As I hopped into the driver's seat, Bus Roadeo judge Mark Kitzerow warned me that driving a Metro Transit bus might be tougher than expected. And after competing in the agency's annual rodeo last week, I feel confident that driving a 14-ton bus isn't a viable second career.
The Drive wasn't a total menace on the obstacle course, which featured challenges that the professionals face on the streets each day. There were even moments of brilliance, like a perfect score earned for backing out of the bus bay without touching a cone.
With that one task down, the Drive was still in the running for the coveted trophy that about 120 full- and part-time Metro Transit drivers have competed for annually since 1975. But not for long.
The key to navigating the course, Kitzerow said, was to check the bus mirrors and scan frequently, a skill Metro Transit drivers are taught during a five-week training when they start driving for the agency, and in refresher driving courses they take every three years. That directive seemed simple enough, but a trip through the slalom resulted in the Drive nicking two cones — akin to sideswiping a parked car or worse. Guiding the 41-foot behemoth down narrow city streets didn't go so well either: Five flattened cones.
Left turns needed work — a nicked cone resulted in a deduction of 25 points from a possible 50 — and the Drive got a big fat zero for not pulling the bus tires close enough to the curb at a bus stop.
Strict judges
Drivers, who voluntarily compete on their off hours, have 7 minutes to complete the 13 challenges. Those include everything from navigating constructions zones to assisting a rider securing a bicycle. Judges are strict in scoring. Drivers with the best marks earn berths in state, regional and national contests. Awards are given to the overall champion, the first-time participant with the highest score and to the top-scoring driver from each of Metro Transit's five garages.
"My dispatcher tries to beat everybody, and it's fun beating him," said Dave Palm, who has competed in the Bus Roadeo for 13 straight years and was the East Metro Garage champion from 2010 to 2012. But the main reason he comes every year, he said, is because "it keeps you sharp."
Endale Berhanu, who drives on Routes 54 and 515, said the rodeo gives him a chance to hone his skills in an off-street environment. "I need to know where I am," he said after completing the course set up in a parking lot across from the State Fairgrounds on Como Avenue. "Lots of things happen on the road and we need to be a defensive driver. This helps a lot."
