MIG wrote:
Richard J. wrote:
Helen Deborah Vecht wrote:
"Mizter T" typed


Helen Deborah Vecht wrote:

Michael Hoffman typed


I think maybe Mizter T means people *inside* the bus not
requesting the stop? Everywhere I have traveled by bus in
Germany it has been necessary to press a button to signal a stop.

I suspect he means both.

I know my partner has missed buses through failing to hail them,
and sailed through Harrow-on-the-Hill when he wanted to change
buses there, when he didn't ring the bell.


Rather than leave you all guessing as to what I meant I'll tell
you!

I had in mind people at request bus stops who fail to hail the
bus, and just expect the driver to know via the power of psychic
suggestion that
he should stop and let them on. Perhaps they're used to the bus
stopping to let people off, but occasionally there are no alighting
passengers so those at the bus stop will find their psychic powers
have stopped working.

I find the opposite situation, that of no-one on board the bus
ringing
the bell, is a less common occurrence - and I remain amused that
on the approach to a major compulsory stop, one where the bus is
absolutely
bound to stop (a major interchange for example), there is
nonetheless
often a chorus of dings on the bell as if there was some danger
the
driver would forget.

Like Helen's partner I've nonetheless managed to both fail to hail
and forget to ding and missed my bus/stop on a good few number of
occasions!

Wouldn't you call Harrow Bus Station a major compulsory stop[1]?
This is where my partner didn't ring and overshot. It's hardly
surprising others
may ring neurotically.

[1]Underground, National Rail and bus interchange.

I thought that the compulsory/request distinction referred only to
people waiting at the stop, and that passengers on the bus were expected
to ring the bell for any stop.



I never understood it that way for all the decades when the distinction
applied, although the rule was kind of handed now rather than found in
writing. However, now I can't find anything about request and
compulsory stops on the TfL site at all, so I've sent a question. I'll
continue scratching around in my stuff though.



And almost immediately I find a bus map from 1981 with pictures of the
two types of stop and explanations as follows.

(White backgroud, red ring, black bar) "This is a 'compulsory' bus stop
where every bus on the route concerned will stop without being hailed.
At busy times it is quicker (and fairer) to form a queue."

(Red background, white ring and bar) "This is a 'request' bus stop
where the bus will only stop if you signal it to do so by waving your
arm or by ringing the bell once if you are already a passenger."

I always thought it was odd when my mother said "wave" but actually
she, and everyone else, simply stuck their arm out. That's not waving
really, is it?