Freezing-Fog Flag Stop with Two Wheelchairs
At 6:10 a.m. you are driving a 40-foot cutaway bus with 14 passengers on a rural two-lane highway. The temperature is 28°F and freezing fog has left the pavement glossy. The posted speed is 55 mph. Your next stop is a flag stop at a mailbox on the right; the passenger's house is on the left. The shoulder is about four feet wide, made of soft gravel, and slopes toward a ditch. Two passengers use wheelchairs; one tie-down strap is frayed and the other chair's left brake will not lock. One passenger wants to cross the road immediately. A following pickup is 150 feet back and closing. You need to unload three people and load one. The bus has no working PA speaker, so you must give instructions face to face.
1. Where should you stop, and in what order should you handle unloading, loading, securement, and the passenger who wants to cross? Explain the trade-offs.
Read the worked answer
Stop on the right shoulder only if the gravel can support the bus. At 28°F with a soft shoulder sloping toward a ditch, a 40-foot bus should not put its right wheels onto that shoulder; the risk of getting stuck or leaning too far is greater than the delay from stopping partly in the lane. If you must use the lane, keep as far right as possible, turn on hazard lights, and account for the closing pickup.
Order:
- Set the parking brake, hazard lights, and wait for a safe gap before opening the door.
- Unload ambulatory passengers to a waiting point on the right side, away from traffic. Do not let them cross yet.
- Load the new passenger.
- Secure both wheelchairs before moving. Replace the frayed strap and use a chair with a working brake, or transfer the passenger to a compliant chair.
- After the bus is secured and traffic is controlled, escort or direct the crossing passenger; if policy requires assistance, provide it, but do not let the passenger set the sequence.
The trade-off is schedule delay versus securing a wheelchair on a slope and letting someone cross in fog. The safer choice is to delay and use the least risky loading position.
2. The wheelchair user whose chair brake will not lock refuses to wait for a different chair. What do you do, and what do you say?
Read the worked answer
Do not move the bus. A wheelchair brake that will not lock is a securement defect. The tie-down straps may hold the chair, but a working brake is part of the securement system; without it the chair can rotate or tip, especially on a slope or during a sudden stop.
Offer the spare chair or a seat with the chair stored. If the passenger still refuses, explain the specific risk: 'I can't move this bus with a chair that won't lock. I can transfer you to this chair, or we can wait for another vehicle. Which do you want?' If no compliant option exists, call dispatch for a replacement vehicle or arrange another ride. Do not accept a waiver to ride unsecured; the driver remains responsible for passenger safety. Keep the tone calm, but the decision is not negotiable. Document the refusal and the delay.
3. What is your passenger count and road-crossing plan before you move the bus?
Read the worked answer
Start with 14 passengers, unload 3, and load 1: the count before moving is 12. Count aloud and match the trip sheet, including the wheelchair users. Confirm all passengers are seated or secured, the aisle is clear, and the crossing passenger is not in the roadway.
If the crossing passenger is still waiting, do not move until they are clear or you have arranged for them to remain on the right side. Because the pickup is close and fog limits visibility, wait for a clear gap rather than pulling out abruptly. Recheck mirrors after the pickup passes or stops. The count and the crossing plan are both part of the go/no-go decision, not paperwork to finish later.