The dreaded FIRST BUS!

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Wed 12 Feb, 2014 10:29 am

I departed the Leeds (Headingley) bus scene on De-regulation in October 1986 - a time of great confusion all round, but after much soul searching I took redundancy/early retirement and it was the best move I ever made. I then travelled daily to Pontefract to drive for South Yorkshire/Caldaire (West Riding/Cowie/Arriva) until I retired on my 65th birthday - often happily helping out on wonderful routes at Selby, Wakefield and Castleford depots.The final days at Leeds and Pontefract sum it all up. At Leeds it was literally "Don't forget to leave your keys when you go." At Pontefract preparations were kept secret (don't ask me how) until 3.00pm on the last afternoon. The Union man, after keeping me at the garage with several "odd" reasons, led me into the bus station canteen where I have to say I was overcome and nearly shed a tear. The whole room was decked out with balloons and streamers and the most magnificent buffet, including a craftsman baked iced cake in the form of one of our buses,even "registered" CHR 1 S for my name. Next came three of the top management from Wakefield in their own Saturday time to present wonderful gifts which I treasure to this day. Its a day I'll never forget and I still go regularly to Pontefract to socialise with the grand folks who warmly welcomed a "stranger from North Leeds."

buffaloskinner · Post by **buffaloskinner** » Wed 12 Feb, 2014 8:46 pm

Nice story Chris, my send off was a few pints in the snooker centre opposite Kirkstall. Always glad I left even if it was less money there doesn't seem to be any pleasure in the job anymore.Had great times at Middleton up until it closed in 86, we then ended up at Torre Rd, then to Swinegate and finally Kirkstall. Though I did get to drive Jetrider a few times.

p · Post by p » Wed 12 Feb, 2014 9:39 pm

In response to the slug seen on route 4 recently it appears one of the stored slugs is being used as back up due to vehicle shortages. Quite why a slug costing hundreds of thousands is being stored rather than used is beyond belief, quite why First thought a B7 engine could power a long bendi body is another mystery. Someone at Volvo really knows how to pull the wool over the eyes of those who buy vehicles at First!

dogduke · Post by **dogduke** » Thu 13 Feb, 2014 1:33 am

p wrote: In response to the slug seen on route 4 recently it appears one of the stored slugs is being used as back up due to vehicle shortages. Quite why a slug costing hundreds of thousands is being stored rather than used is beyond belief, quite why First thought a B7 engine could power a long bendi body is another mystery. Someone at Volvo really knows how to pull the wool over the eyes of those who buy vehicles at First! Thank you "p"I think there were some serious doubters out there after my post on this threadlast weekend.As they say "all's well that ends well"It's good to see the site back up to speed after some weeks/monthsjust ticking over.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Thu 13 Feb, 2014 11:20 am

p wrote: Someone at Volvo really knows how to pull the wool over the eyes of those who buy vehicles at First! How true p - and even worse, "First" think they can pull the wool over the eyes of the travelling public who they obviously consider to be gullible twits. Put metal spats over the wheels of an articulated bus and tell us its some kind of miraculous "Streetcar"and that its supervised by a pilot and a customer service host. Isn't there a classical quote somewhere along the lines of "A rose by any other name is but a rose" ?? Well, an articulated bus by any other name ........................Mind you, the "ftr" nonsense has been quietly ditched, and the oversized contraptions now have a new title in their latest enforced "niche" - "Hyperlink". Someone please tell me this is all just a bad dream !!

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Thu 13 Feb, 2014 11:20 am

Sorry, unintentional "articulated" double post

Bracken · Post by **Bracken** » Wed 26 Feb, 2014 1:22 pm

First Leeds seem to be spending a lot of time and money on vanity with dedicated buses liveried for certain routes.Is there any point to this? We have got by okay for many years with only the route number on the front, side and if your lucky on the rear of the buses without it advertised elsewhere.Why cannot they do without this and help keep fares down.

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Wed 26 Feb, 2014 7:15 pm

Bracken wrote: First Leeds seem to be spending a lot of time and money on vanity with dedicated buses liveried for certain routes.Is there any point to this? We have got by okay for many years with only the route number on the front, side and if your lucky on the rear of the buses without it advertised elsewhere.Why cannot they do without this and help keep fares down. Spot on there Bracken, and that's only the tip of the iceberg - they know how to throw money down the drain like no other business I've ever seen What about all the nonsensical colour schemes - I refuse to us the word "Liveries" as liveries are sensible and dignified colours of which operators should be proud. Then there are all the vynil nonsenses, inside and out, which no passenger ever reads I'm sure. Oh, and did you know they've given elocution lessons to the former purple slugs (now blue slugs on the 72 route) - if you can spot it amidst all the other tripe you'll see some little round vynils by means of which the slug contentedly informs us "I'm cared for by our Bramley Team."Then of course there's other more material wastes of money - just one glaring example :- not too long ago some mid life Olympian double deckers were transferred in and were used largely on the Otley Road routes where their centre exits were, when used by the passengers, a big help in timekeeping. Having decided to put these exits out of use you would have thought (well on in the excellent vehicles' lives) that locking them closed and deleting the "EXIT" signs would have more than sufficed - but Oh no, they were all driven down to, I believe, Rotherham where First not only removed the doors and neatly panelled over the gap, but inserted some new flooring and put in one extra seat for two passengers - OK a nice idea but not at that expense and of negligible effect on the overall loading of the buses.Oh dear oh dear oh dear .......................................

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Wed 26 Feb, 2014 10:33 pm

Ah yes, the banning of centre doors on buses - something else banned by diktat of Metro.Meanwhile, out in the real world everyone knows 2 door buses allow much quicker loading / unloading at bus stops...so much faster in fact that Boris has insisted on 3 doors on his new buses.

Bracken · Post by **Bracken** » Thu 27 Feb, 2014 1:35 pm

Please excuse if this question has been asked before.Why do First paint over the destination boards on the side and rear of buses when they get older? If the dot matrix have broken it would be money better spend renewing them rather than the money wasting schemes already mentioned on a previous message.