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Strange buttons on Bendy buses
I've noticed by the "bay" of 4 seats near the front of the bus on
Mercedes Articulated buses there is a button which reminds me of the door open buttons on mainline trains. They only seem to light up when the bell has been pressed. Does anyone know what they do? |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 20:06:26 GMT, Mojo
wrote: I've noticed by the "bay" of 4 seats near the front of the bus on Mercedes Articulated buses there is a button which reminds me of the door open buttons on mainline trains. They only seem to light up when the bell has been pressed. Does anyone know what they do? Aren't they simply a bell push? This saves people having to stand up or stretch to a push mounted on a vertical stanchion. I'm guessing but I assume they illuminate to show that the bell has been pushed elsewhere and there's no need to bother. One of the nicer design features on the Citaros and better than the location of bell pushes on a number of UK manufactured buses. The location of bell pushes should be one of those things that is standardised on every bus [1] and yet bizarrely TfL seem to leave to the bus companies to decide. [1] try sitting on certain seats at the back of the lower deck on a double decker and then finding a bell push! -- Paul C Admits to working for London Underground! |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 21:19:14 +0100, Paul Corfield
wrote: [1] try sitting on certain seats at the back of the lower deck on a double decker and then finding a bell push! There should at the very minimum be one on every pole and probably more, preferably such that one can be reached from every seat without standing, especially on the upper deck on rough roads! They're a ridiculously cheap thing to skimp on. Neil -- Neil Williams Put my first name before the at to reply. |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
On Jul 16, 9:19 pm, Paul Corfield wrote:
On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 20:06:26 GMT, Mojo wrote: I've noticed by the "bay" of 4 seats near the front of the bus on Mercedes Articulated buses there is a button which reminds me of the door open buttons on mainline trains. They only seem to light up when the bell has been pressed. Does anyone know what they do? Aren't they simply a bell push? This saves people having to stand up or stretch to a push mounted on a vertical stanchion. I'm guessing but I assume they illuminate to show that the bell has been pushed elsewhere and there's no need to bother. One of the nicer design features on the Citaros and better than the location of bell pushes on a number of UK manufactured buses. The location of bell pushes should be one of those things that is standardised on every bus [1] and yet bizarrely TfL seem to leave to the bus companies to decide. [1] try sitting on certain seats at the back of the lower deck on a double decker and then finding a bell push! -- Paul C Admits to working for London Underground! On the top deck of double deckers there used to only be one bell push, at the top of the stairs. I assumed that this was to stop people finding one by their seat and being tempted to stay there, ie force them to already be on their way out rather than delay the bus at the stop. Maybe the different accessibility of upstairs is the reason for the different approach, but there are often extra buttons upstairs now. |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 13:35:01 -0700, MIG
wrote: On the top deck of double deckers there used to only be one bell push, at the top of the stairs. Some buses used to have a strip on each side reachable from every seat. In that regard we've gone backwards... Neil -- Neil Williams Put my first name before the at to reply. |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
"MIG" wrote: On the top deck of double deckers there used to only be one bell push, at the top of the stairs. I assumed that this was to stop people finding one by their seat and being tempted to stay there, ie force them to already be on their way out rather than delay the bus at the stop. In RM days, this was often inconvenient for conductors, stuck issuing tickets at the front of the top deck. They sometimes resorted to two loud taps, with metal clippers, on a suitable surface above the driver, as an improvised 'ding ding'. How much of a view they had of the platform from that position is a matter of conjecture........ Chris |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
On Jul 16, 10:27 pm, "Chris Read" wrote:
"MIG" wrote: On the top deck of double deckers there used to only be one bell push, at the top of the stairs. I assumed that this was to stop people finding one by their seat and being tempted to stay there, ie force them to already be on their way out rather than delay the bus at the stop. In RM days, this was often inconvenient for conductors, stuck issuing tickets at the front of the top deck. They sometimes resorted to two loud taps, with metal clippers, on a suitable surface above the driver, as an improvised 'ding ding'. How much of a view they had of the platform from that position is a matter of conjecture........ Chris Yes, I remember a female conductor doing something with her heels that I thought was some kind of Spanish dance step, till I realised what was going on. |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
On Jul 16, 9:41 pm, (Neil Williams)
wrote: On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 13:35:01 -0700, MIG wrote: On the top deck of double deckers there used to only be one bell push, at the top of the stairs. Some buses used to have a strip on each side reachable from every seat. In that regard we've gone backwards... Neil -- Neil Williams Put my first name before the at to reply. I have seen those, but I don't remember seeing one on an upstairs. |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
"Chris Read" wrote in message
... "MIG" wrote: On the top deck of double deckers there used to only be one bell push, at the top of the stairs. I assumed that this was to stop people finding one by their seat and being tempted to stay there, ie force them to already be on their way out rather than delay the bus at the stop. In RM days, this was often inconvenient for conductors, stuck issuing tickets at the front of the top deck. They sometimes resorted to two loud taps, with metal clippers, on a suitable surface above the driver, as an improvised 'ding ding'. How much of a view they had of the platform from that position is a matter of conjecture........ Chris Well in RT days :) if the conductor was upstairs at the front, he would just stamp twice on the floor. That seemed to do the trick. MaxB |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
M.I.G.:
On the top deck of double deckers there used to only be one bell push, at the top of the stairs. Neil Williams: Some buses used to have a strip on each side reachable from every seat. In that regard we've gone backwards... In most North American city buses that I've used, there's been a cord running the length of the bus on each side, typically through metal loops at (or below) the upper corners of the main windows. So only two electrical switches at the front of the bus are required. Depending on the layout around the back doors, there may be a separate cord behind the doors on that side, requiring just one more switch. It seems a very good method to me: cheap, simple, and effective. The only downside is that passengers seated by the aisle have to lean across one person to reach the cord. (And if there is a section where the cord can't be reached easily for some reason, pushbuttons can still be provided there. Or short sections of vertical cord anchored at the bottom can be attached to the horizontal cord.) In Toronto these days the cord is plastic-covered metal for durability; at one time it was an ordinary cord. Is this method used in Britain to any extent? In both of these shots -- one a Toronto bus previously used in Montreal, the other from Livermore, California -- you can clearly see the cord on the right-hand side of the image, in front of the bars between the main and upper windows: http://transit.toronto.on.ca/images/bus-8502-03.jpg http://www.lavta.org/about/img/avlpic14.jpg -- Mark Brader, Toronto | "We don't use clubs; they weren't invented here. | We use rocks." -- David Keldsen My text in this article is in the public domain. |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 22:27:20 +0100, "Chris Read"
wrote: "MIG" wrote: On the top deck of double deckers there used to only be one bell push, at the top of the stairs. I assumed that this was to stop people finding one by their seat and being tempted to stay there, ie force them to already be on their way out rather than delay the bus at the stop. In RM days, this was often inconvenient for conductors, stuck issuing tickets at the front of the top deck. They sometimes resorted to two loud taps, with metal clippers, on a suitable surface above the driver, as an improvised 'ding ding'. How much of a view they had of the platform from that position is a matter of conjecture........ On a lowbridge bus, with a sunken gangway, you could kick the bulkhead behind the driver's head with your heel, while watching the mirror above the stairs. On a highbridge bus, you could stamp on the floor above the cab. Both actions were likely to strain relations between conductor and driver. -- Terry Harper Website Coordinator, The Omnibus Society http://www.omnibussoc.org |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
"MIG" wrote in message oups.com... On Jul 16, 9:41 pm, (Neil Williams) wrote: On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 13:35:01 -0700, MIG wrote: On the top deck of double deckers there used to only be one bell push, at the top of the stairs. Some buses used to have a strip on each side reachable from every seat. In that regard we've gone backwards... I have seen those, but I don't remember seeing one on an upstairs. The remaining Metrobuses in our fleet (TWM) have these on the ceiling upstairs (and also on the lower deck on some buses), but they suffer from the disadvantage that you have to stand to reach them and some shorter people have trouble reaching them at all. Ivor |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
"Mark Brader" wrote in message ... M.I.G.: On the top deck of double deckers there used to only be one bell push, at the top of the stairs. Neil Williams: Some buses used to have a strip on each side reachable from every seat. In that regard we've gone backwards... In most North American city buses that I've used, there's been a cord running the length of the bus on each side, typically through metal loops at (or below) the upper corners of the main windows. So only two electrical switches at the front of the bus are required. Depending on the layout around the back doors, there may be a separate cord behind the doors on that side, requiring just one more switch. It seems a very good method to me: cheap, simple, and effective. The only downside is that passengers seated by the aisle have to lean across one person to reach the cord. (And if there is a section where the cord can't be reached easily for some reason, pushbuttons can still be provided there. Or short sections of vertical cord anchored at the bottom can be attached to the horizontal cord.) In Toronto these days the cord is plastic-covered metal for durability; at one time it was an ordinary cord. Is this method used in Britain to any extent? Not since the demise of RT's and Routemasters, no. Ivor |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
"MIG" wrote in message ps.com... On Jul 16, 10:27 pm, "Chris Read" wrote: "MIG" wrote: On the top deck of double deckers there used to only be one bell push, at the top of the stairs. I assumed that this was to stop people finding one by their seat and being tempted to stay there, ie force them to already be on their way out rather than delay the bus at the stop. In RM days, this was often inconvenient for conductors, stuck issuing tickets at the front of the top deck. They sometimes resorted to two loud taps, with metal clippers, on a suitable surface above the driver, as an improvised 'ding ding'. How much of a view they had of the platform from that position is a matter of conjecture........ Chris Yes, I remember a female conductor doing something with her heels that I thought was some kind of Spanish dance step, till I realised what was going on. I always thought that the use of a buzzer for the upstairs pushbutton on RT's/RM's was a good idea, so the driver knew a passenger was upstairs if pushed to stop, or the conductor was up there if it was a start signal. Why can't they do that now, so when a buzzer sounds the driver knows it's come from upstairs..? Ivor |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
On Jul 16, 10:27 pm, "Chris Read" wrote:
"MIG" wrote: On the top deck of double deckers there used to only be one bell push, at the top of the stairs. I assumed that this was to stop people finding one by their seat and being tempted to stay there, ie force them to already be on their way out rather than delay the bus at the stop. In RM days, this was often inconvenient for conductors, stuck issuing tickets at the front of the top deck. They sometimes resorted to two loud taps, with metal clippers, on a suitable surface above the driver, as an improvised 'ding ding'. How much of a view they had of the platform from that position is a matter of conjecture........ Which gives another answer as to why there was only one bell, and that near the stairs: so that the conductor gad to be in view of the platform in order to be able to give the genuine starting signal. Quite a clever safety device. |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 14:40:16 -0700, MIG
wrote: I have seen those, but I don't remember seeing one on an upstairs. ISTR some Manchester buses had them on both decks. Neil -- Neil Williams Put my first name before the at to reply. |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
"Offramp" wrote in message ps.com... On Jul 16, 10:27 pm, "Chris Read" wrote: "MIG" wrote: On the top deck of double deckers there used to only be one bell push, at the top of the stairs. I assumed that this was to stop people finding one by their seat and being tempted to stay there, ie force them to already be on their way out rather than delay the bus at the stop. In RM days, this was often inconvenient for conductors, stuck issuing tickets at the front of the top deck. They sometimes resorted to two loud taps, with metal clippers, on a suitable surface above the driver, as an improvised 'ding ding'. How much of a view they had of the platform from that position is a matter of conjecture........ Which gives another answer as to why there was only one bell, and that near the stairs: so that the conductor gad to be in view of the platform in order to be able to give the genuine starting signal. Quite a clever safety device. The buses I first drove had three or four bell pushes upstairs and also down. They all operated a buzzer, except the one at the top of the stairs, which operated a bell. On a "buzz-buzz", driver did extra-special checks on mirrors before pulling away. You could see inside the lower saloon using the offside mirror, and the platform using the nearside one. On a "ding-ding" you knew the conductor was on the platform or at the top of the stairs. Nowadays, of course, bells/ buzzers are merely provided as a source of amusement to keep the passengers happy, and serve no useful purpose. "Press Once" says the notice. So Wally does. Once..... .....With each finger. There is not now anyone on a bus capable of ringing a bell responsibly, apart from the driver, and he can't reach them..... |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
On Jul 17, 1:43 am, "Ivor Jones" wrote:
"Mark Brader" wrote in message ... M.I.G.: On the top deck of double deckers there used to only be one bell push, at the top of the stairs. Neil Williams: Some buses used to have a strip on each side reachable from every seat. In that regard we've gone backwards... In most North American city buses that I've used, there's been a cord running the length of the bus on each side, typically through metal loops at (or below) the upper corners of the main windows. So only two electrical switches at the front of the bus are required. Depending on the layout around the back doors, there may be a separate cord behind the doors on that side, requiring just one more switch. It seems a very good method to me: cheap, simple, and effective. The only downside is that passengers seated by the aisle have to lean across one person to reach the cord. (And if there is a section where the cord can't be reached easily for some reason, pushbuttons can still be provided there. Or short sections of vertical cord anchored at the bottom can be attached to the horizontal cord.) In Toronto these days the cord is plastic-covered metal for durability; at one time it was an ordinary cord. Is this method used in Britain to any extent? Not since the demise of RT's and Routemasters, no. Ivor- And I can only remember them downstairs on Routemasters, with a push button at the top of the stairs. |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
On Mon, Jul 16, 2007 at 10:27:20PM +0100, Chris Read wrote:
In RM days, this was often inconvenient for conductors, stuck issuing tickets at the front of the top deck. They sometimes resorted to two loud taps, with metal clippers, on a suitable surface above the driver, as an improvised 'ding ding'. How much of a view they had of the platform from that position is a matter of conjecture........ There was a mirror at the top of the stairs so they would have had at least *some* view of it. -- David Cantrell | London Perl Mongers Deputy Chief Heretic Nuke a disabled unborn gay baby whale for JESUS! |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
At 21:19:14 on Mon, 16 Jul 2007 Paul Corfield opined:-
On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 20:06:26 GMT, Mojo wrote: I've noticed by the "bay" of 4 seats near the front of the bus on Mercedes Articulated buses there is a button which reminds me of the door open buttons on mainline trains. They only seem to light up when the bell has been pressed. Does anyone know what they do? Aren't they simply a bell push? This saves people having to stand up or stretch to a push mounted on a vertical stanchion. I'm guessing but I assume they illuminate to show that the bell has been pushed elsewhere and there's no need to bother. That's exactly how it worked on the bendy I rode on today. -- Thoss |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
Today's busses do indeed indicate when a passenger is pushing a signal
upstairs; It is normally a shrill tone along with the standard beep that is heard when somebody presses the button on the lower deck. When the disabled button is pushed RT busses give a small siren sound in addition to the beep. I don't think that there is any particular sound on the bendibusses, as the driver's dashboard shows a disabled sign. "Ivor Jones" wrote in message ... I always thought that the use of a buzzer for the upstairs pushbutton on RT's/RM's was a good idea, so the driver knew a passenger was upstairs if pushed to stop, or the conductor was up there if it was a start signal. Why can't they do that now, so when a buzzer sounds the driver knows it's come from upstairs..? Ivor |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
wrote in message . uk... Today's busses do indeed indicate when a passenger is pushing a signal upstairs; It is normally a shrill tone along with the standard beep that is heard when somebody presses the button on the lower deck. When the disabled button is pushed RT busses give a small siren sound in addition to the beep. I don't think that there is any particular sound on the bendibusses, as the driver's dashboard shows a disabled sign. Maybe in London and maybe on *some* buses, but it is by no means universal. As I said, I've not come across it since the RT/RM days and none of our fleet have the facility. BTW please don't top post, thanks. Ivor -- A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text. Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing? A: Top-posting. Q: What is the most annoying thing on Usenet and in e-mail? |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 16:08:34 +0100, thoss
wrote: That's exactly how it worked on the bendy I rode on today. Yep, I pushed one as well. Did the job nicely and saved me standing up until we stopped. Quite surprised to note that it had the raised symbol for "open doors" on it, though ( ). Neil -- Neil Williams Put my first name before the at to reply. |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
On Jul 17, 7:50 am, "ian henden" wrote:
"Offramp" wrote in message ps.com... On Jul 16, 10:27 pm, "Chris Read" wrote: "MIG" wrote: On the top deck of double deckers there used to only be one bell push, at the top of the stairs. I assumed that this was to stop people finding one by their seat and being tempted to stay there, ie force them to already be on their way out rather than delay the bus at the stop. In RM days, this was often inconvenient for conductors, stuck issuing tickets at the front of the top deck. They sometimes resorted to two loud taps, with metal clippers, on a suitable surface above the driver, as an improvised 'ding ding'. How much of a view they had of the platform from that position is a matter of conjecture........ Which gives another answer as to why there was only one bell, and that near the stairs: so that the conductor gad to be in view of the platform in order to be able to give the genuine starting signal. Quite a clever safety device. The buses I first drove had three or four bell pushes upstairs and also down. They all operated a buzzer, except the one at the top of the stairs, which operated a bell. On a "buzz-buzz", driver did extra-special checks on mirrors before pulling away. You could see inside the lower saloon using the offside mirror, and the platform using the nearside one. On a "ding-ding" you knew the conductor was on the platform or at the top of the stairs. Nowadays, of course, bells/ buzzers are merely provided as a source of amusement to keep the passengers happy, and serve no useful purpose. "Press Once" says the notice. So Wally does. Once..... ....With each finger. There is not now anyone on a bus capable of ringing a bell responsibly, apart from the driver, and he can't reach them.....- The reason for this is that, in London at least, drivers don't stop at bus stops any more. This may not be their fault, in that instructions not to stop are probablly the only way that the bus operators can interpret TfL's timing regime. However, until drivers can be relied on to stop at bus stops, they are going to hear a lot of bells ringing. (And in another thread, I reported that I stood up to get off at a compulsory stop in Trafalgar Square in the rush hour, but the driver apparently deemed this to be too minor a place to stop and whisked me off down Whitehall. This is not an isolated incident, so I have learned by experience and always ring.) |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
Mojo wrote:
I've noticed by the "bay" of 4 seats near the front of the bus on Mercedes Articulated buses there is a button which reminds me of the door open buttons on mainline trains. They only seem to light up when the bell has been pressed. I can't help thinking it should be the other way around... they should be lit when you need to press them, and they should go unlit after someone has rung the bell. |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
On Jul 16, 9:41 pm, (Neil Williams)
wrote: On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 13:35:01 -0700, MIG wrote: On the top deck of double deckers there used to only be one bell push, at the top of the stairs. Some buses used to have a strip on each side reachable from every seat. In that regard we've gone backwards... Neil -- Neil Williams Put my first name before the at to reply. Bring back the bell cord that used to hang from the roof along the whole deck. Francis |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
On Mon, 16 Jul 2007 13:35:01 -0700, MIG
wrote: On the top deck of double deckers there used to only be one bell push, at the top of the stairs. I'd heard this was for safety, as was the idea that the upstairs push sounder a buzzer rather than a bell. It was so that the conductor could only ring away from the top of the staors (and so could see the platform) and the driver knew that he was upstairs. Every condyctor I ever knew either stamped on the floor to give the starting signal or tapped with a T-key. |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
"John Rowland" wrote in message ... Mojo wrote: I've noticed by the "bay" of 4 seats near the front of the bus on Mercedes Articulated buses there is a button which reminds me of the door open buttons on mainline trains. They only seem to light up when the bell has been pressed. I can't help thinking it should be the other way around... they should be lit when you need to press them, and they should go unlit after someone has rung the bell. Hmm. Lit buttons. More complications, do we need them..? There are already signs in the bus saying "Stopping" or similar when the bell has been pressed, do we really need illuminated buttons as well..? I hope they're high-brightness LED's, 'cos sure as eggs are eggs if they're filament bulbs, once they've blown that'll be it..! Ivor |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 23:55:57 -0700, MIG
wrote: The reason for this is that, in London at least, drivers don't stop at bus stops any more. This may not be their fault, in that instructions not to stop are probablly the only way that the bus operators can interpret TfL's timing regime. However, until drivers can be relied on to stop at bus stops, they are going to hear a lot of bells ringing. (And in another thread, I reported that I stood up to get off at a compulsory stop in Trafalgar Square in the rush hour, but the driver apparently deemed this to be too minor a place to stop and whisked me off down Whitehall. This is not an isolated incident, so I have learned by experience and always ring.) In the light of your comments you might be interested to read the proposals here http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/proj...ions/5003.aspx and perhaps send in some comments to TfL. Closing date 20 July 2007. -- Paul C |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
Ivor Jones wrote:
"John Rowland" wrote in message ... Mojo wrote: I've noticed by the "bay" of 4 seats near the front of the bus on Mercedes Articulated buses there is a button which reminds me of the door open buttons on mainline trains. They only seem to light up when the bell has been pressed. I can't help thinking it should be the other way around... they should be lit when you need to press them, and they should go unlit after someone has rung the bell. Hmm. Lit buttons. More complications, do we need them..? There are already signs in the bus saying "Stopping" or similar when the bell has been pressed, do we really need illuminated buttons as well..? I hope they're high-brightness LED's, 'cos sure as eggs are eggs if they're filament bulbs, once they've blown that'll be it..! Ivor What would be really nice, from the drivers point of view, would be a bell that once rung would not ring again until after the doors have been opened and closed. We are nearly there with Lothians' new buses, once rung the bell doesn't ring again on the bottom deck just the top. So if some ass-h*le drunk wants to play a tune it doesn't crack open the drivers scull. They do though have the stupid 'nuclear meltdown' alarm in the wheelchair bay. Is this really necessary? Kevin |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 17:54:05 GMT, Kevin
wrote: What would be really nice, from the drivers point of view, would be a bell that once rung would not ring again until after the doors have been opened and closed. It would be if the drivers always stopped when the bell was rung. Sometimes it is necessary, from experience, to ring repeatedly to get the driver's attention to prevent him zooming past a stop as he "forgot" or something. As an aside, the Dutch don't use bells. There is a quiet beep in the cab when the button is pressed the first time, but after that the only indication is the light. Neil -- Neil Williams Put my first name before the at to reply. |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 09:26:31 -0700, francis
wrote: Bring back the bell cord that used to hang from the roof along the whole deck. Until the local yoof swing on it and pull it off. An American-style cord along the middle of the windows might be better to reduce that problem, as it's difficult to swing on a cord that's only a few feet off the ground. Neil -- Neil Williams Put my first name before the at to reply. |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 18:14:26 +0100, Paul Corfield
wrote: In the light of your comments you might be interested to read the proposals here http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/proj...ions/5003.aspx and perhaps send in some comments to TfL. Closing date 20 July 2007. Interesting - a change to the German system where the default is to stop, unless there is no intending passenger or (unofficially) the passenger waves the bus past. This is a far more friendly system, though it can be a bit wasteful if a lot of routes serve one stop (though the best solution to that is to change things so a lot of routes no longer serve one stop). Neil -- Neil Williams Put my first name before the at to reply. |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
"Kevin" wrote in message . uk... [snip] What would be really nice, from the drivers point of view, would be a bell that once rung would not ring again until after the doors have been opened and closed. We had that with the Volvo B7's we had a few years ago. Sadly they removed it on the Geminis and Tridents we had after that. Ivor |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
Ivor Jones wrote Hmm. Lit buttons. More complications, do we need them..? There are already signs in the bus saying "Stopping" or similar when the bell has been pressed, do we really need illuminated buttons as well..? I hope they're Not all buses, even in London. I noticed that the buses on the 465 Kingston-Dorking didn't have a 'Stopping' sign, just a raspberry noise when the bell was pressed. -- Mike D |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
|
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 19:51:00 +0100, Neil Williams
wrote: On Wed, 18 Jul 2007 18:14:26 +0100, Paul Corfield wrote: In the light of your comments you might be interested to read the proposals here http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/proj...ions/5003.aspx and perhaps send in some comments to TfL. Closing date 20 July 2007. Interesting - a change to the German system where the default is to stop, unless there is no intending passenger or (unofficially) the passenger waves the bus past. This is a far more friendly system, though it can be a bit wasteful if a lot of routes serve one stop (though the best solution to that is to change things so a lot of routes no longer serve one stop). I don't see that as a Good Thing, certainly not while we have the current fare structure of 'one ride, one fare'. In a city as massive as London it is a fact of life that you need multiple routes from a given point to cover all the journeys required. Unless you mean that each route should have their own exclusive stops just a few meters from each other. But then the whole street would be one massive bus stop with no room to park cars. Ahhhh, yes, I see where you're going now. Good call. -- Fig |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
Paul Corfield wrote:
On Tue, 17 Jul 2007 23:55:57 -0700, MIG wrote: The reason for this is that, in London at least, drivers don't stop at bus stops any more. This may not be their fault, in that instructions not to stop are probablly the only way that the bus operators can interpret TfL's timing regime. However, until drivers can be relied on to stop at bus stops, they are going to hear a lot of bells ringing. (And in another thread, I reported that I stood up to get off at a compulsory stop in Trafalgar Square in the rush hour, but the driver apparently deemed this to be too minor a place to stop and whisked me off down Whitehall. This is not an isolated incident, so I have learned by experience and always ring.) In the light of your comments you might be interested to read the proposals here http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/proj...ions/5003.aspx and perhaps send in some comments to TfL. Closing date 20 July 2007. Thanks, Paul. I wasn't aware of that proposal and consultation, and there doesn't seem to be a link to it from the main London Buses page. I've no problem with the idea of removing the distinction between compulsory and request stops. Effectively they'll all become compulsory as far as boarding passengers are concerned (buses will stop at all stops if anyone is waiting), but will be request stops for alighting passengers (ring the bell if you want the bus to stop, which is what 80% of passengers always do anyway). But if they are going to standardise on one design of bus stop sign, I'd much prefer the white-on-red of the current request stop, as IMHO it's much more visible from a distance than the compulsory stop. I've suggested this in my response to TfL. What do others think? -- Richard J. (to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address) |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
On Thu, 19 Jul 2007 00:27:01 +0100, Fig wrote:
Unless you mean that each route should have their own exclusive stops just a few meters from each other. But then the whole street would be one massive bus stop with no room to park cars. It doesn't necessarily need to be each route - you can group some together that have common sections and are infrequent enough to avoid the problem. London is, and always was, far better at that than other parts of the country, but it could do with being better. Neil -- Neil Williams Put my first name before the at to reply. |
Strange buttons on Bendy buses
On Thu, 19 Jul 2007 05:39:18 GMT, Neil Williams
wrote in : On Thu, 19 Jul 2007 00:27:01 +0100, Fig wrote: Unless you mean that each route should have their own exclusive stops just a few meters from each other. But then the whole street would be one massive bus stop with no room to park cars. It doesn't necessarily need to be each route - you can group some together that have common sections and are infrequent enough to avoid the problem. We have that here, but imperfectly. Outside Tesco in Uxbridge there's one stop for, inter alia, the U5 and another further down the street that serves the U1 and U3. Neither are request stops. Especially when the U5 first started, the drivers would turn into the street and then see how fast they could accelerate past the stop... Problem is that I and a lot of other people can use either the U3 or the U5 (and for a few of us the U1 as well) so we wait midway between the two stops. There's about enough time to get to the U3 stop from first sighting the bus, but if the U5 driver's hell-bent on not stopping there's no way to get to the stop in time to hail the bus. -- Ivan Reid, School of Engineering & Design, _____________ CMS Collaboration, Brunel University. ] Room 40-1-B12, CERN KotPT -- "for stupidity above and beyond the call of duty". |
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