Is it just me or do Metro Bus drivers in this town have a death wish? I realize that they have to put up with driving in "traffic" and they do have those little signs on the back of the buses reminding drivers that they should yield to buses because according to some insane 2006 Minnesota statute " The driver of a vehicle traveling in the right-hand lane of traffic shall
yield the right-of-way to any transit bus attempting to enter that lane from a bus stop or shoulder, as indicated by a flashing left turn signal."

I have almost gotten hit by buses this week a total of eight or nine times. And granted I will allow or yield to the bus if they give me ample notice that they would like to merge into traffic. I realize these are BIG vehicles and probably not the easiest things to drive...especially those extend-a-bus deals with the extra accordion like attachment that seems to follow the bus like a slinky sort of afterthought.

It's not like I drive a chevy metro or yugo...and typically I am not behind the bus far enough to see them turn on their flashing left turn signal. Also there is a bus stop on Jackson and 5th conveniently right where I need to make a right hand turn and the options are either risk my own life and get in the bus lane and wait for the bus to finally decide to go or hope the bus actually stops at the corner to see if anyone wants to get on (which at 5 p.m. wouldn't you think they'd be making every stop?) and so thereby allowing me to swing around them and make a completely legal right hand turn.

The bus that almost hit me yesterday was flying down hwy 61 towards 94. There's a stop light and we were clearly stopped. The bus however did seem to want to stop...almost as if they were guessing as to the timing of the light. Needless to say the air brake and screeching of the brakes scared me half to death...not fun to see a great big bus barrelling down on you when you have nowhere else to go.

Oh and while I'm complaining about my commute into work...who is the brainiac who installed the yield sign on the little merge lane on warner road near the train tracks? I swear every morning there are HUGE gravel spewing trucks who don't seem to think they need to slow down let alone YIELD to the cars that clearly have the right of way. Then they end up spewing little rocks into my windshield all the rest of the way down warner road. Yep, annoying.

And it doesn't matter how late I am in driving to work - they are always there.