Robert Woolley ) gurgled happily, sounding
much like they were saying :

The hop-on-and-off-ability means they spend less time at stops.

One boarding point compared with 3 on an artic.

Yes, on Bendis.

But compared with one on modern double deckers. One that requires the
bus to be stationary while a queue of passengers are "processed" by the
driver.

OK, so they're not perfect. Some people are stupid enough to fall off
them, and that's not good in this era of litigation taking the place
of personal responsibility.

Yep and some regularly end up dieing. Open boarding is inherently
unsafe.

For the terminally stupid, yes. Life's a bitch. Like I said...
"this era of litigation taking the place of personal responsibility."

Some disabled users find them difficult/impossible to use - but others
prefer them.

Many disabled people can't physically get on an RM.

Disability != Wheelchair.

Neither can mums with pushchairs...

Poor dears. How did their mothers cope?

The conductor means they're expensive to run - but how much has been
spent on the ticket machines at stops? What about the safety benefit
of having a real live staff member in the back of the bus?

Conductors tend to get thumped/stabbed.

And without them, the passengers get thumped/stabbed.

And if a conductor is off sick you can't take a bus out.

So stop minimum level manning.

With only 10% of passengers paying cash in central London they have
little to do.

Apart from checking tickets for people with Oysters and travelcards.

b) A bus designed for open boarding is inherently unsafe./
Manufacturers would get sued into next week.

"this era of litigation taking the place of personal responsibility."

c) The world has moved on from crew operated buses....

Why's that, then? Would it be short-term bean-counting over common
sense?