THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
VOLUME 118 ISSUE 19
CAMPUS
Program to teach women defense
Sigma Phi Epsilon, Pi Beta Phi and Alpha Delta Pi will help sponsor a self-defense training program for women ages 14 and older.
The program, run by The Ali Kemp Educational Foundation, is part of a national tour to teach women self defense techniques. Sponsors are encouraging women to sign up with their friends. The program will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday in 209-212 in the Robinson Center.
FULL STORY ON PAGE 3A
LAWRENCE
Seminar helps bar workers learn to catch fake IDs
The Lawrence Police Department teamed up with the Kansas Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control Monday night to better educate workers at Lawrence drinking establishments on how to detect fake IDs and prevent underage drinking.
Mike Pattrick. Lawrence police captain, said the training was a preventive measure. He said they didn't want to start arresting more people for underage drinking.
Bouncers who attended the event said detecting fake IDs could be difficult at times, but they usually knew which ones were fake. J. Taylor, who works at the Wheel, said he could judge a person's demeanor to tell if he or she were not actually 21.
FULL STORY ON PAGE 6A
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the new buses for KU on Wheels are 40 feet long, five feet longer than the old models. KU on Wheels has 28 new buses this year because Student Senate voted to increase transportation fees. Students now pay $36 each semester compared with $16 last year.
Five feet makes a big difference
Longer buses cause accidents, delays as drivers adjust
BY MARK DENT
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mdent@kansan.com
A KU On Wheels bus driver stopped just before she turned north at 12th and Louisiana streets and stepped out of her new, 40-foot long bus. A man had just parked his Hummer H-2 along the side of the street. She
The five-foot difference in length of the new KU on Wheels buses has proven difficult for drivers when turning. Eight accidents have already been reported by the KU Public Safety Office, compared with zero accidents this time last year.
Jessica Crabaugh/KANSAN
told him to move forward or she'd hit his car when she turned.
The driver avoided that collision, but accidents involving KU buses have been on the rise because new buses introduced in July are five feet longer than the old models, making them harder to turn.
There have been eight accidents since the Transit Commission, the governing body for KU on Wheels, switched its buses to the new design this summer, according to the KU Public Safety Office. Last year during the same time period, no buses were involved in accidents. In 2005, only two buses crashed, according to the KU Public Safety Office.
The 40 foot length of the new buses is one of the reasons drivers are having trouble adjusting, said a bus driver who asked to remain anonymous because of company rules.
May Davis, transportation coordinator for KU on Wheels, said they have 40-foot buses now because the company they buy them from could only provide buses of that size.
Andrew Oleen, a Dwight sophomore who rides the bus nearly every day, said the longer length provides such a risk that drivers would usually wait for cars to pass or slow down to a near stop to avoid parked cars during turns.
"If they're turning and there's another vehicle, there's no way they could do it," Oleen said.
Slowing down for other cars causes the buses to run late, the driver said. But Davis said buses are starting to arrive on time more often. She attributed the time and accident problems to the extra traffic that comes with the start of school.
The new buses are here because Student Senate voted to increase transportation fees by $20 each semester. Students now pay $36 total each semester. Regardless of the early problems, Davis said she was glad the vote passed because the University needed new buses. She said the old ones caused too much pollution and had trouble driving up hills.
"It wasn't a good look for KU," Davis said. "It was one of the first things you'd see and not a good depiction."
KU on Wheels has 28 buses now, and Davis said more were on the way. She said the accidents and slower route times wouldn't be a permanent problem.
"The first few days are always rough," Davis said. "There's a learning curve for every job, but when you drive a bus, people notice."
Edited by Elizabeth Cattell
》 DOCUMENTARY
Liberty Hall shows Sept.11 conspiracy film
A film that questions the truth behind Sept. 11 and U.S. foreign policy decisions is showing at 7 tonight in Liberty Hall. Lawrence-based Films for Action will screen the documentary "Oil, Smoke & Mirrors."
The film touches on Sept. 11 conspiracy theories, the United States' foreign policy and the world's declining oil supply. The film suggests connections between the Sept. 11 attacks and political and economic gains made by the U.S.
Tim Hiersted, Lawrence sophomore, said the film's claims might be difficult for viewers to accept. He hoped it would provide people with an opportunity to hear views different from ones provided by the government and media. A $2 admission fee benefits Films for Action.
FULL STORY ON PAGE 6A
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