In article , writes


Eh? Apart from the routemaster I can't think of any London buses that *don't*
have doors in the middle.


Eh? indeed. Try the outer suburbs. Neither of my local buses, the
138 (Metrobus) and 162 (Arriva) has a door in the middle; I am
reasonably sure that the 126 is the same; are you thinking only of
double-decked vehicles?
--
Bill Borland

On Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:30:32 GMT, wrote:

I just do not see why a parent needs to drag their offspring here
there and everywhere

I must admit this is one that gets me. Assuming a 2-parent family
(which I know isn't a given, but is still AIUI the majority), why do
both parents and the screaming kid who really doesn't want to be there
have to go together to the supermarket so they can irritate the other
shoppers?

Why not instead have one parent go to the supermarket and one stay at
home or take the kid somewhere it may enjoy, like my parents did until
I was old enough to behave properly in a shop?

Neil

--
Neil Williams
Put my first name before the at to reply.

"Neil Williams" wrote in message
...

I must admit this is one that gets me. Assuming a 2-parent family
(which I know isn't a given, but is still AIUI the majority), why do
both parents and the screaming kid who really doesn't want to be there
have to go together to the supermarket so they can irritate the other
shoppers?

It's a well-known fact that people only take their kids to the supermarket
so they can hit them!

Ian

On Thu, 30 Apr 2009 23:13:21 +0100
Bill Borland wrote:
Eh? indeed. Try the outer suburbs. Neither of my local buses, the
138 (Metrobus) and 162 (Arriva) has a door in the middle; I am
reasonably sure that the 126 is the same; are you thinking only of
double-decked vehicles?

You have a point, I'd forgotten about the midget buses in the sticks.

B2003

No, it's quite simple - if there's space you board. If the
buggy/wheelchair space is taken, you wait for the next one.

How can you tell from the front of the bus?

You wait for the bus to stop first to allow for the possibility of
passengers with pushchairs alighting, and then you look through the doors
and windows. They tend to work quite well for that sort of thing ;-)

Although the drivers on my local bus route often seem to sail past
compulsory bus stops half empty presumably thinking they are full, their
knowledge of their loading becomes encyclopaedic when it comes to pushchairs
and buggies. So as soon as they pull up they'll let you know if they want
you to fold the buggy, use the middle doors or in exceptional cases not come
on at all. OK so some will only allow two buggies on even though the bays
can usually cope with three given cooperative fellow passengers and the more
modest size buggies and the bus is otherwise empty, but most are a bit more
flexible.

Going back to the OP, I was surprised to. Their are minor issues with the
design of buses and with a minority of drivers, the main problem is actually
the other passengers with buggies, and in particular those who don't use an
appropriate pushchair or buggy for public transport.

G.

Eh? Apart from the routemaster I can't think of any London buses that
*don't*
have doors in the middle.

There are a few single door PDLs in use on my local route and totally
unsuitable for it they are too. Just as useless as those are the two door
ADLs which have the wheelchair bay on the same side as the doors.

G.

When I first read that I though you meant they hooked the baby to the
front of the bus
What a bloody good idea Neill ) .

You'll still get people complaining there aren't enough hooks though...

G.

In ,
typed, for some strange,
unexplained reason:
: On Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:56:36 +0100, "Batman55"
: wrote:
:
:
: That isn't to say that having space set aside for prams, wheelchairs
: etc is wrong, but there have to be limits and to raise it as
: "discrimination" seems a bit ridiculous.
: It isn't wrong at all but all the buses I travel on have enough spaces
: for TWO push chairs parked in the spaces. BUT the problem comes
: when a driver does not use his discretion and allows more than two on
: the vehicle all then have to face into the side of the bus with their
: handles blocking half of the center isle causing old and young alike
: to have to struggle passed them .

Driver's discretion is all very well but if somebody ignores the driver
and gets on regardless what then..? Park up and have a row..?

Ivor

In message , at 15:54:30 on Thu, 30 Apr 2009,
remarked:
Middle doors? None of the buses I ever catch have middle doors.

Eh? Apart from the routemaster I can't think of any London buses that *don't*
have doors in the middle.

I haven't caught a bus in London for years (excluding the private buses
at airports, for the pedantic).
--
Roland Perry

In message
, at
09:23:48 on Thu, 30 Apr 2009, Mizter T remarked:
Mr Perry resides in Nottingham where - like much the rest of the
country - buses only have front doors,

Yes. There are a few bendy-busses with two (not three) sets of doors;
but they don't run on routes that I use.

and he doesn't use buses when in London (I think he's missing a trick
or two but that's another discussion!).

I make do with a combination of tube and walking. Most of my trips are a
one-off, and it's simply too difficult to work out which of 15 bus stops
within a quarter mile radius is the one for the bus I want. Even worse
working out where to get off.

If they still had a platform at the back - I'd be jumping on and off
them like good'un.
--
Roland Perry