Do you wear a seatbelt in the hotel van?

[abenaki]

SOme years ago I was in a hotel van in BHM with a crew from a DAL flight......A few months before several of them had been in a hotel van that cracked up.....Put all of them out of work for about 6 months.......

Wear the seatbelt.....

 

[RJFlyer]

I usually try to, but...

We have this jerkoff captain who requires not only the whole crew to wear their seatbelts, but also the van driver and any other passengers in the van as well. If the van starts moving and someone hasn't put on their seat belt, he starts with "sir, stop the van. Sir! Please stop the van and put on your seat belt. Sir! STOP THE VAN RIGHT NOW!!" Claims to have written the company policy on hotel van seat belt usage (?!). What a tool. There are several hotel van drivers who make him take a cab if he shows up for an overnight.

 

[Stifler's Mom]

RJFlyer,

What an embarrasement to have a guy like this in the van. I think I would crawl under the seats if I had to be associated with something like that.

 

[Smoking Man]

=)

I personally take the time to inspect the tire pressure (yes the TSA allows me to keep my pressure guage), the exhaust system for any leaks which may cause a euforic environment in the the van.

In all reality if the van is equiped with seat belts I will use them.

 

[LAXSaabdude]

I know I should use them more, and I always use them in my car, but it just seems like they are so hard to find in the van. They are usually jammed in between the cushions, and it is hard to match the respective buckles on a 3 across bench seat in the dark. Especially when I am tired, flew 7 legs, gotta fill out the sign-in sheet.....

Yeah, yeah, I know, I should quit whining and just do it!

LAXSaabdude.

 

[Counselair]

OK I'll man up as the pilot nerd that slows down the thread. The reason that you should wear your seatbelt is that some companies (check your insurance policies) will not fully cover disabilities/workmans comp. owed via an automoblie accident while on company time if you do not take all available precautions to safe guard your well being should you be the victim of said accident.

As for the driver not wearing his/hers. Imagine this guy picking you up at two in the morning, worked 12 hours when some drunk hits the side of the van knocking him out of his seat. Who's driving? Fate. Bet ya wish you took the time to put that seatbelt on now. As for telling him not to move the van until his seat belt is on... I'm an ass but not that big an ass.

Counselair

 

[MJG]

I'll wear it when it's there and readily available. Some of those vans don't even have seatbelts. I've always wondered what it would look like in one of the shuttle vans with sidways seating if everyone got hurled to the front during an accident. Not pretty I'll bet.

Only last year we had an entire crew sent to the hospital when their van driver (teenage college student) fell asleep at the wheel at 0530 in the morning and ran a red light smashing into a car.

Worst part is that the company claimed that since the crew wasn't "on the airplane" that their injuries weren't considered OJIs. FA had a hell of a time getting any kind of help with medical bills.

 

[IFLYASA]

RJFLYER

I have heard about this Captain from several F/O's.. If he's who I think he is, rumor has it he should probably go to the hotel on an early commute home, rather than "hanging around operations alone"....

 

[bailout]

IFLYASA, well, THAT comment, just told me who he is...

 

[DTNflyer]

I sleep In the plane so I can save the company money.

Van drivers scare me, how do you know if they are actually going to take you to the hotel?