300 Ellsworth Avenue Southwest,
Grand Rapids,
49503
Michigan,
United States
1) Although Executive Order 147 mandates masks to be worn "while waiting for or riding public transportation" The Rapid does nothing to enforce this at their bus terminals or stops. There isn't even signage posted for riders. This lack of preparedness leads the riders to don their masks after they have already boarded. 2) Management has been known to reprimand drivers that enforce the mask mandate if a customer complains about being asked to wear a mask while on a bus. Drivers have been threatened with disciplinary action when they try to enforce the Executive Order. 3) Posted on www.ridetherapid.org is the following: "All riders that are medically able must wear a mask while utilizing our service". This statement is much broader than the medical exemptions given in the EO, causing confusion amongst ridership and allows those that disagree with the mask mandate or have minor medical afflictions to claim a medical exemption. Using the medical exemption, riders refuse to wear any face covering or shield. 4) After a medically exempt person has been allowed to board and ride the bus, management has refused to switch out the bus for a properly disinfected one, increasing the risk of the driver and public. This is even more discouraging when it is known that there is an available bus and driver, already paid for, to do such things, if management deemed it necessary or matched their definition of a bio-hazard. This has occurred several times, where drivers have been denied a disinfected bus after an unmasked rider was on board, even when the driver asked, to the point of the driver leaving for the day on personal time to ensure his safety and not further put himself or his family at risk. 5) There are COVID-19 positive cases amongst the drivers and there was no notification to other drivers or riders. These drivers were not ordered into quarantine. 6) The drivers have been ordered to transport COVID-19 positive patients without their knowledge until after the fact nor quarantined
Source: Osha.gov | Receipt Date: 2020-10-02 | Symptoms: Confusion
