We, too, noticed the tram seats have been changed to bench seats. On the way to our vehicle, a Kawasaki Mule-type vehicle was coming toward us on a perpendicular path to our right. It didn't look like it was going to stop, and our tram driver hit the brakes. You'll be happy to know that the brakes work quite well, but in the process, we were thrown forward. Most of us caught ourselves with braced feet, but the little in front of us was only caught by her parents. She nearly went teeth-first into the front rail of the tram. The driver never looked back, and the announcer never acknowledged that he saw (Of course, he has a seat belt.). I'm certain, there were others who were thrown forward in similar fashion. If that girl's parents not caught her, she would have been a bloody mess, and the riders around her would have had to yell to stop the tram.
All that being said, it was not the tram driver's fault - it was the Kawasaki's fault for not yielding until the last second. Of course, both drivers were driving company vehicles for SDC.
BTW, we inquired about attendance and were told by several, "a lot". No one wanted to reveal actual numbers to us - as if they had been instructed not to. They were a little abrupt with us in their tone.
