On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 10:13:30 +0100, Paul Corfield
wrote:

I'm very surprised by the comment about Newcastle. The only compulsory
stops I can think of are in bus stations - which is a bit obvious
anyway. Having been brought up there I always stuck my hand out for a
bus - regardless of operator. Perhaps the desperate search for
passengers brought on by deregulation has changed behaviours in that
buses will stop to see if anyone wants to board a bus rather than
running the risk of leaving people behind?

It's a while since I lived in Newcastle, and a couple of years since I
visited, but my recollection is that all stops are request stops.
However, bus drivers were capable of noticing passengers at the stop
and slowing down anyway - you often had to back away from the kerb if
you didn't want the wrong bus to stop.

I've always treated London bus-stops as Request, in fact I didn't
realise there were still compulsory stops, apart from terminals. But
then I've always done most of my London bus travelling in and around
Kingston and I'm not sure if suburban bus routes are run the same way
as central London.