1998 AMTRAN COMMERCIAL — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

I DRIVE FOR DATTCO BUS COMPANY IN PLAINVILLE, CT. 06062. I HAD TO DO A CHARTER FOR 9AM ON MONDAY 9-20-04 FROM PLAINVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL TO INDIAN ROCK IN BRISTOL CT. 06010. WHEN I LEFT FOR MY CHARTER I HAD TO SWITCH BUSES WITH ANOTHER DRIVER. WHICH RETURNED TO BE BUS NUMBER 1804 WITH AIR BRAKES. I LEFT FOR MY CHARTER AND HEADED FOR INDIAN ROCK. WHERE I HAD FOUND BUS 1804 GOING VERY SLOWLY UP ROUTE 69 ( WOLCUTT ST. BRISTOL, CT. ) THERE WAS BIG BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE BACK OF THE BUSES TAIL PIPE, THE FAN FOR THE TEMPATURE NEVER CAME ON THE WATER PRESSURE WAS 230, I CALLED IT IN TO MY DISPACHER JUDY AND INFORMED HER , I MADE IT TO INDIAN ROCK. WHEN I PULLED INTO INDIAN ROCK TO DROP THE PASSENGERS OFF. THE ANTIFREEZE CAME RUSHING OUT OF THE BUS. I CALLED DISPATCH TO SEE WHAT TO DO, SHE TOLD ME TO LEAVE THE BUS THERE AND TO COME BACK WITH ANOTHER DRIVER, SO I DID. I GOT BACK TO THE YARD, EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED AGAIN TO THE DISPATCHER JUDY. AND THEN I LEFT, WHEN I RETURNED TO PICK THE PASSENGERS UP. JUDY INFORMED ME THAT SHE HAD CALLED NEW BRITIAN OFFICE FOR THE MECHANIC TO COME FIX THE BUS, HE REFUSED TO COME AND SAID THE BUS WILL BE FINE IT WAS JUST THE OVER FLOW OF THE ANTIFREEZE. AND THE BUS WILL BE FINE TO DRIVE WHEN SHE MEANING (ME) RETURNS TO PICK THE PASSENGERS UP. SO NO ONE CAME TO LOOK AT THE BUS, NOR TRY TO FIX IT. I UNDER HAND HAD TO RISK MY LIFE AND PASSENGERS TO BRING THEM BACK TO THE SCHOOL, I WAS NOT SURE IF I COULD REFUSE TO DRIVE THE BUS. SO I DID, WE DID INDEED GET BACK TO THE SCHOOL SAFETLY, I TOLD MY BOSS I WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE ON THE WHOLE SITUATION AND I WILL NEVER DRIVE ANOTHER BROKEN BUS AGAIN. THE BUS STILL IS NOT FIXED NOR HAS BEEN LOOKED AT AND ANOTHER DRIVER CONTIUES TO DRIVE THE BUS ALL DAY LONG WITH PASSENGERS.*AK