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Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight

Posted by heypaul on Sat Mar 20 20:33:06 2010

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This is a strange story.

A fully loaded DC bound Megabus was pulled over by Maryland State Police and taken to a weigh station where it was found to be 4,000 pounds overweight. The bus was taken out of service and passengers had to wait for replacement
bus(es). How can this be?

Overweight Megabus??

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(190311)

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Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight

Posted by kcram3500 on Sat Mar 20 20:59:38 2010, in response to Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight, posted by heypaul on Sat Mar 20 20:33:06 2010.

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When bus service to Atlantic City was at its peak, the NJ State Police operated an inspection station on the southbound Garden State Parkway. Stories ranged from broken windows, heavy exhaust, bad registration/logbooks, and on one bus, the outer-dual tire had blown and it was simply removed and tossed in one of the luggage bays bey either the driver or a company mechanic.

In this case, Megabus is likely guilty of not enforcing their luggage weight rules. 4000 pounds sounds high, but it's just 50 pounds per person extra when considering 80 passengers were on board.

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(190318)

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Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight

Posted by JAzumah on Sat Mar 20 22:35:31 2010, in response to Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight, posted by kcram3500 on Sat Mar 20 20:59:38 2010.

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"When bus service to Atlantic City was at its peak, the NJ State Police operated an inspection station on the southbound Garden State Parkway."

They pull buses in periodically, but the number of dates plunged in 2009 over 2008. They were open 1-2 times a month for buses in summer 2008, but I didn't see buses get called in at all summer 2009. This was the Exit 91 station.

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(190320)

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Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight

Posted by mac5689 on Sat Mar 20 22:39:27 2010, in response to Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight, posted by heypaul on Sat Mar 20 20:33:06 2010.

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i bet the bus was weighed with the passengers still on board lol.

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(190321)

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Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight

Posted by JAzumah on Sat Mar 20 22:43:50 2010, in response to Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight, posted by mac5689 on Sat Mar 20 22:39:27 2010.

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That is how it is supposed to be done.

This is strange news. Did Megabus's safety score go up? If there was no other infraction committed, it was a pretty random grab. Are they pulling in Greyhounds and Peter Pans too?

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(190322)

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Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight

Posted by mac5689 on Sat Mar 20 22:49:33 2010, in response to Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight, posted by JAzumah on Sat Mar 20 22:43:50 2010.

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oh, i didn't know that.

i thought they had everyone get off the bus then weighed it.

then how can they say that the bus is overweight since the passengers where on the bus when they weighed it?

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(190323)

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Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight

Posted by metrolinecoach111 on Sat Mar 20 22:51:19 2010, in response to Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight, posted by JAzumah on Sat Mar 20 22:43:50 2010.

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From the bad press they have been getting lately (accidents, safety issues, operating practices, etc.), they have been paying very close attention to them lately...



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(190324)

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Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight

Posted by mac5689 on Sat Mar 20 22:56:02 2010, in response to Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight, posted by metrolinecoach111 on Sat Mar 20 22:51:19 2010.

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what do you want a bet that Megabus will come out and say that the Maryland State Police rigged the weighing so that the bus would come out to be overweight?

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(190325)

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Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight

Posted by R160A A Train on Sat Mar 20 22:57:51 2010, in response to Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight, posted by heypaul on Sat Mar 20 20:33:06 2010.

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WDF??

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(190326)

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Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight

Posted by (4) Lexington Av Exp on Sat Mar 20 23:27:05 2010, in response to Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight, posted by mac5689 on Sat Mar 20 22:49:33 2010.

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According to the specs, the maximum load of a TD925 is 57,000 lbs.

I'm wondering what the weight limits are down there...

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(190327)

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Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight

Posted by kcram3500 on Sat Mar 20 23:29:44 2010, in response to Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight, posted by mac5689 on Sat Mar 20 22:49:33 2010.

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Weight restrictions for vehicles are based on loaded weight. Tractor-trailers are weighed when full as well (could take a while if they had to unload at a weigh station). There are limits to not only the full vehicle, but each axle as well.

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(190328)

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Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight

Posted by JAzumah on Sat Mar 20 23:31:03 2010, in response to Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight, posted by mac5689 on Sat Mar 20 22:56:02 2010.

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A trillion dollars.

Coach USA isn't that kind of company. They aren't going to pick fights with the Maryland State Police. Those guys could singlehandely bury Megabus. Megabus probably had $1000 worth of revenue tickets on that trip (assuming $10 per head). They aren't going to mess that money up.

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(190329)

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Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight

Posted by mac5689 on Sat Mar 20 23:40:25 2010, in response to Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight, posted by JAzumah on Sat Mar 20 23:31:03 2010.

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i had a feeling when i was writing that that someone was going to give a reason why they wouldn't do that. lol

just didn't think it was going to be you JAzumah.

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(190334)

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Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight

Posted by kcram3500 on Sun Mar 21 00:16:10 2010, in response to Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight, posted by (4) Lexington Av Exp on Sat Mar 20 23:27:05 2010.

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Maryland uses a mathematical formula, so you'd have to know what weights each axle came in at, as well as the distance between axles 1 and 3 (Maryland doesn't use the traditional wheelbase measurement of front axle to the centerline between the tandem axles).

So even if the vehicle is within its own load specs, Maryland's formula may say it's still not legal in their state.

Using the Van Hool specs, the distance from axle 1 to axle 3 is 301 inches or 25' 1". From what I can determine in the Maryland handbook (starting at page 102), the 57,000-lb GVWR is illegal in Maryland if reached, as a vehicle with a 25' distance between axles 1 and 3 is limited to 54,500. There is also a maximum of 34,000 per tandem axle pair, and the TD925 is rated at 40,500 for axles 2 and 3. With a front axle limit on the TD925 of 16,500, it would appear that the maximum weight of a TD925 in Maryland is 50,500.

Maryland State Police says it was 4000 over - so the bus could have come in at at 54,500 which would have met Van Hool's and Maryland's vehicle maximums, but the individual axles could have been over state limits.

If I have all that right, Megabus can't send fully loaded TD925s through Maryland, even if they're legal in other states along the way.

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(190405)

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Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight

Posted by artenn3164 on Sun Mar 21 15:58:55 2010, in response to Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight, posted by kcram3500 on Sun Mar 21 00:16:10 2010.

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Maryland is the only state I know of that forces buses to enter weigh stations. And the cop is so so concerned about the passengers' welfare - "wouldn't want it tipping over" I guess the sight of a double decker bus just blows their mind. It's similar to what the police do on Bergenline Ave - they pull over a cutaway, cookie wagon or jitney, whatever you want to call it that's loaded with passengers and take it out of service for some sort of violation. Of course, they can't inspect the vehicles at the garage and order them out of service there. Oh no. We all know who operates these vehicles and who rides them and why the police hassle them. "to protect and serve" we're protecting you from these dangerous buses!

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(190438)

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Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight

Posted by Pablo M 201 on Sun Mar 21 19:56:14 2010, in response to Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight, posted by JAzumah on Sat Mar 20 23:31:03 2010.

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Those Maryland State Police guys are no joke whatsoever.

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(190439)

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Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight

Posted by Pablo M 201 on Sun Mar 21 19:59:04 2010, in response to Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight, posted by artenn3164 on Sun Mar 21 15:58:55 2010.

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Quite a few of those Bergenline jitneys are safety hazards on the road.

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(190453)

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Re: Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight

Posted by 9 local on Sun Mar 21 22:21:20 2010, in response to Maryland State Police Take a Megabus Double Decker Out of Service for Being Overweight, posted by heypaul on Sat Mar 20 20:33:06 2010.

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Well, I'm glad I ditched Megabus today and took Acela.

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