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Don't just thank your bus driver. Thank the custodian now assigned to wipe the germs off your bus door.
TriMet announced Thursday afternoon that it has begun disinfecting the push bars and handles on its bus and train doors every night, in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus and assuage Portland rider fears.
"As an extra level of precaution, we're now wiping down all touchpoints on our buses and trains with disinfectant each night," the agency said in a statement. "Just remember that these surfaces are only clean until someone touches them or coughs/sneezes on them."
The increased sanitation effort comes 48 hours after Seattle public transportation officials pledged nightly cleanings. When King County Metro Transit announced that policy on Tuesday, TriMet told riders that more cleaning would make little difference.
In a Tuesday statement, TriMet said: "It is important to keep in mind that the surfaces where people touch—bars or doors—should never be considered sanitized. That's because the surface is only clean until someone touches it or coughs/sneezes nearby. If we're to prevent the spread of coronavirus locally, we need your help."
What has remained consistent: TriMet is telling riders that they should assume the bus handles and doors are contaminated, wash their hands, and avoid touching their faces.