Horrible Bus Explosion in Texas

[DeltaASA16]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9449949/

Probably the most heartbreaking news I've heard in a long time..

Can you image all those elderly people trapped on that bus with their oxygen bottles exploding one by one? And they're all too old and immoble to get off the bus

[ASpilot2be]

Thats horrible May the dead rest in peace.

[Converse_Buddy3]

Such a Shame! Those peole were trying to escape Death but little did they know this was going to happen!

[screaming_emu]

that sucks

[Chris@YYZ]

Thats an awful way to go. may they rest in peace

[Van Hoolio]

This tragedy illustrates one of the serious problems with charter buses in the US & Canada. In Europe it is common to have a second exit in the middle of the coach in addition to the main exit at the front, sort of like the middle door on a city transit bus. Not only is it a great safety feature, it expedites loading and unloading.

Coaches in the US & Canada do have emergency window exits, but they are hard to use. They are hinged at the top, so someone hoping to escape through one of these would have to undo the latch and hold open the heavy window while they took the 6 foot plunge to the ground outside, all this with the heavy window closing in on them. On European coaches they have a simple safety hammer mounted so that the window may be broken.

Mike

[tommyalf]

This is truly tragic, I can't imagine watching that and thinking my grandparents might have been on that bus. What a sad and terrible way to die. The last month hasn't been easy for our country, to many needless deaths of innocent people.

[Genessee]

That's pretty sad.

Once in a while I see a bus with doors half way to the back, for handicap access. When they use them, they have one of those platform things that come down and you roll on them. There's seats in front of them normally though, guess it would be better than nothing.

[Van Hoolio]

That's pretty sad.

Once in a while I see a bus with doors half way to the back, for handicap access. When they use them, they have one of those platform things that come down and you roll on them. There's seats in front of them normally though, guess it would be better than nothing.

Wheelchair lift access doors would be good emergency exits, since people trying to exacuate would only have to jump down from floor level instead of window level, but on two models of coaches I am familiar with, neither allows the access door to be opened from the inside! No emergency handle or anything. The other bad thing with these doors, they are normally kept locked so anyone trying to help from the outside would also not be able to open the wheelchair access door.


Mike

[avro_arrow_25206]

Coaches in the US & Canada do have emergency window exits, but they are hard to use. They are hinged at the top, so someone hoping to escape through one of these would have to undo the latch and hold open the heavy window while they took the 6 foot plunge to the ground outside, all this with the heavy window closing in on them. On European coaches they have a simple safety hammer mounted so that the window may be broken.

Mike

This never really occurred to me. I always imagined that those glass-breaking hammers are old and not as safe. Now wouldn't it be a lot easier if the emergency escape windows are hinged on the top?

[Genessee]

neither allows the access door to be opened from the inside! No emergency handle or anything. The other bad thing with these doors, they are normally kept locked so anyone trying to help from the outside would also not be able to open the wheelchair access door.

Are they locked by design or do the operators have locks put on them? Seems like a great feature gone to waste.

This never really occurred to me. I always imagined that those glass-breaking hammers are old and not as safe. Now wouldn't it be a lot easier if the emergency escape windows are hinged on the top?

They are The instructions make them sound very easy to operate too. Pull the red handle, or lift the red strip on the window sill and push. Van Hoolio make's it sound quite a pain to do though. I remember a couple TTC buses over the years that have had the window flapping around because someone had pulled that red handle. I never tried to lift it though.

[Crunk415balla]

thats really sad

[Tanner_J]

Coaches in the US & Canada do have emergency window exits, but they are hard to use. They are hinged at the top, so someone hoping to escape through one of these would have to undo the latch and hold open the heavy window while they took the 6 foot plunge to the ground outside, all this with the heavy window closing in on them. On European coaches they have a simple safety hammer mounted so that the window may be broken.
Mike

The ones that we take to my school events (we don't have school buses) are hinged at the bottom and just swing open and down. The guy that drives us everywhere talks about how every once in a while a kid will open one going down the interstate and it scares the shit out of him.

[Van Hoolio]

Are they locked by design or do the operators have locks put on them? Seems like a great feature gone to waste.

They are locked by design, otherwise theives could gain entry into the coach. I understand that, but I don't understand why there is no way to open the wheelchair door from the inside with some sort of emergency latch release.

The ones that we take to my school events (we don't have school buses) are hinged at the bottom and just swing open and down. The guy that drives us everywhere talks about how every once in a while a kid will open one going down the interstate and it scares the shit out of him.

Are you sure? Each of the three major manufacturers of coaches available to the US & Canadian market (MCI, Prevost, Van Hool) have the emergency window exits hinged at the top and latched at the bottom. That way the window will not fall and break if the window is inadvertantly opened. Technically, each emergency exit is supposed to be tested once a month, which would be difficult if the hinge were at the bottom. If one is opened while going fast down the road, it can catch in the wind, swing up and slap the roof, break out the window and bend the frame. Lot's of fun!


Mike

[screaming_emu]

This tragedy illustrates one of the serious problems with charter buses in the US & Canada. In Europe it is common to have a second exit in the middle of the coach in addition to the main exit at the front, sort of like the middle door on a city transit bus. Not only is it a great safety feature, it expedites loading and unloading.

Coaches in the US & Canada do have emergency window exits, but they are hard to use. They are hinged at the top, so someone hoping to escape through one of these would have to undo the latch and hold open the heavy window while they took the 6 foot plunge to the ground outside, all this with the heavy window closing in on them. On European coaches they have a simple safety hammer mounted so that the window may be broken.

Mike

yup, I remember our school busses in Germany had these little red hammers with pointy ends, you hit the glass once with that and it'll shatter allowing you to get out. Damn those were nice busses.