Overcrowding, behavior issues trigger frustrations for students using public transportation
Rising tensions and behavioral issues are impacting regulations on city bus lines. Bus drivers face harsh treatment and unreasonably low pay, not to mention long hours and the stress of navigating both city streets but also the actions of unruly passengers. This energy has recently led to tighter enforcement of rules for passengers aboard Oshkosh’s city buses - particularly on bus #6, which stops on Southland Avenue and is frequented by high school students leaving school.
The city bus is free for students, with their I.Ds, offering a successful and often necessary method of transportation. Junior Sam Herman, a frequent user of the #6, is all too familiar with the environment.
"It’s chaotic, it's too crowded, and people are aggressive,” she said. “There's not a lot of room for people to sit or even stand. Half of the bus is screaming to loud music; it’s hard to hear anyone talk or even think."
As soon as the bus nears, students rush to board so they can snag a seat before they fill up. Aggressive riders will push and shove their way on, which can result in minor injuries.
Senior Alex Gardiner finds the atmosphere stressful.
“We’ve had fights on the buses, or altercations that happen because of accidents, and there’s no one intervening,” she said. “People are getting off of the bus early because it’s too much.”
Assistant principal Cory Beaulieu is aware of recent measures to aid the problem.
“Recently they’ve been having people assist the drivers with the flow of the crowd,” he said.
It seems these bus employees are becoming a more regular presence. Rather than alleviating stress, however, this has only caused further discontent among some passengers, like Gardiner, who don’t want to be controlled by a stranger and have their ability to use the bus threatened.
“We have to respect the bus driver, and I know that we were causing problems,” she said. “It would be nicer for them to have a teacher instead, without getting other people involved.”
On one occasion, a driver frustrated with people forcing their way onto the bus shut the door on more than half a dozen students, preventing entrance. This behavior greatly affects the personal lives of students like Herman.
"If they have a job, they wouldn't be able to make it on time, and they'd have to wait 30 minutes for the next bus,” she said.
Beaulieu sees the need for city buses, especially based on where a student lives.
“If you live within a close distance to school you don’t have buses provided through Kobussen,” he said. “So depending on if you have a car, or the weather, or how far away you live, it may be your only option.”
Many people use this service on a daily basis and numbers will only continue to grow as the weather gets colder. This form of public transportation is essential to Gardiner, and the lack of space and student behaviors has become an issue.
“I rely on the transportation; you have to keep the buses an option,” she said. “I think about all of the students that their only option to get home is the bus. But there’s just too many people for the seats available.”
Gardiner and other high schoolers aren’t the only passengers as there are more people that need to get on at other stops.
“When we stop at Walmart, there are others on the bus like people with families or wheelchairs,” she said. “It’s hard to estimate how many people have to get on the bus. It’s public transportation, not just for students.”
It can be difficult to make enough room. The quantity of students and other citizens on the bus not only affects their ability to board, but it can also prevent people disembarking.
“On October 17, there were too many people and we couldn’t make it through in time, so he shut the door,” Gardiner said. “Twice now I haven’t been able to get off on my stop because I couldn’t get to the door.”
These issues leave students opting for other buses or walking, no matter how far away their destination is.
"If the buses don't run, people won't come to school," Gardiner said.
By Addi Isely
Oshkosh West Index Volume 119 Issue II
October 31 2022