(Picture from The Star)
The Malaysian Insider:
"Ten passengers were killed and two injured after a double-decker Sani Express bus skidded and hit the road divider at Km272.8 of the North-South Expressway as it was heading north, about 8km from the Ipoh Selatan toll plaza, early today."
This has got to stop. How to stop? The news only reported the deaths, and tomorrow we get on with our lives as if nothing has happened. Think about the lives of the loved ones of the deceased. The breadwinner, the main care-giver, the son/daughter whom the whole family has high hopes for their future, the unfortunate children who have lost their parents, and the list goes on.
Why this is happening so very often? To me it is the lack of "mental culture" of the people who are responsible for these "crimes" of humanity. Remember...this can happen to you and me. What is this "mental culture"? It calls for common sense, responsibilty, and conscience. If you are feeling sleepy while driving, then stop for a rest. Think for yourself if not for others, unless you want to commit suicide. What has happened to our people, and I am assuming that this driver is a Malaysian. Nowadays, you never know. He might be from Timbuktu!
What is the root cause for this lack of "mental culture"? It comes to politics again. The education system (if there is a system at all), the negative examples of those who claim to "rule" over us, and of course the lack of control and enforcement of the authorities concerned. It will take a generation or two to revert to our good old values if we can change the "SYSTEM' and the "EVIL POWER".
Can we do it? Or do we want to die in a bus-ride?
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(Postscript: A subsequent comment I made.)
Hi all,
I shall share two experiences with you.
The first was narrated by my sister who previously travelled from KL to Penang quite often. On one occasion she rang up the bus company to complain about the driver smoking and sending smses while driving. You know what the person on the line answered? He smoked so that he won't fall asleep.
And this was my personal experience. I was in a hurry to reach JB withing the same day, so I bought a ticket supposed to go straight in the morning from Penang to JB. I think I started about 10am. The driver looked sick to me, and was coughing. I was exasperated when he turned into Ipoh to have a stop-over. I was the only stupid passenger who took this bus to JB. The others had disembarked at the various destination. I then knew I was literally taken for a ride around town! He didn't bother to inform me that it was a break, and just disappeared. I was too nervous to disembark fearing he might just drive away. Then I just took a chance, and jumped down to have a bite and to ease myself. When I came back the bus was somewhere else; luckily I found it on time. Then the poor fellow drove all the way to JB. He was an Indian driver. When we reached JB it was past 10pm. This poor fellow had been driving for more than 12 hours. There was no assistant on standby.
This has got to stop.
Let's make sure the present evil and incompetent regime is changed, come next election.
January 1, 2010 9:52 PM
33 comments:
http://romerz.blogspot.com/2009/12/need-help-with-problem-solving-zambry.html
If they can't self regulate to make sure their drivers are properly rested,then i suppose the safest option is to have only daytime bus schedules as trying to keep awake at night is a serious issue especially when performing a monotonous task like driving.
The grim statistics show that most accidents happen at night when the alertness of the drivers is low or they fall asleep at the wheels.You must remember that lives are at stake and the buses are behemoths that can pose a danger to road users as well.
How many drivers are conscientious enough to make sure they are properly rested especially when the pay is low, the rest periods are short and the benefits are minimal? We must remember that they are different from other road users in that it a daily chore for them and the lifestyle is arduous at best.
Exactly! I agree with the reason that this bus driver's salary is so low and the benefit is minimal with short rest period, so he has every rights not to quit his job but cause his bus to skid so he can kill all the passengers and other road users as well to let everyone know he is a victim here. hahahaha....
It is an endemic problem in the country.Jobs are hard to come by,the good ones are taken and you are fighting with the illegals for the crappy ones.The lowly educated face this dilemma everyday.
Its either you take it or your family and you starve.What good is a conscience if you can't feed your belly?
Which is why the onus is on the employer to ensure a conducive,safe working environment and that the person he hires is dedicated to his job.The pay must be attractive to get the right person,retain him and motivate him.
The employer and driver both share the blame for the accident.The employer for not providing a safe work place and the employee for not being safe.
Every Malaysian deserve to get pay with a livable wages that take into account of cost of living, food etc and also the 'rasuah duit' (bribe money) require to drive in Malaysia highway and street for any police harassment. If not, suicide driving is the way to go, man!!!!! hahaha...
'Every Malaysian deserve to get pay ..' but who pays?
The issue here should not be pay. If so, does it mean a poor farmer should grow crappy vegetables that will poison people? Safety is the responsibility of both employer and employee - the lives of others as well as their own. One or both parties are mindless, couldn't care less, get away if can, no conscience not to mention being conscientious. Poverty and corruption is a vicious cycle. Read corruption at 'dhamma musing'.
You should remember the saying "you pay peanuts you get monkeys".
Pay is an important incentive as it motivates the employee,he values his job and also affords the employer the luxury of choosing the right candidate.
If pay wasn't an issue, then by reasoning everyone should be paid the same wages.The reason why people are paid differently is because of the nature of the work,the risks,the difficulty,the demand,the complexity,experience level,the responsibility and the effect it will have on the person's life.
If the farmer doesn't grow good vegetables he won't be able to sell them in the market.If you are not willing to pay good money for drivers, then you are stuck with riff raffs with bad driving records and little to no experience and training.
All this will be forgotten in a few days until the next cycle of crashes begins. Hot hot chicken Shit.. thats the malay saying.
There is the fallacy that good pay means good work. While salary is based on a number of factors, there are also ridiculous ones like loyalty, seniority, race and gender that have nothing to do with performance. I know of people who are paid peanuts but are proud of their work, doesn't compromise quality or safety. Modern HR and compensation practice sucks. Look at how indecent and atrocious Wall St bankers and CEOs get paid and don't tell me they didn't bankrupt their companies, clients and taxpayers' coffer? I think it is simplistic to conclude that good pay is guarantee for good work. If one is not happy with the pay, why work? If these unhappy, underpaid bus drivers were to grow crappy vegetables, then they know how much they can get as drivers.
The sooner we can have a change of government, and the sooner the culture of excellent can be installed, only by that time, we all can be save again. More of this culture of unaccountability will continue and more will die in this type of senseless highway accident in the future. Think about it, my friend.
Nothing in life is guaranteed.You should know that.It is a no brainer that there is a difference between greed what a person is worth.Your analogy of a farmer who grows crappy vegetables and wall street bankers is interesting to say the least!!
By your assumption a surgeon should be paid a sweeper's salary and should deliver the same level of professionalism by conscience.
That for me way off the mark and silly.I would certainly like to hire you!! Would peanuts do?
You pay a person for what he is worth.Apparently you have missed my previous comments or didn't bother reading.
It states clearly why a person has to be paid for what he is worth and why a good salary affords an employer the ability to choose an experienced driver with a clean driving record.We are not talking outrageous amounts here so leave the wall street guys at home.
The question is ,do you want a safe and good driver to ferry your loved ones or are you going to skimp like what the bus companies are doing by hiring drivers with poor driving records or a shady past and pay them a pittance?
You pay to get the best man for the job.Its standard practice everywhere in the the world where the sun shines.
I have spoken to a few drivers... they have no choice but to make two trips each day to make ends meet. It is the second trip which often meets with an accident.
Stephen is right..pay peanuts you get monkeys...
MCA just highlighted the case of a woman who had a metal nut left inside her after a spine surgery. I supposed the surgeon was either paid peanut or a sweeper's salary! By the way, the cleaners who maintain my estate are not paid a princely sum but they did a job as good as any professionals! To simply equate good pay with good work is a fallacy - that's my statement - read carefully. While I understand that one needs to be paid according to his ability and other factors, it is the results or output that is being rewarded. I wouldn't pay $100 for a packet of kacang even if the seller has a PhD and consider himself a professional. What is a professional?
So have I ever equated good pay with good work? You don't make sense.
I said pay a man what he is worth.
Once again you've used the wrong analogy.If the surgeon screws up, then he's at fault, not because he was paid too much.
As I have said over and over again, you can't guarantee you will get a mistake free,error free person- you have to get a robot for that.But you get to choose the best person for the job.
Of course who will hire a phd to sell peanuts ,will you? You hire a person to fit the job.
I am glad you have good sweepers in your estate but i don't see your point.
"While I understand that one needs to be paid according to his ability and other factors, it is the results or output that is being rewarded."
You've just pointed out the obvious and what I've been saying all along.You pay a man for what he is worth and that is his experience and dedication.
Mark out for me please my statement about good pay being equal to good work and we'll take it from there.If not we'll leave it as it is.I've got better things to do.Comprendo?
What are you worth? How do you arrive at that? What is a professional? In a desperate situation, a PhD may have to sell kacang. Whether he considers himself worthy or not is another issue. Many years ago, I read that PhD holders have to drive taxi. I don't think taxi drivers are earning millions, so does that mean they can drive recklessly?
Since there is no guarantee for mistakes, so what makes paying a person according to 'perceived' worth is guarantee that accidents won't happen?
It seems mercenary if experience and dedication can be bought like a commodity with a price.
It now daunts on me that the arguments so far were about the bus driver not being paid according to his worth. The corollary: if paid according to his worth, no accident will happen.
Perhaps, the fallacy I mentioned should be debunked vigorously first rather than maintaining that paying peanuts result in monkey work. I hope it is not a greater monkey making this statement.
Whatever turns you on.I am thru' with this.You seem to spout nonsense for the sake of argument.I suggest you take stock of the rubbish you are writing.
And lets not start name calling little boy.
hahaha, boy... debunk first the fallacy I stated. Going by your assertion, pay is the only criterion to good work and it has to be 'worthy' pay. There is no sense of care, concern, pride, duty, diligence, conscientiouness in discharging one's obligations or responsibilities. So, if I am paid peanuts, I just perform like monkey. I don't have a duty of care and diligence, and if accident happens it is not my fault. The cause is simply monkey wages - I am above monkey!
You need help.
Let me humour you.You need psychiatric help.You seem to relish arguing without any substance.People reading this blog will agree with me.Your other posts reflect that too.
You also have a problem with reading and comprehension judging from your nonsensical replies and other posts you've written elsewhere.I doubt anyone listens to what you have to say or bothers.
I'll end it here.You can go on making a fool of yourself if you wish- I'll let everyone be the judge.
Oh boy oh boy, there are many doctors, psychiatrists, helpers, judges, prosecutors in the virtual chatrooms, blogs and whatnots. But for humorists there are few, maybe one here. Please go on humour me. Also, tell me how much you are worth? So that I know whether your humour is worth it.
That is a good move on your part, Stephan. You can't really debate with a senseless person with reason and logic. haha......i rest my case long time ago because i have trouble understand his nonsense too. Sigh!!
Roll eye!
Oh Bow Oh Bow, seemed like if one is unable to debate and debunk a fallacy, the way out is to dismiss it as senseless and nonsense. So convenient but it is a ruse well-known in chatrooms and only practised by the incapable. Soliciting sympathy by calling others to judge is another. Please humour me too and come up with some originality.
What's wrong with you guys here? If you think you are paid peanut, go get another job. There should be no lousy job from you. Getting peanut should not be the excuse to deliver lousy works.
True Malaysian I agree with you.
Whatever a person is paid, he should do a good job because he agreed to take the job.What I have been saying all along if you read my posts is that you must pay for what the man is worth.
If you remember, this driver who caused the accident had a bad driving record and little experience.
If the bus company had been willing to pay good money, they would have probably gotten a better driver with good experience of driving thru' the night and a clean driving record.
I am not saying that if a person is paid peanuts that he is not at fault for the accident.I am saying that if you pay more, you will probably be able to choose a better driver with a clean driving record and good experience.But there is no guarantee in life that he will not cause an accident.
The fellow they got was probably a lousy driver as the company wasn't willing to pay for a better one.
Is the driver at fault-of course he is,but the company will have to take the blame too for not hiring a good driver because they were trying to save money.
It was reported in the news that bus companies pay the least for drivers.That probably is why they sometimes get the rejects that the other companies don't want.And as PM posted, these people then drive extra long hours to earn extra because of the poor pay.
The driver was stupid but the company was too because they know the driver will be working extra hard because of the poor pay.They should also take the blame for the accident and the lives that were lost.The government should regulate.
I hope this explains BOW,PM and my stand on this.Cheers
The driver is stupid, he is trying to let his employer know he had been paid too low, so he purposely caused an accident that end not only all his passengers life, but also his own. His problem could have been easily solved by opening out his mouth and demand higher pay, instead of having to go through all these troubles to make his case, may be he is another extremist hard to understand by us all, haha....
If you cannot do a good job with that kind of pay, then, don't accept the job. As simple as that.
Live and death are uncertain, but if death is due to a person not doing a good job, in legal term we called it NEGLIGENT, then he should own up his wrong for being negligent.
Since the driver is an 'agent' of the bus company in term of law, the bus company, as far as law is concerned, should be found guilty if legal action is taken against the company.
Neither paying good pay doesn't guarantee you a good job nor paying peanut guarantee you a bad job.
Being responsible to our role is what important. Prove your worth and demand higher pay, that should be the attitude.
The HR manager told me that the company I worked for always recruit the best. I begged him to differ. The best people may not know your company or want to work for you!
Lets put aside all our sidekicks and focus on the issue. Accidents like these happened far too often and many lives have been taken unnecessarily all because of human failings - both employers and employees. I would even put some blame on customers or clients. Then the authority must do something. If all those mentioned above do nothing, the next accident is just waiting to happen.
The problem is that the people that take up these jobs don't think in the same way like us.For them they need the job to provide for their family.And there are so many people without a job so they work no matter what.Your children are hungry ,you don't think.
No one wants to cause an accident.These drivers don't know their limits because they are either lack simple common sense like what Justin says or are inexperienced.
The bus company although responsible for the driver's mistake will only likely be fined but not for the obvious reasons.
The real problem of overworked drivers and hiring of drivers without experience in handling a doubledecker bus and bad driving record will persist.
From experience being in the transportation business,I believe that you must pay for experienced and safe drivers.No guarantee but at least can sleep better at night!
I definitely won't be taking any buses for holiday until there is change.I don't want someone to kill me and my family just because the company want to save money! I want someone safe,trustworthy,well rested and experienced to handle the bus I am in ,not some jackass with a bad driving record.
I have said enough already.Happy new year everyone!! Postings are to express views and share knowledge.Sometimes we get carried away in the heat of the moment,No harm done!!
Hi all,
I shall share to experiences with you.
The first was narrated by my sister who previously travelled from KL to Penang quite often. On one occasion she rang up the bus company to complain about the driver smoking and sending smses while driving. You know what the person on the line answered? He smoke so that he won't fall asleep.
And this was my personal experience. I was in a hurry to reach JB withing the same day, so I bought a ticket supposed to go straight in the morning to JB. I think I started about 10am. The driver looked sicked to me, and was coughing. I was exasperated when he turned into Ipoh to have a stop-over. I was the only stupid passenger who took this bus to JB. The others had disembarked at the various destination. I then knew I was literally taken for a ride atround town! He didn't bother to inform me that it was a break, and just disappeared. I was too nervous to disembark fearing he might just drive away. Then I just took a chance, and jumped down to have a bite and to ease myself. When I came back the bus was somewhere else; luckilly I found it on time. Then the poor fellow drove all the way to JB. He was an Indian driver. When we reached JB it was past 10pm. This poor fellow had been driving for more than 12 hours. There was no assistant on standby.
This has got to stop.
Let's make sure the present evil and incompetent regime is changed, come next election.
Thats exactly what is happening right now Justin.They get any driver, pay them low wages, make them work extra long hours to earn more money.These people like that indian driver cannot complain as he is not unionised but have to work as no other suitable job available and many jobless people around.
And the Bus companies are now competing with low cost carriers for business so they have to keep their overheads low to maintain their profit.
The same thing is happening in the US domestic airline industry.They hire pilots with no experience for low pay,as many pilots are out of work, work them hard and what do you get? Accidents.This is documented by the FAA.They are trying to stop the practice by legislation.
The government should step in and do the same thing.Who owns the bus companies? I think you know.
How the government going to stop it, the folk who monopolize the bus route and fleet of bus is well connected to the corridor of power, by stopping this modern day slave master, chances is the 'kickback' to official will be cut in half.
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