Clive D. W. Feather wrote to uk.transport.london on Mon, 16 May 2005:

In article , David
Cantrell writes
I've not counted them, but I'm fairly sure that *any* of the double
deckers, including RMs, have more seats. Which would show that TfL's
claim that Bendies are more comfortable is a lie.

Comfort is not just seating.

Agreed! If I had to travel on a Bendy every day, I'd probably have to
wear my sea-bands - whereas on top of a double decker, I'm fine on all
but the very longest journey on the very hottest of days! The worst is
standing on a bus where you can't see out because there are too many
people. And if I were in the trailer of the Bendy, I'd probably have to
get out before I'd finished the journey.... I can't bear sitting with my
back to the driver downstairs on a double decker, either.
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 3 April 2005

On Mon, 16 May 2005 17:27:08 GMT, (Neil
Williams) said:

I think the motivation was that they looked modern. There's a good
reason why the rest of Europe remained with flipboard technology on
stations for so long.

The reason *I* prefer flip-board displays at stations is that you can
hear them change. So I could take a quick look at the list of
departures, and see that my train is not yet up there, and bury my
nose in a book only looking up when I hear the board clattering. And
of course because I can tell where the clattering is coming from I
don't have to look far to find the change. With LEDs, that extra
useful information is lost and I have to spend far more time looking
at the boards and not reading.

--
David Cantrell | http://www.cantrell.org.uk/david

"Mrs Redboots" wrote in message
...

If I had to travel on a Bendy every day, I'd probably have to
wear my sea-bands - whereas on top of a double decker,
I'm fine on all but the very longest journey on the very
hottest of days! The worst is standing on a bus where
you can't see out because there are too many people. And
if I were in the trailer of the Bendy, I'd probably have to get
out before I'd finished the journey.... I can't bear sitting with
my back to the driver downstairs on a double decker, either.
--
"Mrs Redboots"

Maybe your boots were made for walking?

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes

John Rowland wrote to uk.transport.london on Thu, 19 May 2005:

"Mrs Redboots" wrote in message
...

If I had to travel on a Bendy every day, I'd probably have to
wear my sea-bands - whereas on top of a double decker,
I'm fine on all but the very longest journey on the very
hottest of days! The worst is standing on a bus where
you can't see out because there are too many people. And
if I were in the trailer of the Bendy, I'd probably have to get
out before I'd finished the journey.... I can't bear sitting with
my back to the driver downstairs on a double decker, either.
--
"Mrs Redboots"

Maybe your boots were made for walking?

No, but to travel upstairs on a double-decker bus! Which is what I
like..... your mileage, as they say, may vary.
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 3 April 2005

In article ,
(Colin McKenzie) wrote:

For occupants, maybe - fewer falls from platforms. The jury's still
out on their effects on cyclists and motorcyclists.

As a cyclist on Euston Road between King's Cross station and Judd Street I
find the bendies on the 73 such a nightmare that I slip off under Camden
Town Hall into the back streets if I see one ahead of me.

On a bike you can't pass a bendy at a stop because they are twice as long
as a Routemaster. By the time you get to the front of one it starts off.
Also, with three doors you can't pass it on the nearside (preferred in the
above case because I'm turning left just after the stop) anything like as
easily as a Routemaster either.

Luckily the 73 is so infrequent these days I don't often have the problem.

Of the 453s I see in Whitehall, half seem to have a blinds problem which
means they are displaying route N453 at the rear.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

Colin Rosenstiel wrote:
In article ,
(Colin McKenzie) wrote:

For occupants, maybe - fewer falls from platforms. The jury's still
out on their effects on cyclists and motorcyclists.

As a cyclist on Euston Road between King's Cross station and Judd
Street I find the bendies on the 73 such a nightmare that I slip
off under Camden Town Hall into the back streets if I see one ahead
of me.

On a bike you can't pass a bendy at a stop because they are twice
as long as a Routemaster. By the time you get to the front of one
it starts off.

It least that confirms TfL's claims about quicker boarding. Is it
really a "nightmare" to have to wait a few seconds behind the bus until
it moves off again?
--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

"Richard J." typed

It least that confirms TfL's claims about quicker boarding. Is it
really a "nightmare" to have to wait a few seconds behind the bus until
it moves off again?

The nightmare is when the bendy overtakes the bicycle.

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

On Sun, 22 May 2005 20:44 +0100 (BST), (Colin
Rosenstiel) wrote:

Also, with three doors you can't pass it on the nearside (preferred in the
above case because I'm turning left just after the stop) anything like as
easily as a Routemaster either.

A cyclist should *never* pass a bus of any kind at a stop on the
nearside. It is highly dangerous for both cyclist and any alighting
passengers, not to mention spectacular for any onlookers when the
inevitable does happen.

(Of course, if the bus is correctly pulled into the stop you wouldn't
be able to, but that is beside the point, and sometimes a bus can't
pull all the way in due to inconsiderately parked cars, for example).

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.

In article ,
(Richard J.) wrote:

Colin Rosenstiel wrote:
In article ,
(Colin McKenzie) wrote:

For occupants, maybe - fewer falls from platforms. The jury's still
out on their effects on cyclists and motorcyclists.

As a cyclist on Euston Road between King's Cross station and Judd
Street I find the bendies on the 73 such a nightmare that I slip
off under Camden Town Hall into the back streets if I see one ahead
of me.

On a bike you can't pass a bendy at a stop because they are twice
as long as a Routemaster. By the time you get to the front of one
it starts off.

It least that confirms TfL's claims about quicker boarding. Is it
really a "nightmare" to have to wait a few seconds behind the bus until
it moves off again?

They also seem to get closer to the kerb so making it impossible to pass
on the nearside even when they're moving. The nightmare was the cycle in a
triangle signs on the back of a 73 positively revelling in their
bike-unfriendliness.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

Colin Rosenstiel wrote:
In article ,
(Richard J.) wrote:

Colin Rosenstiel wrote:
In article ,
(Colin McKenzie) wrote:

For occupants, maybe - fewer falls from platforms. The jury's
still out on their effects on cyclists and motorcyclists.

As a cyclist on Euston Road between King's Cross station and Judd
Street I find the bendies on the 73 such a nightmare that I slip
off under Camden Town Hall into the back streets if I see one
ahead of me.

On a bike you can't pass a bendy at a stop because they are twice
as long as a Routemaster. By the time you get to the front of one
it starts off.

It least that confirms TfL's claims about quicker boarding. Is it
really a "nightmare" to have to wait a few seconds behind the bus
until it moves off again?

They also seem to get closer to the kerb so making it impossible to
pass on the nearside even when they're moving. The nightmare was
the cycle in a triangle signs on the back of a 73 positively
revelling in their bike-unfriendliness.

I'm not familiar with these signs. Are they suggesting to cyclists that
squeezing between the bus and the kerb might be dangerous? Seems
sensible to me. Again, it's only a "nightmare" if you believe that
cyclists deserve priority over buses and their passengers.

--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)