Some people have come out strongly in favor of Lahcen Qouchbane to create opinion that the bus driver was just caught turning off the Kindle on video, and keeping a Kindle on in front of you while driving a bus full of passengers doesn't contravene the conduct code for bus drivers. So, in their minds, firing Lahcen Qouchbane was a travesty of justice. This entire ruckus on the internet over the issue made me go through the history of Lahcen Qouchbane, and while I found what I was seeking, I was also taught a lesson in formal American language. Even if I am a professional writer, this particular use of language was a revelation to me.
Take this. TriMate officials say that Lahcen Qouchbane was previously fired in 2006 for ''pushing'' a passenger ''with his foot'' off the bus after an altercation over fares. American formal language demands that bus drivers do not physically ''kick'' passengers off the bus, but they do ''push'' people off with their feet! So, Lahcen Qouchbane ''used his foot to push the customer out of the bus'' according to TriMet spokesman Bekki Witt. This ''push with his foot'' incident happened in 2006, and Lahcen Qouchbane was fired by TriMet for that.
Considering that there has been more than 500 complaints at TriMet over the last two years concerning operators talking, playing games on cell phones, or texting while driving buses, and creating a threat to public safety, only two written warnings, and one firing, that of Lahcen Qouchbane, seems pretty mild.
Incidentally, Lahcen Quochbane was also suspended in July this year for using his cell phone while driving a bus. However, it seems the 5-day suspension failed to teach Lahcen Quouchbane the intended lesson, and he continued to endanger public safety with his habits. It is not an everyday occurrence that a passenger videotapes negligence of work on part of the bus driver, and it is evident that recurring incidents of lapse of judgment on part of Lahcen Quochbane compelled passengers to take action. No one likes another person losing his job in these times. But if keeping a person in his job can lead to loss of lives, then the loss of Lahcen Quochbane's job is reason for a collective sigh of relief and better than passengers or the public being hurt.
Incidents like that of Kindle-reading Larcen Qouchbane, if kept unpunished, would make public transit systems a nightmare experience for citizens. Something, we cannot afford to suffer.In jobs involving public safety, it is gross negligence to intentionally distract one's self against rules, just to deal with boredom. Bus drivers are responsible for the lives of people on the street, for the lives of their passengers, and for their own lives. And it is clear that the firing of Larcen Qouchbane is supported both by present evidence of the incident, as well as his career history of repeated negligence of duties.
