I'm about to have a whinge. An unreasonable one, which ignores 'stuff'
like operational problems and the like.


Just what is it with London Buses and ME? Why can't they just get me
home in a reasonable time?

Take today. I sense my day is going to be bad when I get a 333 from
Streatham to Brixton. I swear that the drivers of this bus, and the
133, are on a permanent 'go slow'. Today, we were overtaken by
cyclists and six other buses whose drivers seemed to have a slight
sense of urgency. The tube was then held at Victoria to regulate the
service, but more of that another time.

On my way home, Regent Street - Streatham, I get to the bus stop on
Regent Street, at 2315hrs, just as a 159 passes. I never run for
buses, but a woman does. She runs all the way from Vigo Street to the
bus, which has stopped at the bus stop near Air Street. The bus waits.
And waits. She reaches the stop, and the driver closes the doors. He
won't let her on. He then drives forward literally two feet, and stops
at the traffic lights. He still won't let her on. He drives off.

By 2335 I have counted 3 x Route 12s, 2 x Route 453's, 3 x Route 15s
and 3 x Route 94s. No sign of an 88, 3 or 159 which most of the people
waiting want. At 2337, another 159 appears. It waits at the stop until
2342, for some reason. By 2357, we have reached Whitehall. There are
no obvious traffic problems, even with the roadworks at Haymarket.

The bus trundles to Streatham, and at 0020, I get off. According to
the Mobile Journey Planner, there is a 417 due at 0024. The countdown
timer at the stop shows that it will be there in "10 mins". Again I do
the county thing - 3 x Route 57, 2 x Route 333, 1 x Route 59, 2 x
Route 137, etc. etc. At 0034, the 417 is 'Due', and a 133 is in '3
minutes'. The 133 arrives 3 minutes later. Still no sign of the 417.
It eventually arrives five minutes after being 'Due'. I get home at
0059.

And the most frustrating thing about it is that this is not the first
time I've had these kind of journeys, and there is nothing anyone will
do about it.

Perhaps a combination of tube (tm), railway and walking might get you
home quicker than inferior bus travel.

On Apr 11, 1:48*am, Nick W wrote:
Perhaps a combination of tube (tm), railway and walking might get you
home quicker than inferior bus travel.

I would normally get 38 to Victoria, Southern to Streatham Hill then
417 but the last train is at 2336 and the Victoria Line was closed
etc.

On Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:38:03 -0700 (PDT), Railist
wrote:

On Apr 11, 1:48*am, Nick W wrote:
Perhaps a combination of tube (tm), railway and walking might get you
home quicker than inferior bus travel.

I would normally get 38 to Victoria, Southern to Streatham Hill then
417 but the last train is at 2336 and the Victoria Line was closed
etc.

The thing I am slightly bemused about is that you didn't opt to try the
rail replacement bus for the Vic Line south of Victoria. It would at
least be reasonably quick as it's effectively limited stop and you might
have stood a bit more of a chance at Brixton in getting a connection.

Easy to wise after the event I know but perhaps an option to store away.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!

On Fri, 11 Apr 2008 21:36:49 +0100, Paul Corfield
wrote this gibberish:

On Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:38:03 -0700 (PDT), Railist
wrote:

On Apr 11, 1:48*am, Nick W wrote:
Perhaps a combination of tube (tm), railway and walking might get you
home quicker than inferior bus travel.

I would normally get 38 to Victoria, Southern to Streatham Hill then
417 but the last train is at 2336 and the Victoria Line was closed
etc.

The thing I am slightly bemused about is that you didn't opt to try the
rail replacement bus for the Vic Line south of Victoria. It would at
least be reasonably quick as it's effectively limited stop and you might
have stood a bit more of a chance at Brixton in getting a connection.

Easy to wise after the event I know but perhaps an option to store away.

My only experiences of replacement bus services is that they hang
around at each station on-route for what feels like forever making it
quicker to get a regular bus route to the station or more directly to
final destination. Maybe I've been unlucky.
--
Mark.
www.MarkVarleyPhoto.co.uk
www.TwistedPhotography.co.uk
www.TwistedArts.co.uk
www.FacelessLadies.com
www.BeautifulBondage.net

MarkVarley - MVP wrote:

On Fri, 11 Apr 2008 21:36:49 +0100, Paul Corfield
wrote this gibberish:

On Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:38:03 -0700 (PDT), Railist
wrote:

On Apr 11, 1:48�am, Nick W wrote:
Perhaps a combination of tube (tm), railway and walking might get you
home quicker than inferior bus travel.

I would normally get 38 to Victoria, Southern to Streatham Hill then
417 but the last train is at 2336 and the Victoria Line was closed
etc.

The thing I am slightly bemused about is that you didn't opt to try the
rail replacement bus for the Vic Line south of Victoria. It would at
least be reasonably quick as it's effectively limited stop and you might
have stood a bit more of a chance at Brixton in getting a connection.

Easy to wise after the event I know but perhaps an option to store away.

My only experiences of replacement bus services is that they hang
around at each station on-route for what feels like forever making it
quicker to get a regular bus route to the station or more directly to
final destination. Maybe I've been unlucky.


Were these mainline rail replacement bus services? If so I think they
have to hang around more working to a timetable. I don't think you'd
get the same problem with LU replacement buses, except perhaps late at
night when they're running the last few services.

Railist wrote:
I swear that the drivers of this bus, and the 133,
are on a permanent 'go slow'.

Thanks for the reminder. I was on a half-full bus the other day which
was driving slowly down an otherwise empty road. After a minute or two,
curiosity and impatience made me shift seats so I could see what was
immediately ahead of the bus - which was nothing. From my new vantage
point I could also see the driver in his mirror and lo, he was chatting
away on a mobile phone that was pressed to the side of his head. Nice.

ESB

On Apr 11, 10:25 am, Ernst S Blofeld
wrote:
point I could also see the driver in his mirror and lo, he was chatting
away on a mobile phone that was pressed to the side of his head. Nice.

You should have taken the bus number and reported him to the police.
He was risking everyone on the bus and anyone in the nearby vicinity.

B2003

Boltar wrote:
You should have taken the bus number and reported him to the police.
He was risking everyone on the bus and anyone in the nearby vicinity.

Quite. Had he not stopped and had I not been preoccupied, in a hurry and
getting off the bus at the next stop, I would have. Perhaps someone else
on the bus did. That said, experience suggests that 'doing the right
thing' too often achieves nothing more than wasting my time and making
me even more irate than I was about the original incident.

ESB

Ernst S Blofeld wrote:
Railist wrote:
I swear that the drivers of this bus, and the 133,
are on a permanent 'go slow'.

Thanks for the reminder. I was on a half-full bus the other day which
was driving slowly down an otherwise empty road. After a minute or
two, curiosity and impatience made me shift seats so I could see what
was immediately ahead of the bus - which was nothing. From my new
vantage point I could also see the driver in his mirror and lo, he
was chatting away on a mobile phone that was pressed to the side of
his head. Nice.

Did you tell the police?