Elite Eight action continues today at our annual "Sorriest Bus Stop" competition with two really really bad bus stops.
But first, an announcement: A very, very sad bus stop in Cincinnati has secured the first Final Four spot after trouncing McKees Rocks, Penn. Meanwhile, New Orleans is still duking it out with Nashville for the second spot, so vote early (but not often).
Now, seeking the third spot in the semi-finals are a loathsome stop in suburban New York and a ridiculously bad bus stop in the Steel City. First up...
Suffolk County
We've seen a lot of horrifying bus stops in this tournament, but this one's a doozy. Located in Brentwood, New York, about 50 miles outside of Manhattan, it consists of a sign and a worn dirt patch. Users — and there must be quite a few judging from the path they've worn — access the stop by cutting through a brush-covered hill.
In this photo, a woman waits with her two young children, completely vulnerable to fast moving traffic.
The area around this stop is primarily forest and industrial. However, right across the street from this stop is the Family Service League, a large social service provider serving Long Island, providing services for children, seniors, veterans and addicts. There is also a large addiction treatment center beyond the wooded area behind the bus stop.
The Family Service League and Town of Islip should get together and figure out how to make sure low-income people can safety access their building. A few bollards and a bench would be a big improvement.
Pittsburgh
Now, take a gander at this concerning bus stop, technically in West View, Pennsylvania, just outside Pittsburgh.
Steve Kuhn nominated this stop, explaining:
No sidewalk, no shoulder, no curb, not even flat ground. Just an overgrown hillside. Absolutely nowhere to stand other than in the road. It’s located at the crest of a blind hill so no oncoming traffic (or arriving buses) can see you there until they’re right on top of you. To add insult to injury it’s at a spot where the road narrows under a bridge so there is even less margin for error for traffic to pass by.
It is served by the Pittsburgh Port Authority but the borough of West View is deserving of some shame here as well.
