In article ,
Graham J wrote:

I think it is actually perfectly reasonable to have just one type of bus
stop and to request passengers indicate to the driver that they wish to
board or alight.

That's how it's always worked outside London AFAIK (although the
indication was often subtle in the case of boarding).

As of a couple of years ago I do now usually put my arm out to hail a
bus rather than just subtly looking like I want to board -- formerly
(where I grew up in Greater Manchester and more recently in Cambridge)
I perhaps took a half-step towards the curb and maybe made eye contact
with the driver, and that was a normal way of indicating you wanted to
board. (I'd also take a step *back* to indicate I didn't want to
board, if it was the wrong bus).

But as a result of being told off for signalling late in Cambridge a
few years ago by an Eastern European bus driver who'd clearly failed
to spot that I wanted to board until I stuck my arm out as a last
resort, I reevaluated this. I know the latter is the normal way of
hailing a bus in at least some parts of continental Europe so I can
understand why some drivers from elsewhere in the EU may expect it,
and it just seems simpler to go along with it since it's pretty
unambiguous.

In case I needed one, I got a reminder that you need to explicitly
signal here in London, too, only a couple of weeks ago when a bus
sailed past despite the fact that I thought I was looking like I
wanted to board. I'm new to London, though - what was the traditional
practice at request stops? Hold your arm out, or a more subtle
indication?

-roy