Snowy Charter Loading: Propane, Skis, and Schedule Pressure
At 4:30 p.m. in a snowstorm, you are loading a 47-seat charter coach at a ski resort for a 90-mile return trip. Forty-four passengers are booked, and the overhead racks are rated for light items only. Skis, boot bags, and coolers are piling up: the baggage bays are nearly full, and passengers are stacking skis in the aisle and in front of the rear emergency door. One passenger tries to board with a 20-pound propane cylinder for a tailgate grill. Another is unsteady, slurring words, and smells strongly of alcohol. Two passengers have not returned from the lodge, and your company schedule says departure was 10 minutes ago. The resort lot is unlit and icy.
1. How do you handle the propane cylinder?
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Refuse the propane cylinder. A 20-pound propane tank is a flammable compressed gas, and it does not belong in the passenger compartment. Even in an exterior baggage bay, it would need to be upright, valve-protected, secured, and in a ventilated compartment-most charter baggage bays are not ventilated. A leak can pool in a closed bay near hot brakes or exhaust and ignite. Tell the passenger it cannot go, offer to store it at the resort, or arrange separate shipping. If the passenger will not board without it, the passenger does not board. Do not make an exception because the group is in a hurry or because the cylinder is for a grill.
2. What must be done about the skis and the blocked aisle and exit?
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The aisle and the rear emergency door must be clear before the bus moves. Skis are too long for overhead racks and become spears in a stop; they go in the baggage bay. If the bays are full, the choices are to arrange a second vehicle, leave gear behind, or deny boarding-not to stack skis in the aisle or in front of the exit. Boot bags and coolers can go in the bays or under seats only if they do not block the aisle. Walk the full aisle and open the rear door to confirm it swings freely. If a passenger refuses to move gear, the bus does not move.
3. What do you do about the intoxicated passenger, the two missing passengers, and the late schedule?
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Refuse boarding to the intoxicated passenger. Unsteady balance, slurred speech, and a strong smell of alcohol make the person a fall risk and a possible medical emergency, and the driver can deny boarding. Document the refusal, offer to call a friend or taxi, and do not let the person drive. For the two missing passengers, call the group leader, set a firm cutoff, and check the lodge and restrooms; do not leave without confirming they are not on board or in the building. Count the manifest before moving. Schedule pressure explains why you are tempted, but it does not justify an unsafe load or an unaccounted passenger.