because safety is the cornerstone of our business, we take necessary precautions to prevent drivers from falling asleep while driving and we make it easy for drivers to be reassigned if they do feel fatigued or don’t feel confident that they can operate the bus safely for any reason,” the statement said.
“Our drivers are in regular contact with our dispatch office, and if they state they are feeling tired or fatigued, they are immediately removed from the schedule for at least 12 hours to allow them to get some rest. Once they feel alert and able to return to work, they may do so.”
The company was looking into the matter.
