(Matt Ashby) wrote in message . com...
Sure I know the problems. I used to drive there for 6 years before doing
what I do now, but swearing on the usenet and ranting "YOU ARE PAID TO DO A
JOB, IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT GET OUT!" is not going to change things. Most bus
drivers in London don't even know what the usenet is. You know I could talk
about the horrible things passengers do, but I won't.

There are many things most bus drivers in London don't even know
about. Off the top of my head:

* customer service
* the English language
* the names of the roads (or even bits of towns) on their routes
("do you go up Brixton Hill?" [mumbled] "Yeah". Witness the bus go
nowhere near Brixton Hill)
* stopping at bus stops, *and* opening the exit doors (sometimes
remembering just the first is too much for them)

It's a customer service job - if you don't want to deal with customers
then go drive a lorry!


Although when I lived in London the bus time table seemed to be
something that was put on the bus stop to read while you waited
30minuites for a "every ten minuite" bus service. Some bus drivers
also seemed to forget they were not driving a Vauxhall Nova with a
blonde teenage girl to impress but a big double decker public service
vehicle with 80 people on board.
In their defence the hourly rate is pretty rubbish. And London Buses
(like the rest of the country) have a big problem finding bus drivers
and so anyone with a driving licence and the ability to press a "Door
Open" button and a "Door Closed" button is pretty much got the job. So
its no wonder they aren't exactly bursting with high level of customer
service.
To be honest if they sacked all the bus drivers in London with no
customer service skills then I have a feeling there would be very
little in the way of buses. The soloution is of course to employ
people at bus stations in customer service roles. Given out infomation
in a polite, helpful manner. And to make sure bus stops have enough
infomation so you don't need to ask the driver anything apart from
"pound".
And in bus drivers defence. 30 people trying to get on a bus at once
and your trying to take fares and check passes. Kids who want to get
on the bus and not pay anything. Threats of physical voilence. Other
drivers who seem unable to see big red double decker buses. Idiots on
the road (the last time I was on a bus in East London some idiot
parked on double yellow lines about 10 feet from traffic light
junction texting someone on his mobile phone. Great he pulled over
first. But the bus was stuck behind him even though the lights were on
green) And not to mention the fact of congestion. If your 30mins
behind what you should be. And you see someone standing at a bus stop.
If they don't signal do you pull over just incase or stop and then
wait to go back into traffic and add another 2 or 3 minuites to your
lateness.

In message , Matt Ashby
writes
There are many things most bus drivers in London don't even know
about. Off the top of my head:
Snip
It's a customer service job - if you don't want to deal with customers
then go drive a lorry!
I had a really friendly one on the 76 today; he seemed to be thoroughly
enjoying his work. This was coupled with a friendly Station Assistant
at West Ruislip. It must be contagious!

--
Ian Jelf, MITG, Birmingham, UK
Registered "Blue Badge" Tourist Guide for
London & the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk