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-   -   Is Countdown usually this confused? (https://www.londonbanter.co.uk/london-transport/11503-countdown-usually-confused.html)

Lewis A November 29th 10 08:41 AM

Is Countdown usually this confused?
 
On Sun, 28 Nov 2010 04:35:05 -0600,
wrote:
I doubt it, honestly. The routes mainly start at King's Cross and there
were no signs of any on the route.


I'm not familiar with buses in the area, but it appears that both
routes start west of St P. on Midland Road. So for buses to report as
'due' and not turn up, according to my theory they must surely have
been at, or close to that first bus stop, and then unable to turn left
into Euston Road, which isn't very likely. Sorry 'bout that, in my
limited experience of Countdown problems it's either not been working
at all, or there've been diversions.

I happened to see that the Countdown displays on Oxford Street outside
John Lewis were all happily displaying bus arrival times even though
the entire street was closed for the VIP event and no bus will turn up
for about another 2 hours!


Please say there were people queueing, looking at their watches and
tutting!


No. There wasn't more than one other waiting with me. Most people got on
the 63. If you're going to Blackfriars as I more often am at that point,
it's just as good as the 45.


I only mentioned it because I recently stood tutting away for about
12-15 minutes waiting for a diverted 319 before noticing the 'bus stop
not in use' sign (a nearby street light was out). Both routes' buses
were happily running in the other direction, too!

M J Forbes November 29th 10 09:55 AM

Is Countdown usually this confused?
 

The whole thing was a mis-planned waste of money. *As another example,
no displays are provided at the railway station, which is easily in
the top 4 busiest locations on the network. *(This was supposedly
because of difficulty getting agreement on where to put them as much
of it isn't Council land, but such things are not insurmountable).


About 6 years ago (maybe longer), Portsmouth introduced a similar
system on key routes in the city. These screens were almost always
displaying "System under test" messages until about two years ago,
when they went blank.

Earlier this year, all of the "high tech" shelters (which also
featured a cut-down web browser with travel and local information)
were ripped out and replaced with standard affairs. Quite how many
millions this cost is anyone's guess. Whether it was a problem with
the bus-mounted equipment, or the backroom infrastructure is a
mystery, but there was an outcry in the local press...

(sorry for being off-region, yet on-topic!)

M

Offramp November 29th 10 12:13 PM

Is Countdown usually this confused?
 
Couldn't TfL arrange to use the Countdown music for Countdown?

As the bus pulls up the the music would go DA-DA, DA-DA, DADDLY-DA,
BOO!! Doors open.

M J Forbes November 30th 10 08:28 AM

Is Countdown usually this confused?
 
On Nov 29, 1:13*pm, Offramp wrote:
Couldn't TfL arrange to use the Countdown music for Countdown?

As the bus pulls up the the music would go DA-DA, DA-DA, DADDLY-DA,
BOO!! Doors open.


Inspired! Made me smile for the first time today, that did!


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