May 19, 2009 7:10 pm US/Eastern
T Passenger Says Photo Shows Driver Reading
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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While it's difficult to tell from a still photo, Elaine Palli says the bus was moving while this driver was reading a newspaper.
E. Palli/WBZ
On an MBTA bus in Cambridge Tuesday morning, Elaine Palli says she saw something she didn't like.
"I'm noticing my bus driver, while he's driving the bus, is reading the newspaper," said Palli. "And it's heavy traffic."
So she reached for her camera-equipped cell phone.
"So I took it out of my purse, I put it in silent mode, and I looked at my phone as I was sitting across from the driver, and he's reading and he's driving and he's reading and he's driving, and I said, enough is enough."
She snapped off three pictures, one of which clearly shows the driver looking at a newspaper draped over the steering wheel.
WBZ is not showing his face because the T has just launched an investigation.
Palli says the bus was moving, which is hard to tell from a still photo.
T officials ramped up their push against distracted driving after a
text messaging trolley driver crashed into a stopped train on the green line collision two Fridays ago.
In announcing the new ban on drivers' cell phones, general manager Dan Grabauskas said riders are important watchdogs.
"If we have reports from customers that we're able to verify, then we'll follow up and go through this new policy."
From now on, Elaine Palli says she'll have her camera ready.
"You're not driving your own personal vehicle. There are other lives on that bus."
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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