Bostonist: Fung Wah Trouble? Gee, You Don't Say!

Flash

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 22:53:21 -0500

I wouldn't use Chinese tools to fix my car- the aggrivation of "cheap" tools and their "peanut butter" steel alloy makes them unreliable... I had a Chinese-made car jack "explode"-sending a 2,200 lb.car crashing down...and this was a "new" jack. I learned it is better to spend $400 and get a good USA-made tool - especially if your life depends on it instead of a cheap Chinese-made $50 jack. Same thing with bus lines. Use a quality-made USA-made bus line with USA-made drivers. I wouldn't ride on a Chinese bus. Those busses do not even come close to meeting federal safety standards... You DO get what you pay for...

Caroline

Thu, 04 Jan 2007 11:48:16 -0500

Thanks for the update. This post was based on Mac Daniel's earlier report in which he said the wheels "literally fell off." And, when it comes to road safety, there's not much difference between "literally fell off" and "barely hanging on." If I were on that bus, I'd still be horrified.

dashford

Thu, 04 Jan 2007 09:57:15 -0500

Oh, and the wheels didn't come off the bus. Not sure where you got that idea. The driver felt something funny and pulled the bus off the road.

dashford

Thu, 04 Jan 2007 09:51:37 -0500

Suggest you read the Globe article -- a bus wheel specialist says that such incidents are common. The explanation given in the article makes it pretty clear how lug nuts could become loosened through conventional wear and tear. In the history of Fung Wah incidents, this one is pretty minor, though it's obviously opened a few people's eyes to the reality of bus travel.