This is why Unions have a bad reputation

[end of the road]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2011/11/07/ottawa-octranspo-driver-tirade.html

Read the part in the article where the Union states the video is inconclusive.

C'mon! Really? I always like to give the benefit of the doubt, but in this case I have no doubt.

[1-800-bigtruck]

Yea, I read and saw that earlier , I have to agree with you on that one EOTR .

[Mercenary]

Yes but in reality the video is inconclusive. All you can tell by that vid is that someone is shouting and swearing....

Now I'm not saying that it is right or wrong but I certainly didn't see the bus driver yelling directly at that kid in the video.....so the whole evidence is subjective UNLESS the dude making the recording comes forward....then it is a completely different matter. It turns from a 'he said,he said' to something someone else can attest to....

[Ynot Cal]

Mercenary they were only 3 people on the bus. Driver, Taronno at the front and the other passenger taking the phone video. Pretty conclusive since you can hear it coming from the front of the bus.

"OC Transpo chief Alain Mercier apologized to Taronno (http://www.cbc.ca/ottawa/blogs/cityhall/) and confirmed an investigation is underway. He said "appropriate actions" will be taken."

Ah yes you must love the politician response "an investigation is on the way" lmao for what? howmany times he said the f word? how many times he lost it?

Eotr hands down i agree with you. that driver lost the benefit of the doubt. Regardless of the behaviour passenger had, Driver has the option to stop the bus and tell passenger get out.
plain and simple.

But let me guess, like some other institutions Driver will be suspended WITH PAY.

Given the month and period of time "Lest We Forget" Veterans fought for this A**holes (driver)freedom to act as a moron.

[end of the road]

It's not like we are asking the OC Transpo to draw an quarter the driver, but the guy needs to come forward and take some responsibility for his actions and stop hiding behind the union.

Funny the young guy on the bus who was subjected to the abuse came out first and apologized, yet he is alleged to have a diminished mental capacity. What does that say about the driver and the union?

[Mercenary]

No doubt that some sort of disciplinary action needs to happen. However this is where it all gets bogged down with people throwing out their opinions about the matter without truly considering the facts. Did we see the whole altercation in its entirety? Did Mr. Taranno do or say something inappropriate to the driver before the camera was turned on? Was Mr Tarrano merely minding his own business when the driver went off on him?

These are things we don't know. Having the union there to protect the drivers rights AGAINST inappropiate discipline is a good thing IMO....

[Marmaduke]

The union is doing what it gets paid for. Assuming the video isn't altered and thats the driver shouting, he is clearly a madman and shouldn't be driving in this condition. Turn the situation around and if a passenger came on the bus and threaten to kick my ass and shove his fist in my mouth I'd be putting the bus out of service until the police delt with him. I think this driver could be charged with threatening physical harm. If I ever came off the handle like that I would have no problem resigning from my position, I don't see it any other way.

[Ynot Cal]

Turn the situation around and if a passenger came on the bus and threaten to kick my ass and shove his fist in my mouth I'd be putting the bus out of service until the police delt with him. :bravo:

[1-800-bigtruck]

I guess that's what happens when you read a headline and watch a short video , it's easy to sometimes get the wrong conclusion , and that is maybe anouther reason why the general public has so much hatred for the union . Mercenary did bring up a couple of good points ,, Like it or not ,it is the unions duty to defend its members, something like a lawyer , because there's isn't no absolute proof that the video wasn't altered.

[Ynot Cal]

I guess that's what happens when you read a headline and watch a short video , it's easy to sometimes get the wrong conclusion , and that is maybe anouther reason why the general public has so much hatred for the union . Mercenary did bring up a couple of good points ,, Like it or not ,it is the unions duty to defend its members, something like a lawyer , because there's isn't no absolute proof that the video wasn't altered.

Altered Video?

Ok lets entertain that thought. those that change the drivers verbal response to the situation?
all good points but regardless driver was not professional.

Marmaduke hit the nail on the head.

"I'd be putting the bus out of service until the police delt with him. "
Regardless if passenger provoked or not.
I dont mean to excuse his atitude or behaviour because he is autistic, but rather understand that I would have to be a little more tolerant and allow him some extra patience of mine.

[1-800-bigtruck]

Ottawa bus driver fired over recorded tirade (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2011/11/14/ottawa-berating-bus-driver.html) http://www.cbc.ca/includes/gfx/icon_video.gif

Looks like the driver was fired today

[end of the road]

Never like to see somebody lose their job but what would any of us expect if we went off on a customer at work the way he did.

[1-800-bigtruck]

OC Transpo has fired the driver who was seen yelling and swearing at a passenger on a YouTube video, according to a memo released to City of Ottawa councillors and staff.
The driver's tirade was caught by another passenger on the No. 96 bus heading towards Kanata, as 20-year-old Matthew Taronno, who described himself as "mildly autistic," stood at the front of the bus.
Taronno said he wanted to apologize (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2011/11/07/ottawa-octranspo-driver-tirade.html) for reading a script he wrote that contained some "inappropriate language" aboard the bus. The driver, 56, was in no mood to hear it, Taronno told CBC News.
Transit management told staff in the memo it completed the investigation of the incident, which has resulted in the driver being fired.
"Our apologies to the customer and to all customers on the bus," read the statement from OC Transpo general manager Alain Mercier.
"Our entire team of employees do not believe in this type of behaviour, but the reality is that the incident appears genuine."
Union to appeal firing decisionGarry Queale, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 279, told the CBC's Cory O'Kelly that the union will appeal the decision to fire the driver.

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/news/topstories/2011/11/14/si-ott-busunion-300.jpgGarry Queale, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 279, is defending the bus driver fired for yelling and swearing at a passenger, saying the man has had a difficult year and had some tough days leading up to the incident. CBCQueale said he was surprised OC Transpo made the decision public so quickly.
He also defended the driver in question — a 25-year OC Transpo employee — saying he had been spat on two days before the tirade. Queale also said the man lost both his mother and wife to cancer within the past year.
The driver, who was previously on paid leave, will no longer receive a salary pending the grievance.
The 55-second cellphone video of the exchange has drawn hundreds of views and many angry comments since it was posted to YouTube.
It shows Taronno in shorts standing near the front of the bus when the driver apparently yells at the passenger.
"Shut the f---k up!" the man says to the passenger. "Shut your ignorant f---king cake-hole! Don't say another f---king word!"
The stream of abuse also included a physical threat against the rider. OC Transpo acknowledged the possibility the union would grieve the firing of the driver the decision in its memo to city staff.


You may have a point there but as always theirs always 2 sides to the story . The one thing missing was an apology from the driver .

[nate980]

Never like to see somebody lose their job but what would any of us expect if we went off on a customer at work the way he did.I've had one "customer" treat me pretty rudely. Some I guess seem to think they can get away with it. Its a good thing I'm patient as I know other people wouldn't have sat there and taken the abuse as I did.Posted via Mobile Device

[end of the road]

...... The one thing missing was an apology from the driver.

Ding ding ding ding. Exactly!

[ralph]

The one thing missing was an apology from the driver .[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE]

Apologizing is admitting that the driver was the "voice" on the video. That will be the unions argument that it's only a voice on the video and no face with it.

I love how the union plays the "sympathy card"...he was spat on two days ago and his wife and mother recently died of cancer. Life sucks, put on your helmet and get back in the game.

[bc_]

I'll tell you I took a lot of abuse like that driver was dishing out from my customers as a taxi driver over the years. Threats too. I can imagine that driver has taken it too. Doesn't make it ok to start dishing it out yourself though, and if he isn't even willing to own up and apologize...

One of the worse threats was a guy wired on coke who I'm dropping off at a cabin in the middle of nowhere at 3AM. After I spend several minutes winding down his long snowy driveway at very slow speed he gets all squirrely on me and says:

"Maybe when I get to the door I should grab my rifle and take you out while you try and make it back out my driveway. Nobody out here to ever know man."

I slide my hand down to the front of my drivers seat as if reaching under it and lean towards him saying:

"I guess I better take you out before you make it to the door then, huh?"

[nate980]

LOL^
Posted via Mobile Device

[Marmaduke]

He is probably a happy man now, and wont apologize because he's not sorry. When you crack like that its time for a career change. I say good he is fired nobody needs him driving a bus.
Taxi driver is a job I wouldn't want to do. Toronto has had bad incidents and the driver didnt make it home. At least with the bus there are other people to back you up as long as you don't swear at them.

[Ynot Cal]

I'll tell you I took a lot of abuse like that driver was dishing out from my customers as a taxi driver over the years. Threats too. I can imagine that driver has taken it too. Doesn't make it ok to start dishing it out yourself though, and if he isn't even willing to own up and apologize...

One of the worse threats was a guy wired on coke who I'm dropping off at a cabin in the middle of nowhere at 3AM. After I spend several minutes winding down his long snowy driveway at very slow speed he gets all squirrely on me and says:

"Maybe when I get to the door I should grab my rifle and take you out while you try and make it back out my driveway. Nobody out here to ever know man."

I slide my hand down to the front of my drivers seat as if reaching under it and lean towards him saying:

"I guess I better take you out before you make it to the door then, huh?"

I guess he paid his fair in full didn't he?Tip is another thing lol

You know Bc that was a great answer under the circumstances. you have to fight fire with fire sometimes. I take it you drove down the driveway going out a little faster lol.
I drove Limos while in college, and we used to meet all kinds of characters, some were fun.
during Graduation period the kids would go wild and that was fine but this one kid big dude was getting to caulky and when i told him to calm down and keep it clean he replied i'll do whatever i please and i f i want i will piss in this dam thing and then I'll kick your ass.
Well Bingo!!! Stopped the limo grabbed the prize he won under the seat and showed him the time he had to get out of the limo. You ever see a big dude appologise and fast, too late asshole get out now. as he exits cops are comin by and he stops them thinking he will get me in trouble for taking out piece. Cops arrested him after i said my side. The abuse sometimes is much isnt it but comes with the territory. Must say dont know if it was the service i gave lol but got a nice tip from the rest of the passengers lol

[bc_]

He is probably a happy man now, and wont apologize because he's not sorry. When you crack like that its time for a career change. I say good he is fired nobody needs him driving a bus.
Taxi driver is a job I wouldn't want to do. Toronto has had bad incidents and the driver didnt make it home. At least with the bus there are other people to back you up as long as you don't swear at them.

Yeah I wouldn't drive taxi in the city, in fact probably would never do that job again.

I was living in Lake Louise Alberta when I took my road test for my class 4. The morning I headed out to do it I stopped in Banff. On the way into town I was stopped in a roadblock where the cops leaned in and took a good look at the back of my neck before releasing me without explanation. I got into town and went to a small side street looking for somewhere I could park my old 260z as I planned to rent a more suitable car to drive to drive to red deer and do my road test in.

I pull onto the side street and a block or two in I come to major police activity, road blocked ahead of me etc. There is a school there and little kids are showing up for school, while the rcmp are milling around and taking pics of an uncovered body on the road. I thought that was pretty hard on the kids, they should have either covered the body by then or blocked traffic farther away and not let the kids in to school till they were done.

Left town through another road block and passed a pile of rcmp heading towards banff from calgary. The story came up on the news - female taxi driver killed in banff the previous night, suspect had long hair (cops were checking my neck for signs I'd recently cut my hair) and it was the only murder in banff the mayor could ever remember. Banff was a notorious rookie training ground for rcmp (drunk friends took enough beatings to attest to that!) so they brought in experienced investigators from out of town to handle the murder.

If I remember correctly they arrested a guy in Duncan for it quite some time later. Taxi driver can be a very dangerous job alright. Then again truckers are parked in pretty remote areas too and quite vulnerable to attack.

[bc_]

I guess he paid his fair in full didn't he?Tip is another thing lol

Must say dont know if it was the service i gave lol but got a nice tip from the rest of the passengers lol

They probably really enjoyed seeing the jerk put in his place. Or were you still armed when you collected? ;)

All the way back to town I was expecting to be pulled over at gunpoint and searched for a gun. Never happened, I guess he realized he was going to be in major trouble for threatening me with a rifle and his house would be searched too. Not to mention I knew where he lived and might come back! lol

[Ynot Cal]

Bc
its the one and only time i felt compeled to do that and control the situation real fast because they were 3 guys athletes so in good shape and you know prom night they get rauled up.

I would of never driven cab especially in montreal, but being that this was Limo and my friend owned the company i said sure and the money was great. I would drive Thursday, friday night saturday and sunday. Pay was same as a waiter but the tips were outragoeus. Saturday doing weddings and airports sunday private clientele and airport runs. Today while driving i started to remember what i used to earn and I realised i was earning more then driving limo part time while in colege than driving a semi today. Disgusting if you ask me.
smallest weekend i ever had was like 500 bucks tips alone. But regardless it was fun and enjoyed the clientele. Some you get to know the regulars and they would want me to park and go have supper with them, in a heart beat the limo was parked lol.
city like montreal, limo and you are mostly downtown, you had to be prepared.
But interestingly i remember the cop asked me for my version but told me before hand that its my call if i want passenger out of the car he is out as far as police was concerned.