Seton Hall students have launched a petition asking Public Safety to deal with the SHUfly driver who has been accused of leaving the SHUfly unattended with passengers on board, talking on a cell phone and drinking and driving.
Assistant Vice President/Director of Public Safety Patrick Linfante said he has looked into the petition but noted that the document is anonymous, "making it impossible to check on the validity of these claims."
The petition was launched on March 3, and was supported by Twitter accounts @SHUflyStories and @CanSHUNot, which have focused on students' SHUfly complaints.
@SHUflyStories noted, "The most common complaints seem to be about the SHUfly being late, not showing up at all, or the drivers using their phones while driving or taking unscheduled breaks even when the SHUfly is already late."
According to @CanSHUNot: "The same driver has been on the phone almost every time, causing personal tardiness due to texting between stops. We even witnessed the SHUFLY hit a BMW a few months ago. We feel that there needs to be action taken due to the consistency of the issues and the lack of response from public safety specifically regarding driver conduct; the petition will serve the student in a constructive way and perhaps force school officials to address these problems."
Linfante said he and all his staff are aware of all the Twitter accounts associated with the SHUfly.
According to Linfante, he has addressed the unscheduled breaks. "Regular breaks for drivers are required by law and are set up accordingly," Linfante said.
The complaints about texting and driving have also been heard. He said, "Seton Hall follows the law."
A photo appeared on Twitter of an empty beer can left near the driver's seat. Linfante said, "An investigation was conducted and revealed that there was no evidence to suggest that the driver had been drinking."
Linfante also said that "drivers should be making every stop." He said that the mobile app through shuflyshuttle.com is the best way to keep track of the SHUfly.
Linfante asked that anyone experiencing problems with the SHUfly report it to Parking Services immediately. Details about what happened including the date, time, stop and name of the driver should be provided so that the complaint can be investigated.
Kaitlin Stellingwerf can be reached at kaitlin.stellingwerf@student.shu.edu.
