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How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
Why does it take so long for bus drivers to swap over and why is it
done half way through a route? -- Chris |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
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How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
wrote to uk.transport.london on Sat, 5 Feb 2005:
Why does it take so long for bus drivers to swap over and why is it done half way through a route? It doesn't always take a long time if the replacement driver is waiting - just the time for the getting-off driver to log out, and the getting-on driver to log in. But you can wait ages if, for some reason, he or she isn't waiting at the bus stop! I agree, I wish they would warn of a crew change mid-run; I find the 159 is particularly prone to changing crews at Brixton garage. The only time other buses stop there is if the driver is "taken short". -- "Mrs Redboots" http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/ Website updated 23 January 2005 with new photos |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
wrote in message oups.com... Why does it take so long for bus drivers to swap over and why is it done half way through a route? It makes sense to change drivers partway through a route as it is more than likely closer to the depot than either ends of the route. In practise this shouldn't take too long, as the driver is approaching the stop where the changeover takes place he can sign-off his module and print off a waybill, then as the bus stops just grab his cash bag and leave the bus, the new driver gets in, signs on his module and drives off. I have seen this take just over 2 minutes, although no doubt can be done much quicker. Some drivers take longer because they like to have a chit chat as they probably havent seen each other for days. anyway just my 2p's worth. Paul x |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
foxy 1 wrote: I have seen this take just over 2 minutes, although no doubt can be done much quicker. Some drivers take longer because they like to have a chit chat as they probably havent seen each other for days. There was no chit-chat - the new driver was casualy walking up the street, cigarette in mouth after the old driver had left. It didn't take too long to 'log on' and fill in his paperwork once he got on the bus (about 5 minutes) but then he started adjusting the steering wheel console, etc. Not supprisingly most people at the bus stop were moaning about travelling by bus being "so inefficient" but still said thanks to the driver when leaving !? |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
"foxy 1" wrote in message ... wrote in message oups.com... Why does it take so long for bus drivers to swap over and why is it done half way through a route? It makes sense to change drivers partway through a route as it is more than likely closer to the depot than either ends of the route. In practise this shouldn't take too long, as the driver is approaching the stop where the changeover takes place he can sign-off his module and print off a waybill, then as the bus stops just grab his cash bag and leave the bus, the new driver gets in, signs on his module and drives off. Are you seriously suggesting that a bus driver should do his paperwork (even if it on a machine not actually on paper) while driving the bus along the road? |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
Are you seriously suggesting that a bus driver should do his paperwork (even if it on a machine not actually on paper) while driving the bus along the road? I aint suggesting it should be done or is right in doing it but in practise it is done, certainly round here it is |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
In message , foxy 1
writes Some drivers take longer because they like to have a chit chat as they probably havent seen each other for days. Many tour coach drivers like to do this, too and it's one of the few things they do that irritates the hell out of me! -- Ian Jelf, MITG Birmingham, UK Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
wrote in message oups.com... foxy 1 wrote: I have seen this take just over 2 minutes, although no doubt can be done much quicker. Some drivers take longer because they like to have a chit chat as they probably havent seen each other for days. There was no chit-chat - the new driver was casualy walking up the street, cigarette in mouth after the old driver had left. It didn't take too long to 'log on' and fill in his paperwork once he got on the bus (about 5 minutes) but then he started adjusting the steering wheel console, etc. Not supprisingly most people at the bus stop were moaning about travelling by bus being "so inefficient" but still said thanks to the driver when leaving !? Most bus passengers are a miserable bunch. They whine and moan about everything and anything, particularly if there is a delay of any sort. Coach passengers on the other hand tend to be different and don't seem to mind late running. As a for instance, I used to drive route 24 which had a 5 minute headway in the daytime. One particular morning the bus in front was 'missing' (either broken down in the garage or no driver available for it) so the gap was increased to 10 minutes. It was around 8am, the morning peak and I filled rapidly and the bus behind caught me up. The whining and bitching and complaining at each stop as I picked up was unreal. "we've been waiting 15 minutes for a bus and then 2 come at once etc" - I knew it had been 10 mins since the last one went, I watched it leave. I also knew a bus was missing and wasnt allowed to leave early. And I also knew I'd lose time because of it. Nowadays I work a National Express coach into London and I'm frequently late due to traffic and sometimes due to people having lots of luggage and a tight timetable. But unlike with buses, first use check of the vehicle can take up to 15 minutes. Once I started a journey almost 15 minutes down because of a toilet problem which needed fixing. I didn't get a murmour of complaint from my passengers, some of whom had been waiting at the stop for 30 mins. They were just glad I had come at all! |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
David B wrote:
Most bus passengers are a miserable bunch. I wouldn't go that far, though... They whine and moan about everything and anything, particularly if there is a delay of any sort. Coach passengers on the other hand tend to be different and don't seem to mind late running. .... that is very true. ...Once I started a journey almost 15 minutes down because of a toilet problem which needed fixing. I didn't get a murmour of complaint from my passengers, some of whom had been waiting at the stop for 30 mins. They were just glad I had come at all! Passengers on citytraffic are somewhat spoiled. They seem to tke it as granted that there's a bus coming up every 5 to 10 minuteswhile regional passengers do still cherish the few buses the get per day as long as they show up at all. |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
In message , Garry Smith
writes Many years ago, I caught an overnight coach from London to Edinburgh. The drivers changed over without stopping - the outgoing driver standing up, the incoming one slipping in behind him, with a co-ordinated hand- (and foot-) over of wheel and accelerator. I've seen that done, too. Only once and - obviously - it *terrified* me. The coach company concerned (from County Durham) is no longer trading. A friend who worked on the buses in Edinburgh told me that one day there appeared on the bus station noticeboard a totally serious letter from an American tourist, congratulating the company's drivers on having perfected this tricky and impressive manoeuvre. It was, of course, accompanied with a note from management saying that anyone caught doing this would have their employment terminated immediately. I heard of something vaguely similar once where someone wrote a letter of commendation to a tour coach driver, saying how good it was of the firm to let him bring his pet dog along with him on the tours for company....... -- Ian Jelf, MITG Birmingham, UK Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
"foxy 1" wrote in message
... wrote in message oups.com... Why does it take so long for bus drivers to swap over and why is it done half way through a route? It makes sense to change drivers partway through a route as it is more than likely closer to the depot than either ends of the route. In practise this shouldn't take too long, as the driver is approaching the stop where the changeover takes place he can sign-off his module and print off a waybill, then as the bus stops just grab his cash bag and leave the bus, the new driver gets in, signs on his module and drives off. I have seen this take just over 2 minutes, although no doubt can be done much quicker. Some drivers take longer because they like to have a chit chat as they probably havent seen each other for days. anyway just my 2p's worth. Paul It depends, sometimes if the previous driver is a midget then it takes longer for me to squeeze into the seat and adjust everything, seat, mirrors, clear out rubbish from the cab, hang up coat, 'login' etc. Ideally the bus has arrived a couple of minutes early so I have a two minute window. However if the next driver turns up 'on time' then that two minute delay can be frustrating to the passengers I suppose. Gaz |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
On Mon, 7 Feb 2005 10:38:50 -0000, "David B"
wrote: Nowadays I work a National Express coach into London and I'm frequently late due to traffic and sometimes due to people having lots of luggage and a tight timetable. But unlike with buses, first use check of the vehicle can take up to 15 minutes. Once I started a journey almost 15 minutes down because of a toilet problem which needed fixing. I didn't get a murmour of complaint from my passengers, some of whom had been waiting at the stop for 30 mins. They were just glad I had come at all! Not in any way justifying those who treat staff in an inappropriate manner, but most of those who travel by express coach (except, I suppose, those heading for airports) do not have a time-sensitive journey, as if they had they'd probably use another, faster mode. A London city bus, OTOH, may well have people on their way to work or to an important appointment. Not only that, but if your journey is only 10 minutes long, you're not going to put 20 minutes' slack into it, while those travelling for 6 hours probably won't think twice about leaving an hour spare. Neil -- Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK When replying please use neil at the above domain 'wensleydale' is a spam trap and is not read. |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
On Mon, 07 Feb 2005 12:10:20 +0100, Guy Perry
wrote: Passengers on citytraffic are somewhat spoiled. They seem to tke it as granted that there's a bus coming up every 5 to 10 minutes Not wishing to state the obvious, but if the timetable says every 5 to 10 minutes, they have a right to expect it. They are not "spoiled", it is part of the "product" on offer. ITYF that if all London bus routes operated hourly, there'd be a lot more cars on the road, congestion charge or no. IOW, the two are not comparable in that way. Neil -- Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK When replying please use neil at the above domain 'wensleydale' is a spam trap and is not read. |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
"Neil Williams" wrote in message ... On Mon, 7 Feb 2005 10:38:50 -0000, "David B" wrote: A London city bus, OTOH, may well have people on their way to work or to an important appointment. Not only that, but if your journey is only 10 minutes long, you're not going to put 20 minutes' slack into it, while those travelling for 6 hours probably won't think twice about leaving an hour spare. IMHO if you need to be somewhere at a certain time, moreso if you have an appointment or interview, you simply have to add extra slack to guarantee arriving on time. I think this applies whether you use public transport or your own car, the difference being that if you use your own vehicle, you can't blame someone else for not providing a service if there is a traffic jam due to an accident or breakdown. If people generally left earlier, their journeys would be less stressed and they would be more relaxed and lets face it, in the example I spoke about we are talking about waiting 5 - 10 minutes longer than they would have otherwise been, time which could be lost in a traffic jam anyway. In fact if I recall, because there were buses behind me, which thankfully overtook to help me out, I made up all of the lost time anyway - didn't get any thanks of course. I could understand people being angry at a 20 minute+ delay, but 5 - 10 minutes is IMHO pathetic. Whilst a lot of my coach passengers use it because of its low cost compared with the train and are only going as far as London, a lot are going to airports or have connections for coaches going further west and north from London and so in a sense their journeys are time sensitive. It is true the train is faster but there is no guarantee of a seat and no real sense of security particularly late at night although it is true most coach passengers probably don't have a car. |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
On Mon, 7 Feb 2005 23:00:21 -0000, "David B"
wrote: IMHO if you need to be somewhere at a certain time, moreso if you have an appointment or interview, you simply have to add extra slack to guarantee arriving on time. I think this applies whether you use public transport or your own car, the difference being that if you use your own vehicle, you can't blame someone else for not providing a service if there is a traffic jam due to an accident or breakdown. If people generally left earlier, their journeys would be less stressed Oh, indeed, and I tend to do most long distance journeys in that manner, and similarly any short-distance ones that are time-critical. It's just that, regardless of the practicality of the situation, if a 10-minute journey takes 20 minutes, that's rather more annoying than if a 6 hour journey takes 6.5 hours! Neil -- Neil Williams in Milton Keynes, UK When replying please use neil at the above domain 'wensleydale' is a spam trap and is not read. |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
David B wrote:
Most bus passengers are a miserable bunch. They whine and moan about everything and anything, particularly if there is a delay of any sort. Coach passengers on the other hand tend to be different and don't seem to mind late running. As a for instance, I used to drive route 24 which had a 5 minute headway in the daytime. One particular morning the bus in front was 'missing' (either broken down in the garage or no driver available for it) so the gap was increased to 10 minutes. It was around 8am, the morning peak and I filled rapidly and the bus behind caught me up. The whining and bitching and complaining at each stop as I picked up was unreal. "we've been waiting 15 minutes for a bus and then 2 come at once etc" - I knew it had been 10 mins since the last one went, I watched it leave. I also knew a bus was missing and wasnt allowed to leave early. And I also knew I'd lose time because of it. So the buses were scheduled to run every five minutes, but you didn't leave until ten minutes after the previous one??? Even though it would delay you and at least one bus after you, causing huge inconvenience for the passengers, and possibly preventing you from reaching the end of the route in time to start the return journey on time? No wonder the passengers were angry! I sincerely hope you made an official complaint against the controller who had disallowed your early departure. Buses on frequent routes should ALWAYS depart at as near to even intervals as possible. |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
"Aidan Stanger" wrote in message ... David B wrote: Most bus passengers are a miserable bunch. They whine and moan about everything and anything, particularly if there is a delay of any sort. Coach passengers on the other hand tend to be different and don't seem to mind late running. As a for instance, I used to drive route 24 which had a 5 minute headway in the daytime. One particular morning the bus in front was 'missing' (either broken down in the garage or no driver available for it) so the gap was increased to 10 minutes. It was around 8am, the morning peak and I filled rapidly and the bus behind caught me up. The whining and bitching and complaining at each stop as I picked up was unreal. "we've been waiting 15 minutes for a bus and then 2 come at once etc" - I knew it had been 10 mins since the last one went, I watched it leave. I also knew a bus was missing and wasnt allowed to leave early. And I also knew I'd lose time because of it. So the buses were scheduled to run every five minutes, but you didn't leave until ten minutes after the previous one??? Even though it would delay you and at least one bus after you, causing huge inconvenience for the passengers, and possibly preventing you from reaching the end of the route in time to start the return journey on time? No wonder the passengers were angry! I sincerely hope you made an official complaint against the controller who had disallowed your early departure. Buses on frequent routes should ALWAYS depart at as near to even intervals as possible. Well the thing is, the bus after me left on time, caught up and took my passengers. The bus behind him wasn't that far away either (we became a convoy of 3 at one point) ... and here's the best part. That missing bus started in service from Camden (I started at Hampstead) and overtook me somewhere near Warren Street. If I had left early I would definitely be running early as there wasnt anyone to pick up! Thats a situation I'd rather not try to explain to a revenue inspector who would see 3 buses in convoy with me being last and slightly early. Whats my excuse?! |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
David B wrote in uk.transport.london on Mon, 7 Feb 2005 10:38:50 -0000
: Most bus passengers are a miserable bunch. They whine and moan about everything and anything, particularly if there is a delay of any sort. [...] The whining and bitching and complaining at each stop as I picked up was unreal. "we've been waiting 15 minutes for a bus and then 2 come at once etc" Agreed. I've really never seen the point of grumbling at the driver of the next bus, even less when (as I saw last week) it was a prolonged rant at a driver on a different route/company, which only served to propagate the delay further. -- 'charity begins at home' - usually an excuse for not allowing it to get abroad (Chambers 20th Century Dictionary) |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
On Mon, 7 Feb 2005 11:53:10 +0000, Ian Jelf
wrote: In message , Garry Smith writes Many years ago, I caught an overnight coach from London to Edinburgh. The drivers changed over without stopping - the outgoing driver standing up, the incoming one slipping in behind him, with a co-ordinated hand- (and foot-) over of wheel and accelerator. I've seen that done, too. Only once and - obviously - it *terrified* me. The coach company concerned (from County Durham) is no longer trading. Me too - though in my case not in the UK and I'm fairly certain the operator is still in business. I seem to remember that one of the drivers needed to leave his seat to brew up some coffee... Martin |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
David B wrote to uk.transport.london on Mon, 7 Feb 2005:
in the example I spoke about we are talking about waiting 5 - 10 minutes longer than they would have otherwise been, time which could be lost in a traffic jam anyway. In fact if I recall, because there were buses behind me, which thankfully overtook to help me out, I made up all of the lost time anyway - didn't get any thanks of course. I could understand people being angry at a 20 minute+ delay, but 5 - 10 minutes is IMHO pathetic. The thing is, if you're sitting on a bus, you do feel like you're going somewhere, even if in practice you aren't! You can usually get a seat (if only upstairs), and perhaps read, if you aren't troubled by car-sickness, and it's warm, and you're relatively comfortable. Whereas standing at a bus stop, often in an icy wind, or in the rain, and waiting and waiting for a bus (and you can't relax and read, even if it's a lovely day, or you might not see the bus coming in time to hail it, and how many buses are going to stop these days if you don't? And very often even if you do!), is very stressful. Whilst a lot of my coach passengers use it because of its low cost compared with the train and are only going as far as London, a lot are going to airports or have connections for coaches going further west and north from London and so in a sense their journeys are time sensitive. It is true the train is faster but there is no guarantee of a seat and no real sense of security particularly late at night although it is true most coach passengers probably don't have a car. I don't, but I think you'd have to pay me to do a journey by coach! I get incredibly claustrophobic on them - far worse than the Tube, because I know that on the Tube, if it gets too bad, I can get out at the next station. And I almost invariably have something to read on the Tube - something I can't do on a moving coach! I wish I did enjoy coach travel - it is cheaper, although not always more convenient than the train. -- "Mrs Redboots" http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/ Website updated 23 January 2005 with new photos |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
IMHO if you need to be somewhere at a certain time, moreso if you
have an appointment or interview, you simply have to add extra slack to guarantee arriving on time. I think this applies whether you use public transport or This is why I leave an hour before work ever day rather than the 37 minutes that TFL predicts. This is also why when going to an interview last week I allowed an hour and a half for a twenty minute journey and wasted money in starbucks during the spare hour at the other end. The irritating thing is when you alow plenty of extra time but get delayed 3 hours on a twenty minute journey |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
Guy Perry wrote: Passengers on citytraffic are somewhat spoiled. They seem to tke it as granted that there's a bus coming up every 5 to 10 minuteswhile regional passengers do still cherish the few buses the get per day as long as they show up at all. Not really. When at home in the countryside I know the bus leaves at quater to the odd hour between 8.45am and 5pm so I arrive at the bus stop a few minutes before and get on (and get a seat or two). In london, if there's a bus 'every 10 to 12 minutes' on one route and 'every 10-15 minutes' on the other this normally adds up to a significant wait. |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
David B wrote:
So the buses were scheduled to run every five minutes, but you didn't leave until ten minutes after the previous one??? Even though it would delay you and at least one bus after you, causing huge inconvenience for the passengers, and possibly preventing you from reaching the end of the route in time to start the return journey on time? No wonder the passengers were angry! I sincerely hope you made an official complaint against the controller who had disallowed your early departure. Buses on frequent routes should ALWAYS depart at as near to even intervals as possible. Well the thing is, the bus after me left on time, caught up and took my passengers. The bus behind him wasn't that far away either (we became a convoy of 3 at one point) ... and here's the best part. That missing bus started in service from Camden (I started at Hampstead) and overtook me somewhere near Warren Street. If I had left early I would definitely be running early as there wasnt anyone to pick up! No, that would only be the case if you'd left eariler than the missing bus was scheduled to. If you'd left three minutes early, you'd be picking up the missing bus's passengers as well as some of your own, so you'd take slightly longer than normal. By the time you got to Camden you'd be on time (in which case the missing bus should've been told to join start picking up passengers once it gets back on schedule) or slightly late (in which case the missing bus should'be been told to start picking up passengers as soon as it overtakes you). If you'd done that, the bus after you should've been instructed to leave one minute early, to compensate for having to pick up the passengers you'd've picked up had you not been running early at the start of the route. Thats a situation I'd rather not try to explain to a revenue inspector who would see 3 buses in convoy with me being last and slightly early. Whats my excuse?! Firstly, they only caught up with you because you were late. Secondly, unlike late running, early running is easily remedied. Thirdly, ask the driver of the third bus in the convoy that you caused what his/her excuse was. Or better still, tell the inspector the truth! Fourthly, would the inspector even determine that you were the one running early? |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
On Tue, 8 Feb 2005 13:06:21 +0000, Mrs Redboots
wrote: I don't, but I think you'd have to pay me to do a journey by coach! I get incredibly claustrophobic on them - far worse than the Tube, because I know that on the Tube, if it gets too bad, I can get out at the next station. And I almost invariably have something to read on the Tube - something I can't do on a moving coach! I wish I did enjoy coach travel - it is cheaper, although not always more convenient than the train. That's odd, because I found it easier to read and to write on a motorway coach, when I was travelling to Sheffield and Barnsley some years ago. The ride on the HSTs on the MML made writing on a table almost impossible, if I wanted to read it afterwards. This was when Yorkshire Traction were using double-deck Neoplan coaches on their London service. -- Terry Harper Website Coordinator, The Omnibus Society http://www.omnibussoc.org |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
Terry Harper wrote to uk.transport.london on Wed, 9 Feb 2005:
That's odd, because I found it easier to read and to write on a motorway coach, when I was travelling to Sheffield and Barnsley some years ago. The ride on the HSTs on the MML made writing on a table almost impossible, if I wanted to read it afterwards. This was when Yorkshire Traction were using double-deck Neoplan coaches on their London service. I find even motorways in this country (with the possible exception of the M6 toll) too uncomfortable to read on. I can, and do, read on French motorways - we seem to get a better ride quality. Although the worst motorway ever was the one between Linz & Vienna, both daughter & I disliked that one! -- "Mrs Redboots" http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/ Website updated 23 January 2005 with new photos |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
|
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
In message , Mrs Redboots
writes I find even motorways in this country (with the possible exception of the M6 toll) too uncomfortable to read on. I suppose it's a matter of personal taste. I've never had a problem with reading on any form of transport (bicycle excepted!). I can, and do, read on French motorways - we seem to get a better ride quality. Although the worst motorway ever was the one between Linz & Vienna, both daughter & I disliked that one! I take it you've never been on a Polish motorway, then? They have to be felt to be believed! -- Ian Jelf, MITG Birmingham, UK Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
In message , Neil Williams
writes Not wishing to state the obvious, but if the timetable says every 5 to 10 minutes, they have a right to expect it. They are not "spoiled", it is part of the "product" on offer. ITYF that if all London bus routes operated hourly, there'd be a lot more cars on the road, congestion charge or no. IOW, the two are not comparable in that way. Very reasonable, and we should get cheap fuel because of our lack of public transport. -- Clive. |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
In message , Neil Williams
writes or to an important appointment. These people won't be seen dead on a bus then. -- Clive. |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
Ian Jelf wrote to uk.transport.london on Wed, 9 Feb 2005:
In message , Mrs Redboots writes I find even motorways in this country (with the possible exception of the M6 toll) too uncomfortable to read on. I suppose it's a matter of personal taste. I've never had a problem with reading on any form of transport (bicycle excepted!). Perhaps you never suffered from travel sickness! Sea-bands and the spread of the motorway network have transformed matters, but I still find reading in a moving road vehicle very iffy. I can, and do, read on French motorways - we seem to get a better ride quality. Although the worst motorway ever was the one between Linz & Vienna, both daughter & I disliked that one! I take it you've never been on a Polish motorway, then? They have to be felt to be believed! No, I haven't yet had that pleasure! -- "Mrs Redboots" http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/ Website updated 23 January 2005 with new photos |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
"David B" wrote in message
... wrote in message oups.com... foxy 1 wrote: I have seen this take just over 2 minutes, although no doubt can be done much quicker. Some drivers take longer because they like to have a chit chat as they probably havent seen each other for days. There was no chit-chat - the new driver was casualy walking up the street, cigarette in mouth after the old driver had left. It didn't take too long to 'log on' and fill in his paperwork once he got on the bus (about 5 minutes) but then he started adjusting the steering wheel console, etc. Not supprisingly most people at the bus stop were moaning about travelling by bus being "so inefficient" but still said thanks to the driver when leaving !? Most bus passengers are a miserable bunch. They whine and moan about everything and anything, particularly if there is a delay of any sort. Coach passengers on the other hand tend to be different and don't seem to mind late running. As a for instance, I used to drive route 24 which had a 5 minute headway in the daytime. One particular morning the bus in front was 'missing' (either broken down in the garage or no driver available for it) so the gap was increased to 10 minutes. It was around 8am, the morning peak and I filled rapidly and the bus behind caught me up. The whining and bitching and complaining at each stop as I picked up was unreal. "we've been waiting 15 minutes for a bus and then 2 come at once etc" - I knew it had been 10 mins since the last one went, I watched it leave. I also knew a bus was missing and wasnt allowed to leave early. And I also knew I'd lose time because of it. Nowadays I work a National Express coach into London and I'm frequently late due to traffic and sometimes due to people having lots of luggage and a tight timetable. But unlike with buses, first use check of the vehicle can take up to 15 minutes. Once I started a journey almost 15 minutes down because of a toilet problem which needed fixing. I didn't get a murmour of complaint from my passengers, some of whom had been waiting at the stop for 30 mins. They were just glad I had come at all! National Express coaches rarely drive past their stops and don't pick up passengers. Don't get me wrong, I have bus drivers in my family, and a friend who was one. I've seen bus drivers do some really insensitive things to people. Like, when it's late at night and the busses aren't running frequently. I was at a stop, and flagged the bus clearly, only to see this nearly-empty bus slow down, drive past the stop, then race off without letting anyone on. That hardly screams "good service" to the cold, confused public. The public wouldn't moan if there was nothing to moan about. I understand about bus schedules and the problems traffic can cause. The bus services in London are great, and usually work really well, but sometimes they screw up in such a way that it really affects travellers. That feeling isn't great, and doesn't leave quickly. If bus drivers acted more considerately, the public would be less vocal about their shortcomings. |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
"David B" wrote in message
... "Neil Williams" wrote in message ... On Mon, 7 Feb 2005 10:38:50 -0000, "David B" wrote: A London city bus, OTOH, may well have people on their way to work or to an important appointment. Not only that, but if your journey is only 10 minutes long, you're not going to put 20 minutes' slack into it, while those travelling for 6 hours probably won't think twice about leaving an hour spare. IMHO if you need to be somewhere at a certain time, moreso if you have an appointment or interview, you simply have to add extra slack to guarantee arriving on time. I think this applies whether you use public transport or your own car, the difference being that if you use your own vehicle, you can't blame someone else for not providing a service if there is a traffic jam due to an accident or breakdown. If people generally left earlier, their journeys would be less stressed and they would be more relaxed and lets face it, in the example I spoke about we are talking about waiting 5 - 10 minutes longer than they would have otherwise been, time which could be lost in a traffic jam anyway. In fact if I recall, because there were buses behind me, which thankfully overtook to help me out, I made up all of the lost time anyway - didn't get any thanks of course. I could understand people being angry at a 20 minute+ delay, but 5 - 10 minutes is IMHO pathetic. Whilst a lot of my coach passengers use it because of its low cost compared with the train and are only going as far as London, a lot are going to airports or have connections for coaches going further west and north from London and so in a sense their journeys are time sensitive. It is true the train is faster but there is no guarantee of a seat and no real sense of security particularly late at night although it is true most coach passengers probably don't have a car. Yes, I understand what you're saying here, but to ensure there are no problems with my journey via bus, I'd have to give myself an extra 20 minutes for a 20 minute bus ride. Doubling your journey time to ensure promptness is plain ridiculous for the money spent on busses. It's not as if people are complaining their busses are 30 seconds late, but sometimes many times the scheduled wait. If your national express coaches were scheduled to leave London every hour for Bristol, and they ended up leaving every 2 hours instead, you'd witness similar unhappiness. |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
"Neil Williams" wrote in message
... On Mon, 7 Feb 2005 10:38:50 -0000, "David B" wrote: Nowadays I work a National Express coach into London and I'm frequently late due to traffic and sometimes due to people having lots of luggage and a tight timetable. But unlike with buses, first use check of the vehicle can take up to 15 minutes. Once I started a journey almost 15 minutes down because of a toilet problem which needed fixing. I didn't get a murmour of complaint from my passengers, some of whom had been waiting at the stop for 30 mins. They were just glad I had come at all! Not in any way justifying those who treat staff in an inappropriate manner, but most of those who travel by express coach (except, I suppose, those heading for airports) do not have a time-sensitive journey, as if they had they'd probably use another, faster mode. A London city bus, OTOH, may well have people on their way to work or to an important appointment. Not only that, but if your journey is only 10 minutes long, you're not going to put 20 minutes' slack into it, while those travelling for 6 hours probably won't think twice about leaving an hour spare. Neil Also, when the 271 driver decides he wants to annoy passengers waiting for his first stop at Highbury Corner by driving round the roundabout repeatedly before finally (4th time round) deciding to turn off to our stop (we can see the roundabout very clearly from the stop), he shouldn't be too surprised when passengers call him some choice names when we're finally let in from the cold. I mean come on, we're only human :) |
How long does it change to swap bus drivers?
In message , d
writes The public wouldn't moan if there was nothing to moan about. That is a possible contender for the most inaccurate statement I've ever seen on Usenet! :-)) -- Ian Jelf, MITG Birmingham, UK Registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide for London and the Heart of England http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk |
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