Adventures in bus backing

BAM!!

The whole bus shook, and came to an abrupt stop. I was backing a brand new demonstrator coach into a slot next to a building. This had involved pulling uphill on a side road, then backing across a busy street. 

That's never a good idea, but the entertainment was just beginning. Assuming the coach had bottomed out, I pulled forward, waited for a gap in traffic… and started down again.

This time a pedestrian ran into the street, waved his arms, and yelled “you're just going to ram that telephone pole again”.
Well heck… before beginning the maneuver I'd spotted a pole, and kept it in view the whole time. Who knew they hunted in pairs? A “stealth pole” had lurked nearby, ready to pounce, and bit me on the bussy butt.

Once again proving that I can still serve as a bad example, SOOOO let's enjoy a few of the things I did wrong.

When you've just gotta go backwards, it's better to back from the busier TO the less busy road. It wasn't possible in this case, so...

When backing, it's always good to have a spotter. Backup cameras are good… but not perfect. 

Come to think of it, neither are spotters. 

Years ago, backing a Scenicruiser into a tight space, the spotter continued to wave me backward well after an overhang had punched through the rear window.  Things might have gone better if he'd been a bit more observant, or if I'd have walked around before maneuvering. Bus drivers need to understand that they're like captains of a ship… the ultimate responsibility is theirs, not the person directing them.

A modern version of this tale might involve a bus with a vertical exhaust stack being parked under a tree limb. A “regen” could produce fiery fall colors nearly any time of the year.

When you just can't get someone to spot for you, the walkaround becomes darn near mandatory, providing the opportunity for a driver to spot potential targets. 

Any time backing was going to be necessary, I tried to get someone else to drive.

Failing that, I attempted the “instrument approach” scanning the whole area for potential problems before maneuvering.

I once was asked to park an Eagle Demo on a beach, so a photographer could shoot pictures for a brochure. Wandering onto the sand before backing in would have let me know that, near the water, it was very squishy. 

As the tide came in, the “squishy” marched steadily towards the bus's drive axle. If the photographer hadn't noticed the surf ruining his shots, that demo might still be half buried on Padre Island. As it was, a great deal of cursing and spinning wheels could have been avoided by simply walking around the intended parking spot. 

This holds true any time your bus is going “off-road”… make sure the surface can bear the weight before you pull onto it.

Most modern coaches have remotely controlled mirrors, allowing drivers to adjust them to suit the situation. It's silly NOT to use this feature. Bear in mind that a backup camera is compromised if the lens is dirty… and even if you clean them every day (and that IS a good idea), in bad weather they can quickly become opaque, so drivers can't count on them. 

It's worth noting that many 45' coaches have steerable tag axles. On some models, the tags lock in place when reverse gear is selected, preventing the tires from jamming sideways and damaging the axle. Rolling backwards in neutral can break expensive suspension parts. 

In addition, backup beepers only sound when reverse is engaged, so coasting backwards is never wise.. unless you’re stalking a target.

If you are able maneuver or park a coach so that backing can be avoided… seize that opportunity. When you must back, watch the front end, so that it doesn't “reach out and touch someone”. Remind yourself that right then you're driving the equivalent of a giant forklift, with the steering wheels in the rear. You knew that, but it's worth repeating.

Back in the day (in this case... a pun that means the “Statute of Limitations” has run out) a friend had an MC8 on a nighttime charter in Washington DC. On the opposite side of the city from his garage, its automatic transmission burped and refused to advance any farther, but reverse worked fine. 

He found alternative transportation for his passengers, then backed the bus all the way across Washington. On the one hand, this is a really BAD idea, but on the other, isn't it fun picturing the looks he got as he made his way backwards across our nation's capital? Imagine him pulling up next to you at a traffic light.

There's a metaphor in there somewhere.