HOUSTON -- Despite boasting a "Three Strikes, You're Out" rule for its 1,500 bus drivers, Local 2 Investigates found some METRO Transit Authority bus drivers remaining behind the wheel regardless of a lengthy list of dangerous driving complaints.

"I would think they need to be paying more attention to this," said a commuter named Cathy, who filed one of the complaints reviewed by Local 2 Investigates. She asked that her last name be withheld.

Hers was among 7,236 pages of complaints reviewed by Local 2 Investigates, starting from July 2007 and continuing through July of this year.

Motorists reported some startling behavior by bus drivers, including road rage, speeding through school zones, cutting off other drivers by swerving into lanes, aggressive lane changes, and nearly running people over in crosswalks.

"We play just like baseball," said METRO Vice President of Operations David Feeley. "Three strikes and you're out. If you have a particularly egregious situation, we say goodbye pretty quick."

Despite that policy, Local 2 Investigates found some drivers remaining behind the wheel with as many as nine or 12 strikes, including numerous complaints alleging the same sort of dangerous driving behavior.

Several drivers were called into the office for counseling after four complaints each, including speeding through residential neighborhoods, running red lights, and nearly missing pedestrians. Another driver received three complaints over a single month's time in June.

One METRO bus driver racked up 12 driving complaints in the past year, even drawing two complaints per month on three separate months. One motorist wrote, "This driver is impatient."

Other complaints accused the driver of running red lights, cutting off other traffic and changing lanes aggressively and nearly causing collisions.

Another driver has nine complaints in his file, with one motorist describing he was "driving like a maniac" and cutting off several cars. Along with other complaints about tailgating and speeding, he was accused of displaying obscene gestures and exhibiting "road rage" behavior.

Both of the drivers who received the most complaints were flagged by their supervisors.

METRO records show both drivers were counseled because of an unacceptable number of complaints, and yet each remained behind the wheel to draw even more complaints after those comments had been entered into their files.

Commuter "Cathy," who filed one of those complaints, just shook her head when shown those complaints. "With that many, they shouldn't be driving a bus. I mean, they're taking lives in their own hands. I think that they need to be doing something about it. If they're going to say that they have a three strikes, you're out rule, then they need to follow along with a three-strike rule."

Feeley admitted that drivers should not remain behind the wheel with that many problems.

"Absolutely not, because it gives all of the good operators a bad name. That's not fair," he said.

He pointed out that there are 400 metro drivers without a single complaint, entitling them to wear a special gold service pin for safe driving.

Overall, he said dangerous driving complaints are down 23.9 percent from last year.

"We're doing something right," he said.

But Feeley said he is now reviewing the repeat offenders included in the Local 2 Investigates report on Thursday night, and he is sending a firm message to his supervisors in the field who are charged with handling discipline.

"Has the superintendent or supervisor of the location fallen down and not followed up on the record?" he asked. "I need to deal with that."

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