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 Exiting Bilkent service busses has always, for some reason, been a contentious issue. Should you get on the bus from the front and get off from the rear or vice versa? Or, since students and staff are not expected to pay, should you be allowed to get on and off the bus from whichever end is convenient?
Does it really matter? Many out there would probably declare in solidarity, "NO!" And, they may be right. Getting OFF the bus may not be such a big deal. It is what you do AFTER you get off the bus that is.
Keep this in mind: Once you leave the bus, a few things happen almost immediately and simultaneously:
1- The bus driver attempts to leave the bus stop. His foot is on the gas pedal, and he has focused his attention on the rearview mirror watching for vehicles approaching from behind.
2- More often than not, the vehicles behind don't want to spend time lagging behind a bus. So, what do they do? They speed up before the bus driver has the chance to move out of the bus stop. Their attention is focused ONLY on the bus, and getting in front of it as fast as possible.
Now, just at this moment YOU attempt to cross over the road in front of the bus! Here comes the BIG DEAL? Vehicles approaching from behind cannot see you. Plus, your bus driver must look down to see you. Whether he will look for you or keep his eyes on his mirror as he accelerates depends on how lucky you happen to be that day.
Accidents involving pedestrians hit while attempting to cross the road are all too frequent. It is not always the driver of the vehicle's fault. It is up to you to remember that attempting to cross the road in front of a large vehicle puts you at an extreme risk.
Here are a few rules to live by: Always wait for the bus to leave the stop, cross over where and when all vehicles can see you, or, better yet, take a short walk up the road to the nearest pedestrian crossing.
Be safe! We are happy to have all Bilkenters back on campus, and we want to see that you stay out of harms way!
Bilkent University Traffic Committee
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