Rt 17 heads up

I have been caugt off guard twice as well by this gentleman. He is nice, but the first time he got in my front seat, he did not buckle the seat belt, but he was so big, I could not see out my side mirror and he could barely get out of my SUV. The second time he got in the back seat, again, he had a hard time getting out. I do not want to be rude, but I really do not want to pick him up, can I deny him a ride, even though he is the first in line? I feel uncomfortable because he cannot put a seat belt on and he blocks my view of traffic. New slug driver

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Originally posted by kwright
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Originally posted by SpotsyDriver
[br]Just a heads up to any drivers who pick up Rt 17 riders in the afternoon at the Pentagon. I have been caught off guard twice so far by a gentleman who does not stand in the slug line ...he waits in the wings (out of sight) ...and as you pull up ...he quickly appears and gets in. The problem is that he is very large ...and cannot negotiate the seat belt. I did not appreciate the tactic he uses ...and short of being rude and asking him to get out of the car ...I gave him the ride. In the future ...I think I will avoid the Rt 17 line ...and opt for the Rt 610 or Rt 630 riders.

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I'm glad to hear the other side of situations. It a good reminder that things are not always as we perceive them.

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Originally posted by SpotsyDriver
[br]Just a heads up to any drivers who pick up Rt 17 riders in the afternoon at the Pentagon. I have been caught off guard twice so far by a gentleman who does not stand in the slug line ...he waits in the wings (out of sight) ...and as you pull up ...he quickly appears and gets in. The problem is that he is very large ...and cannot negotiate the seat belt. I did not appreciate the tactic he uses ...and short of being rude and asking him to get out of the car ...I gave him the ride. In the future ...I think I will avoid the Rt 17 line ...and opt for the Rt 610 or Rt 630 riders.

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I am familar with the gentleman you are talking about and he does in fact follow slug-line etiquette and although he sometimes reserves his place in line and then leans against the concrete barriers, he is not hiding as you suggest. He also routinely passes on rides that he does not think will accommodate his size. It is certainly the perogative of the driver as to who they will or will not pick up but hopefully this is not a case of discrimination due to his size. He is a very nice man. Route 17 certainly needs all the drivers we can get, so please speak up if you do not want to give him a ride. I have witnessed some drivers doing this and he has gotten out of their cars without hesitation or animosity.

Thanks for the comments from USA and MDC ....and yes I am not concerned about getting a ticket for an unrestrained driver ...only concerned about that individual's safety in the event of an accident ...and also the risk that it causes others in the vehicle. I think the lesson I take away from all of this ...is that I will have to politely decline to give a ride to anyone who cannot buckle up ... no matter the reason for not being able. Thanks.

Regarding seat belts, note that the PASSENGER is responsible and is the one to get the ticket, NOT the driver. Some cops think otherwise and may try to ticket the driver, but that ticket should be dismissed in court because the law makes the driver responsible only for front-seat passengers between the ages of four and sixteen. (I won this one once.) Of course, the only way to get a seat-belt ticket is to be doing something else to warrant being pulled over......