Ok, so according to chunky logic: if pilots don't crash while intoxicated, they should be allowed to fly while intoxicated? Just because accidents haven't happened yet, doesn't mean the act isn't harmless or dangerous.....
Need I remind you of that kind of thinking resulted in a little well documented accident...you might recall it, I think the vehicle was called...wait...umm THE CHALLENGER space shuttle? Ah so the O rings are frozen. So they've shrunk. So there might be a leak...so what? We've taken off thousands of times bef.......ka BOOM.....ore.......
No, a bus driver is not allowed to go to a donut shop and leave his vehicle unattended with passengers on board. It's in the rules and regs. Now you can say, oh my, so what? But what if some wacko punk decides to hop in the driver's seat and go blasting down the road? Oh, that would never happen? Well it happened just recently with a fricken SNOW plow.....
According to the ministry of labour an employee is allowed 2 15 minute breaks per shift and 1 30 minute lunch. These breaks are to be taken at the discretion of the employer NOT the employee. It was clearly outlined in the rules and regs that a driver could only take breaks at the END of his route when there were NO passengers on board.
As for abusing authority when I was the boss. Nope. Never. Never did anything illegal. As a matter of fact I was told to have one of my guys do something illegal and refused and got into a big argument with the GM over it.
As for a firm warning.....and the risk to their livelihood.....well, the stern warning was "it is illegal to drive while using a cellphone" ad campaign that was all over the news. As for the risk to their livelihood, wait, who took the risk? Not the employer. Not the TTC. Not the passengers. The DRIVER chose to risk his livelihood. No one forced him to text. In all those photos I don't see anyone pointing a gun to their heads demanding that they text their buddy about the big game tonight.....
One more thing: we're not talking about some dumb teenager here. We're not talking about some 10 yr old who skateboarded off the side of a bench. We're talking grown adults in charge of an expensive and potentially dangerous piece of equipment loaded with passengers who should know better. Not only should they have known better, they KNEW better and chose to ignore it.